Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1914-04-18

was q nightmare for driving. Pretty
more than that-wild, rugged anC
beautiful, but the roadway was some
thing fierce, as the sOubrettes say
We managed to get up about seven
miles and then we came to a stop
The way was so steep that the gas
would not feed into the carburetor
We fused and fumed and pushed and
pulled and wiggled and worked until
we were all tired. All to no purpose
we got TO a place where we could not
make another foot and hold it. If
we got up a foot the sand was SO
mushy that we slipped back into the
old hole we had left. Finally we
managed TO turn the car around back
wards. This gave us power ana We
made another move forward about the
length of the car. This was encOur-
aging, but too slow, SO We finally de-
cided to run back TO Carson City. We
had spent over four hours in trying
TO climb old Sierra. We reached
a comparatively level spot and
stopped to rest when along came
a four-horse stage coach down the
mountain. They told US we had made
a serious mistake in tackling that
grade; that only one certain 9J-hOrse
power car had ever made it. They
told US TO take another road out of
Carson City. We lost no time in COW
ering the seven miles back to the city,
but 1T was $3.50 in the afternoon be-
fore we got on our way up the new
grade for the lake. We had recOv-
cred our rest and good spirits and
had lot of fun over our experience
and telling what we could have done
if we had been tuned up.
The new road gave US one of the
most beautiful drives we had on the
entire trip. Up, up, up a grade in
cline until we reached an altitude OF
approximately 5000 feet. Along the
way our road lead along the face Of
the mountain on what might ne calleo
a shelf road. First around the face of
one range and then another 1t
seemed as though they never would
end, but it was all worth while. We
could see our road at times as it
wound around the face UP a turret
ahead of us-clear across the inter
vening slope between. The sight was
at times enhancing. Occasionally we
were so near the precipice that it
made ones senses reel to look down
below. Evening shadows were falling
in the valley below-far below
while it was still sunlight on the
mountain tops just above us. As we
studied the landscape around, above
and below US, we could see ever and
anon d CLEAN of light from some
ranchman's cottage home miles below.
Away off in another direction stood
another group of farm buildings, dIs-
tinguishable only by q ray OF light
from an oil lamp of some sort. Up,
up, up we went and on, on, on. 1t
seemed as though the summit was
still miles farther on, and yet we had
been told it was only eight. miles to
the top of the range. Suddenly
through the dusky twilight we caught
sight of one edge of famous Lake Ia
hoe. 1t lay below US. Then the run
down grade began and without mis-
hap we reached the level of the lake
and soon found ourselves in front of
a rustic hotel. 1t was night, but we
soon found that we were at Glen
brook Inn, charming resort of the
type and reasonable
prices. 1t was past the dinner hour,
but the cordial proprietor and has
motherly wife prepared Us q splendid
cold lunch with hot tea and coffee. A
little billiards, visiting before CRATE
fire and then to bed. IT was cold here
with snow all around us on the noun
tain peaks.
Friday morning September the
18th, notwithstanding the ill-Omen
dawned sunny and comfortable. We
inspected Lake Tahoe and found that
it was more than usually interesting
from the fact that it was at such
high altitude for one thing-6,5O0 feet
above sea level-and another thing
the water of such pronounced color.
In many stretches the water is pure
Turquoise blue. 1t is clear as crystal
and though il is at such a high alti
tude the mountains surrounding it run
up into the skies some thousands of
feet or more. The surroundings are
but not especially beauti-
full. The pine trees give fragrance,
but there are few fine shade trees and
the view is barren in some places.
Compared with Lake George for in
stance the setting for the lake, so
far as verdure is concerned, is not as
pretty as the famous Adirondack lake.
The country round about is entirely
different and this spot is a refresh
ing change after so many hundreds
of miles of desolation. There are
some trees here and that is worth
something The lake lies partly in
Nevada and partly in California Sill
yer and three other species of trout
are caught in this lake We saw
some fine specimens which had been
caught the day before by tourists
who were staying at the hotel.
If the run up to Lake Tahoe had
been interesting and beautiful, the
run out was fully up to the standard
set by the trip in. Perhaps more so.
After running some miles down grade
we began another climb and before
we were through with it, we had
reached an altitude of 1894 feet. The
way is over a switch back line, wind
ing first one way and then another.
When on the sixth tier we could look
down and see five other roadways
over which we had passed, down be-
low us. The view from here is grand
beyond description AS we drove
along in the morning sunlight we
81 a.