El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-15

pected and when he did so he took US along
forest fires had made Il exceedingly dan
gerous and where We had to jump the
logs in the darkness. with no telling what
might be on the opposite side slept the
clock round after reaching Sunrise. and am
now translating the notes made on horse
back during the trip
I despair OF making you see the wonder
full beauties OF the peninsula The trip was
through one little valley after another, with
the era ndest OF mountains everywhere in
sight The valleys are from a half mile to
three miles in width and are ike great
natural parks. They are often covered with
woods. but tho forest fires have clearer
open spaces and II is easy 70 see that the
whole could be turned into farms. In going
through tho valley 1 wound my way along
rushing streams in which great red sal
mon were battling against the current,
making their way over the rocks ana
through the debris or dead trees and float
ing brushwood. These salmon were the
color Of beefsteak. and they looked like
streaks OF raw meat flying along through
the water. The streams are OF the clearest
crystal. and. here and there. they made
waterfalls az they dashed down the hills
In other parts OF the journey / skirted
beautiful lakes clear that the mighty
mountains above them. with their wonder
ful vegetation and curious outlines. were re-
Elected rs though in a looking glass. / wish
I could have photographed the colors. They
made me think OF the paintings OF the lat
est German art schools. where the pigment
is laid on in great patches with such strik-
ing effects OF light and shade.
Valleys Are Fertile.
The valleys OF the peninsula seem 10 he
wonderfully fertile. About Il miles from
the railway I passed through natural
park Of spruce, cottonwood and birches, ris-
ing out OF grass which in the open places
reached to my shoulders This grass was
as green as that Of the Hne valley. and
whore the forest fires had DESTROYED the
trees # came through beds OF fireweed,
making vast sheets OF green busted with
pink Some Of the flreweed is from six TO
~ rod fnF
here. at Sunrise. that are nine feet from
the ground 10 the topmost flowers.
saw many berries on the way across
country. There were high and low brush
cranberrles Of bright red. blueberries OF
deep purple and salmonberries Of a pale
lemon color. There were wild flowers OF
different varieties. and in places the woods
were carpeted with stunted tree ferns eight
or ten inches high in some places the for
ests are green. in others they are frosted
silver and in others dead white. The green
trees are alive and the silver and white
ones are dead or dying from forest fires
The dead forests are as picturesque as the
live ones The lacelille branches OF the
spruce then change to an ivory whiteness
and they look like exquisite carvings.
Fishing Is Fine.
And then the live things we saw on tho
journey. 1 already have spoken Of the SAL
mon. We could see the trout in the streams.
and am told that all are full Of Erayltng
and other Zine fish. I met one man on
the way who had stopped for an hour at
the head OF TRAN lake and caught 81 trout,
pulling them out as fast rs he could throw
the line in. ] could have easily caught
salmon and trout with my hands in the
smaller streams.
Now and then during the journey 7
started up covies OF grouse. Some OF the
birds were as big as a chicken. They ran
along in front Of my horse for hundreds Of
feet like many turkeys. They did not
seem TO be much afraid. and Il was as
though I were driving them. I saw also
and at a cabin at Mile Il where
I stopped for dinner a miner cooked for
me some ptarmigan he had Just killed
Later on / saw the tracks OF brown bear
here and there on the trail and once or
twice scared Up porcupinos which scuttled
away through the grass My guide told me
to be careful not to ride over n porcupine
saying that the animal IS sure 10 lame the