The Clio messenger., 1919-07-17
TRIP TO MOUNTAINS
MOST INTERESTING
EDITOR RECEIVES LETTER
FROM MRS. HAZEL LA BAR
Describes Trip to Mountains-Echo
Mountain is Objective-Details
of Trip.
Los Angeles, Calf,
July 5, 1919.


July 5, 1919.
DearMr. Reed:
AS | promised to write a lettr to
you, l think the trip to the noun
tains will be the most interesting to
the people there.
Yesterday, July 4. was the day we
girls set for the trip, SO at eight a.
m. we fell in line, with many others,
at the Mt. Lowe window. At 8:1O
we were riding through the main
street in Los Angeles, then through
the wholesale and manufacturing dis
trict of the city, into the northeast
ern part where the houses are villa
like surrounded with trees pepper
trees), then on to Pasadena and
through the millionaire's district.
These homes were wonderful and
almost completely covered with flow
ers and vines. Here we changed cars.
Beyond Pasadena, on the rising mesa
is Altadena, with it's stately homes.
Here you get wide views of the val
leys and a close view of the gary
mountains. The track begins to
wind among the great shoulders of
mountains, then it seems to. plunge
into the cool depths Of Rubio Can
yon (2200 feet above the sea-, where
you step out Of the car and look up
the long incline. You take an cleo
trio from here, with seating capa-
city limited to thirty people and
built in three decks, so that there
may be no obstruction to the pas
sengers. This incline is 5000 feet,
300 feet of which is directly hori-
zontial, so you begin to think you
are balancing in the air. and you
want to look down but are almost
afraind to do so. The conductor sig
nails the engineer at the top lof the
incline, then the start is made. The
two cars are attached to an endless
steel cable, tested to one hundred
tons, but never loaded to exceed five
TONS. The track consists of three
rails resting on stringers which are
framed into ties supporting them to
prevent the track from creeping.
The conductor told us this and we felt
more at ease and were ready to lis
ten to the interesting things he told
us.
Midway up we passed through
Granite Gorge, then over McPher-
son trestle and overlooking San Ga
briel valley, which covers 1000
square miles, in the meantime we
were rising higher and higher. At
this point we look off and see Cata-
lima Island, twenty-seven miles away.
There has never been an accident on
this incline since it was built twen-
ty-five years ago.
Reaching Echo mountain we had
the privilege to see the machinery
which operates the incline cars, but
the car being there to takes us on,
wedid not get chance to look it
over, but on the return trip we saw
the wonderful 100000 candle pow
er spot light in action. 1t showed us
several trails of interest a distance
of two and three miles away; also
the cities of Pasadena and Los Ange-
les. From Echo mountain to Alpine
Tavern is 500 feet or five miles by
rail. In this five miles we went
around 127 curves and crossed eigh-.
teen bridges, the longest pieces Of
straight tack being 225 feet. At
times you would wonder what your
were balancing on, many people
were screaming, and we, of course,
were no exception. Several places
below us you could see three tracks
at once, those we had just gone over.
There was a track just like horse
shoe and it seemed as if the car
could never make the turn. The
car just takes you to Alpine Tav-
ern and the balance Of the trip, which
is two and one-half miles to the
summit, is made by donkeys carry
in you, or by hiking. The greatest
novelty is hiking, so we went that
way. Most girls wear uniforms just
like our soldiers, high top shoes to
knees or low ones and wrap leggins.
The trail is just a path wide enough
for two so you have to watch your
step very close, which makes it ex-
citing. You really have to see it to
appreciate it. A trip that I wouldn't
have missed for 500 but only cost
two, but the next time l go to the
mountains, want to start from the
bottom and hike to the top.
Remember me to all the enuqir-
ing friends.
Hazel H. La Bar. =