[Illustration: Cascade Lake and Lake Tahoe]

THE LAKE OF THE SKY

LAKE TAHOE

IN THE HIGH

SIERRAS OF CALIFORNIA AND NEVADA

Its History, Indians, Discovery by Frémont, Legendary Lore, VariousNamings, Physical Characteristics, Glacial Phenomena, Geology, SingleOutlet, Automobile Routes, Historic Towns, Early Mining Excitements, Steamer Ride, Mineral Springs, Mountain and Lake Resorts, Trail andCamping Out Trips, Summer Residences, Fishing, Hunting, Flowers, Birds, Animals, Trees, and Chaparral, with a Full Account of the TahoeNational Forest, the Public Use of the Water of Lake Tahoe and MuchOther Interesting Matter

BY

GEORGE WHARTON JAMES

_Author of_

"Arizona, the Wonderland, " "California, Romantic and Beautiful, " "NewMexico, the Land of the Delight Makers, " "Utah, the Land of BlossomingValleys, " "Quit Your Worrying, " "Living the Radiant Life, " etc. 

_With a map, and sixty-five plates, including a folding panorama View_

L. C. PAGE & COMPANY BOSTON PUBLISHERS

Copyright, 1915, BY EDITH E. FARNSWORTH

_All Rights Reserved_

TO ROBERT M. WATSON

(_To his friends "Bob"_)

Fearless Explorer, Expert Mountaineer, Peerless Guide, Truthful Fisherman, Humane Hunter, Delightful Raconteur, True-hearted Gentleman, Generous Communicatorof a large and varied Knowledge, Brother to Manand Beast and DevotedFriend, AND TO ANOTHER, though younger brother ofthe same craft

RICHARD MICHAELIS

These Pages are Cordially Dedicatedwith the Author's High Esteemand Affectionate Regards. 

[Illustration: "Bob" Watson, Tahoe guide, at home, with his dogSkookum John]

INTRODUCTION

California is proving itself more and more the wonderland of theUnited States. Its hosts of annual visitors are increasing withmarvelous rapidity; its population is growing by accretions from theother states faster than any other section in the civilized world. The reasons are not far to seek. They may be summarized in fivewords, viz. , climate, topography, healthfulness, productiveness andall-around liveableness. Its climate is already a catch word to thenations; its healthfulness is attested by the thousands who havecome here sick and almost hopeless and who are now rugged, robust andhappy; its productiveness is demonstrated by the millions of dollarsits citizens annually receive for the thousands of car-loads (onemight almost say train-loads) of oranges, lemons, grape-fruit, walnuts, almonds, peaches, figs, apricots, onions, potatoes, asparagusand other fruits of its soil; and its all-around home qualities arebest evidenced by the growth, in two or three decades, of scores oftowns from a merely nominal population to five, ten, twenty, forty orfifty thousand, and of the cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles andOakland to metropolises, the two former already claiming populationsof half a million or thereabouts. 

As far as its topography, its scenic qualities, are concerned, theworld of tourists already has rendered any argument upon that lineunnecessary. It is already beginning to rival Switzerland, though thatAlpine land has crowded populations within a day's journey to drawfrom. One has but to name Monterey, the Mt. Shasta region, LosAngeles, San Diego and Coronado, the Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, the BigTrees, the King and Kern River Divide, Mono Lake and a score ofother scenic regions in California to start tongues to wagging overinteresting reminiscences, whether it be in London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid or Petrograd. 

Books galore are being published to make California's charms betterknown, and it has long seemed strange to me that no book has beenpublished on Lake Tahoe and its surrounding country of mountains, forests, glacial valleys, lakes and canyons, for I am confident thatin one or two decades from now its circle of admirers and regularvisitors will include people from all over the civilized world, all ofwhom will declare that it is incomparable as a lake resort, and thatits infinite variety of charm, delight and healthful allurement cannever adequately be told. 

Discovered by the "Pathfinder" Frémont; described in the early days ofCalifornia history and literature by John Le Conte, Mark Twain, ThomasStarr King, Ben C. Truman, and later by John Vance Cheney and others;for countless centuries the fishing haunt of the peaceable Nevada_Washoes_, who first called it Tahoe--High or Clear Water--andof the California _Monos_; the home of many of their interestinglegends and folk-lore tales; occasionally the scene of fierceconflicts between the defending Indians and those who would drivethem away, it early became the object of the jealous and inconsequentsquabbling of politicians. Its discoverer had named it Mountain Lake, or Lake Bonpland, the latter name after the traveling and exploringcompanion of Baron von Humboldt, whose name is retained in theHumboldt River of Nevada, but when the first reasonably accuratesurvey of its shores was made, John Bigler was the occupant of thegubernatorial chair of the State of California and it was named afterhim. Then, later, for purely political reasons, it was changed toTahoe, and finally back to Bigler, which name it still officiallyretains, though of the thousands who visit it annually but a verysmall proportion have ever heard that such a name was applied to it. 

In turn, soon after its discovery, Tahoe became the scene of a miningexcitement that failed to "pan out, " the home of vast logging andlumber operations and the objective point to which several famous"Knights of the Lash" drove world-noted men and women in swingingConcord coaches. In summer it is the haunt of Nature's most dainty, glorious, and alluring picturesqueness; in winter the abode, duringsome days, of the Storm King with his cohorts of hosts of clouds, filled with rain, hail, sleet and snow, of fierce winds, of dreadlightnings, of majestic displays of rudest power. Suddenly, afterhaving covered peak and slope, meadow and shore, with snow to a depthof six, eight, ten or more feet, the Storm King retires and Solusagain reigns supreme. And then! ah, then is the time to see Lake Tahoeand its surrounding country. The placid summer views are exquisiteand soul-stirring, but what of Tahoe now? The days and nights are freefrom wind and frost, the sun tempers the cold and every hour is anexhilaration. The American people have not yet learned, as have theEuropeans in the Alps, the marvelous delights and stimulations of thewinter in such a place as Lake Tahoe. But they will learn in time, andthough a prophet is generally without honor in his own country, I willassume a role not altogether foreign, and venture the assertion thatI shall live to see the day when winter visitors to Lake Tahoe willnumber more than those who will visit it throughout the whole of theyear (1914) in which I write. One of the surprises often expressedby those I have met here who have wintered in the Alps is that noprovision is made for hotel accommodation during the winter at LakeTahoe. 

To return, however, to the charms of Tahoe that are already known tomany thousands. Within the last two or three decades it has become theincreasingly popular Mecca of the hunter, sportsman, and fisherman;the natural haunt of the thoughtful and studious lover of God's greatand varied out-of-doors, and, since fashionable hotels were built, thechosen resort of many thousands of the wealthy, pleasure-loving andluxurious. What wonder that there should be a growing desire onthe part of the citizens of the United States--and especially ofCalifornia and Nevada--together with well-informed travelers from allparts of the world, for larger knowledge and fuller information aboutLake Tahoe than has hitherto been available. 

To meet this laudable desire has been my chief incitement in thepreparation of the following pages, but I should be untrue to my owndevotion to Lake Tahoe, which has extended over a period of more thanthirty years, were I to ignore the influence the Lake's beauty has hadover me, and the urge it has placed within me. Realizing and feelingthese emotions I have constantly asked with Edward Rowland Sill:

What can I for such a world give back again?

And my only answer has been, and is, this:

Could I only hint the beauty--Some least shadow of the beauty, Unto men!

In looking over the files of more of less ephemeral literature, aswell as the records of the explorations of early days, I have beenastonished at the rich treasures of scientific and descriptiveliterature that have Lake Tahoe as their object. Not the least servicethis unpretentious volume will accomplish is the gathering together ofthese little-known jewels. 

It will be noticed that I have used the word _Sierran_ ratherthan _Alpine_ throughout these pages. Why not? Why should thewriter, describing the majestic, the glorious, the sublime of thelater-formed mountain ranges of earth, designate them by a term coinedfor another and far-away range?

I would have the reader, however, be careful to pronounce itaccurately. It is not _Sy-eer-an_, but _See-ehr-ran_, almostas if one were advising another to "See Aaron, " the brother of Moses. 

Tahoe is not _Teh-o_, nor is it _Tah-ho_, nor _Tah-o_. The Washoe Indians, from whom we get the name, pronounce it as if itwere one syllable _Tao_, like a Chinese name, the "a" having thebroad sound _ah_ of the Continent. 

Likewise _Tallac_ is not pronounced with the accent on the lastsyllable (as is generally heard), but _Tal['x]-ac_. 

While these niceties of pronunciation are not of vast importance, theypreserve to us the intonations of the original inhabitants, who, asfar as we know, were the first human beings to gaze upon the face ofthis ever-glorious and beautiful Lake. 

When Mark Twain and Thomas Starr King visited Tahoe it was largely inits primitive wildness, though logging operations for the securing oftimber for the mines of Virginia City had been going on for some timeand had led to the settlement at Glenbrook (where four great saw millswere in constant operation so long as weather permitted), andthe stage-road from Placerville to Virginia City demandedstopping-stations, as Myers, Yanks, Rowlands and Lakeside. 

But to-day, while the commercial operations have largely ceased, thescenic attractions of Lake Tahoe and its region have justified theerection of over twenty resorts and camps, at least two of themrivaling in extent and elaborateness of plant any of the giganticresort hotels of either the Atlantic or Pacific coasts, the othersvarying in size and degree, according to the class of patronage theyseek. That these provisions for the entertainment of travelers, yearlyvisitors, and health seekers will speedily increase with the yearsthere can be no doubt, for there is but one Lake Tahoe, and its loverswill ultimately be legion. Already, also, it has begun to assertitself as a place of summer residence. Fifteen years ago privateresidences on Lake Tahoe might have been enumerated on the fingers ofthe two hands; now they number as many hundreds, and the sound ofthe hammer and saw is constantly heard, and dainty villas, bungalows, cottages, and rustic homes are springing up as if by magic. 

_Then_ Lake Tahoe was comparatively hard to reach. _Now_, the trains of the _Southern Pacific_ and the _Lake TahoeRailway and Transportation Company_ deposit one on the very edge ofthe Lake easier and with less personal exertion than is required togo to and from any large metropolitan hotel in one city to a similarhotel in another city. 

It is almost inevitable that in such a book as this there should besome repetition. Just as one sees the same peaks and lakes, shore-lineand trees from different portions of the Lake--though, of course, atslightly or widely differing angles--so in writing, the attention ofthe reader naturally is called again and again to the same scenes. Butthis book is written not so much with an eye to its literary quality, as to afford the visitor to Lake Tahoe--whether contemplative, actual, or retrospective--a truthful and comprehensive account and descriptionof the Lake and its surroundings. 

It will be observed that in many places I have capitalized the commonnoun Lake. Whenever this appears it signifies Lake Tahoe--the chief ofall the lakes of the Sierras. 

While it is very delightful to sit on the veranda or in the swingingseats of the Tavern lawn, or at the choice nooks of all the resortsfrom Tahoe City completely around the Lake, it is not possible towrite a book on Lake Tahoe there. One must get out and feel thebigness of it all; climb its mountains, follow its trout streams;ride or walk or push one's way through its leafy coverts; dwell in theshade of its forests; row over its myriad of lakes; study its geology, before he can know or write about Tahoe. 

This is what I have done. 

And this is what I desire to urge most earnestly upon my reader. Don'tlounge around the hotels all the time. Get all you want of that kindof recreation; then "go in" for the more strenuous fun of wanderingand climbing. Go alone or in company, afoot or horseback, only go!Thus will Tahoe increase the number of its devoted visitants and myobject in writing these pages be accomplished. 

[Illustration: Signature]

George Wharton James

TAHOE TAVERN, June 1914. 

[Illustration: PANORAMA FROM SOUTH END FALLEN LEAF LAKE. Captions along top edge of illustration: Angora Peak--GlenAlpine--Mt. Tallac--Rubicon Peaks--Fallen Leaf Lake]

[Illustration: PANORAMA FROM SOUTH END FALLEN LEAF LAKE. Captions along top edge of illustration: Mt. Tallac--RubiconPeaks--Fallen Leaf Lake--Lake Tahoe]

CONTENTS

CHAPTER Introduction I Why "the Lake of the Sky"? II Frémont and the Discovery of Lake Tahoe III The Indians of Lake Tahoe IV Indian Legends of the Tahoe Region V The Various Names of Lake Tahoe VI John Le Conte's Physical Studies of Lake Tahoe VII How Lake Tahoe Was Formed VIII The Glacial History of Lake Tahoe IX The Lesser Lakes of the Tahoe Region and How They Were Formed X Donner Lake and Its Tragic History XI Lake Tahoe and the Truckee River XII By Rail to Lake Tahoe XIII The Wishbone Automobile Route to and Around Lake Tahoe XIV Tahoe Tavern XV Trail Trips in the Tahoe Region To Watson's Peak and Lake To Squaw Valley, Granite Chief Peak, Five Lakes and Deer Park Springs To Ellis Peak XVI Camping Out Trips in the Tahoe Region To Hell Hole and the Rubicon River XVII Historic Tahoe Towns XVIII By Steamer Around Lake Tahoe XIX Deer Park Springs XX Rubicon Springs XXI Emerald Bay and Camp XXII Al-Tahoe XXIII Glen Alpine Springs XXIV Fallen Leaf Lake and Its Resorts XXV Lakeside Park XXVI Glenbrook and Marlette Lake XXVII Carnelian Bay and Tahoe Country Club XXVIII Fishing in the Lakes of the Tahoe Region XXIX Hunting at Lake Tahoe XXX The Flowers of the Tahoe Region XXXI The Chaparral of the Tahoe Region XXXII How to Distinguish the Trees of the Tahoe Region XXXIII The Birds and Animals of the Tahoe Region XXXIV The Squaw Valley Mining Excitement XXXV The Frémont Howitzer and Lake Tahoe XXXVI The Mount Rose Observatory XXXVII Lake Tahoe in Winter _Written by Dr. J. E. Church, Jr. , University of Nevada_. XXXVIII Lake Tahoe as a Summer Residence XXXIX The Tahoe National Forest XL Public Use of the Waters of Lake Tahoe

APPENDIX

 A Mark Twain at Lake Tahoe B Mark Twain and the Forest Rangers C Thomas Starr King at Lake Tahoe D Joseph LeConte at Lake Tahoe E John Vance Cheney at Lake Tahoe F The Resorts of Lake Tahoe

[Illustration: TAHOE TAVERN, LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. ]

[Illustration: STEAMER TAHOE OFF CAVE ROCK, NEVADA SIDE, LAKE TAHOE]

THE LAKE OF THE SKYLAKE TAHOE

CHAPTER I

WHY "THE LAKE OF THE SKY"?

Lake Tahoe is the largest lake at its altitude--twenty-three mileslong by thirteen broad, 6225 feet above the level of the sea--with butone exception in the world. Then, too, it closely resembles the skyin its pure and perfect color. One often experiences, on lookingdown upon it from one of its many surrounding mountains, a feeling ofsurprise, as if the sky and earth had somehow been reversed and he waslooking down upon the sky instead of the earth. 

And, further, Lake Tahoe so exquisitely mirrors the purity of the sky;its general atmosphere is so perfect, that one feels it is peculiarlyakin to the sky. 

Mark Twain walked to Lake Tahoe in the early sixties, from CarsonCity, carrying a couple of blankets and an ax. He suggests that hisreaders will find it advantageous to go on horseback. It was a hotsummer day, not calculated to make one of his temperament susceptibleto fine scenic impressions, yet this is what he says:

 We plodded on, two or three hours longer, and at last the Lake burst upon us--a noble sheet of blue water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and walled in by a rim of snow-clad mountain peaks that towered aloft full three thousand feet higher still. It was a vast oval, and one would have to use up eighty or a hundred good miles in traveling around it. As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords!

And there you have it! Articulate or inarticulate, something like thisis what every one thinks when he first sees Tahoe, and the oftenerhe sees it, and the more he knows it the more grand and glorious itbecomes. It is immaterial that there are lakes perched upon highermountain shelves, and that one or two of them, at equal or superioraltitudes, are larger in size. Tahoe ranks in the forefront both foraltitude and size, and in beauty and picturesqueness, majesty andsublimity, there is no mountain body of water on this earth that isits equal. 

Why such superlatives in which world-travelers generally--in fact, invariably--agree? There must be some reason for it. Nay, there aremany. To thousands the chief charm of Lake Tahoe is in the exquisite, rare, and astonishing colors of its waters. They are an endless sourceof delight to all who see them, no matter how insensible they may be, ordinarily, to the effect of color. There is no shade of blue orgreen that cannot here be found and the absolutely clear and pellucidquality of the water enhances the beauty and perfection of the tone. 

One minister of San Francisco thus speaks of the coloring:

 When the day is calm there is a ring around the Lake extending from a hundred yards to a mile from the shore which is the most brilliant green; within this ring there is another zone of the deepest blue, and this gives place to royal purple in the distance; and the color of the Lake changes from day to day and from hour to hour. It is never twice the same--sometimes the blue is lapis lazuli, then it is jade, then it is purple, and when the breeze gently ruffles the surface it is silvery-gray. The Lake has as many moods as an April day or a lovely woman. But its normal appearance is that of a floor of lapis lazuli set with a ring of emerald. 

The depth of the water, varying as it does from a few feet to nearlyor over 2000 feet, together with the peculiarly variable bottom of theLake, have much to do with these color effects. The lake bottom on aclear wind-quiet day can be clearly seen except in the lowest depths. Here and there are patches of fairly level area, covered either withrocky bowlders, moss-covered rocks, or vari-colored sands. Then, suddenly, the eye falls upon a ledge, on the yonder side of which thewater suddenly becomes deep blue. That ledge may denote a submarineprecipice, a hundred, five hundred, a thousand or more feet deep, andthe changes caused by such sudden and awful depths are beyond verbaldescription. 

Many of the softer color-effects are produced by the light coloredsands that are washed down into the shallower waters by the mountainstreams. These vary considerably, from almost white and cream, todeep yellow, brown and red. Then the mosses that grow on the massivebowlders, rounded, square and irregular, of every conceivable size, that are strewn over the lake bottom, together with the equally variedrocks of the shore-line, some of them towering hundreds of feet abovethe water--these have their share in the general enchantment andrevelry of color. 

Emerald Bay and Meek's Bay are justly world-famed for theirtriumphs of color glories, for here there seem to be those peculiarcombinations of varied objects, and depths, from the shallowest to thedeepest, with the variations of colored sands and rocks on the bottom, as well as queer-shaped and colored bowlders lying on the vari-coloredsands, that are not found elsewhere. The waving of the water gives amottled effect surpassing the most delicate and richly-shaded marblesand onyxes. Watered-silks of the most perfect manufacture are butchildish and puerile attempts at reproduction, and finest Turkishshawls, Bokhara rugs or Arab sheiks' dearest-prized Prayer Carpets arebut glimmering suggestions of what the Master Artist himself has hereproduced. 

There are not the glowing colors of sunrises and sunsets; but they areequally sublime, awe-inspiring and enchanting. There are Alpine-glows, and peach-blooms and opalescent fires, gleams and subtle suggestionsthat thrill moment by moment, and disappear as soon as seen, only tobe followed by equally beautiful, enchanting and surprising effects, and with it all, is a mobility, a fluidity, a rippling, flowing, waving, tossing series of effects that belong only to enchantedwater--water kissed into glory by the sun and moon, lured into softestbeauty by the glamour of the stars, and etheralized by the quiet andsubtle charms of the Milky Way, and of the Suns, Comets and Meteorsthat the eye of man has never gazed upon. 

There is one especially color-blessed spot. It is in Grecian Bay, between Rubicon Point and Emerald Bay. Here the shore formation iswild and irregular, with deep holes, majestic, grand and rugged rocksand some trees and shrubbery. Near the center of this is a deep hole, into which one of the mountain streams runs over a light-colored sandybottom where the water is quite shallow. Around are vari-colored treesand shrubs, and these objects and conditions all combine to producea mystic revelation of color gradations and harmonies, from emeraldgreen and jade to the deepest amethystine or ultra-marine. When thewind slightly stirs the surface and these dancing ripples catch thesunbeams, one by one, in changeful and irregular measure, the eyes aredazzled with iridescences and living color-changes covering hundredsof acres, thousands of them, as exquisite, glorious and dazzlingas revealed in the most perfect peacock's tail-feathers, orhumming-bird's throat. Over such spots one sits in his boatspell-bound, color-entranced, and the ears of his soul listen to colormusic as thrilling, as enchanting as melodies by Foster and Balfe, minuets by Mozart and Haydn, arias by Handel, nocturnes and serenadesby Chopin and Schumann, overtures by Rossini, massive chorusesand chorals by Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn, fugues by Bach, andconcertos by Beethoven. 

The blue alone is enough to impress it forever upon the observantmind. Its rich, deep, perfect splendor is a constant surprise. Onesteps from his hotel, not thinking of the Lake--the blue of it risesthrough the trees, over the rocks, _everywhere_, with startlingvividness. Surely never before was so large and wonderful a lake ofinky blue, sapphire blue, ultra-marine, amethystine richness spreadout for man's enjoyment. And while the summer months show this in allits smooth placidity and quietude, there seems to be a deeper blue, a richer shade take possession of the waves in the fall, or when itssmoothness is rudely dispelled by the storms of winter and spring. 

So much for the color!

Yet there are those who are devoted to Lake Tahoe who seldom speakof the coloring of its waters. Perhaps they are fascinated by itsfishing. This has become as world-famed as its colors. Thousands, hundreds of thousands, of the most gamey and delicately-flavored troutare caught here annually, both by experts and amateurs. The Federaland State governments, and private individuals yearly stock the mainLake and the hundred and one smaller lakes of the region with thefinest species of trout obtainable, and the results fully justify thelabor and expense. 

To the mountain-lover the Tahoe region is an earthly paradise. Onesummer I climbed over twenty peaks, each over nine thousand feethigh, and all gave me glimpses of Tahoe. Some of them went up close to11, 000 feet. 

Are you an admirer of Alpine, nay, _High Sierran_, trees? Youwill find all the well-known, and several rare and entirely newspecies in this region. This field alone could well occupy a student, or a mere amateur tree-lover a whole summer in rambling, climbing, collecting and studying. 

And as for geology--the Grand Canyon of Arizona has afforded menature reading material for nearly three decades and I am delightedby reading it yet. Still I am free to confess the uplift of thesehigh-sweeping Sierras, upon whose lofty summits

 The high-born, beautiful snow comes down, Silent and soft as the terrible feet Of Time on the mosses of ruins;

the great glacial _cirques_, with their stupendous precipicesfrom which the vast ice-sheets started, which gouged, smoothed, planed and grooved millions of acres of solid granite into lake-beds, polished domes and canyon walls and carried along millions of tons ofrock debris to make scores of lateral and terminal moraines; togetherwith the evidences of uplift, subsidence and volcanic outpouring ofdiorite and other molten rocks, afford one as vast and enjoyable afield for contemplation as any ordinary man can find in the GrandCanyon. 

But why compare them? There is no need to do so. Each is supreme inits own right; different yet compelling, unlike yet equally engaging. 

Then there are the ineffable climate of summer, the sunrises, thesunsets, the Indians, the flowers, the sweet-singing birds, therowing, in winter the snow-shoeing, the camping-out, and, alas! I mustsay it--the hunting. 

Why man will hunt save for food is beyond me. I deem it that everyliving thing has as much right to its life as I have to mine, but Ifind I am in a large minority among a certain class that finds at LakeTahoe its hunting Mecca. Deer abound, and grouse and quail are quitecommon, and in the summer of 1913 I knew of four bears being shot. 

Is it necessary to present further claims for Lake Tahoe? Every newhour finds a new charm, every new day calls for the louder praise, every added visit only fastens the chains of allurement deeper. Forinstance, this is the day of athletic maids, as well as men. We findthem everywhere. Very well! Lake Tahoe is the physical culturist'sheaven. 

In any one of its score of camps he may sleep out of doors, on theporch, out under the pines, by the side of the Lake or in his tentor cottage with open doors and windows. At sunrise, or later, in hisbathing suit, or when away from too close neighbors, clothed, asdear old Walt Whitman puts it, "in the natural and religious idea ofnakedness, " the cold waters of the Lake invite him to a healthful andinvigorating plunge, with a stimulating and vivifying swim. A swiftrub down with a crash towel, a rapid donning of rude walking togs andoff, instanter, for a mile climb up one of the trails, a scramble overa rocky way to some hidden Sierran lake, some sheltered tree nook, some elevated outlook point, and, after feasting the eyes on theglories of incomparable and soul-elevating scenes, he returns to camp, eats a hearty breakfast, with a clear conscience, a vigorous appetiteaided by hunger sauce, guided by the normal instincts of taste, all ofwhich have been toned up by the morning's exercise--what wonder thatsuch an one radiates Life and Vim, Energy and Health, Joy and Content. 

Do you know what the lure must be when a busy man, an active man, an alert man, a man saturated with the nervous spirit of Americancommercial life, sits down in one of the seats overlooking the Lake, or spreads out his full length upon the grass, or on the beds ofSierran moss, which make a deliciously restful cushion, and staysthere! He does nothing; doesn't even look consciously at the bluewaters of the Lake, on the ineffable blue of the sky, or the richgreen of the trees or the glory of the flowers--he simply sits orsprawls or lies and, though the influence is different, the effect isthe same as that expressed in the old hymn:

 My soul would ever stay, In such a frame as this, And sit and sing itself away, To everlasting bliss. 

There's the idea! Calm, rest, peace, bliss. Those are what you getat Lake Tahoe. And with them come renewed health, increased vigor, strengthened courage, new power to go forth and seize the problemsof life, with a surer grasp, a more certain touch, a more clearly anddefinitely assured end. 

There are some peculiarities of Lake Tahoe that should be noted, although they are of a very different character from the foolish andsensational statements that used to be made in the early days of itshistory among white men. A serious advertising folder years ago sagelyinformed the traveling public as follows: "A strange phenomenon inconnection with the Truckee River is the fact that the Lake from whichit flows (Tahoe) has no inlet, so far as any one knows, and the lakeinto which it flows (Pyramid Lake, Nevada), has no outlet. "

[Illustration: MT. TALLAC IN STORM. LAKE TAHOE, CAL. ]

[Illustration: THE PICTURESQUE TRUCKER RIVER, NEAR LAKE TAHOE]

How utterly absurd this is. Lake Tahoe has upward of a hundred feeders, among which may be named Glenbrook, the Upper Truckee, Fallen LeafCreek, Eagle Creek, Meek's Creek, General Creek, McKinney Creek, MaddenCreek, Blackwood Creek, and Ward Creek, all of these being constantstreams, pouring many thousands of inches of water daily into the Lakeeven at the lowest flow, and in the snow-melting and rainy seasonssending down their floods in great abundance. 

To many it is a singular fact that Lake Tahoe never freezes overin winter. This is owing to its great depth, possibly aided by theruffling and consequent disturbance of its surface by the strongnortheasterly winter winds. The vast body of water, with suchtremendous depth, maintains too high a temperature to be affectedby surface reductions in temperature. Experiments show that thetemperature in summer on the surface is 68 degrees Fahr. At 100 feet55 degrees; at 300 feet 46 degrees; at 1506 feet 39 degrees. 

Twenty years ago the thermometer at Lake Tahoe registered 18 degreesF. _below zero_, and in 1910 it was 10 degrees F. Below. Boththese years Emerald Bay froze over. Perhaps the reason for this isfound in the fact that the entrance to the bay is very shallow, andthat this meager depth is subject to change in surface temperature, becoming warmer in summer and colder in winter. This narrow ridge oncesolidly frozen, the warmth of the larger body of water would have noeffect upon the now-confined smaller body of Emerald Bay. Once a firmhold taken by the ice, it would slowly spread its fingers and aid inthe reduction of the temperature beyond, first producing slush-ice, and then the more solid crystal ice, until the whole surface would befrozen solid. 

An explanation of the non-freezing of the main Lake has been offeredby several local "authorities" as owing to the presence of a number ofhot springs either in the bed of the Lake or near enough to its shoresmaterially to affect its temperature. But I know of few or no "facts"to justify such an explanation. 

When I first visited Lake Tahoe over thirty years ago I was seriouslyand solemnly informed by several (who evidently believed their ownassertions) that, owing to the great elevation of the Lake, thedensity of the water, etc. , etc. , it was impossible for any one toswim in Lake Tahoe. I was assured that several who had tried hadhad narrow escapes from drowning. While the utter absurdity of thestatements was self-evident I decided I would give myself a practicaldemonstration. To be perfectly safe I purchased a clothes-line, then, hiring a row-boat, went as far away from shore as was desirable, undressed, tied one end of the rope around the seat, the other aroundmy body, and--jumped in. I did not sink. Far from it. I was never morestimulated to swim in my life. My ten or fifteen feet dive took meinto colder water than I had ever experienced before and I felt asif suddenly, and at one fell swoop, I were flayed alive. Gasping forbreath I made for the boat, climbed in, and in the delicious glow thatcame with the reaction decided that it was quite as important tofeel of the temperature of lake water before you leaped, as it wasto render yourself safe from sinking by anchoring yourself to aclothesline. 

But I would not have my reader assume from the recital of thisexperience that Lake Tahoe is always too cold for swimming. Such isnot the case. Indeed in June, July, August and September the swimmingis delightful to those who enjoy "the cool, silver shock of the plungein a pool's living water, " that Browning's _Saul_ so vividlypictures for us. Hundreds of people--men, women and children--inthese months indulge in the daily luxury, especially in the coves andbeaches where the water is not too deep, and the sun's ardent rays woothem into comfortable warmth. 

After a warm day's tramp or ride over the trails, too, there isnothing more delicious than a plunge into one of the lakes. A short, crisp swim, a vigorous rub down, and a resumption of the walk or rideand one feels _fit_ enough to conquer a world. 

It can be imagined, too, what a lively scene the Lake presents in theheight of the season, when, from the scores of hotels, resorts, camps, private residences, fishermen's camps, etc. ; fishing-boats, row-boats, launches, motor-boats, and yachts ply to and fro in every direction, unconsciously vying with each other to attract the eye of theonlooker. The pure blue of the Lake, with its emerald ring and varyingshades of color, added to by the iridescent gleam that possesses thesurface when it is slightly rippled by a gentle breeze, contrastingwith the active, vivid, moving boats of differing sizes, splashed withevery conceivable color by the hats and costumes of the occupants--allthese conspire to demand the eye, to enchain the attention, toharmlessly hypnotize, as it were, those who sit on the shore and look. 

And when is added to this the spontaneous shouts and shrieks ofdelight that the feminine "fishermen" give when they are successfuland make a catch, the half-frenzied and altogether delightedannouncements thereof, the whole-hearted or the half-jealous, half-envious return-congratulations, while now and then the largesteamer, _Tahoe_, or an elegant private yacht, as the Tevis's_Consuelo_, crosses the scene, one may partially but never fullyconceive the joy and radiant happiness, the satisfaction and contentthat Lake Tahoe inspires and produces. 

Lake Tahoe covers about 190 square miles, and its watershed is about500 square miles. The boundary line between Nevada and Californiastrikes the Lake on the northern border at the 120th meridian, anda point at that spot is called the State Line Point. The latitudeparallel of this northern entrance is 39° 15". The boundary line goesdue south until about 38° 58" and then strikes off at an oblique angleto the southeast, making the southern line close to Lakeside Park, afew miles east of the 120th meridian. 

CHAPTER II

FRÉMONT AND THE DISCOVERY OF LAKE TAHOE

Like so many other great discoveries that were to have an importanteffect upon the lives of countless numbers of people, the discoveryof Lake Tahoe was accidental. Nor did its finder comprehend the vastinfluence it was to possess, not only upon the residents of Californiaand Nevada, but upon the travel-loving and sight-seeing portion of thepopulation of the whole world. 

John C. Frémont, popularly acclaimed "the pathfinder, " was itsdiscoverer, on the 14th day of February, 1844. In the journal of his1843-44 expedition he thus records the first sight of it:

 Accompanied by Mr. Preuss, I ascended to-day the highest peak to the right from which we had a beautiful view of a mountain lake at our feet, about fifteen miles in length, and so nearly surrounded by mountains that we could not discover an outlet. 

It cannot be deemed out of place in these pages, owing to thesignificance of the discovery by Frémont, to give a brief account ofthe exploration and its purposes, in the carrying out of which Tahoewas revealed to the intrepid and distinguished explorer. 

Fortunately for us, Frémont left a full story of his experiences inthe Nevada country, complete in detail, and as fresh and vivid as ifbut written yesterday. This account, with illuminating Introduction, and explanatory notes by James U. Smith, from whose pioneer fatherSmith Valley is named, was republished in the _Second BiennialReport of the Nevada Historical Society_, from which, with thekind permission of the secretary, Professor Jeanne Elizabeth Wier, thefollowing extracts are made. 

Frémont had already made his first exploration of the Rocky Mountainsand South Pass in the summer of 1842. It was in this expedition that, standing on the highest peak of the Rockies, he looked down intothe vast area beyond, known as the Great Basin, comprising with itsmountain ranges the whole western portion of the continent of NorthAmerica. This he determined to explore, and it was on this secondexpedition that Lakes Pyramid and Tahoe, the Truckee River, etc. , werediscovered. 

Later, Frémont made his third western journey, that in which hecame into conflict with the Mexican officials of California, becamegovernor of California, and was finally placed under arrest by GeneralKearny, and taken back to Washington to be tried for mutiny. Theresults of that unfortunate Kearny conflict are well known. 

At the official close of the dispute he made his fourth expeditionand finally his fifth, all of which are fully treated in Smucker's andBigelow's _Life of Frémont_. 

To return now to the second expedition. In the words of Mr. Smith:

 The object of the expedition was purely for the purpose of exploring and otherwise getting scientific information about the great territory between the Missouri frontier and the Pacific Ocean. Emigrants were making their way westward to the new Oregon Territory, and hunters and trappers had been visiting portions of that region. Farther north the fur companies had their posts and did a regular business with the trappers and Indians. But little was known about the regions further south, and especially the great territory between the Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountain chains, and that little was freely adulterated with fiction. 

 Great Salt Lake was supposed to be a very strange and wonderful lake, the islands of which were covered with woods and flowers, through which roamed all kinds of game, and whose waters were sucked down in a great awe-inspiring whirlpool into an underground passage under the mountains and valleys to the distant sea. Another myth, or rather pair of myths, in which geographers placed sufficient faith to give a place on the maps of the time, was the great Buenaventura River, and that semi-tropical Mary's Lake, the waters from which found their way through the Sierra Nevadas to San Francisco Bay. Mary's Lake was supposed to be a body of water such as a traveler dreams about, whose clear waters were bordered by meadows ever green, a place on whose shores he could pitch his tent and cast aside all thought or care of the morrow. Frémont counted on this lake as a place where he could recuperate and make ready for a final dash eastward across the unknown country to the Rocky Mountains and thence home to the Mississippi River. Contrast these anticipations with the hardships and fears he encountered while groping his way through the Black Rock Desert, north of Pyramid Lake. 

 But Frémont was a good leader followed by courageous men, and disappointments did not make weaklings of either him or his men. His party, on leaving Missouri, consisted of thirty-nine men--Creoles, Canadian-Frenchmen, Americans, a German or two, a free negro and two Indians. Charles Preuss was Frémont's assistant in topography, and it is likely that he made his sketches, several of which were published in the original report. Another member of the party, and one who joined it in the Rocky Mountains and is of special interest to us, was Christopher Carson, commonly known as "Kit" Carson. Frémont speaks of him in very friendly and flattering terms. At the time of the meeting with Carson, he says: "I had here the satisfaction to meet our good buffalo hunter of 1842, Christopher Carson, whose services I considered myself fortunate to secure again. " On another occasion, when Carson had successfully performed a responsible errand, he says: "Reaching St. Vrain's Fort . . . We found . . . My true and reliable friend, Kit Carson. " Frémont left Kansas City, Mo. , May 29, 1843. 

 His general route was along the _old_ "Oregon Trail, " then the _new_ "Oregon Trail, " but at many places his route was different. He followed up the Kansas River instead of the Platte. But he crossed the Rocky Mountains over the South Pass, which is that of the Union Pacific Railroad, and was common to the Oregon Trail and the emigrant road to California. During nearly the whole journey to Oregon Frémont divided his party. One part he placed in charge of Fitzpatrick. This consisted of the carts with the bulk of the supplies and about half of the men. The other part consisted of a mounted party with packhorses and the howitzer. Frémont, of course, took charge of the latter party, for, traveling light as it did, he was able to make detours covering country he wished to explore, always, however, using the other train as a base of supplies. The course of the other party was generally along the emigrant road to Oregon. 

 After crossing the Rocky Mountains, Frémont went south with his party to explore Great Salt Lake. Thence he returned north again to the emigrant road, which then followed in a general way the Snake or Lewis River to the Columbia, with the exception of the great bend in northeastern Oregon which was traversed by a shorter route. Along the bank of the Columbia the road followed to the Mission Station at the Dalles, or great narrows of the river. At this point many of the emigrants transferred their baggage to barges and floated with the current to their destination on the Willamette River. Others continued by land down the river. Frémont's division reached the Dalles November 4th. Fitzpatrick's train did not come in until the 21st. The latter left his carts at the mouth of the Walla Walla River according to Frémont's orders; and, after making pack-saddles, transferred what was left of his baggage to the backs of his mules for the trip down to the Dalles. In the meantime Frémont, with Preuss and two of the other men, had gone down to Fort Vancouver in canoes. This was the headquarters of the Hudson Bay Company for the West. Here supplies for the return journey were obtained. 

 Having transported these supplies up to the Dalles in barges propelled by Indians, he was ready to take up the final preparation for the homeward journey. It is best to let him describe these preparations in his own words. He says:

 "The camp was now occupied in making the necessary preparations for our homeward journey, which, though homeward, contemplated a new route, and a great circuit to the south and southeast, and the exploration of the Great Basin between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. 

 "Three principal objects were indicated, by report, or by maps, as being on this route, the character or existence of which I wished to ascertain, and which I assumed as landmarks, or leading points, on the projected line of return. The first of these points was the Tlamath Lake, on the tableland between the head of Fall River (this is now called by its French name, the Des Chutes River), which comes to the Columbia, and the Sacramento, which goes to the Bay of San Francisco, and from which lake a river of the same name makes its way westwardly direct to the ocean. 

 "This lake and river are often called Klamet, but I have chosen to write the name according to the Indian pronunciation. The position of this lake, on the line of inland communication between Oregon and California; its proximity to the demarcation boundary of latitude 42 deg. ; its imputed double character of lake, or meadow, according to the season of the year; and the hostile and warlike character attributed to the Indians about it;--all make it a desirable object to visit and examine. From this lake our course was intended to be about southeast, to a reported lake called Mary's, at some days' journey in the Great Basin; and thence, still on southeast, to the reputed Buenaventura River, which has a place in so many maps, and countenanced the belief of the existence of a great river flowing from the Rocky Mountains to the Bay of San Francisco. From the Buenaventura the next point was intended to be in that section of the Rocky Mountains which includes the heads of Arkansas River, and of the opposite waters of the California Gulf; and thence down the Arkansas to Bent's Fort, and home. 

 "This was our projected line of return--a great part of it absolutely new to geographical, botanical, and geological science--and the subject of reports in relation to lakes, rivers, deserts, and savages, hardly above the condition of mere wild animals, which inflamed desire to know what this _terra incognita_ really contained. It was a serious enterprise, at the commencement of winter, to undertake the traverse of such a region, and with a party consisting only of twenty-five persons, and they of many nations--American, French, German, Canadian, Indian, and colored--and most of them young, several being under twenty-one years of age. 

 "All knew that a strange country was to be explored, and dangers and hardships to be encountered; but no one blenched at the prospect. On the contrary, courage and confidence animated the whole party. Cheerfulness, readiness, subordination, prompt obedience, characterized all; nor did any extremity or peril and privation, to which we were afterward exposed, ever belie, or derogate from, the fine spirit of this brave and generous commencement. 

 "The course of the narrative will show at what point, and for what reasons, we were prevented from the complete execution of this plan, after having made considerable progress upon it, and how we were forced by desert plains and mountain ranges, and deep snows, far to the south and near to the Pacific Ocean, and along the western base of the Sierra Nevada; where, indeed, a new and ample field of exploration opened itself before us. "

From these quotations it is evident that Frémont had no idea ofentering California at this time. He was simply driven to it bycircumstances over which he had no control. 

Leaving the Dalles, Frémont followed up the Des Chutes River to itsheadwaters in southeastern Oregon, thence he crossed over the divideto the waters of the Klamath, which he followed southward to what isknown as Klamath Marsh. This he called "Klamath Lake. "

Now started the hunt for Mary's Lake and the San Buenaventura River. The party came down through southeastern Oregon into Nevada, wherethey camped on the night of December 26, in Coleman Valley, on whatis called Twelve-Mile Creek, and about eleven miles from the presentCalifornia line. It may be noted here that at that time the parallelbetween Nevada and California on the south and Oregon on the north, was the southern boundary of the territory of the United States. Frémont was, therefore, about to cross into Mexican territory. 

He then progressed southward through what are now Washoe, Humboldt, Churchill and Lyon counties, and over the California line into MonoCounty, back again into Douglas, and thence over the mountains southof Lake Tahoe, but did not find Mary's Lake, nor the places upon whichhe relied to recruit his animals and give rest to his party. He did, however, find Pyramid Lake. This being the body of water into whichthe Truckee River flows, and the Truckee being the only outlet to LakeTahoe, it is well that this portion of the account be given in full. Frémont and Carson were on ahead. The day was January 10, 1843. Frémont writes:

 Leaving a signal for the party to encamp, we continued our way up the hollow, intending to see what lay beyond the mountain. The hollow was several miles long, forming a good pass (some maps designate this pass as Frémont Pass, others as San Emidio Canyon), the snow deepened to about a foot as we neared the summit. Beyond, a defile between the mountains descended rapidly about two thousand feet; and, filling up all the lower space, was a sheet of green water, some twenty miles broad (Pyramid Lake). It broke upon our eyes like the ocean. The neighboring peaks rose high above us. One peak, on the eastern side of the lake, rises nearly forty-four hundred feet above the lake, and on the side (toward which Frémont was looking) one peak rises 4925 feet above the lake; and we ascended one of them to obtain a better view. 

 The waves were curling in the breeze, and their dark-green color showed it to be a body of deep water. For a long time we sat enjoying the view, for we had become fatigued with mountains, and the free expanse of moving waves was very grateful. It was set like a gem in the mountains, which, from our position, seemed to inclose it almost entirely. At the western end it communicated with the line of basins we had left a few days since; and on the opposite side it swept a ridge of snowy mountains, the foot of the great Sierra. Its position at first inclined us to believe it Mary's Lake, but the rugged mountains were so entirely discordant with descriptions of its low rushy shores and open country, that we concluded it some unknown body of water, which it afterwards proved to be. 

 On January 13th we followed again a broad Indian trail along the shore of the lake to the southward. For a short space we had room enough in the bottom; but, after traveling a short distance, the water swept the foot of the precipitous mountains, the peaks of which are about 3000 feet above the lake. The trail wound around the base of these precipices, against which the water dashed below, by a way nearly impracticable for the howitzer. During a greater part of the morning the lake was nearly hid by a snowstorm, and the waves broke on the narrow beach in a long line of foaming surf, five or six feet high. The day was unpleasantly cold, the wind driving the snow sharp against our faces; and, having advanced only about twelve miles, we encamped in a bottom formed by a ravine, covered with good grass, which was fresh and green. 

 We did not get the howitzer into camp, but were obliged to leave it on the rocks until morning. The next morning the snow was rapidly melting under a warm sun. Part of the morning was occupied in bringing up the gun; and, making only nine miles, we encamped on the shore, opposite a very remarkable rock in the lake, which had attracted our attention for many miles. It rose, according to our estimate, 600 feet above the water, and, from the point we viewed it, presented a pretty exact outline of the great pyramid of Cheops. Like other rocks, along the shore, it seemed to be incrusted with calcareous cement. This striking feature suggested a name for the lake, and I called it Pyramid Lake; and though it may be deemed by some a fanciful resemblance, I can undertake to say that the future traveler will find much more striking resemblance between this rock and the pyramids of Egypt than there is between them and the object from which they take their name. . . . 

 The elevation of this lake above the sea is 4890 feet, being nearly 700 feet higher than the Great Salt Lake, from which it lies nearly west, and distant about eight degrees of longitude. The position and elevation of this lake make it an object of geographical interest. It is the nearest lake to the western rim, as the Great Salt Lake is to the eastern rim of the Great Basin which lies between the base of the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada--and the extent and character of which, its whole circumference and contents, it is so desirable to know. 

The Indians then directed him to a river of which he says:

 Groves of large cottonwood, which we could see at the mouth, indicated that it was a stream of considerable size, and, at all events, we had the pleasure to know that now we were in a country where human beings could live. Reaching the groves, we found the inlet of a large fresh-water stream (the Truckee River), and all at once were satisfied that it was neither Mary's River nor the waters of the Sacramento, but that we had discovered a large interior lake, which the Indians informed us had no outlet. It is about 35 miles long, and, by the mark of the water-line along the shore, the spring level is about 12 feet above its present waters. 

 In the meantime, such a salmon-trout feast as is seldom seen was going on in our camp, and every variety of manner in which fish could be prepared--boiled, fried and roasted in the ashes--was put into requisition; and every few minutes an Indian would be seen running off to spear a fresh one. Whether these Indians had seen whites before, we could not be certain; but they were evidently in communication with others who had, as one of them had some brass buttons, and we noticed several other articles of civilized manufacture. We could obtain from them but little information about the country. They made on the ground a drawing of the river, which they represented as issuing from another lake in the mountains three or four days distant, in a direction a little west of south; beyond which, they drew a mountain; and further still, two rivers; on one of which they told us that people like ourselves traveled. 

They still wandered to the south, passing near where Dayton, Nevada, now is, and reaching Bridgeport and Mono and Twin Lakes. Here theystruck north and west again and soon had to leave the howitzer. Passing through Antelope Valley they reached Markleeville in deepsnow, passed Graver's Springs, entered Faith and Hope Valleys, andhere it was Frémont gained his view of Lake Tahoe. It was February 14, 1844. He says:

 The dividing ridge of the Sierra is in sight from this encampment. Accompanied by Mr. Preuss, I ascended to-day the highest peak to the right [probably Stevens Peak, 10, 100 feet above sea-level], from which we had a beautiful view of a mountain lake at our feet, about fifteen miles in length, and so entirely surrounded by mountains that we could not discover an outlet [Lake Tahoe]. We had taken with us a glass, but though we enjoyed an extended view, the valley was half hidden in mist, as when we had seen it before. Snow could be distinguished on the higher parts of the coast mountains, eastward, as far as the eye could extend. It ranged over a terrible mass of broken snowy mountains, fading off blue in the distance. The rock composing the summit consists of very coarse, dark, volcanic conglomerate; the lower parts appeared to be of a slaty structure. The highest trees were a few scattered cedars and aspens. From the immediate foot of the peak, we were two hours reaching the summit, and one hour and a quarter in descending. The day had been very bright, still, and clear, and spring seemed to be advancing rapidly. While the sun is in the sky the snow melts rapidly, and gushing springs cover the face of the mountain in all exposed places, but their surface freezes instantly with the disappearance of the sun. 

 I obtained to-night some observations, and the result from these, and others made during our stay, gives for the latitude 38 deg. 41' 57", longitude 120 deg. 25' 57" [the correct longitude for this place is 119 deg. 58'], and rate of the chronometer 25. 82. 

The next night they encamped on the headwaters of a little creek, where at last the water found its way to the Pacific. The followingmorning they started early. 

 The creek acquired a regular breadth of about 20 feet, and we soon began to hear the rushing of water below the icy surface, over which we traveled to avoid the snow; a few miles below we broke through, where the water was several feet deep, and halted to make a fire and dry our clothes. We continued a few miles further, walking being very laborious without snowshoes. 

 I was now perfectly satisfied that we had struck the stream on which Mr. Sutter lived; and, turning about, made a hard push, and reached the camp at dark. Here we had the pleasure to find all the remaining animals, 57 in number, safely arrived at the grassy hill near camp; and here, also, we were agreeably surprised with the sight of an abundance of salt. Some of the horse-guard had gone to a neighboring hut for pine nuts, and discovered unexpectedly a large cake of very white, fine grained salt, which the Indians told them they had brought from the other side of the mountain; they used it to eat with their pine nuts, and readily sold it for goods. 

 On the 19th, the people were occupied in making a road and bringing up the baggage; and, on the afternoon of the next day, February 20, we encamped, with the animals and all the _materiel_ of the camp, on the summit of the pass [Carson Pass, at the head of Hope Valley] in the dividing ridge, 1000 miles by our traveled road from the Dalles to the Columbia. 

 The people, who had not yet been to this point, climbed the neighboring peak to enjoy a look at the valley. 

 The temperature of boiling water gave for the elevation of the encampment, 9338 feet above the sea. 

 This was 2000 feet higher than the South Pass in the Rocky Mountains, and several peaks in view rose several thousand feet still higher. Thus, at the extremity of the continent, and near the coast, the phenomenon was seen of a range of mountains still higher than the great Rocky Mountains themselves. This extraordinary fact accounts for the Great Basin, and shows that there must be a system of small lakes and rivers scattered over a flat country, and which the extended and lofty range of the Sierra Nevada prevents from escaping to the Pacific Ocean. Latitude 38 deg. 44', longitude 120 deg. 28'. [This latitude is that of Stevens Peak, the highest in that ridge, 10, 100 feet, and of course he did not go over the top of that peak, when Carson Pass, 1600 feet lower, was in plain view; this pass is the lowest one visible from the route on which they had come; another pass much lower leads out from the other or northern end of Hope Valley, but was not visible from their trail. The summit of Carson Pass is approximately latitude 38 deg. 41' 50"; longitude 119 deg. 59'. Frémont's longitude readings are unreliable, owing to error in his chronometer. ]

From this point on, following the south fork of the American River, sixteen days from the summit landed Frémont and his party at Sutler'sFort, March 8. Of their arrival Frémont says:

 A more forlorn and pitiable sight than they presented cannot well be imagined. They were all on foot, each man weak and emaciated, leading a horse or mule as weak and emaciated as themselves. They had experienced great difficulty in descending the mountains, made slippery by rains and melting snows, and many horses fell over precipices and were killed, and with some were lost the packs they carried. Among these was a mule with the plants which we had collected since leaving Fort Hall, along a line of 2000 miles of travel. Out of 67 horses and mules, with which we commenced crossing the Sierra, only 33 reached the valley of the Sacramento, and they only in a condition to be led along. 

In concluding this chapter it should not be overlooked that on hismaps of the expedition of 1843-44 Frémont called the mountain lake hehad discovered "Lake Bonpland. " He says in a private letter: "I gaveto the basin river its name of Humboldt and to the mountain lake thename of his companion traveler, Bonpland, and so put it in the map ofthat expedition. "

[Illustration: A Washoe Indian _Campoodie_, Near Lakeside Park, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Washoe indians at Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: The 'Signal Code' Design]

Amadé Bonpland was born at Rochelle, France, in 1773. He was educatedas a physician but became a noted botanist. He accompanied Humboldtto America, and subsequently became a joint author with the greattraveler and scientist of several valuable works on the botany, natural-history, etc. , of the New World. He was detained as a prisonerfor nearly ten years by Dictator Francia of Paraguay to prevent himfrom, or to punish him for, attempting to cultivate the maté, orParaguay tea, in that country. He died in 1858 at Montevideo, theCapital of Uruguay, in South America. 

His name as applied to Lake Tahoe is practically unknown, save to thecurious investigator or historian. Other names given by Frémont have"stuck" to this day, amongst them being Humboldt, Walker, Owen, Kernand Carson rivers, Pyramid and Walker lakes, etc. 

The vicissitudes of the naming of Lake Tahoe is of sufficient interestto occupy a whole chapter, to which the reader is referred. 

CHAPTER III

THE INDIANS OF LAKE TAHOE

Since Lake Tahoe was the natural habitat of one of the mostdeliciously edible fishes found in the world, the Indians of theregion were bound, very early in their history here, to settle uponits shores. These were the Paiutis and the Washoes. The former, however, ranging further east in Nevada, were always regarded asinterlopers by the latter if they came too near to the Lake, and thereare legends current of several great struggles in which many liveswere lost, where the Washoes battled with the Paiutis to keep themfrom this favored locality. 

Prior to the coming of the emigrant bands in the early 'forties of thelast century, the only white men the Indians ever saw were occasionaltrappers who wandered into the new and strange land. Then, thebeautiful Indian name, soft and limpid as an Indian maiden's eyes, was_Wasiu_--not the harsh, Anglicized, _Washoe_. Their rangeseemed to be from Washoe and Carson valleys on the east in winter, upto Tahoe and over the Sierras for fishing and hunting in the summer. They never ventured far westward, as the Monos and other mountaintribes claimed the mountain regions for their acorns and the game(deer, etc. ), which abounded there. 

While in the early days of the settlements of whites upon their landsthe Washoes now and again rose in protest, and a few lives were lost, in the main they have been a peaceable and inoffensive tribe. ThePaiutis were far more independent and warlike, placing their yoke uponthe weaker tribe. Indeed, when I first talked with the older Washoesand Paiutis thirty years ago they were full of stories of big warsbetween themselves. They showed me rocks near to the present town ofVerdi, on the line of the Southern Pacific, on which their ancestorshad made certain inscriptions which they interpreted as warnings tothe Paiutis not to dare trespass beyond that sign, and the Paiutis hadsimilar notices inscribed upon bowlders near to their boundary lines. As a result of one of their fights the Washoes were forbidden the useof horses, and it is only since the whites have exercised control thatthe weaker tribe has dared to disregard this prohibition. 

To-day they number in the region of six hundred men, women andchildren. On account of their nomadic habits it is impossible tosecure a complete census. 

In appearance they are heavy and fat, though now and again a man offine, muscular form and good height is found. The women have broad, shapeless figures and clumsy, deliberate movements. The older theyget the more repulsive and filthy they become. While young some of thewomen have pleasing, intelligent and alert faces, while children ofboth sexes are attractive and interesting. But with them as with allaboriginal people who have absorbed the vices and none of the virtuesof the whites, the Washoes are fast losing power, vigor and strengthby disease and dissipation. The smoke of the _campoodie_ fire isalso ruinous to their eyes and ophthalmia is prevalent among them. Itis no uncommon thing to see a man or woman entirely blind. 

The old-time methods of clothing have entirely disappeared. When Ifirst knew them it was not unusual to find an old Indian wrapped ina blanket made of twisted rabbit-skins, but I doubt if one could befound to-day. The white man's overalls, blouse and ordinary coat andvest for the men, with calico in variegated colors for the women, seemto have completely taken the place of their own primitive dress. Apair of moccasins, however, now and again, may be found in use at adance or on some special occasion. 

They still paint and tattoo their faces, hands and wrists, in lines, triangles and circles. On their bodies also stripes of irregulardesign and varying colors are often used, all having a symbolicmeaning originally, now lost, however, at least to all the youngermembers of the tribe. Painting the face has a definite and usefulpurpose. It softens the skin and prevents the frosts of winter fromcracking it. 

Their dwellings are of the rudest character, mere brush shacks insummer, and in winter, nondescript structures of brush, old boards, railroad ties, tin cans, barrel-staves, old carpet, canvas, anythingthat will sustain a roof and keep out wind, rain and as much of thecold as possible. Their name for this structure is _campoodie_. Of course there is no pretense of sanitation, cleanliness or domesticprivacy. The whole family herds together around the smoking fire, thusearly beginning the destruction of their eyesight by the never-ceasingand irritating smoke. 

Their native food consists of fish, the products of the chase, whichinclude deer, antelope, an occasional bear, rabbits, squirrels andeven coyotes, mountain-lions and wildcats, with acorns, manzanitaberries, currants and the seeds of wild peaches and the variousgrasses, together with a large assortment of roots. While they gatherand eat pine nuts, they generally save them for purposes of barter orsale. Their carrying baskets contain a good wheelbarrow load and arecalled _mo-ke-wit_. 

They are great gamblers, their chief game being a guessing contest, where sides are chosen, the fortune of each side depending on itsability to guess who holds a certain decorated stick. Men and womenalike play the game, though generally the sexes separate and play bythemselves. Quiet chanting or singing often accompanies the game. Allalike smoke the cigarette. 

[Illustration: Dat-so-la-le, the artistic Washoe basket maker]

[Illustration: One of Dat-so-la-le's masterpieces, 'Our Hunters'design]

[Illustration: 'Our Ancestral Hunters' design]

[Illustration: Washoe baskets made by Dat-so-la-le, 'Happy Homes'design]

Of their religious beliefs little can be said. The fact is theirsimple nature-worship and the superstitions connected with it havebeen abolished, practically, by their association with the whites, andwe have given them nothing as substitutes. As Mrs. W. W. Price says ina letter to me:

 In several talks with Susan and Jackson, after the death of Susan's sister, I endeavored to find out some of their religious beliefs. But these talks were not very satisfactory. Neither one knew what he did believe. Their old Indian religion--whatever it may have been--seemed to have passed, and the religion of the white man had not taken very deep hold. 

 While Susan felt that she must cut her hair short and burn all her sister's things and do just so much wailing each day to drive off the evil spirits (on the occasion of her sister's death), she took most _comfort_ in doing as "white woman" do--putting on a black dress. 

 The most interesting result of my talks with Jackson was the following ghost story, which he told me to show that Indians sometimes did live again after death. His grandmother had told him the story and had heard it herself from the man to whom it had happened. It is as follows: "An Indian woman died, leaving a little child and her husband. The latter spent the accustomed four days and nights watching at her grave without food or drink. On the fourth night the grave suddenly opened and the woman stepped out before him. 'Give me my child, ' said she. The man said not a word but went quickly and brought the little child. The woman did not speak but took the child and suckled it. Then holding it close in her arms, she began to walk slowly away. The man followed her, but he did not speak. On, on they went, through forest and meadow, up hill and down dale. 

 "By and by the man made a movement as though he would take hold of her to stop her. But the woman warded him off with a wave of her hand. 'Touch me not, ' she said. 'If you touch me, you must die too!' She stood and suckled the child once more, then laid him gently in her husband's arms. 'Go home, ' she said, and faded from his sight. 

 "Home he went with the child, full of awe and fear. 

 "A few days afterwards the child died, though there was nothing the matter with it. The man, however, lived to be very old. "

 Jackson was not sure whether he believed this story or not. But his manner of telling it indicated that it was very real to him. 

Now and again near Tallac one may see one of the dances of theWashoes. Though war is past with them they still occasionally indulgein their War Dance and its consequent Scalp Dance. There are not morethan ten or a dozen of the old warriors still living who actuallyengaged in warfare in the old days, and these are too old and feebleto dance. But as the young men sing and throw their arms and limbsabout in the growing frenzy of the arousing dance, and the tom-tomthrobs its stimulating beat through the air, these old men's eyesflash, and their quavering voices become steady and strong in theexcitement, and they live in the conflicts of the past. 

Another of the dances that is still kept up is the Puberty Dance. Many white people have seen this, but not having any clew to itssignificance, it seemed absurd and frivolous. When a girl enters thedoor of young womanhood the Washoe idea is to make this an occasionfor developing wiriness, strength, and vigor. Contrary to the methodof the white race, she is made, for four consecutive days, to exertherself to the utmost. She must walk and climb mountains, ride andrun, and when night comes on the fourth day, she and her mother, andas many of the tribe as are available, begin to dance at sunset andkeep it up all night. The girl herself is designated by a long andslim pole which she carries in her hand, and which towers above herhead. By her side stands her mother. The leader of the dance begins asong, a simple, rhythmic, weird chant, the words of which are archaicand have no significance to the Indians of to-day, but merely givesyllables to hang the tune upon. As the leader sings he slowly moveshis legs in a kind of oblique walk. The young men take his handand follow. The women unite, and a rude circle is made, generally, however, open, at the place where the dance-leader stands. After onceor twice around, the leader moves first one foot, then the other, sideways, at the same time jogging his body up and down in fairlyrapid movement, in perfect time to his song. In a few moments all arebobbing up and down, with the onward side-shuffling movement, and thereal dance is on. This continues according to the will of the leader. When his voice gives a sudden drawling drop that dance ends. There area few minutes for relaxation and breath, and then he lines out anew song, with new syllables, and a new dance begins. This continuespractically all night, the dance-leader showing his memory power orhis composing genius by the number of new songs he introduces. I havecounted as many as thirty to forty different tunes on one occasion. 

Just at sunrise the mother of the girl fetches one or two buckets ofcold water, while the maiden undresses. The water is suddenly dashedover her "to make her vigorous and strong, " and the dance comes to anend. 

This rude and rough treatment, in the early days, was made to have allthe potency and sanctity of a religious rite. The reason for it wasclear. The Washoes were surrounded by people with whom they wereoften at war. Indian warfare takes no cognizance of sex or its specialdisabilities. In order that their women should not be regarded as_hors de combat_, or enfeebled, at such times and thus hamper themovement of the tribe in case a sudden flight was needed, the shamansor medicine men taught that strength, activity and vigor were just aspossible at that time as any other. "Those Above" commanded that itbe so. Hence all the sanctity and seriousness of a religious rite wasthrown around these dances, and though the Indians of to-day havelost many of their old customs, this is one that is still rigorouslyobserved. 

Another singular custom that still obtains is where, after the birthof a first child, the _husband_ and _father_ is required tofast and work arduously from the day of the birth until the child'snavel shrivels off. This is to make him strong and vigorous, sothat he may be able to give as much strength to his second and laterchildren as he did to the first. 

As soon as a girl matures she is marriageable. Several and simple arethe ways in which a Washoe youth shows his preference and desirefor marriage. Equally simple are the girl's signs of acceptance orrejection. There is no ceremony as the White Race understands thatterm, though to the Indian there is everything that is necessary tomake the rite as binding as it is to his white brother and sister. 

Though polygamy has always been practiced, the custom to-day limitsthe wives to two, and only a few men have more than one wife. Whereplural wives are taken they are generally sisters. There is littleintermarriage among other tribes. Though it occasionally occurs it isfiercely frowned upon and all parties are made to feel uncomfortable. 

Prostitution with the whites and Chinese is not uncommon, and childrenborn of such relationship have just as good a standing as those bornin wedlock. The Indian sees no sense in punishing an innocent childfor what it is in no way responsible for. He frankly argues that onlya silly fool of a white man or woman would do so cruel and idiotic athing. 

Children are invariably welcomed and made much of at birth, though itis seldom a Washoe woman has more than four or five babies. They arealways nursed by the mother, and not often weaned until they are fouror five years old. 

In the early days the labor of the sexes was clearly defined. The manwas the hunter and the warrior, the guardian of the family. Thewoman was the gatherer of the seeds, the preparer of the food, thecare-taker of the children. To-day there is not much difference in thedivision of labor. The breaking down of all the old customs by contactwith the whites has made men and women alike indifferent to what workthey do so that the family larder and purse are replenished thereby. 

In the early days the Washoes were expert hunters of bear and deer. They used to cross over into the mountains of California forthis purpose, and the women would accompany them. A camp would beestablished just below the snow line, and while the men and youthswent out hunting the women gathered acorns. My informant, an oldIndian, was a lad of eighteen at the time of which he spoke. In effecthe said: "One day while I was out I found the tracks of a bear whichI followed to a cave. Then I went to camp. But we Indians are notlike you white men. You would have rushed in and shouted to everybody, 'I've found a bear's track!' Instead I waited until night and when allthe squaws had gone to bed I leisurely told the men who were chattingaround the camp fire. They wished to know if I knew where the cavewas, and of course I assured them I could go directly to it. The nextmorning early my uncle quietly aroused me, saying, 'Let's go and getthat bear. ' I was scared but had to go. When we arrived he took somepieces of pitch-pine from his pocket, and lighting them, gave me one, and told me to stand at the mouth of the cave ready to shoot thebear, while he went in and drove it out. I didn't like the idea, but Idaren't confess my cowardice, for he at once went in. In a few momentsI heard terrific growlings and roarings and then the bear rushed out. I banged away and he fell, and I was proud to tell my uncle, when hecame out, that I had killed the bear. 'No, you didn't, ' said he; 'yourshots all went wild. Here's the shot that killed him, ' and sure enoughit was a shot of a different size from that of my gun. "

"Another time when I found a bear in a cave he said, 'You must go inthis time and drive out the bear. ' I was sure I couldn't do it, but heinsisted, and thrusting the lighted sticks into my hands bade me crawlin, keeping my eyes fixed the while, as soon as I saw them, upon thoseof the bear. I was to keep my back to the wall, and when I got wellin, was to dash the light behind the bear and give a yell. I crawledin all right and soon got to where I could just about stand up, butwhen I saw the bear and he began to growl I was scared and backed outpretty quick and said I didn't have light enough. My uncle grabbed thesticks from me, called me a coward, rushed in, and as the bear dashedout shot and killed it. "

It is generally thought that Indians are good shots, but the testimonyof the hunters of the Tahoe region is that the Washoes are verypoor shots. One hunter tells me he has seen an Indian take as finea standing shot as one need desire, again and again, and miss everytime. On one occasion he was hunting deer with an Indian. The latterhad gone up a steep slope, when, suddenly, he began to fire, and keptit up until fourteen shots were fired. Said he: "I was sure he musthave a bunch of deer and was making a big killing, and hurried up tohis side. When I got there I found he had sent all those shot afterone buck, and had succeeded only in breaking its leg. With one shotI killed the wounded animal, went up to it and was about to cut itsthroat, when he begged me not to do so, asserting that if I cut thedeer's throat that way I should never get a standing shot again, thedeer would always be able to smell me. "

This is a quaint superstition. The Indians believe that though theparticular deer be slain it has the power of communicating with livingdeer and informing them of the peculiar "smell" of the hunter. Hence, as in the olden days they had no guns, only bows and arrows, and werecompelled to creep up much nearer to their prey than is needful witha gun, anything that seemed to add to the deer's power of scenting thehunter must studiously be avoided. 

And, although the gun had rendered the old methods of huntingunnecessary, this particular precaution still persisted and had allthe force of established custom. 

My friend then continued: "Another superstition I found out as Icleaned this deer. I cut out the paunch, the heart and the liver andoffered them to the Indian. He refused them, saying it was food fitonly for women, children and old men. If he were to eat them he wouldnever have luck in hunting again. "

This superstition is common with many Indian tribes. It is based uponthe idea that one becomes like that which he eats. If one eats theheart of a mountain-lion or bear he becomes daring and courageous. But to eat the heart of the timid deer is to make oneself timorous andcowardly. 

As soon after puberty as possible a boy is taken out by his fatheror uncle on a hunt. Prior to that time he is not allowed to go. Butbefore he can eat of the product of the chase he must himself kill adeer with large enough horns to allow him to crawl through them. 

A friend of mine was out with a Washoe Indian whose boy was alongon his first hunting expedition. They hunted a deer for nearly threedays, but as soon as they found tracks the father, after studying themawhile, said: "This a little fellow. No good. He not big enough"--thussignifying to his son that his horns were not large enough to allowhim to crawl through, hence it was no use following the animalfurther. 

The Indian is quite sure that deer can smell him and know when heis on the hunt. He becomes skillful in detecting and following theirtracks, and knows just how to circle around their hiding-place andsuddenly walk in upon them. My friend, referred to above, who is agreat hunter, was once out with a Washoe. They had had three "bad"days, when suddenly they found a deer's track. It was fresh, but whenthey came to the hole where he had lain down to rest, though the placewas quite warm, the deer had gone. The Indian at once exclaimed: "Thatdeer smell me. I must get rid of the Indian smell. " Accordingly hescooped out a hole in the ground, heated a number of rocks in it, then, spreading fir boughs over them, lay down over the rocks andtook a "fir-sweat" for fully ten to fifteen minutes. As he arose heexclaimed: "Deer no smell me to-morrow, " and my friend said he did nolonger smell like an Indian, but like burnt fir wood. 

Turning to the Indian, however, he said: "You're all right, but howabout me?" to which the reply instantly came: "You all right. Deeronly smell Indian. He not smell white man. "

Chief among the women's work is the making of baskets. The bestWashoe basket makers are not surpassed by any weavers in the world. At Tallac, Fallen Leaf, Glen Alpine and several other resortsbasket-makers may be found, preparing their splints, weaving or tryingto sell their baskets. 

Not far from Tahoe Tavern, about a quarter a mile away in thedirection of Tahoe City, is the little curio store of A. Cohn, whoseheadquarters are in Carson City, the capital of the State of Nevada. Mr. And Mrs. Cohn hold a unique position in their particular field. Some twenty-five years ago they purchased a beautiful basket from aWashoe Indian woman, named _Dat-so-la-le_ in Washoe, or LuisaKeyser in American, for she was the wife of Charley Keyser, a generalroustabout Indian, well known to the citizens of Carson. Luisa was alarge, heavy, more than buxom--literally a fat, --ungainly squaw. Buther fingers were under the perfect control of a remarkably artisticbrain. She was not merely an artist but a genius. She saw exquisitebaskets in her dreams, and had the patience, persistence anddetermination to keep on weaving until she was able to reproduce themin actuality. She also was possessed by an indomitable resolution tobe the maker of the finest baskets of the Washoe tribe. While she wasstill a young woman she gained the goal of her ambition, and it wasjust about this time that she offered one of her baskets to Mr. Cohn. He saw it was an excellent basket, that the shape was perfect, thecolor-harmony superior to any he had seen before, the stitch small, fine, and even, the weave generally perfect, the design original andworked out with artistic ability. He saw all this, yet, because itwas Indian work, and the woman was a rude, coarse mountain of flesh, a feminine Falstaff, of a lower order of beings and without Falstaff'sgeniality and wit, he passed the basket by as merely worth a dollaror two extra, and placed it side by side with the work of otherWashoe and Paiuti squaws. A Salt Lake dealer came into the store soonthereafter and saw this basket. "How much?" he asked. The price wasgiven--rather high thought Mr. Cohn--. "Twenty-five dollars!" "I'lltake it!" came the speedy response. 

A month or two later Cohn received a photograph from the purchaser, accompanied by a letter. "You know the basket, herewith photographed, which I purchased from you. Have you any more by the same weaver, orof as good a weave? If so, how many, and at what price? Wire reply atmy expense. "

Then Mr. Cohn awoke, and he's been awake ever since. He wired hislist of Dat-so-la-le's baskets, but he has had no reply, and that wastwenty-five years ago. He then made arrangements with Dat-so-la-leand her husband. He provides them house, food, clothing and a certainamount of cash yearly, and he takes all the work Luisa makes. Everybasket as soon as begun is noted as carefully as every breeding of athoroughbred horse or dog. Also the date the basket is finished. Itis then numbered and photographed and either offered for sale at acertain price, which is never changed, or is put in the safety-depositvault of the bank, to await the time when such aboriginal masterpieceswill be eagerly sought after by the growingly intelligent andappreciative of our citizens, for their museums or collections, asspecimens of work of a people--the first American families--who willthen, possibly, have passed away. The photographs, here reproduced, are of some of Dat-so-la-le's finest work. 

[Illustration: Susie, the Washoe indian basket maker, and narratorof indian legends]

[Illustration: Jackson, the Washoe indian, telling traditions ofhis people about Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake]

[Illustration: Lake Tahoe near Tahoe Tavern, looking south]

CHAPTER IV

INDIAN LEGENDS OF THE TAHOE REGION

As all students of the Indian are well aware these aboriginal andout-of-door dwellers in the forests, canyons, mountains, valleys, andon lake and seashores are great observers of Nature, and her manyand varied phenomena. He who deems the Indian dull, stolid andunimpressionable, simply because in the presence of the White Race heis reserved and taciturn, little knows the observing and reflectingpower hidden behind so self-restrained a demeanor. Wherever naturalobjects, therefore, are of a peculiar, striking, unusual, unique, or superior character, it is reasonable to assume that the Indians, living within sight of them, should possess myths, legends, folk-lore, creation-stories or the like in connection with their creation, preservation, or present-day existence. This is found exemplifiedin the legends of Havasupais, Hopis, Navajos and Wallapais as tothe origin of the Grand Canyon of Arizona, of the Yohamities, Monos, Chuc-Chances, and others, of the distinctive features of the YosemiteValley, the Hetch-Hetchy, etc. 

While the present-day, half-educated, half-civilized Washoes are by nomeans representatives of the highest elements of natural enlightenmentamong the Indian race, they do possess legends about Tahoe, thefollowing being the most interesting. 

All these stories, except the last, were gathered by Mrs. W. W. Price of Fallen Leaf Lodge, from Indians with whom she has been veryfamiliar for several years, named Jackson and his wife Susan. Therehas been no attempt to dress them up in literary fashion. They aregiven as near to the Indians' mode of telling as possible. They arewonderfully different from certain stories recently published incurrent magazines, professing to be Legends of Lake Tahoe. Theselatter are pure fiction, and to those familiar with Indian thought, reveal their origin in the imaginative brain of white writers who havebut faint conceptions of Indian mentality. Mrs. Price is a graduateof Stanford University, and took great pains to preserve the Indians'exact mode of expression. As she herself writes:

 Long before the white man saw and wondered over the beauty of Tahoe, theorizing over its origin and concocting curious tales about its "unfathomable" depths, the Indians knew and loved it. And as among all other peoples, legends have grown up to account for every phenomenon of Nature, so among the Washoe Indians stories about Tahoe have been handed down from generation to generation. 

 I do not vouch for these legends. The modern Indian too often tells what he thinks you want to know, --if only you will cross his hand with silver. But there are touches here and there that make me feel that for the most part they are remnants of very old legends. 

 THE ORIGIN OF TAHOE, FALLEN LEAF, AND OTHER LAKES

 Long, long ago, before the white man came to Nevada, there lived in the meadow over beyond Glenbrook a good Indian. But though he was good, he was much annoyed by the Evil Spirit, who constantly interfered with all that he tried to do. Finally, he determined that he must move away and get over into the valleys of California. But when he tried to escape, the Evil One was always there ready to trip him in some way or other. 

 In his trouble the Good Spirit came to his aid, giving him a leafy branch which had certain magic qualities. He was to start on his journey. If he saw the Evil One coming he was to drop a bit of the branch and water would immediately spring up. The Evil One could not cross water, and thus, being delayed by going around, would give the Indian time to escape. 

 The Indian made his way well along to where Tallac Hotel now is, when, looking back, he saw the Evil One off in the distance approaching with such strides that his heart was filled with great fear. In his terror he tried to pluck a leaf but it snapped off and he dropped almost his whole branch. To his delight and relief the waters began to rise and soon "Tahoe"--_Big Water_--lay between him and his enemy. 

 Free-heartedly he hurried on his way up the canyon, but when he reached the spot where the head of Fallen Leaf Lake lies, he turned to reassure himself. Away off the Evil One was advancing. A new terror filled his soul. In his hand there remained of his magic branch only one little twig with a single leaf on it. 

 Plucking the leaf, he threw it down and watched it fall waveringly through the air. As it touched earth the waters again began to rise and "Doolagoga"--_Fallen Leaf_--sprang into being and on its surface floated the little leaf, as many leaves now float in the fall of the year. 

 Turning, he sped up the ravine, dropping bits of his twig as fear directed him, and in his path, Lily, Grass, and Heather lakes came up to guard his way. 

 At last he was over the crest of the mountain and found himself safe in the long-wished-for Valley of California. 

 THE LEGEND OF THE TWO BROTHERS

 Once long ago in Paiuti-land, Nevada, there lived two brothers. The older was a hunter and brought home much game. His wife, whose name was Duck, used to cook this for him, but she was very stingy to the younger brother, and often times he was hungry. When he begged her for food, she scolded him and drove him out of the _campoodie_, saying, "Got none for you. "

 One day when the older brother was off hunting Duck was cleaning some fish. She had been very cross to Little Brother, refusing to give him any food, and he was terribly hungry. Presently he came creeping up behind her and when he saw all the fish he became very angry. He took up a big club and before Duck could turn around he hit her on the head and killed her. Paying no attention to her dead body he cooked and ate all the fish he wanted and then lay down in the sunshine on a big rock and went fast asleep. 

 By and by his Hunter Brother came home. Of course when he found his wife dead, he was filled with great anger at his young brother, though his anger was lessened when he thought of his wife's cruelty. He shook him very roughly and said, "I no like you any more! I go away. Leave you alone!" But Little Brother begged, "Don't be angry! Don't be angry! Let's go far away! I help you all the time! Don't be angry!"

 Gradually he persuaded the Hunter Brother to forgive him and they started off together toward the "Big Water"--_Lake Tahoe_. On the way the Hunter Brother taught the Little Brother how to shoot with a bow and arrow. By the time they reached the spot now known as Lakeside both their belts were filled with squirrels that they had shot. 

 At dusk they built a good fire and when there were plenty of glowing coals, Hunter Brother dug a long hole, and filling it with embers, laid the squirrels in a row on the coals covering them all up with earth. 

 He was tired and lay down by the fire to rest till the squirrels should be cooked. With his head resting on his arms, the warmth of the fire soothing him, he soon fell fast, fast asleep. 

 Little Brother sat by the fire and as the night grew darker, he grew hungrier and hungrier. He tried to waken his brother, but the latter seemed almost like one dead and he could not rouse him. At last he made up his mind he would eat by himself. Going to the improvised oven, he began to dig up the squirrels, counting them as they came to light. One was missing. Little Brother was troubled. 

 "How that? My brother had so many, I had so many!"--counting on his fingers--"One gone!" And he forgot how hungry he was as he dug for the missing squirrel. 

 All at once he came upon a bigger hole adjoining the cooking hole. While he stood wondering what to do, out popped a great big spider. 

 "I'll catch you!" cried the spider. 

 "No, you won't!" said the boy, and up he jumped and away he ran, followed by the spider. They raced over stock and stone, dodging about trees and stumbling over fallen logs for a long time. At last Little Brother could run no more. The spider grabbed him and carried him back to his hole, where he killed him. 

 It was almost daybreak when Hunter Brother awoke. He called his brother to bring more wood, for the fire was almost out. Getting no answer he went to look at the cooking squirrels. 

 Greatly surprised to see them lying there all uncovered, he, too, counted them. Discovering one gone, he thought his brother must have eaten it and was about to eat one himself when he saw the old spider stick his head out of the hole. Each made a spring, but the Hunter Brother was the quicker and killed the wicked spider with his knife. 

 Carefully he now went into the spider's hole. There, stretched out on the ground, lay Little Brother _dead_! Taking him up in his arms, he carried him outside. Now this Hunter Brother was a _medicine-man_ of great power, so he lay down with Little Brother and breathed into his mouth and in a few minutes he came back to life and was all right. [1]

 The Hunter Brother was very happy to have his Little Brother alive again. He built up the fire and while they sat eating their long-delayed meal Little Brother told all that had happened to him. 

[Footnote 1: Susan who was telling this story offered no reason whyhe had not restored Duck, his own wife, to life. ]

 The sun was quite above the horizon before the meal was finished, and soon Hunter Brother was anxious to be moving on, so they took their way along the lake shore. On their way they talked and laughed one with another and seemed to agree very well, until they had gone around the lake and reached where Tahoe City now is. Here they quarreled and the Hunter Brother left Little Brother to return and go up the Big Mountain--_Tallac_--where he had heard there were many squirrels. After his departure, Little Brother decided to follow him and get him to make friends again. So he trudged along the lake shore until he came to Emerald Bay. 

 There lying on the log at the edge of the lake, lay a water-baby. It was asleep with its head resting on its arms and its beautiful, sunshine-golden-hair was spread over it. 

 "Oh, " said Little Brother, "I'll get that beautiful sun-shine-hair as a present for my brother!" So he crept very softly down on the log, thinking to kill the water-baby before it awoke. But he was not successful in this, for the creature opened its eyes as he laid his hand on its hair, and a furious fight ensued. Sometimes it seemed as though Little Brother would be killed, but finally he was able to scalp the poor water-baby and get possession of the beautiful sunshine-golden-hair. Every one can see where this fight occurred. The red hill near Emerald Bay stands as a memorial of the struggle, for its color is caused by the blood of the slain water-baby. 

 Tucking his prize in his hunting shirt and hugging it close, Little Brother now went on, murmuring to himself, "Oh, my brother like this, my brother like this beautiful golden-sunshine-hair!"

 But suddenly, as he was climbing upward, he noticed the water lapping at his heels, and when he turned to see whence it came, he found that the big lake behind him was rapidly rising, and even as he stood wondering, it arose above his ankles. 

 Then he remembered what he had heard of revengeful water-babies, but frightened though he was, he could not bear to throw away his prize. However, he knew he must do something, so he plucked out a few hairs from the scalp and threw them into the ascending waves. For a minute the water ceased to rise and he sped onward, but before long he felt the water at his heels again, and knew that once more he must gain a short respite by throwing out a few of the golden-sunshine-hairs. And ever and again he had to do this until at last he spied his brother ahead of him. "Ah, brother, " he cried, drawing the scalp from his blouse, "see what a beautiful present I have for you!"

 But when his brother turned toward him he saw only the angry, rising waters, and rushing forward he snatched the beautiful sunshine-golden-hair and cast it back into the waters, crying, "How you dare meddle with water-babies? Don't you know water surely come up and get you?"

 And poor Little Brother felt very sad; but the danger he had been in seemed to have endeared him once more to Hunter Brother and they stood arm-in-arm and watched the waters recede. 

 But there were hollows in the land and when the waters went back they held the water and so were formed that chain of lakes on the other side of Tallac and Emerald Bay, the Velmas, Kalmia, Cascade, and others. 

 The rest of the story is confused and full of repetitions. The gist of it is that Little Brother was ever getting into trouble from which Hunter Brother had to rescue him, for which Little Brother was most grateful and would go off seeking for a present to give to the Big Brother who was so kind to him. 

 Once he got a young bear cub. He thought it was a dog. He petted it and brought it to his brother as a hunting-dog. 

 Finally, after Hunter Brother had made a first-class hunter of Little Brother so that he could use his bow and arrows with great success, they went down toward the Sacramento Valley hunting deer. They followed a fine buck over hill and dale but could not get a good shot at him. At last worn out by running and suffering greatly, the Little Brother lay down and died. When his brother found him, he did not attempt to bring him to life again but buried him under a pile of rocks and leaves. 

 THE "WILD-GRUB" HOLE AT GARDNERVILLE

 Once upon a time there was an old Indian who lived over in Hope Valley with his two grand-daughters. He was a mean old man. He made the girls work very hard all day long. They had to gather wild grass seeds and acorns and grind them into flour all the time. The old man caught plenty of fish and frogs which he took off for his own eating, but he gave the girls none. 

 One day he came in with a woodchuck skin and told the girls to fill it with wild wheat flour. He did not tell them what he wanted it for. When the skin was full he left the _campoodie_ without a word as to where he was going. But the bag leaked and a little stream of flour trickled out and marked his path. He went away off to a lake where he caught plenty of fish and frogs on which he feasted until he could eat no more. Then he lay down by his fire and was soon fast asleep. 

 Meanwhile in the _campoodie_ the two girls were talking about the old man's meanness. "He makes us work so hard and we never have any fish to eat. He keeps it all himself, " said the older girl. 

 "I wonder where he's gone now?" said the younger one, going to the door-way and looking out. Suddenly she noticed the little line of flour trailing off through the woods. "Ah, now I'll find him!" And just calling to her sister that she would be back soon, she darted off. 

 It was dark when she came back weeping. She threw herself on the ground outside the _campoodie_ and poured out her story. She had found the old man lying there fast asleep, gorged with fish. The remnants of his feast lay all about him. She had not dared to waken him or speak to him, but coming home, had made up her mind to run away and not work for the mean old man any more. 

 To this the sister agreed, and at daybreak they were scurrying off through the forest. 

 All day they traveled and when night came they were still in the wilds far from any Indian camp. 

 Worn out, they lay down under a great pine and looked up at the stars. 

 "Oh, " said the older girl, "see that fine Star-man up there! I'd like to marry him!"

 "Oh, no!" said the younger, "he belongs to me. I'd like to marry him!"

 They lay there telling what each would do could she only marry the Star-man, until they fell asleep. When they awoke in the morning, lo, they found themselves up in the sky, and the elder girl had a baby already--a star-baby! At first the girls were very good to the star-baby but it cried a great deal. One day the younger girl was very cross and put it outside of the _campoodie_. The poor baby cried all the more until the elder sister took pity on it, but when she had fed it and it still cried, the younger sister became very angry and told her sister to put that "brat" outside. The sister was tired too, so she put the poor baby outside. 

 When the baby could not make them come to him, he got up and went to find his grandfather, the Moon. He told him how mean his mother and aunt were to him. The old Moon was very angry. He took the star-baby by the hand and went tramping back through the sky to find the cruel mother and her sister. 

 Now, the girls had been getting rather tired of their sky-_campoodie_ and they longed for their home on the earth. They used to go to a hole in the sky and look down on the earth, wishing they were there again. Indeed, at the time the star-baby went off to find his grandfather, the Moon, they were at the hole in the sky, amusing themselves by looking through and indulging in vain regrets that they were no longer there. 

 "Oh, sister, " suddenly said the elder, "there goes our old grandfather! Poor old man! I wish we were with him! See, he's carrying big bags of wild wheat-flour and acorns!"

 Just then the old Moon came tramping up, and the whole sky trembled. The people on earth said it was thundering. He grabbed the two girls by their hair and shaking them till they were almost dead, he hurled them down through the hole. 

 Down, down, they went, straight down to where their old grandfather was walking along, little suspecting what was coming. They both hit him and, coming as they did with such force, they made a deep hole in the earth in which they were almost buried. 

 That hole is over by Gardnerville. In that hole Indians can always find plenty of wild-grub--wild-wheat, wild potato, wild acorn--plenty there. Snow very deep. No difference. Always plenty wild grub there. I see that hole. I believe that story!

 THE ORIGIN OF THE DIFFERENT INDIAN TRIBES

 Long, long ago, away over in Paiuti-land there were some young boys and girls playing. They played all sorts of games, but they liked hand-ball best. And as they played, they sang songs of gladness. 

 There was one old woman, their grandmother, who would not play with them. She had a little baby, her youngest grandchild, whom she was trying to quiet, but the little one cried and cried continuously. 

 By-and-by the old woman heard a noise outside. She was frightened and called to the young folks. "Some one's coming! You better stop! Better hide! Maybe Evil One, devil, coming!"

 But the young folks paid no attention to her warning. They kept on playing harder than ever. The old woman covered the baby with a big basket and hid her own face in her shawl. 

 Then the Evil One came in. All the young folks turned to see who was coming in and as soon as they looked upon his face they fell dead. Only the old woman and the baby were left; for the Evil One did not see them. 

 When he was gone, the old woman snatched up the baby and hurried off down to the river. As she was hurrying along she met an old man. 

 "Where are you going?" said he. Then the old woman saw that it was the Evil One himself. She was afraid but she did not want him to know it. She kept the baby covered in the basket and answered, "I'm going to the river to get wild potatoes!"

 "Where are all the girls?" asked the Evil One. 

 "Oh, they are all over behind the big mountain, playing ball!"

 The Evil One went off to find them, because he thought there were still some left, and the old woman quickly dug a big hole and hid herself and the baby away in it. 

 When the Evil One found that the old woman had told him a lie, he was very angry. He came back and hunted all day long till sundown for her that he might kill her. But he could not find any trace of her. He finally went home and then the old woman took the baby and hid on the top of a big rock, over near where Sheridan now is. 

 In the morning the Evil One came back to hunt further, but without success. 

 "I guess that the old woman is dead, " said he, "or maybe she's gone across the river. " But the Evil One loses his power if he touches water, so he dare not cross the river to follow her. 

 The old woman watched him from the top of the rock. Many times she feared lest he should find her, and she covered the baby more closely. 

 At last when he had given up the hunt, she saw him take a great basket and set it down in the road. Into this basket he put great bunches of elderberry roots, and as he put each bunch in, he gave it a name--Washoe, Digger, Paiuti, and so on. Then he put the lid on tightly and went off through the forest. 

 The old woman watched till the Evil One had gone. Creeping quietly down, she came with the child--she was a little girl now, not a wee baby any more--and sat down near the basket. 

 Presently there was a murmuring in the basket. "Oh, grandmother, what's that noise?" said the little girl. 

 "Never mind, " said the grandmother, "don't you touch the basket!"

 But the little girl kept teasing, "Oh, grandmother, what's in there?"

 And the old woman would say, "Don't you touch it!"

 The old woman turned her back just one minute and the little girl slipped up and raised the lid ever so little. There was a great whirring noise; the lid flew off and out came all the Indians. Off through the air they flew--Washoes to Washoe land; Diggers to Digger land; Paiutis to Nevada--each Indian to his own home. 

The story given above is the one told by Jackson, but his wife, Susan, tells the same story with these essential differences. In hernarrative there is no Evil One. The old woman scolded the young peoplefor playing, but they are not all killed. It is the old woman herselfwho took a Paiuti water-bottle and after filling it with water, tookwild seeds and placed them in the bottle, naming them the differentIndian tribes. The seeds swelled in the water until they were as bigas eggs and out of these the Indians hatched like chickens, and beganto fight. It is the noise of the fighting that the baby hears. 

As in Jackson's story the baby lets them out, but it is the wind thatcarries them off to their various homes. 

 HOW THE INDIANS FIRST GOT FIRE

 The Indians were having a "big time" in a great log cabin. All the birds were there too, for in those days the Indians, birds, and animals could talk to each other. 

 They were dancing all around the room and all were merry as could be. They had a huge wooden drum and, as they passed this, the dancers kicked it to make music. 

 Now, among the birds who were there was a big blue-jay. He was a very saucy fellow, just full of mean tricks. When he came to the drum, he kicked it so hard that he broke it all to pieces. Of course this caused a great commotion. Every one was so provoked by his rudeness that they threw him out of the door. 

 It was raining hard and the impudence was soon washed out of Mr. Blue-Jay. He begged at the door in vain, and at last he huddled up on the branch of a tree, thinking himself greatly abused. 

 As he sat there, suddenly, far off, he saw a strange light. Now the Blue-Jay has an infinite amount of curiosity, so away he flew to investigate, quite forgetting his troubles. 

 It was fire which the Indian god had brought down to earth. The Jay got a piece and soon came flying back to the great cabin where the dance was still going on. 

 When he called now at the door, saying that he had something wonderful to show them, they knew that he was telling the truth. They let him come in, crowding about him to see this wonderful thing. They did not know what to make of this strange new thing. Lest anything should happen to it, they dug a hole and buried the fire most carefully. 

 Tired out with the night's dancing the Indians all went off to rest, leaving the birds to watch the precious fire. But the birds were tired too, and it was not long before they were fast asleep. All except the owl. He was wide awake and he, being very wise, knew that the fire must be put in a safer place. He went out and calling the yellow snake, the rat, and the little "hummer" bird, he explained what he wanted them to do. The snake was to worm his way in under the logs and wait there till the hummer-bird brought him the fire. The rat was to go in and chew all the birds' wings so that they should not be able to catch the little hummer. They were all so fast asleep that the rat was able to do this very easily. 

 All went just as they planned. The snake took the fire and hid a little spark of it in every buckeye tree. And there the Indians found it when they needed it. For rubbing a piece of cedar and buckeye together, they very quickly make the spark, and produce fire. 

A LEGEND OF LAKE TAHOE

The following legend was published some years ago in _SunsetMagazine_. It was written by Miss Nonette V. McGlashan, who heardit from a Washoe squaw. The story was told with strange gestures andweird pathos:

 The ong was a big bird, bigger than the houses of the white man. Its body was like the eagle's, and its wings were longer than the tallest pines. Its face was that of an Indian, but covered with hard scales, and its feet were webbed. Its nest was deep down in the bottom of the Lake, out in the center, and out of the nest rushed all the waters which fill the Lake. There are no rivers to feed the Lake, only the waters from the ong's nest. All the waters flow back near the bottom, in great under-currents, and after passing through the meshes of the nest are sent forth again. Every plant and bird and animal that gets into these under-currents, and sometimes the great trout that are swept into the net-like nest are there held fast to furnish food for the ong. 

 He ate everything, he liked everything, but best of all he liked the taste of human flesh. No one ever heard or saw anything of such poor mortals as were drowned in these waters, for their bodies were carried to the ong's nest and no morsel ever escaped him. Sometimes he would fly about the shores in quest of some child or woman or hunter, yet he was a great coward and was never known to attack any one in camp, or when two or more were together. No arrow could pierce his feathers, nor could the strongest spear do more than glance from the scales on his face and legs, yet his coward's heart made him afraid for his toes had no claws, and his mouth no beak. 

 Late one fall, the Washoes were making their final hunt before going to the valleys and leaving the Lake locked in its winter snows. The chief's daughter was sixteen years old, and before leaving the Lake he must select the greatest hero in the tribe for her husband, for such had been the custom of the Washoe chiefs ever since the tribe came out of the Northland. Fairer than ever maiden had been was this daughter, and every unmarried brave and warrior in the tribe wished that he had performed deeds of greater prowess, that he might be certain of winning the prize. That last night at the Lake, around the big council fire, each was to recount to the chief the noblest achievement of his life, and when all were heard the chief would choose, and the women join the circle and the wedding take place. For many years the warriors had looked forward to this event, and the tribe had become famed because of acts of reckless daring performed by those who hoped to wed the chief's daughter. 

 It was the morning of the final day and much game and great stores of dried trout were packed ready for the journey. All were preparing for the wedding festivities, and the fact that no one knew who would be the bridegroom, among all that band of warriors, lent intensest excitement to the event. All were joyous and happy except the maiden and the handsome young brave to whom she had given her heart. In spite of custom or tradition her love had long since gone out to one whose feet had been too young to press the war-path when last the tribe gave battle to their hereditary foes, the Paiutis. He never had done deed of valor, nor could he even claim the right to sit with the warriors around the council fire. All day long he had been sitting alone on the jutting cliffs which overhang the water, far away from the laughter and shouts of the camp, eagerly, prayerfully watching the great Lake. Surely the Great Spirit would hear his prayer, yet he had been here for days and weeks in unavailing prayer and waiting. 

 The afternoon was well-nigh spent and the heart of the young brave had grown cold as stone. In his bitter despair he sprang to his feet to defy the Great Spirit in whom he had trusted, but ere he could utter the words his very soul stood still for joy. Slowly rising from the center of the Lake, he saw the ong. Circling high in the heavens, the monster swept now here, now there, in search of prey. The young brave stood erect and waited. When the ong was nearest he moved about slightly to attract its notice. He had not long to wait. With a mighty swoop, the bird dashed to earth, and as it arose, the young brave was seen to be clasped fast in its talons. A great cry of horror arose from the camp, but it was the sweetest note the young brave had ever heard. The bird flew straight up into the sky until Lake and forest and mountains seemed small and dim. When it reached a great height it would drop its prey into the Lake and let the current draw it to its nest. Such was its custom, and for this the brave had prepared by unwinding from his waist a long buckskin cord and tying himself firmly to the ong's leg. The clumsy feet could not grasp him so tightly as to prevent his movements. At last the great feet opened wide, but the Indian did not fall. In a mighty rage, the ong tried in vain to grasp him in his teeth, but the strong web between the bird's toes sheltered him. Again and again the bird tried to use his horrid teeth, and each time his huge body would fall through the air in such twistings and contortions that those who watched below stared in bewilderment. But what the watchers could not see was that every time the huge mouth opened to snap him, the young brave hurled a handful of poisoned arrowheads into the mouth and down the big throat, their sharp points cutting deep into the unprotected flesh. The bird tried to dislodge him by rubbing his feet together, but the thong held firm. Now it plunged headlong into the Lake, but its feet were so tied that it could not swim, and though it lashed the waters into foam with its great wings, and though the man was nearly drowned and wholly exhausted, the poison caused the frightened bird such agony that it suddenly arose and tried to escape by flying toward the center of the Lake. The contest had lasted long and the darkness crept over the Lake, and into the darkness the bird vanished. 

 The women had been long in their huts ere the council fire was kindled and the warriors gravely seated themselves in its circle. No such trifling event as the loss of a young brave could be allowed to interfere with so important an event, and from most of their minds he had vanished. It was not so very unusual for the ong to claim a victim, and, besides, the youth had been warned by his elders that he should not go hunting alone as had been his habit of late. 

 But while the warriors were working themselves up into a fine frenzy of eloquence in trying to remind the old chief of their bygone deeds of daring, an Indian maiden was paddling a canoe swiftly and silently toward the middle of the Lake. Nona, the chief's daughter understood no more than the rest why her lover had not been dropped into the Lake, nor why the ong had acted so queerly, but she knew that she could die with her lover. She took her own frail canoe because it was so light and easy to row, though it was made for her when a girl, and would scarcely support her weight now. It mattered nothing to her if the water splashed over the sides; it mattered nothing how she reached her lover. She kept saying his name over softly to herself, "Tahoe! My darling Tahoe!"

 When the council was finished, the women went to her hut to bid her come and hear the decision her father was about to render. The consternation caused by her disappearance lasted until the rosy dawn tinged the Washoe peaks and disclosed to the astounded tribe the body of the ong floating on the waters above its nest, and beside it an empty canoe. In the foreground, and gently approaching the shore was the strangest craft that ever floated on water! It was one of the great ong's wings, and the sail was the tip of the other wing! Standing upon it, clasped in each other's arms, were the young brave, Tahoe, and the daughter of the chief. In the shouts of the tribe, shouts in which warriors and women and children mingled their voices with that of the chief, Tahoe was proclaimed the hero of heroes! The decision was rendered, but the ong's nest remains, and the drowned never rise in Lake Tahoe. 

CHAPTER V

THE VARIOUS NAMES OF LAKE TAHOE

We have already seen that Frémont, the discoverer of Lake Tahoe, firstcalled it Lake Bonpland, after Humboldt's scientific co-traveler. That name, however, never came in general use. When the great westwardemigration began it seemed naturally to be called by its Indian name, Tahoe. 

In _Innocents Abroad_ Mark Twain thus petulantly and humorouslyexpresses his dislike of the name, Tahoe, and sarcastically definesits meaning. 

 "Sorrow and misfortune overtake the legislature that still from year to year permits Tahoe to retain its unmusical cognomen! Tahoe! It suggests no crystal waters, no picturesque shores, no sublimity. Tahoe for a sea in the clouds; a sea that has character, and asserts it in solemn calms, at times, at times in savage storms; a sea, whose royal seclusion is guarded by a cordon of sentinel peaks that lift their frosty fronts nine thousand feet above the level world; a sea whose every aspect is impressive, whose belongings are all beautiful, whose lonely majesty types the Deity!

 "Tahoe means grasshoppers. It means grasshopper soup. It is Indian, and suggestive of Indians. They say it is Pi-ute--possibly it is Digger. I am satisfied it was named by the Diggers--those degraded savages who roast their dead relatives, then mix the human grease and ashes of bones with tar, and 'gaum' it thick all over their heads and foreheads and ears, and go caterwauling about the hills and call it _mourning_. _These_ are the gentry that named the Lake. 

 "People say that Tahoe means 'Silver Lake'--'Limpid Water'--'Falling Leaf. ' Bosh! It means grasshopper soup, the favorite dish of the Digger tribe--and of the Pi-utes as well. It isn't worth while, in these practical times, for people to talk about Indian poetry--there never was any in them--except in the Fenimore Cooper Indians. But _they_ are an extinct tribe that never existed. I know the Noble Red Man. I have camped with the Indians; I have been on the warpath with them, taken part in the chase with them--for grasshoppers; helped them steal cattle; I have roamed with them, scalped them, had them for breakfast. I would gladly eat the whole race if I had a chance. 

 "But I am growing unreliable. "

With all due deference to the wisdom--as well as the humor--of MarkTwain as applied to Lake Tahoe, I emphatically disagree with him as tothe Indians of the Tahoe region, and also as to the name of the Lake. Tahoe is quite as good-sounding a name as Como, Lucerne, Katrine orLomond. A name, so long as it is euphonious, is pleasing or not, morebecause of its associations than anything else. The genuine Indian, as he was prior to the coming of the white man, was uncorrupted, uncivilized, unvitiated, undemoralized, undiseased in body, mind andsoul, a nature-observer, nature-lover and nature-worshiper. He wasfull of poetic conceptions and fired with a vivid imagination thatcreated stories to account for the existence of unusual, peculiar orexceptional natural objects, that, in brilliancy of conception, daringinvention, striking ingenuity and vigor of detail _surpass_, orat least equal, the best imaginative work of Kipling or _Mark Twainhimself_. It seems to me that his--the Indian's--name for thisLake--Tahoe--is both euphonious and full of poetic and scientificsuggestion. It is poetic in that it expresses in a word the unequaledheight and purity of so large a body of water, and scientific in thatit is truthful and accurate. 

But Frémont, the discoverer, evidently did not ask or seek to know itsIndian name. As stated elsewhere he erroneously conceived it to be theheadquarters of one of the forks of the American river, flowing intothe Sacramento, and he so depicts it on his map, giving to it the twonames "Mountain Lake" or "Lake Bonpland. " But neither of these nameswas acceptable and they practically dropped out of sight. 

When the first actual determination of Tahoe's outlet through theTruckee River was made is not definitely known, but its approximatelocation was well enough established in 1853 to enable the officialmap-maker of the new State of California to depict it with reasonableaccuracy, and, for some reason, to name it Lake Bigler, after JohnBigler, the third Governor of California. 

Citizens are still living both in Nevada and California who wellremember when the Lake held this name, and the majority of peopleundoubtedly used it until 1862. Officially, also, it was known as LakeBigler in 1862, for in the Nevada _Statutes_ there is recordedan Act approved December 19, 1862, authorizing certain parties toconstruct a railroad "to be known as the _Lake Bigler and VirginiaRailroad Co_. , to commence at a point on the Kingsbury-McDonaldroad known as the Kingsbury and McDonald Toll House, thence along thesouthern and eastern shores of _Lake Bigler_, and in most directpractical route, to the divide between Virginia City and Washoe Valleyon east side Washoe Lake, over and through the most practical passto Virginia City, " and a further right to construct branch road fromVirginia to Carson City, Nevada. 

In 1861, however, while Downey was Governor of California (he havingbeen elected Lieut. Governor, and taking the office on the resignationof Governor Latham in January 1860), an attempt was made to change thename from Bigler to the fanciful one of Tula Tulia, but fortunately itfailed and the old name remained in general use. 

But in 1862 another effort was made in an entirely different directionand this time with success. It was brought about through the workof William Henry Knight, still living in Los Angeles, who has kindlyfurnished the following account:

 In the year 1859 I was the youngest member of an overland company which crossed the plains and mountains from St. Joseph, Mo. , to California. Our train was in three divisions and consisted of about twenty persons, and forty horses and mules. 

 One morning in the middle of August we left our camp at the eastern base of the double summit of the Sierra Nevadas and began our ascent. Mounted on my faithful steed, Old Pete, I pushed on in advance of the caravan, in order to get the first view of the already famous mountain lake, then known as Lake Bigler. The road wound through the defile and around the southern border of the Lake on the margin of which we camped for two days. 

 As I approached the summit I turned from the main road and followed a trail to the right which led to the top of a bare rock overlooking the valley beyond and furnishing an unobstructed view. 

 Thus my first view of that beautiful sheet of water was from a projecting cliff 1000 feet above its surface, and it embraced not only the entire outline of the Lake with its charming bays and rocky headlands but also the magnificent forests of giant pines and firs in which it was embosomed, and the dozen or more lofty mountain peaks thrusting their white summits into the sky at altitudes varying from 8000 to 11, 000 feet above sea level. 

 The view was, indeed, the most wonderful combination of towering mountains, widespreading valley, gleaming lakes, umbrageous forests, rugged buttresses of granite, flashing streams, tumbling waterfalls, and overarching sky of deepest cerulean hue--all blended into one perfect mosaic of the beautiful, the picturesque, and the majestic, that mortal eye ever rested upon. 

 No imagination can conceive the beauty, sublimity and inspiration of that scene, especially to one who had for weary months been traversing dusty, treeless and barren plains. The contrast was overwhelming. Tears filled my eyes as I gazed upon the fairy scene. I recall the entrancing picture to-day, in all its splendid detail, so vividly was it photographed upon my brain. 

 Since that hour I have crossed the continent ten times, over various railway routes, visited most of the States of the Union, and seven foreign countries, heard the testimony of others whose travels have been world-wide, and I doubt if another scene of equal enchantment exists on the face of the globe. 

 In 1861, two years after my visit to Tahoe, I gathered the data for compiling the first general map of the Pacific States, which embraced the region from British Columbia to Mexico, and from the Rocky Mountains to the coast. It was ready for the engraver in February, 1862. I had instructed the draughtsman, V. Wackenreuder, afterward connected with the State Geological Survey, to omit the name of Lake Bigler, which was on contemporary maps. 

 I invited John S. Hittell, editor of the _Alta California_, a leading San Francisco daily, and Dr. Henry DeGroot, writer on the _Evening Bulletin_ and correspondent of the able _Sacramento Union_, to come round to Bancroft's publishing house and inspect the map. 

 Dr. DeGroot had just returned from a visit to the Comstock silver mines in the Washoe district of Western Nevada. He suddenly turned to me and said: "Why, Knight, you have left off the name of Lake Bigler. " I remarked that many people had expressed dissatisfaction with that name, bestowed in honor of a Governor of California who had not distinguished himself by any signal achievement, and I thought that now would be a good time to select an appropriate name and fix it forever on that beautiful sheet of water. 

 The suggestion met with favor, and several names were proposed--Washington, Lincoln, then war President, Frémont, an early explorer, and other historic names. I asked Dr. DeGroot if he knew what the native Indians called the Lake. 

 He drew a memorandum from his pocket and read over a list of Indian names local to that region, and exclaimed: "Here it is; they call it 'Tahoe, ' meaning 'big water, ' or 'high water, ' or 'water in a high place. ' The word rhymes with Washoe. "

 I did not quite like the name at first mention, but its significance was so striking that I asked if they--Hittell and DeGroot--would favor its adoption and back it up with the support of their newspapers, and they agreed to do so. 

 They advocated the adoption of the new name in their respective journals, the country papers almost unanimously fell into line, I inserted it on the map which bore my name--William Henry Knight--as compiler, and which was published by the Bancroft house in 1862. 

 I immediately wrote to the Land Office at Washington, reported what I had done, and the sentiment that prevailed in California, and requested the Federal official to substitute the name of Tahoe for Bigler on the next annual map to be issued by his office, and in all the printed matter of the Department of the Interior thereafter. This was done. 

 But a curious thing happened. Nevada was under a territorial government appointed by the Democratic administration of President Buchanan. The Territorial Legislature was in session when the subject was agitated by the California newspapers. A young statesman of that body, thirsting for fame, rose to his feet and in vociferous tones and with frenzied gestures, denounced this high-handed action of California in changing the name of that Lake without consulting the sister commonwealth of Nevada, as, according to the map, half of that noble sheet of water was in Nevada, and such action would require joint jurisdiction. But his impassioned words were wasted on the desert air of the Sagebrush State. He could not muster enough votes to enact his indignation into a law, and the calm surface of Lake Tahoe was unruffled by the tempestuous commotion raging in legislative halls at Carson City. 

 It was thus that the beautiful, euphonious, and significant name of "Tahoe" was first placed on my own map, and subsequently appeared on all other maps of the State, because it was universally accepted as a fitting substitute for the former name of "Bigler. " A traveled writer refers to the Lake and the name selected in these terms:

 "Thus it was that we went to Lake Tahoe, the beautiful 'Big Water' of the Washoe Indians--Tahoe with the indigo shade of its waters emphasized by its snow-capped setting. The very first glance lifts one's soul above the petty cares of the lower valleys, and one feels the significance of the Indian title--'Big Water'--not referring to size alone, but to the greatness of influence, just as the all-pervading Power is the 'Big Spirit. '"

One would naturally think that there had been changes enough. Butno! In spite of the fact that the Federal government had accepted thechange to Tahoe, and that the popular usage had signified the generalapproval of the name, the Hon. W. A. King, of Nevada County, during theGovernorship of Haight, in California, introduced into the assemblya bill declaring that Lake Bigler should be "the official name ofthe said lake and the only name to be regarded as legal in officialdocuments, deeds, conveyances, leases and other instruments of writingto be placed on state or county records, or used in reports made bystate, county or municipal officers. "

Historian Hittell thus comments on this: "The bill, which appears tohave been well modulated to the taste and feelings of the legislature, went through with great success. It passed the Assembly on February1, the Senate on February 7; and on February 10 it was approved bythe Governor. It remains a monument, if not to Bigler, at least to thelegislature that passed it; while the name of the Lake will doubtlesscontinue to be _Tahoe_ and its sometime former designation of_Bigler_ be forgotten. "

Now if Mark Twain really objected to the name Tahoe why did he notjoin the Biglerites and insist upon the preservation of that name?

On the Centennial Map of 1876 it was named "Lake Bigler or LakeTahoe, " showing that some one evidently was aware that, officially, itwas still _Lake Bigler_. 

And so, in fact, it is to this date, as far as _official_ actioncan make it so, and it is interesting to conjecture what the resultsmight be were some malicious person, or some "legal-minded sticklerfor rigid adherence to the law, " to bring suit against those whosedeeds, titles, leases, or other documents declare it to be Lake Tahoe. 

CHAPTER VI

JOHN LE CONTE'S PHYSICAL STUDIES OF LAKE TAHOE

In certain numbers (November and December 1883 and January 1884) ofthe _Overland Monthly_, Professor John Le Conte, of the StateUniversity, Berkeley, California, presented the results of hisphysical studies of Lake Tahoe in three elaborate chapters. From thesethe following quotations of general interest are taken:

 Hundreds of Alpine lakes of various sizes, with their clear, deep, cold, emerald or azure waters, are embosomed among the crags of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The most extensive, as well as the most celebrated, of these bodies of fresh water is Lake Tahoe. 

 This Lake, . . . Occupies an elevated valley at a point where the Sierra Nevada divides into two ranges. It is, as it were, ingulfed between two lofty and nearly parallel ridges, one lying to the east and the other to the west. As the crest of the principal range of the Sierra runs near the western margin of this Lake, this valley is thrown on the eastern slope of this great mountain system. 

 The boundary line between the States of California and Nevada makes an angle of about 131 degrees in this Lake, near its southern extremity, precisely at the intersection of the 39th parallel of north latitude with the 120th meridian west from Greenwich. Inasmuch as, north of this angle, this boundary line follows the 120th meridian, which traverses the Lake longitudinally from two to four miles from its eastern shore-line, it follows that more than two-thirds of its area falls within the jurisdiction of California, the remaining third being within the boundary of Nevada. It is only within a comparatively recent period that the geographical coordinates of this Lake have been accurately determined. 

 Its greatest dimension deviates but slightly from a medium line. Its maximum length is about 21. 6 miles, and its greatest width is about 12 miles. In consequence of the irregularity of its outline, it is difficult to estimate its exact area; but it cannot deviate much from 192 to 195 square miles. 

 The railroad surveys indicate that the elevation of the surface of its waters above the level of the ocean is about 6247 feet. 

 Its drainage basin, including in this its own area, is estimated to be about five hundred square miles. Probably more than a hundred affluents of various capacities, deriving their waters from the amphitheater of snow-clad mountains which rise on all sides from 3000 to 4000 feet above its surface, contribute their quota to supply this Lake. The largest of these affluents is the Upper Truckee River, which falls into its southern extremity. 

 The only outlet to the Lake is the Truckee River, which carries the surplus waters from a point on its northwestern shore out through a magnificent mountain gorge, thence northeast, through the arid plains of Nevada, into Pyramid Lake. This river in its tortuous course runs a distance of over one hundred miles, and for about seventy miles (from Truckee to Wadsworth) the Central Pacific Railroad follows its windings. According to the railroad surveys, this river makes the following descent:

 _Fall_ _Distance Fall per Mile_Lake Tahoe to Truckee 15 Miles 401 Ft. 28. 64 FtTruckee to Boca 8 " 313 " 39. 12 "Boca to State Line 11 " 395 " 35. 91 "State Line to Verdi 5 " 211 " 42. 21 "Verdi to Reno 11 " 420 " 38. 18 "Reno to Vista 8 " 103 " 12. 87 "Vista to Clark's 12 " 141 " 11. 75 "Clark's to Wadsworth 15 " 186 " 12. 40 "Wadsworth to Pyramid Lake 18[1] " 187[1] " 10. 39 " ______ _______ _______Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake 103 " 2357 " 23. 11 "

 [Footnote 1: The elevation of Pyramid Lake above the sea-level has never, as far as we know, been accurately determined. Henry Gannet, in his _Lists of Elevation_ (4th ed. , Washington, 1877, p. 143), gives its altitude above the sea as 4890 feet; and credits this number to the _Pacific Railroad Reports_. But as this exact number appears in Frémont's _Report of Exploring Expedition to Oregon and North California in the Years 1843-44_. (Doc. No. 166, p. 217), it is probable that the first rude and necessarily imperfect estimate has been copied by subsequent authorities. This number is evidently more than 800 feet too great; for the railroad station at Wadsworth (about eighteen or twenty miles from the lake), where the line of the railroad leaves the banks of the Truckee River, is only 4077 feet above the sea-level. So that these numbers would make Pyramid Lake 813 feet above the level of its affluent at Wadsworth; which, of course, is impossible. Under this state of facts, I have assumed the elevation of this lake to be 3890 feet. ]

 During the summer of 1873, the writer embraced the opportunity afforded by a six weeks' sojourn on the shores of the Lake to undertake some physical studies in relation to this largest of the "gems of the Sierra. " Furnished with a good sounding-line and a self-registering thermometer, he was enabled to secure some interesting and trustworthy physical results. 

 (1. ) _Depth_. It is well known that considerable diversity of opinion has prevailed in relation to the actual depth of Lake Tahoe. Sensational newsmongers have unhesitatingly asserted that, in some portions, it is absolutely fathomless. It is needless to say that actual soundings served to dispel or to rectify this popular impression. The soundings indicated that there is a deep subaqueous channel traversing the whole Lake in its greatest dimension, or south and north. Beginning at the southern end, near the Lake House, and advancing along the long axis of the Lake directly north towards the Hot Springs at the northern end--a distance of about eighteen miles--we have the following depths:

_Station Depth in Feet Depth in Meters_

1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 900 274. 32

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1385 422. 14

3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1495 455. 67

4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1500 457. 19

5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1506 459. 02

6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1540 469. 38

7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1504 458. 41

8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1600 487. 67

9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1640 499. 86

10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1645 501. 39

 These figures show that this lake exceeds in depth the deepest of the Swiss lakes (the Lake of Geneva), which has a maximum depth of 334 meters. On the Italian side of the Alps, however, Lakes Maggiore and Como are said to have depths respectively of 796. 43 and 586. 73 meters. These two lakes are so little elevated above the sea that their bottoms are depressed 587 and 374 meters below the level of the Mediterranean. 

 (2. ) _Relation of Temperature to Depth_. By means of a self-registering thermometer (Six's) secured to the sounding-line, a great number of observations were made on the temperature of the water of the Lake at various depths and in different portions of the same. These experiments were executed between the 11th and 18th of August, 1873. The same general results were obtained in all parts of the Lake. The following table contains the abstract of the average results, after correcting the thermometric indications by comparison with a standard thermometer:

Obs. In Feet in Meters F. Deg. In C. _

 1 . . . . . . 0-Surface 0-Surface 67 19. 44

 2 . . . . . . 50 15. 24 63 17. 22

 3 . . . . . . 100 30. 48 55 12. 78

 4 . . . . . . 150 45. 72 50 10. 00

 5 . . . . . . 200 60. 96 48 8. 89

 6 . . . . . . 250 76. 20 47 8. 33

 7 . . . . . . 300 91. 44 46 7. 78

 8 . . . . . . 330 (Bottom) 100. 58 45. 5 7. 50

 9 . . . . . . 400 121. 92 45 7. 22

10 . . . . . . 480 (Bottom) 146. 30 44. 5 6. 94

11 . . . . . . 500 152. 40 44 6. 67

12 . . . . . . 600 182. 88 43 6. 11

13 . . . . . . 772 (Bottom) 235. 30 41 5. 00

14 . . . . . . 1506 (Bottom) 459. 02 39. 2 4. 00

 It will be seen from the foregoing numbers that the temperature of the water decreases with increasing depth to about 700 or 800 feet (213 or 244 meters), and below this depth it remains sensibly the same down to 1506 feet (459 meters). This constant temperature which prevails at all depths below say 250 meters is about 4 degrees Cent. (39. 2 Fah. ). This is precisely what might have been expected; for it is a well established physical property of fresh water, that it attains its maximum density at the above-indicated temperature. In other words, a mass of fresh water at the temperature of 4 deg. Cent. Has a greater weight under a given volume (that is, a cubic unit of it is heavier at this temperature) than it is at any temperature either higher or lower. Hence, when the ice-cold water of the snow-fed streams of spring and summer reaches the Lake, it naturally tends to sink as soon as its temperature rises to 4 deg. Cent. ; and, conversely, when winter sets in, as soon as the summer-heated surface water is cooled to 4 deg. , it tends to sink. Any further rise of temperature of the surface water during the warm season, or fall of temperature during the cold season, alike produces expansion, and thus causes it to float on the heavier water below; so that water at 4 deg. Cent. , perpetually remains at the bottom, while the varying temperature of the seasons and the penetration of the solar heat only influence a surface stratum of about 250 meters in thickness. It is evident that the continual outflow of water from its shallow outlet cannot disturb the mass of liquid occupying the deeper portions of the Lake. It thus results that the temperature of the surface stratum of such bodies of fresh water for a certain depth fluctuates with the climate and with the seasons; but at the bottom of deep lakes it undergoes little or no change throughout the year, and approaches to that which corresponds to the maximum density of fresh water. 

 (3. ) _Why the Water does not freeze in Winter_. Residents on the shore of Lake Tahoe testify that, with the exception of shallow and detached portions, the water of the Lake never freezes in the coldest winters. During the winter months, the temperature of atmosphere about this Lake must fall as low, probably, as 0 degrees Fah. (-17. 78 deg. Cent. ). According to the observations of Dr. George M. Bourne, the minimum temperature recorded during the winter of 1873-74 was 6 deg. Fah. (-14. 44 deg. Cent. ). As it is evident that during the winter season the temperature of the air must frequently remain for days, and perhaps weeks, far below the freezing point of water, the fact that the water of the Lake does not congeal has been regarded as an anomalous phenomenon. Some persons imagine that this may be due to the existence of subaqueous hot springs in the bed of the Lake--an opinion which may seem to be fortified by the fact that hot springs do occur at the northern extremity of the Lake. But there is no evidence that the temperature of any considerable body of water in the Lake is sensibly increased by such springs. Even in the immediate vicinity of the hot springs (which have in summer a maximum temperature of 55 deg. C. Or 131 F. ), the supply of warm water is so limited that it exercises no appreciable influence on the temperature of that portion of the Lake. This is further corroborated by the fact that no local fogs hang over this or any other portion of the Lake during the winter which would most certainly be the case if any considerable body of hot water found its way into the Lake. 

 The true explanation of the phenomenon may, doubtless, be found in the high specific heat of water, the great depth of the Lake, and in the agitation of its waters by the strong winds of winter. In relation to the influence of depth, it is sufficient to remark that, before the conditions preceding congelation can obtain, the whole mass of water--embracing a stratum of 250 meters in thickness--must be cooled down to 4 deg. Cent. ; for this must occur before the vertical circulation is arrested and the colder water floats on the surface. In consequence of the great specific heat of water, to cool such a mass of the liquid through an average temperature of 8 deg. Cent, requires a long time, and the cold weather is over before it is accomplished. In the shallower portions, the surface of the water may reach the temperature of congelation, but the agitations due to the action of strong winds soon breaks up the thin pellicle of ice, which is quickly melted by the heat generated by the mechanical action of the waves. Nevertheless, in shallow and detached portions of the Lake, which are sheltered from the action of winds and waves--as in Emerald Bay--ice several inches in thickness is sometimes formed. 

[Illustration: Lily Lake]

[Illustration: Cave Rock, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Pyramid Peak and Lake of the Woods]

[Illustration: Clouds Over the Mountain, Lake Tahoe]

 (4. ) _Why Bodies of the Drowned do not Rise_. A number of persons have been drowned in Lake Tahoe--some fourteen between 1860 and 1874--and it is the uniform testimony of the residents, that in no case, where the accident occurred in deep water, were the bodies ever recovered. This striking fact has caused wonder-seekers to propound the most extraordinary theories to account for it. Thus one of them says, "The water of the Lake is purity itself, but on account of the highly rarified state of the air it is not very buoyant, and swimmers find some little fatigue; or, in other words, they are compelled to keep swimming all the time they are in the water; and objects which float easily in other water sink here like lead. " Again he says, "Not a thing ever floats on the surface of this Lake, save and except the boats which ply upon it. "

 It is scarcely necessary to remark that it is impossible that the diminution of atmospheric pressure, due to an elevation of 6250 feet (1905 meters) above the sea-level, could sensibly affect the density of the water. In fact, the coefficient of compressibility of this liquid is so small that the withdrawal of the above indicated amount of pressure (about one-fifth of an atmosphere) would not lower its density more than one hundred-thousandth part! The truth is, that the specific gravity is not lower than that of any other fresh water of equal purity and corresponding temperature. It is not less buoyant nor more difficult to swim in than any other fresh water; and consequently the fact that the bodies of the drowned do not rise to the surface cannot be accounted for by ascribing marvelous properties to its waters. 

 The distribution of temperature with depth affords a natural and satisfactory explanation of the phenomenon, and renders entirely superfluous any assumption of extraordinary lightness in the water. The true reason why the bodies of the drowned do not rise to the surface is evidently owing to the fact that when they sink into water which is only 4 deg. Cent. (7. 2 deg. Fah. ) above the freezing temperature, the gases usually generated by decomposition are not produced in the intestines; in other words, at this low temperature the bodies do not become inflated, and therefore do not rise to the surface. The same phenomenon would doubtless occur in any other body of fresh water under similar physical conditions. [2]

[Footnote 2: It should be noted that since 1874 there have beenremarkably few deaths from drowning in Lake Tahoe, and that the majorcases of those referred to by Dr. LeConte were of workmen and otherswho were generally under the influence of intoxicants. ]

 (5. ) _Transparency of the Water_. All visitors to this beautiful Lake are struck with the extraordinary transparency of the water. At a depth of 15 to 20 meters (49. 21 to 65. 62 feet), every object on the bottom--on a calm sunny day--is seen with the greatest distinctness. On the 6th of September, 1873, the writer executed a series of experiments with the view of testing the transparency of the water. A number of other experiments were made August 28 and 29, under less favorable conditions. By securing a white object of considerable size--a horizontally adjusted dinner-plate about 9. 5 inches in diameter--to the sounding-line, it was ascertained that (at noon) it was plainly visible at a vertical depth of 33 meters, or 108. 27 English feet. It must be recollected that the light reaching the eye from such submerged objects must have traversed a thickness of water equal to at least twice the measured depth; in the above case, it must have been at least 66 meters, or 216. 54 feet. Furthermore, when it is considered that the amount of light regularly reflected from such a surface as that of a dinner-plate, under large angles of incidence in relation to the surface, is known to be a very small fraction of the incident beam (probably not exceeding three or four per cent. ), it is evident that solar light must penetrate to vastly greater depths in these pellucid waters. 

 Moreover, it is quite certain that if the experiments in relation to the depths corresponding to the limit of visibility of the submerged white disk had been executed in winter instead of summer, much larger numbers would have been obtained. For it is now well ascertained, by means of the researches of Dr. F. A. Forel of Lausanne, that the waters of Alpine lakes are decidedly more transparent in winter than in summer. Indeed, it is reasonable that when the affluents of such lakes are locked in the icy fetters of winter, much less suspended matter is carried into them than in summer, when all the sub-glacial streams are in active operation. 

Professor Le Conte goes into this subject (as he later does into thesubject of the color of Lake Tahoe) somewhat exhaustively in a purelyscientific manner and in too great length for the purposes of thischapter, hence the scientific or curious reader is referred to theoriginal articles for further information and discussion. 

 _Color of the Waters of Lake Tahoe_. One of the most striking features of this charming mountain Lake is the beautiful hues presented by its pellucid waters. On a calm, clear, sunny day, wherever the depth is not less than from fifty to sixty meters, to an observer floating above its surface, the water assumes various shades of blue; from a brilliant Cyan blue (greenish-blue) to the most magnificent ultramarine blue or deep indigo blue. The shades of blue increasing in darkness in the order of the colors of the solar spectrum, are as follows: Cyan-blue (greenish blue), Prussian-blue, Cobalt-blue, genuine ultramarine-blue, and artificial ultramarine-blue (violet blue). While traversing one portion of the Lake in a steamer, a lady endowed with a remarkable natural appreciation and discrimination of shades of color declared that the exact tint of the water at this point was "Marie-Louise blue. "

 The waters of this Lake exhibit the most brilliant blueness in the deep portions, which are remote from the fouling influences of the sediment-bearing affluents, and the washings of the shores. On a bright and calm day, when viewed in the distance, it had the ultramarine hue; but when looked fair down upon, it was of almost inky blackness--a solid dark blue qualified by a trace of purple or violet. Under these favorable conditions, the appearance presented was not unlike that of the liquid in a vast natural dyeing-vat. 

 A clouded state of the sky, as was to be expected, produced the well-known effects due to the diminished intensity of light; the shades of blue became darker, and, in extreme cases, almost black-blue. According to our observations, the obscurations of the sky by the interposition of clouds produced no other modifications of tints than those due to a diminution of luminosity. 

 In places where the depth is comparatively small and the bottom is visibly white, the water assumes various shades of green; from a delicate apple-green to the most exquisite emerald-green. Near the southern and western shores of the Lake, the white, sandy bottom brings out the green tints very strikingly. In the charming _cul-de-sac_ called "Emerald Bay, " it is remarkably conspicuous and exquisitely beautiful. In places where the stratum of water covering white portions of the bottom is only a few meters in thickness, the green hue is not perceptible, unless viewed from such a distance that the rays of light emitted obliquely from the white surface have traversed a considerable thickness of the liquid before reaching the eye of the observer. 

 The experiments with the submerged white dinner-plate, in testing the transparency of the water, incidentally manifested, to some extent, the influence of depth on the color of the water. The white disk presented a bluish-green tint at the depth of from nine to twelve meters; at about fifteen meters it assumed a greenish-blue hue, and the blue element increased in distinctness with augmenting depth, until the disk became invisible or undistinguishable in the surrounding mass of blue waters. The water intervening between the white disk and the observer did not present the brilliant and vivid green tint which characterized that which is seen in the shallow portions of the Lake, where the bottom is white. But this is not surprising, when we consider the small amount of diffused light which can reach the eye from so limited a surface of diffusion. 

 In studying the chromatic tints of these waters, a hollow pasteboard cylinder, five or six centimeters in diameter, and sixty or seventy centimeters in length, was sometimes employed for the purpose of excluding the surface reflection and the disturbances due to the small ripples on the water. When quietly floating in a small row-boat, one end of this exploring tube was plunged under the water, and the eye of the observer at the other extremity received the rays of light emanating from the deeper portions of the liquid. The light thus reaching the eye presented essentially the same variety of tints in the various portions of the Lake as those which have been previously indicated. 

 Hence it appears that under various condition--such as depth, purity, state of sky and color of bottom--the waters of this Lake manifest nearly all the chromatic tints presented in the solar spectrum between greenish-yellow and the darkest ultramarine-blue, bordering upon black-blue. 

 It is well known that the waters of oceans and seas exhibit similar gradations of chromatic hues in certain regions. Navigators have been struck with the variety and richness of tints presented, in certain portions, by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and especially those of the Caribbean Sea. In some regions of the oceans and seas, the green hues, and particularly those tinged with yellow, are observed in comparatively deep waters, or, at least, where the depths are sufficiently great to prevent the bottom from being visible. But this phenomenon seems to require the presence of a considerable amount of suspended matter in the water. In no portion of Lake Tahoe did I observe any of the green tints, except where the light-colored bottom was visible. This was, probably, owing to the circumstance that no considerable quantity of suspended matter existed in any of the waters observed. 

 _Rhythmical Variations of Level in Lakes: or "Seiches. "_--As might be expected, the waters of Lake Tahoe are subject to fluctuations of level, depending upon the variable supplies furnished by its numerous affluents. In mid-winter, when these streams are bound in icy fetters, the level falls; while in the months of May and June, when the snows of the amphitheater of mountain-slopes are melting most rapidly, the level of the Lake rises, and a maximum amount of water escapes through its outlet. According to the observations of Capt. John McKinney, made at his residence on the western shore of this Lake, the average seasonal fluctuation of level is about 0. 61 of a meter; but in extreme seasons it sometimes amounts to 1. 37 meters. The Lake of Geneva, in like manner, is liable to fluctuations of level amounting to from 1. 95 to 2. 60 meters, from the melting of the Alpine snows. 

 But besides these variations of level due to the variable quantities of water discharged into them by their affluents, many lakes of moderate dimensions are liable to rhythmical oscillations of level of short duration, which are, obviously, but produced by fluctuations in the supply of water. It is to this kind of species of variation of level that our attention will be directed in the sequel. 

 This interesting phenomenon was first recognized in the Lake of Geneva; but was subsequently found to be common to all the Swiss lakes, as well as to those of Scotland. It is, therefore, a general phenomenon, which may be observed in all lakes of moderate dimensions. The inhabitants of the shores of the Lake of Geneva have long designated this rhythmical oscillation of the level of the water by the term of _Seiche_; and this designation has been adopted by scientific writers. 

 These _Seiches_ were first signalized in the Lake of Geneva in 1730, by Fatio de Duillier, who ascribed them to the checking of the flow of the waters of the Rhone on the shoal near Geneva by the force of the wind at mid-day. Addison and Jallabert, in 1742, supposed them to be caused by sudden increments in the discharge of the affluents, due to the augmentation in the amount of snow melted after mid-day; or to the sudden increase in the flow of the Arve, checking the outflow of water by the Rhone. Bertrand supposed that electrified clouds might locally attract and elevate the waters of the lake, and thus produce oscillations of level. H. B. De Saussure, in 1799, attributed the phenomenon to rapid local variations of atmospheric pressure on different parts of the lake. J. P. E. Vaucher, in 1802 and 1804, adopted de Saussure's explanation, and confirmed it by many excellent observations. He, moreover, established that _Seiches_, more or less considerable, occur in all the Swiss lakes; and that they take place at all seasons of the year, and at all times of the day; but, in general, more frequently in spring and autumn. As regards the cause of the phenomenon, Vaucher shows how rapid local alterations of atmospheric pressure would produce oscillations in the level of the lake, and compares them to the vibrations of a liquid in a recurved tube or siphon. Finally, Arago maintained that _Seiches_ may arise from various causes, and traced the analogy between them and certain remarkable oscillations of the sea, including those arising from earthquakes. 

 But physical science is indebted to Professor F. A. Forel, of Lausanne, for the most complete and exhaustive investigation in relation to the phenomena of _Seiches_. This accomplished physicist began his researches in 1869, and has continued them up to the present time. He has been able to demonstrate that these rhythmical oscillations occur in nearly all the Swiss Lakes (he studied the phenomena in nine of them), and that they follow in all cases the same general laws. Those of the Lake of Geneva have received the most elaborate and prolonged investigation. In March, 1876, Forel established a self-registering tide-gauge (_limni-metre enregistreur_) on the northern shore of this lake, at Morges; and, with the coöperation of P. Plantamour, another one was installed in June, 1877, at Secheron, near the city of Geneva, at the southern extremity. Since these dates, these two instruments have, respectively, been registering oscillations of the level of the water of the Lake of Geneva; and they are so sensitive as to indicate the waves generated by a steamer navigating the lake at a distance of ten or fifteen kilometers. 

 From a most searching investigation of all the phenomena presented by the _Seiches_ in the Swiss Lakes, Forel deduces the conclusion that they are really movements of steady uninodal oscillations (balanced undulations), in which the whole mass of water in the lake rhythmically swings from shore to shore. And, moreover, he shows that the water oscillates according to the two principal dimensions of the lake; thus, giving rise to longitudinal _Seiches_ and transverse _Seiches_. They occur in series of tautochronous oscillations of decreasing amplitude; the first wave produced by the action of a given cause having a maximum amplitude. 

 _Causes_. The disturbances of hydrostatic equilibrium which generate _Seiches_ may be produced by a variety of causes. Among these, the following may be cited: (a) Sudden local variations of atmospheric pressure on different parts of the lake. (b) A descending wind, striking the surface of the lake over a limited area, (c) Thunder-storms, hail-storms, and water-spouts; and especially when the accompanying winds act vertically. (d) The fall of a large avalanche, or of a land-slide into the lake. (e) And lastly, earthquakes. 

 Observations show that the most frequent and evident of these causes are variations of atmospheric pressure and local storms. With regard to earthquake shocks as a cause of such fluctuations of level, it is a singular and significant fact that since Forel has established the delicate self-registering apparatus on the shores of the Lake of Geneva, no less than twelve earthquake shocks have been experienced in this portion of Switzerland, and they have had no sensible influence on these sensitive instruments. In fact, a little consideration in relation to the character of such shocks renders it highly improbable that such brief tremors of the earth's crust could have been any agency in the generation of rhythmical oscillations of the whole mass of water in the lake. Indeed, it is very questionable whether any earthquake waves are ever produced in the ocean, except when the sea-bottom undergoes a permanent vertical displacement. 

 _Lake Tahoe_. From inquiries made of the inhabitants of the shores of Lake Tahoe, I was not able to discover that any rhythmical oscillations of the level of its waters have ever been noticed. Some residents declared that they had observed sudden fluctuations of level, which, from their suddenness, they were disposed to ascribe to disturbances of the bottom of the Lake due to volcanic agencies, although they were unable to coordinate such oscillations with any earthquake manifestations on the adjacent shores. 

 It is evident, however, that until arrangements are consummated for recording systematic observations on the variations of the level of this Lake, we cannot expect that its _Seiches_ will be detected. Of course, self-registering gauges would give the most satisfactory results; but any graduated gauge, systematically observed, would soon furnish evidence of the phenomenon. For the longitudinal _Seiches_, "Hot Springs, " at the northern extremity of the Lake, or "Lake House, " at the southern end, would be eligible stations for gauges; and for the transverse _Seiches_, Glenbrook, on the eastern shore, or Capt. McKinney's on the western margin, would afford good stations. As far as I am aware, true _Seiches_ have never been observed in any of the American lakes. This fact is the more remarkable from the circumstance that long-continued and careful observations have been made on the fluctuations of level of several of the large Canadian lakes, with the view of testing the possible existence of lunar tides. Perhaps these lakes may be too large to manifest the uninodal rhythmical oscillations which have been so successfully studied by Forel in the smaller lakes of Switzerland. [3]

 Be this as it may, there can be no doubt that Lake Tahoe is a body of water in all respects adapted for the manifestation of this species of oscillation; and that, like the Swiss lakes, it is subject to _Seiches_. Indeed, the far greater simplicity in the configuration of the basin of Lake Tahoe than that of the Lake of Geneva must render the phenomena much less complicated in the former than in the latter. 

Professor LeConte then gives his computations as to the probableduration of the oscillations on Lake Tahoe, should they occur there. 

[Footnote 3: It is proper to add that _Fluctuations of level in theNorth American lakes_ have been noticed by various observers, fromthe time of the Jesuit Fathers of the period of Marquette, in 1673, down to the present epoch. Among those who have discussed this problemmay be mentioned in chronological order: Fra Marquette in 1673, BaronLa Hontan 1689, Charlevoix 1721, Carver 1766, Weld 1796, Major S. A. Storrow 1817, Capt. Henry Whiting 1819, H. R. Schoolcraft 1820, Gen. Dearborn 1826-29. ]

CHAPTER VII

HOW LAKE TAHOE WAS FORMED

Lindgren, the geologist, affirms that after the Sierra Nevada rangewas thrust up, high into the heavens, vast and long continuederosion "planed down this range to a surface of comparatively gentletopography. " He claims that it must originally have been of greatheight. Traces of this eroded range (Cretaceous) "still remain ina number of flat-topped hills and ridges that rise above the latertertiary surface. There is reason to believe that this planed-downmountain range had a symmetrical structure, for somewhat to the eastof the present divide is a well-marked old crest line extending fromthe Grizzly Peak Mountains on the north, in Plumas County, at leastas far south as Pyramid Peak, in Eldorado County. At sometime inthe later part of the Cretaceous period the first breaks took place, changing the structure of the range from symmetrical to monoclinal andoutlining the present form of the Sierra Nevada. "

This great disturbance he thinks, "was of a two-fold character, consisting of the lifting up of a large area including at least apart of the present Great Basin [Nevada and Utah] and a simultaneousbreaking and settling of the higher portions of the arch. Along theeastern margin a system of fractures was thus outlined which towardthe close of the Tertiary was to be still further emphasized. The mainbreak probably extended from a point south of Mono Lake to AntelopeValley and from Markleeville northward toward Sierra Valley. A largepart of the crust block to the west of this dislocation also sankdown. This sunken area is now indicated by Lake Tahoe and by itsnorthward continuation, Sierra Valley, separated from each other onlyby masses of Tertiary lavas. . . . It is worthy of note that within thearea of the range no volcanic eruptions accompanied this subsidence. "

He continues: "As a consequence of this uplift the erosive power ofthe streams was rejuvenated, the Cretaceous surface of gentle outlinewas dissected, and the rivers began to cut back behind the old divide, carrying their heads nearly to the present crest line that separatesthe slope of the Sierra from the depression of Lake Tahoe. "

These rivers are the great gold bearing streams that caused the miningexcitement of 1849. They all head near the Tahoe region, and includethe Yuba, Feather, American, Mokelumne, Calaveras, Cataract, andTuolumne. 

Here, then, were two crest lines--the old Cretaceous line of which theCrystal Range immediately overlooking Desolation Valley on the west, with Pyramid and Agassiz Peaks as its salient points, --and the newTertiary crest line, reaching somewhat irregularly from Honey Lakein the north to Mono Lake in the south. At the north of Lake Tahoe, "southwest of Reno, a large andesitic volcano poured forth lavas whichextend between the Truckee River Canyon and the Washoe Valley. In theregion extending northward from Lake Tahoe to Sierra Valley enormousandesitic eruptions took place, and the products of these volcanoesare now piled up as high mountains, among which Mount Pluto nearlyattains 9000 feet. "

These are the volcanic lavas which united the two crests forming theeastern and western borders of the Tahoe basin or depression, andthrough which the Truckee River had in some way to find passage ere itcould discharge its waters into Pyramid Lake, resting in the bosom ofthe Great Basin. 

Here, then, we have the crude Tahoe basin ready for the receptionof water. This came from the snow and rainfall on its large andmountainous drainage area, a hundred greater and lesser streamsdirectly and indirectly discharging their flow into its tremendousgulf. 

Its later topography has been materially modified by glacial action, and this is fully discussed by Professor Joseph Le Conte in thefollowing chapter. 

It should not be forgotten, however, that while Mt. Pluto was beingformed, other vast volcanic outpourings were taking place. Well backto the west of the Tahoe region great volcanoes poured out rhyolite, a massive rock of light gray to pink color and of fine grain, whichshows small crystals of quartz and sanidine in a streaky and glossyground mass. On the summits nearer to Tahoe the volcanic outflows wereof andesite, a rough and porous rock of dark gray to dark brown color. Lindgren says: "By far the greater part of the andesite occurs in theform of a tuffaceous breccia in numerous superimposed flows. Thesebreccias must have issued from fissures near the summit of the rangeand were, either before their eruption or at the time of issue, mixedwith enormous quantities of water, forming mud flows sufficientlyfluid to spread down the slope for distances of fifty or sixtymiles. The derivation of the water and the exact mode of eruption aredifficult to determine. . . . Towards the summits the breccias graduallylose their stratified character and become more firmly cemented. Overlarge areas in the Truckee quadrangle the andesite masses consist ofbreccias containing numerous dykes and necks of massive andesite. . . . 

"The andesite volcanoes were mainly located along the crest of theSierra, in fact, almost continuously from Thompson Peak, west of HoneyLake, down to latitude 38° degrees 10'. Farther south the eruptionsdiminished greatly in intensity. . . . Along the first summit of therange west of Tahoe the greatest number of vents are found. Beginningat Webber Lake on the north, they include Mount Lola, Castle Peak, Mount Lincoln, Tinker Knob, Mount Mildred and Twin Peak. The andesitemasses here in places attain a thickness of 2000 feet. An intervalfollowed in the northern part of the Pyramid Peak quadrangle where noimportant volcanoes were located, but they appear again in full forcein Alpine County. Round Top, attaining an elevation of 10, 430 feet, and the adjacent peaks, were the sources of the enormous flows whichcovered a large part of Eldorado County. Still another volcaniccomplex with many eruptive vents is that situated in the western partof Alpine County, near Markleeville, which culminates in Highland Peakand Raymond Peak, the former almost reaching 11, 000 feet. The totalthickness of the volcanic flows in this locality is as much as 4000feet. "

It is to these breccias we owe the volcanic appearances in the TruckeeRiver Canyon, a few miles before reaching the Lake. There are severallayers of the andesites breccias at the head of Bear Creek Canyon, above Deer Park Springs. 

"None of the craters, " says Lindgren, "of these volcanoes arepreserved, and at the time of their greatest activity they may havereached a height of several thousand feet above the present summits. "

CHAPTER VIII

THE GLACIAL HISTORY OF LAKE TAHOE

We have already seen in the preceding chapter how the great basin, in which Lake Tahoe rests, was turned out in the rough from Nature'sworkshop. It must now be smoothed down, its angularities removed, itssharpest features eliminated, and soft and fertile banks prepared uponwhich trees, shrubs, plants and flowers might spring forth to givebeauty to an otherwise naked and barren scene. 

It is almost impossible for one to picture the Tahoe basin at thistime. There may have been water in it, or there may not. All thegreat mountain peaks, most of them, perhaps, much higher by severalthousands of feet than at present, were rude, rough, jagged masses, fresh from the factory of God. There was not a tree, not a shrub, nota flower, not a blade of grass. No bird sang its cheering song, ordelighted the eye with its gorgeous plumage; not even a frog croaked, a cicada rattled, or a serpent hissed. All was barren desolation, fearful silence and ghastly newness. 

What were the forces that produced so marvelous a change?

Snowflakes, --"flowers of the air", --as John Muir so poetically callsthem. They accomplished the work. Falling alone they could have donenothing, but coming down in vast numbers, day after day, they piledup and became a power. Snow forms glaciers, and glaciers are mightyforces that create things. 

[Illustration: Gilmore Lake, Pyramid Peak and the Crystal Range, in winter, from summit of Mount Tallac]

[Illustration: Desolation Valley, Looking Toward Mosquito Pass]

[Illustration: Heather Lake, near Glen Alpine]

[Illustration: Susie Lake, near Glen Alpine Springs]

Let us, if possible, stand and watch the Master Workmandoing the work that is to make this region our source of presentday joy. We will make the ascent and stand on the summitof Pyramid Peak. This is now 10, 020 feet above sea level, rising almost sheer above Desolation Valley immediately at our feet. 

The first thing that arrests the visitor's attention is the peculiarshape of the peak upon which he stands, and of the whole of theCrystal Range. Both east and west it is a great precipice, with arazor-like edge, which seems to have been especially designed forthe purpose of arresting the clouds and snow blown over the mountain, ranges of the High Sierras, and preventing their contents falling uponthe waste and thirsty, almost desert-areas of western Nevada, whichlie a few miles further east. 

Whence do the rains and snow-storms come?

One hundred and fifty miles, a trifle more or less, to the westwardis the vast bosom of the Pacific Ocean. Its warm current is constantlykissed by the fervid sun and its water allured, in the shape of mistand fog, to ascend into the heavens above. Here it is gently wafted bythe steady ocean breezes over the land to the east. In the summer thewind currents now and again swing the clouds thus formed northward, and Oregon and Washington receive rain from the operation of the sunupon the Pacific Ocean of the south. In June and July, however, theTahoe region sees occasional rains which clear the atmosphere, freshenthe flowers and trees, and give an added charm to everything. But inthe fall and winter the winds send the clouds more directly eastward, and in crossing the Sierran summits the mist and fog become colder andcolder, until, when the clouds are arrested by the stern barriersof the Crystal Range, and necessity compels them to discharge theirburden, they scatter snow so profusely that one who sees this regiononly in the summer has no conception of its winter appearance. Thesnow does not fall as in ordinary storms, but, in these altitudes, thevery heavens seem to press down, ladened with snow, and it falls insheets to a depth of five, ten, twenty, thirty and even more feet, _on the level_. 

Look now, however, at the western edge of the Crystal Range. It hasno "slopes. " It is composed of a series of absolute precipices, on theedge of one of which we stand. These precipices, and the razor edge, are fortified and buttressed by arms which reach out westward and formrude crescents, called by the French geologists _cirques_, forhere the snow lodges, and is packed to great density and solidity withall the force, fervor and fury of the mountain winds. 

But the snow does not fall alone on the western _cirques_. Itdischarges with such prodigality, and the wind demands its releasewith such precipitancy, that it lodges in equally vast masses on theeastern slopes of the Crystal Range. For, while the eastern sideof this range is steep enough to be termed in general parlance"precipitous, " it has a decided slope when compared with the sheerdrop of the western side. Here the configuration and arrangement ofthe rock-masses also have created a number of _cirques_, whereremnants of the winter's snow masses are yet to be seen. These snowmasses are baby glaciers, or snow being slowly manufactured intoglaciers, or, as some authorities think, _the remnants of the vastglaciers that once covered this whole region_ with their heavy andslowly-moving icy cap. 

On the Tallac Range the snow fell heavily toward Desolation Valley, but also on the steep and precipitous slopes that faced the north. So also with the Angora Range. Its western exposure, however, is ofa fairly gentle slope, so that the snow was blown over to the easternside, where there are several precipitous _cirques_ of stupendoussize for the preservation of the accumulated and accumulating snow. 

Now let us, in imagination, ascend in a balloon over this region andhover there, seeking to reconstruct, by mental images, the appearanceit must have assumed and the action that took place in the ages longago. 

Snow, thirty, fifty, one hundred or more feet deep lay, on the level, and on the mountain slopes or in precipitous _cirques_ twice, thrice, or ten times those depths. Snow thus packed together soonchanges its character. From the light airy flake, it becomes, inmasses, what the geologists term _névé_. This is a granularsnow, intermediate between snow and ice. A little lower down this_névé_ is converted into true glacial ice-beds, which growlonger, broader, deeper and thicker as the _névé_ presses downfrom above. 

Lay minds conceive of these great ice-beds of transformed snow asinert, immovable bodies. They think the snow lies upon the surface ofthe rocks or earth. The scientific observer knows better. By the veryinertia of its own vast and almost inconceivable weight the glacier iscompelled to move. Imagine the millions of millions of tons of ice ofthese sloping masses, pressing down upon the hundreds of thousands oftons of ice that lie below. Slowly the mass begins to move. Butall parts of it do not move with equal velocity. The center travelsquicker than the margins, and the velocity of the surface is greaterthan that of the bottom. Naturally the velocity increases with theslope, and when the ice begins to soften in the summer time its rateof motion is increased. 

But not only does the ice move. There have been other forces set inmotion as well as that of the ice. The fierce attacks of the storms, the insidious forces of frost, of expansion and contraction, oflightning, etc. , have shattered and loosened vast masses of themountain summits. Some of these have weathered into toppling masses, which required only a heavy wind or slight contractions to send themfrom their uncertain bases onto the snow or ice beneath. And the othercauses mentioned all had their influences in breaking up the peaksand ridges and depositing great jagged bowlders of rock in theslowly-moving glaciers. 

Little by little these masses of rock worked their way down lower intothe ice-bed. Sometime they must reach the bottom, yet, thoughthey rest upon granite, and granite would cleave to granite, theirresistible pressure from above forces the ice and rock massesforward. Thus the sharp-edged blocks of granite become the_blades_ in the tools that are to help cut out the contours ofa world's surface. In other words the mass of glacial ice is thegrooving or smoothing _plane_, and the granite blocks, aidedby the ice, become the many and diverse blades in this vast andirresistible tool. Some cut deep and square, others with flutings andbevelings, or curves, but each helps in the great work of planing off, in some way, the rocky masses over which they move. Hence it willbe seen that the grooving and marking, the fluting and beveling, theplaning and smoothing processes of the ice are materially aided andabetted by the very hardness and weight of the granite and other rocksit carries with it. 

Now let Joseph LeConte take up the theme and give us of the richtreasure-store of his knowledge and observation. In the _AmericanJournal of Science and Arts_, Third Series, for 1875, he discussedthe very field we are now interested in, and his fascinating andilluminating explanations render the subject perfectly clear. Said he:

 Last summer I had again an opportunity of examining the pathways of some of the ancient glaciers of the Sierra. One of the grandest of these is what I call the _Lake Valley Glacier_. [1] Taking its rise in snow fountains among the high peaks in the neighborhood of Silver Mountain, this great glacier flowed northward down Lake Valley, and, gathering tributaries from the summit ridges on either side of the valley, but especially from the higher western summits, it filled the basin of Lake Tahoe, forming a great "mer de glace, " 50 miles long, 15 miles wide, and at least 2000 feet deep, and finally escaped northeastward to the plains. The outlets of this great "mer de glace" are yet imperfectly known. A part of the ice certainly escaped by Truckee Canyon (the present outlet of the Lake); a part probably went over the northeastern margin of the basin. My studies during the summer were confined to some of the larger tributaries of this great glacier. 

[Footnote 1: This is the name given by Dr. LeConte to the Basin inwhich Lake Tahoe rests and including the meadow lands above Tallac. ]

[Illustration: Pyramid Peak and Lake of the Woods, near Lake Tahoe, Calif. ]

[Illustration: Snow Bank, Desolation Valley, near Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Grass Lake, near Glen Alpine Springs]

 _Truckee Canyon and Donner Lake Glaciers_. I have said that one of the outlets of the great "mer de glace" was by the Truckee River Canyon. The stage road to Lake Tahoe runs in this canyon for fifteen miles. In most parts of the canyon the rocks are volcanic and crumbling, and therefore ill adapted to retain glacial marks; yet in some places where the rock is harder these marks are unmistakable. On my way to and from Lake Tahoe, I observed that the Truckee Canyon glacier was joined at the town of Truckee by a short but powerful tributary, which, taking its rise in an immense rocky amphitheater surrounding the head of Donner Lake, flowed eastward. Donner Lake, which occupies the lower portion of this amphitheater, was evidently formed by the down-flowing of the ice from the steep slopes of the upper portion near the _summit_. The stage road from Truckee to the summit runs along the base of a _moraine_ close by the margin of the lake on one side, while on the other side, along the apparently almost perpendicular rocky face of the amphitheater, 1000 feet above the surface of the lake, the Central Pacific Railroad winds its fearful way to the same place. In the upper portion of this amphitheater large patches of snow still remain unmelted during the summer. 

 My examination of these two glaciers, however, was very cursory. I hasten on, therefore, to others which I traced more carefully. 

 Lake Tahoe lies countersunk on the very top of the Sierra. This great range is here divided into two summit ridges, between which lies a trough 50 miles long, 20 miles wide, and 3000 to 3500 feet deep. This trough is Lake Valley. Its lower half is filled with the waters of Lake Tahoe. The area of this Lake is about 250 square miles, its depth 1640 feet, and its altitude 6200 feet. It is certain that during the fullness of glacial times this trough was a great "mer de glace, " receiving tributaries from all directions except the north. But as the Glacial Period waned--as the great "mer de glace" dwindled and melted away, and the lake basin became occupied by water instead, the tributaries still remained as separate glaciers flowing into the Lake. The tracks of these lingering small glaciers are far more easily traced and their records more easily read, than those of the greater but more ancient glacier of which they were once but the tributaries. 

 Of the two summit ridges mentioned above the western is the higher. It bears the most snow _now_, and in glacial times gave origin to the grandest glaciers. Again: the peaks on both these summits rise higher and higher as we go toward the upper or southern end of the Lake. Hence the largest glaciers ran into the Lake at its _southwestern end_. And, since the mountain slopes here are toward the northeast and therefore the shadiest and coolest, here also the glaciers have had the greatest vitality and lived the longest, and have, therefore, left the plainest records. Doubtless, careful examination would discover the pathways of glaciers running into the Lake from the eastern summit also; but I failed to detect any very clear traces of such, either on the eastern or on the northern portion of the western side of the Lake; while between the southwestern end and Sugar Pine Point, a distance of only eight or ten miles, I saw distinctly the pathways of five or six. North of Sugar Pine Point there are also several. _They are all marked by moraine ridges running down from the summits and projecting as points into the Lake_. The pathways of three of these glaciers I studied somewhat carefully, and after a few preliminary remarks, will describe in some detail. 

 Mountains are the culminating points of the scenic grandeur and beauty of the earth. They are so, because they are also the culminating points of all geological agencies--igneous agencies in mountain _formation_, aqueous agencies in mountain _sculpture_. Now, I have already said that the mountain peaks which stand above the Lake on every side are highest at the southwestern end, where they rise to the altitude of 3000 feet above the lake surface, or between 9000 and 10, 000 feet above the sea. Here, therefore, ran in the greatest glaciers; here we find the profoundest glacial sculpturings; and here also are clustered all the finest beauties of this the most beautiful of mountain lakes. I need only name Mount Tallac, Fallen Leaf Lake, Cascade Lake, and Emerald Bay, all within three or four miles of each other and of the Tallac House. These three exquisite little lakes (for Emerald Bay is also almost a lake), nestled closely against the loftiest peaks of the western summit ridge, are all perfect examples of glacial lakes. 

 South of Lake Tahoe, Lake Valley extends for fifteen miles as a plain, gently rising southward. At its lower end it is but a few feet above the lake surface, covered with glacial drift modified by water, and diversified, especially on its western side, by débris ridges, the moraines of glaciers which continued to flow into the valley or into the Lake long after the main glacier, of which they were once tributaries, had dried up. On approaching the south end of the Lake by steamer, I had observed these long ridges, divined their meaning, and determined on a closer acquaintance. While staying at the Tallac House I repeatedly visited them and explored the canyons down which their materials were brought. I proceed to describe them. 

 _Fallen Leaf Lake Glacier_. Fallen Leaf Lake lies on the plain of Lake Valley, about one and a half miles from Lake Tahoe, its surface but a few feet above the level of the latter Lake[2]; but its bottom far, probably several hundred feet, below that level. It is about three to three and one-half miles long and one and one-fourth miles wide. From its upper end runs a canyon bordered on either side by the highest peaks in this region. The rocky walls of this canyon terminate on the east side at the head of the lake, but on the west side, a little farther down. The lake is bordered on each side by an admirably marked débris ridge (moraine) three hundred feet high, four miles long, and one and one-half to two miles apart. These moraines may be traced back to the termination of the rocky ridges which bound the canyon. On one side the moraine lies wholly on the plain; on the other side its upper part lies against the slope of Mount Tallac. Near the lower end of the lake a somewhat obscure branch ridge comes off from each main ridge, and curving around it forms an imperfect terminal moraine through which the outlet of the lake breaks its way. 

[Footnote 2: Professor Price informs me there is a difference of eighty feet between the level of Lake Tahoe and Fallen Leaf Lake. ]

 On ascending the canyon the glaciation is very conspicuous, and becomes more and more beautiful at every step. From Glen Alpine Springs upward it is the most perfect I have ever seen. In some places the white rocky bottom of the canyon, for many miles in extent, is smooth and polished and gently undulating, like the surface of a glassy but billowy sea. The glaciation is distinct also up the sides of the canyon 1000 feet above its floor. 

 There can be no doubt, therefore, that a glacier once came down this canyon filling it 1000 feet deep, scooped out Fallen Leaf Lake just where it struck the plain and changed its angle of slope, and pushed its snout four miles out on the level plain, nearly to the present shores of Lake Tahoe, dropping its débris on either side and thus forming a bed for itself. In its subsequent retreat it seems to have rested its snout some time at the lower end of Fallen Leaf Lake, and accumulated there an imperfect terminal moraine. 

 _Cascade Lake Glacier_. Cascade Lake, like Fallen Leaf Lake, is about one and one-half miles from Lake Tahoe, but, unlike Fallen Leaf Lake, its discharge creek has considerable fall, and the lake surface is, therefore, probably 100 feet above the level of the greater lake. On either side of this creek, from the very border of Lake Tahoe, runs a moraine ridge up to the lake, and thence along each side of the lake up to the rocky points which terminate the true mountain canyon above the head of the lake. I have never anywhere seen more perfectly defined moraines. I climbed over the larger western moraine and found that it is partly merged into the eastern moraine of Emerald Bay to form a medial at least 300 feet high, and of great breadth. From the surface of the little lake the curving branches of the main moraine, meeting below the lake to form a terminal moraine, are very distinct. At the head of the lake there is a perpendicular cliff over which the river precipitates itself, forming a very pretty cascade of 100 feet or more. On ascending the canyon above the head of the lake, for several miles, I found, everywhere, over the lip of the precipice, over the whole floor of the canyon, and up the sides 1000 feet or more, the most perfect glaciation. 

 There cannot, therefore, be the slightest doubt that this also is the pathway of a glacier which once ran into Lake Tahoe. After coming down its steep rocky bed, this glacier precipitated itself over the cliff, scooped out the lake at its foot, and then ran on until it bathed its snout in the waters of Lake Tahoe, and probably formed icebergs there. In its subsequent retreat it seems to have dropped more débris in its path and formed a more perfect terminal moraine than did Fallen Leaf Glacier. 

 _Emerald Bay Glacier_. All that I have said of Fallen Leaf Lake and Cascade Lake apply, almost word for word, to Emerald Bay. This beautiful bay, almost a lake, has also been formed by a glacier. It also is bounded on either side by moraines, which run down to and even project into Lake Tahoe, and may be traced up to the rocky points which form the mouth of the canyon at the head of the bay. Its eastern moraine, as already stated, is partly merged into the western moraine of Cascade Lake, to form a huge medial moraine. Its western moraine lies partly against a rocky ridge which runs down to Lake Tahoe to form Rubicon Point. At the head of the bay, as at the head of Cascade Lake, there is a cliff about 100 feet high, over which the river precipitates itself and forms a beautiful cascade. Over the lip of this cliff, and in the bed of the canyon above, and up the sides of the cliff-like walls, 1000 feet or more, the most perfect glaciation is found. The only difference between this glacier and the two preceding is, that it ran more deeply into the main lake and the deposits dropped in its retreat did not rise high enough to cut off its little rock basin from that lake, but exists now only as a _shallow bar_ at the mouth of the bay. This bar consists of _true moraine matter_, i. E. , intermingled bowlders and sand, which may be examined through the exquisitely transparent water almost as perfectly as if no water were present. All that I have described separately and in detail, and much more, may be taken in at one view from the top of Mount Tallac. From this peak nearly the whole course of these three glaciers, their fountain amphitheaters, their canyon beds, and their lakes enclosed between their moraine arms, may be seen at once. The view from this peak is certainly one of the finest that I have ever seen. Less grand and diversified in mountain forms than many from peaks above the Yosemite, it has added beauty of extensive water surface, and the added interest of several glacial pathways in a limited space. The observer sits on the very edge of the fountain amphitheaters still holding large masses of snow; immediately below, almost at his feet, lie glistening, gem-like, in dark rocky setting, the three exquisite little lakes; on either side of these, embracing and protecting them, stretch out the moraine arms, reaching toward and directing the eye to the great Lake, which lies, map-like, with all its sinuous outlines perfectly distinct, even to its extreme northern end, twenty-five to thirty miles away. As the eye sweeps again up the canyon-beds, little lakes, glacier scooped rock basins, filled with ice-cold water, flash in the sunlight on every side. Twelve or fifteen of these may be seen. 

 From appropriate positions on the surface of Lake Tahoe, also, all the moraine ridges are beautifully seen at once, but the glacial lakes and the canyon-beds, of course, cannot be seen. 

 There are several questions of a general nature suggested by my examination of these three glacial pathways, which I have thought best to consider separately. 

 _a. Evidences of the existence of the Great Lake Valley Glacier_. On the south shore of Lake Tahoe, and especially at the northern or lower end of Fallen Leaf Lake, I found many pebbles and some large bowlders of a beautiful striped agate-like slate. The stripes consisted of alternate bands of black and translucent white, the latter weathering into milk-white, or yellowish, or reddish. It was perfectly evident that these fragments were brought down from the canyon above Fallen Leaf Lake. On ascending this canyon I easily found the parent rock of these pebbles and bowlders. The It is a powerful outcropping ledge of beautifully striped siliceous slate, full of fissures and joints, and easily broken into blocks of all sizes, crossing the canyon about a half mile above the lake. This rock is so peculiar and so easily identified that its fragments become an admirable index of the extent of the glacial transportation. I have, myself, traced these pebbles only a little way along the western shores of the great Lake, as my observations were principally confined to this part; but I learn from my brother, Professor John LeConte, and from Mr. John Muir, both of whom have examined the pebbles I have brought home, that precisely similar fragments are found in great abundance all along the western shore from Sugar Pine Point northward, and especially on the extreme northwestern shore nearly thirty miles from their source. I have visited the eastern shore of the Lake somewhat more extensively than the western, and nowhere did I see similar pebbles. Mr. Muir, who has walked around the Lake, tells me that they do not occur on the eastern shore. We have, then, in the distribution of these pebbles, demonstrative evidence of the fact that Fallen Leaf Lake glacier was once a tributary of a much greater glacier which filled Lake Tahoe. 

 The only other agency to which we could attribute this transportation is that of shore ice and icebergs, which probably did once exist on Lake Tahoe; but the limitation of the pebbles to the western, and especially the northwestern shores, is in exact accordance with the laws of glacial transportation, but contrary to those of floating ice transportation--for lake ice is carried only by winds, and would, therefore, deposit equally on all shores. 

 Again: I think I find additional evidence of a Lake Tahoe "mer de glace" in the contrasted character of the northern and southern shores of this Lake. 

 All the little glacial lakes described above are deep at the upper end and shallow at the lower end. Further, all of them have a sand beach and a sand flat at the upper end, and great bowlders thickly scattered in the shallow water, and along the shore at the lower end. These facts are easily explained, if we remember that while the glacial _scooping_ was principally at the upper end, the glacial _droppings_ were principally at the lower end. And further: that while the _glacial_ deposit was principally at the lower end, the _river_ deposit, since the glacial epoch, has been wholly at the upper end. 

 Now the great Lake, also, has a similar structure. It also has a beautiful sand and gravel beach all along its upper shore, and a sand flat extending above it; while at its lower, or northern end, thickly strewed in the shallow water, and along the shore line, and some distance above the shore line, are found in great abundance _bowlders of enormous size_. May we not conclude that similar effects have been produced by similar causes--that these huge bowlders were dropped by the great glacier at its lower end? Similar bowlders are also found along the northern portion of the eastern shore, because the principal flow of the ice-current was from the southwest, and in the fulness of glacial times the principal exit was over the northeastern lip of the basin. 

 _b. Origin of Lake Tahoe_. That Lake Tahoe was once wholly occupied by ice, I think, is certain; but that it was scooped out by the Lake Valley glacier is perhaps more doubtful. All other Sierra lakes which I have seen certainly owe their origin to glacial agency. Neither do I think we should be staggered by the size or enormous depth of this Lake. Yet, from its position, it may be a plication-hollow, or a trough produced by the formation of two parallel mountain ridges, and afterward modified by glacial agency, instead of a pure glacial-scooped rock-basin. In other words, Lake Valley, with its two summit ridges, _may be regarded as a phenomenon belonging to the order of mountain-formation and not to the order of mountain sculpture_. I believe an examination of the rocks of the two summit ridges would probably settle this. In the absence of more light than I now have, I will not hazard an opinion. [3]

[Footnote 3: This question practically has been settled by Mr. Lindgren, and his conclusions are given in an earlier chapter. ]

 _c. Passage of slate into granite_. From the commencement of the rocky canyon at the head of Fallen Leaf Lake, and up for about two miles, the canyon walls and bed are composed of _slate_. The slate, however, becomes more and more metamorphic as we go up, until it passes into what much resembles _trap_. In some places it looks like _diorite_ and in others like _porphyry_. I saw no evidence, however, of any outburst. This latter rock passes somewhat more rapidly into _granite_ at Glen Alpine Springs. From this point the canyon bed and lower walls are granite, but the highest peaks are still a dark, splintery, metamorphic slate. The glacial erosion has here cut through the slate and bitten deep into the underlying granite. The passage from slate through porphyritic diorite into granite may, I think, be best explained by the increasing degree of metamorphism, and at the same time a change of the original sediments at this point; granite being the last term of metamorphism of pure clays, or clayey sandstones, while bedded diorites are similarly formed from ferruginous and calcareous slates. Just at the junction of the harder and tougher granite with the softer and more jointed slates, occur, as might be expected, cascades in the river. It is probable that the cascades at the head of Cascade Lake and Emerald Bay mark, also, the junction of the granite with the slate--only the junction here is covered with débris. Just at the same junction, in Fallen Leaf Lake Canyon (Glen Alpine Basin), burst out the waters of Glen Alpine Springs, highly charged with bicarbonates of iron and soda. 

 _d. Glacial Deltas_. I have stated that the moraines of Cascade Lake and Emerald Bay glaciers run down to the margin of Lake Tahoe. An examination of this portion of the Lake shore shows that _they run far into the Lake_--that the Lake has been filled in, two or three miles, by glacial débris. On the eastern margin of Lake Tahoe, the water, close along the shore, is comparatively shallow, the shore rocky, and along the shore-line, above and below the water, are scattered great bowlders, probably dropped by the main glacier. But on the west margin of the Lake the shoreline is composed wholly of moraine matter, the water very deep close to shore, and the bottom composed of precisely similar moraine matter. In rowing along the shore, I found that the exquisite ultramarine blue of the deep water extends to within 100 to 150 feet of the shore-line. At this distance, the bottom could barely be seen. Judging from the experiments of my brother, Professor John Le Conte, according to which a white object could be seen at a depth of 115 feet, I suppose the depth along the line of junction of the ultramarine blue and the emerald green water is at least 100 feet. The slope of the bottom is, therefore, nearly, or quite, 45 degrees. It seems, in fact, a direct continuation beneath the water of the moraine slope. The materials, also, which may be examined with ease through the wonderfully transparent water, are exactly the same as that composing the moraine, viz: earth, pebbles, and bowlders of all sizes, some of them of enormous dimensions. It seems almost certain that _the margin of the great Lake Valley glacier, and of the Lake itself when this glacier had melted and the tributaries first began to run into the Lake, was the series of rocky points at the head of the three little lakes, about three or four miles back from the present margin of the main Lake; and that all lakeward from these points has been filled in and made land by the action of the three glaciers described_. At that time Rubicon Point was a rocky promontory, projecting far into the Lake, beyond which was another wide bay, which has been similarly filled in by débris brought down by glaciers north of this point. The long moraines of these glaciers are plainly visible from the Lake surface; but I have not examined them. Thus, all the land, for three or four miles back from the Lake-margin, both north and south of Rubicon Point, is composed of _confluent glacial deltas_, and on these deltas the moraine ridges are the _natural levees_ of these ice-streams. 

 _e. Parallel Moraines_. The moraines described above are peculiar and almost unique. Nowhere, except about Lake Tahoe and near Lake Mono, have I seen moraines in the form of _parallel ridges_ lying on a level plain and terminating abruptly _without any signs of transverse connection (terminal moraine) at the lower end_. Nor have I been able to find any description of similar moraines in other countries. They are not terminal moraines, for the glacial pathway is open below. They are not lateral moraines, for these are borne on the glacier itself, or else stranded on the deep canyon sides. Neither do I think moraines of this kind would be formed by a glacier emerging from a steep narrow canyon and running out on a level plain; for in such cases, as soon as the confinement of the bounding walls is removed, the ice stream spreads out into an _ice lake_. It does so as naturally and necessarily as does water under similar circumstances. The deposit would be nearly transverse to the direction of the motion, and, therefore, more or less crescentic. There must be something peculiar in the conditions under which these parallel ridges were formed. I believe the conditions were as described below. 

 We have already given reason to think that the original margin of the Lake, in glacial times, was three or four miles back from the present margin, along the series of rocky points against which the ridges abut; and that all the flat plain thence to the present margin is made land. If so, then it is evident that at that time the three glaciers described ran far out into the Lake, until reaching deep water, where they formed icebergs. Under these conditions, it is plain that the pressure on this, the subaqueous portion of the glacial bed, would be small, and become less and less until it becomes nothing at the point where the icebergs float away. The pressure on the bed being small, not enough to overcome the cohesion of ice, there would be no spreading. _A glacier running down a steep narrow canyon and out into the deep water, and forming icebergs at its point, would maintain its slender, tongue-like form, and drop its débris on each side, forming parallel ridges, and would not form a terminal moraine because the materials not dropped previously would be carried off by icebergs_. In the subsequent retreat of such a glacier, imperfect terminal moraines might be formed higher up, where the water is not deep enough to form icebergs. It is probable, too, that since the melting of the great "mer de glace" and the formation of the Lake, the level of the water has gone down considerably, by the deepening of the Truckee Canyon outlet by means of erosion. Thus not only did the glaciers retreat from the Lake, but also the Lake from the glaciers. 

 As already stated, similar parallel moraine ridges are formed by the glaciers which ran down the steep eastern slope of the Sierras, and out on the level plains of Mono. By far the most remarkable are those formed by Bloody most Canyon Glacier, described by me in a former paper. These moraines are six or seven miles long, 300 to 400 feet high, and the parallel crests not more than a mile asunder. There, also, as at Lake Tahoe, we find them terminating abruptly in the plain without any sign of terminal moraine. But higher up there are small, imperfect, transverse moraines, made during the subsequent retreat, behind which water has collected, forming lakes and marshes. But observe: these moraines are also _in the vicinity of a great lake_; and we have abundant evidence, in very distinct terraces described by Whitney[4] and observed by myself, that in glacial times the _water stood at least six hundred feet above the present level_. In fact, there can be no doubt that at that time the waters of Mono Lake (or a much greater body of water of which Mono is the remnant) washed against the bold rocky points from which the débris ridges start. _The glaciers in this vicinity, therefore, must have_ run out into the water six or seven miles, and doubtless formed icebergs at their point, and, therefore, formed there no terminal moraine. 

[Footnote 4: _Geological Survey of California_, Vol. I, 451. ]

 That the glaciers described about Lake Tahoe and Lake Mono ran out far into the water and formed icebergs I think is quite certain, and that parallel moraines open below are characteristic signs of such conditions I also think nearly certain. 

 _f. Glacial Erosion_. My observations on glacial pathways in the High Sierra, and especially about Lake Tahoe, have greatly modified my views as to the nature of glacial erosion. Writers on this subject seem to regard glacial erosion as mostly, if not wholly, a _grinding_ and _scoring_; the débris of this erosion as rock-meal; the great bowlders, which are found in such immense quantities in the terminal deposit, as derived wholly from the crumbling cliffs above the glacial surface; the _rounded_ bowlders, which are often the most numerous, as derived in precisely the same way, only they have been engulfed by crevasses, or between the sides of the glacier and the bounding wall, and thus carried between the moving ice and its rocky bed, as between the upper and nether millstone. In a word, all bowlders, whether angular or rounded, are supposed to owe their _origin_ or _separation_ and _shaping_ to glacial agency. 

 Now, if such be the true view of glacial erosion, evidently its effect in mountain sculpture must be small indeed. _Roches moutonnées_ are recognized by all as the most universal and characteristic sign of a glacial bed. Sometimes these beds are only imperfect _moutonnées_, i. E. , they are composed of _broken angular surface with only the points and edges planed off_. Now, _moutonnées_ surfaces always, and especially angular surfaces with only points and edges beveled, show that the erosion by grinding has been only very superficial. They show that if the usual view of glacial erosion be correct, the great canyons, so far from being _formed_, were only very _slightly modified_ by glacial agency. But I am quite satisfied from my own observations, that this is not the only _nor the principal_ mode of glacial erosion. I am convinced that a glacier, by its enormous pressure and resistless onward movement, is _constantly breaking off large blocks_ from its bed and bounding walls. Its erosion is not only a grinding and scoring, but also a _crushing and breaking_. It makes by its erosion not only rock-meal, but also large _rock-chips_. Thus, a glacier is constantly breaking off blocks and making angular surfaces, and then grinding off the angles both of the fragments and the bed, and thus forming rounded bowlders and _moutonnées_ surfaces. Its erosion is a constant process of alternate _rough hewing and planing_. If the rock be full of fissures, and the glacier deep and heavy, the rough hewing so predominates that the plane has only time to touch the corners a little before the rock is again broken and new angles formed. This is the case high up on the _canyon walls_, at the head of Cascade Lake and Emerald Bay, but also in the _canyon beds wherever the slate is approached_. If, on the other hand, the rock is very hard and solid, and the glacier be not very deep and heavy, the planing will predominate over the rough hewing, and a smooth, gentle billowy surface is the result. This is the case in the hard granite forming the beds of all the canyons high up, but especially high up the canyon of Fallen Leaf Lake (Glen Alpine Basin), where the canyon spreads out and extensive but comparatively thin snow sheets have been at work. In some cases _on the cliffs_, subsequent disintegration of a glacier-polished surface may have given the appearance of angular surfaces with beveled corners; but, in other cases, in the _bed of the canyon_, and on elevated level places, where large loosened blocks could not be removed by water nor by gravity, I observed the same appearances, under conditions which forbid this explanation. Mr. Muir, also, in his _Studies in the Sierra_, gives many examples of undoubted rock-breaking by ancient glaciers. 

 _Angular_ blocks are mostly, therefore, the ruins of crumbling cliffs, borne on the surface of the glacier and deposited at its foot. Many _rounded_ bowlders also have a similar origin, having found their way to the bed of the glacier through crevasses, or along the sides of the glacier. But _most of the rounded bowlders_ in the terminal deposit of _great glaciers_ are fragments _torn off by the glacier itself_. The proportion of rounded bowlders--of upper or air-formed--to nether or glacier-formed fragments, depends on the depth and extent of the ice-current. In the case of the universal ice-sheet (ice-flood) there are, of course, no upper formed or angular blocks at all--there is nothing borne on the surface. The moraine, therefore, consists wholly of nether-formed and nether-borne severely triturated materials (_moraine profunde_). The bowlders are, of course, all rounded. This is one extreme. In the case of the thin moving ice-fields, the _glacierets_ which still linger among the highest peaks and shadiest hollows of the Sierra, on the other hand, the moraines are composed _wholly of angular blocks_. This is the character of the terminal moraine of Mount Lyell glacier. These glacierets are too thin and feeble and torpid to break off fragments--they can only _bear_ away what falls on them. This is the other extreme. But in the case of ordinary glaciers--ice-streams--the bowlders of the terminal deposit are mixed; the angular or upper-formed predominating in the small existing glaciers of temperate climates, but the rounded or nether-formed greatly predominating in the grand old glaciers of which we have been speaking. In the terminal deposits of these, especially in the materials pushed into the Lake, it is somewhat difficult to find a bowlder which has not been subjected to severe attrition. 

CHAPTER IX

THE LESSER LAKES OF THE TAHOE REGION AND HOW THEY WERE FORMED

This is not to be a description of the scores of Glacial Lakes foundin the Tahoe region, but an answer to the questions so oftenasked about practically all of these lakes, as to their origin andcontinuance. 

Rich as our Sierras are in treasures none are more precious thanthese. They give one pleasing surprises, often when least expected. For while the tree-clusters, the mountain-peaks, and the glowingsnow-banks throw themselves into our view by their elevated positions, the retiring lakes, secluded, modest, hide their beauty from us untilwe happen to climb up to, or above, them. 

From the higher summits how wonderfully they appear. Let the eyefollow a fruitful branch of an apple, pear or peach. How the leaves, the stem, the fruit occur, in sure but irregular order. It is justso with the glacial lakes of the Sierras. They are the fruit of thestreams that flow from the glacial fountains. They lie on rude andunexpected granite shelves, --as Le Conte Lake; under the shadow oftowering peaks, --as Gilmore Lake; on bald glacier-gouged and polishedtables, --as those of Desolation Valley; embosomed in deep woods, --asFallen Leaf, Heather and Cascade; in the rocky recesses of slopingcanyons, --as Susie, Lucile and the Angoras; hidden in secret recessesof giant granite walls, --as Eagle; or sprawling in the open, --as Loon, Spider, etc. 

What a variety of sizes, shapes and characteristics they present. There are no two alike, yet they are nearly all one in theirattractive beauty, in the purity of their waters, and in the glory, majesty, sublimity and beauty mirrored on their placid faces. 

In poetic fashion, yet with scientific accuracy, John Muir thusdescribes their origin in his _Mountains of California_, a bookevery Tahoe lover should possess:

 When a mountain lake is born, --when, like a young eye, it first opens to the light, --it is an irregular, expressionless crescent, inclosed in banks of rock and ice, --bare, glaciated rock on the lower side, the rugged snout of a glacier on the upper. In this condition it remains for many a year, until at length, toward the end of some auspicious cluster of seasons, the glacier recedes beyond the upper margin of the basin, leaving it open from shore to shore for the first time, thousands of years after its conception beneath the glacier that excavated its basin. The landscape, cold and bare, is reflected in its pure depths; the winds ruffle its glassy surface, and the sun thrills it with throbbing spangles, while its waves begin to lap and murmur around its leafless shores, --sun-spangles during the day and reflected stars at night its only flowers, the winds and the snow its only visitors. Meanwhile, the glacier continues to recede, and numerous rills, still younger than the lake itself, bring down glacier-mud, sand-grains, and pebbles, giving rise to margin-rings and plats of soil. To these fresh soil-beds come many a waiting plant. First, a hardy carex with arching leaves and a spike of brown flowers; then, as the seasons grow warmer, and the soil-beds deeper and wider, other sedges take their appointed places, and these are joined by blue gentians, daisies, dodecatheons, violets, honey-worts, and many a lowly moss. Shrubs also hasten in time to the new gardens, --kalmia with its glossy leaves and purple flowers, the arctic willow, making soft woven carpets, together with the healthy bryanthus and cassiope, the fairest and dearest of them all. Insects now enrich the air, frogs pipe cheerily in the shallows, soon followed by the ouzel, which is the first bird to visit a glacier lake, as the sedge is the first of plants. So the young lake grows in beauty, becoming more and more humanly lovable from century to century. Groves of aspen spring up, and hardy pines, and the hemlock spruce, until it is richly overshadowed and embowered. But while its shores are becoming enriched, the soil-beds creep out with incessant growth, contracting its area, while the lighter mud-particles deposited on the bottom cause it to grow shallower, until at length the last remnant of the lake vanishes, --closed forever in ripe and natural old age. And now its feeding-stream goes winding on without halting through the new gardens and groves that have taken its place. 

 The length of the life of any lake depends ordinarily upon the capacity of its basin, as compared with the carrying power of the streams that flow into it, the character of the rocks over which these streams flow, and the relative position of the lake toward other lakes. In a series whose basins lie in the same canyon, and are fed by one and the same main stream, the uppermost will, of course, vanish first unless some other lake-filling agent comes in to modify the result; because at first it receives nearly all of the sediments that the stream brings down, only the finest of the mud-particles being carried through the highest of the series to the next below. Then the next higher, and the next would be successively filled, and the lowest would be the last to vanish. But this simplicity as to duration is broken in upon in various ways, chiefly through the action of side-streams that enter the lower lakes direct. For, notwithstanding many of these side tributaries are quite short, and, during late summer, feeble, they all become powerful torrents in spring-time when the snow is melting, and carry not only sand and pine-needles, but large trunks and bowlders tons in weight, sweeping them down their steeply inclined channels and into the lake basins with astounding energy. Many of these side affluents also have the advantage of access to the main lateral moraines of the vanished glacier that occupied the canyon, and upon these they draw for lake-filling material, while the main trunk stream flows mostly over clean glacier pavements, where but little moraine matter is ever left for them to carry. Thus a small rapid stream with abundance of loose transportable material within its reach may fill up an extensive basin in a few centuries, while a large perennial trunk stream, flowing over clean, enduring pavements, though ordinarily a hundred times larger, may not fill a smaller basin in thousands of years. 

[Illustration: Tamarack and Echo Lakes]

[Illustration: Cascade Lake, Near the Automobile Bouldvard, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Memorial Cross at Donner Lake]

Many striking examples of these successive processes may be seen inthe Tahoe region, as, for instance, Squaw Valley, which lies betweenthe spurs of Squaw Peak and Granite Chief. This was undoubtedlyscooped out by a glacier that came down from Squaw Peak and GraniteChief. The course of the ice-sheet was down to the Truckee River. When the glacier began to shrink it left its terminal moraine as adam between the basin above and the river below. In due time, as theglacier finally receded to a mere bank of half-glacierized snow on theupper portions of the two peaks, the basin filled up with water andthus formed a lake. Slowly the sand and rocky debris from the peaksfilled up the lake, and in the course of time a break was made inthe moraine, so that the creek flowed over or through it and the lakeceased to exist, while the meadow came into existence. 

CHAPTER X

DONNER LAKE AND ITS TRAGIC HISTORY

Closely allied to Lake Tahoe by its near proximity, its situation onthe Emigrant Gap automobile road from Sacramento to Tahoe, and thatit is seen from Mt. Rose, Mt. Watson, and many Tahoe peaks, is DormerLake, --lake of tragic memories in the early day pioneer history ofthis region. 

It was in 1846 that James T. Reed, of Springfield, Ill. , determined tomove to California. This land of promise was then a Mexican province, but Reed carefully and thoroughly had considered the question andhad decided that, for his family's good, it was well to emigrate. Heinduced two other Illinois families to accompany him, those of Georgeand Jacob Donner. Thursday, April 15th, 1846, the party started, fullof high hopes for the future. The story of how they met with othersbound for California or Oregon, at Independence, Mo. , journeyedtogether over the plains and prairies to Fort Hall, where Lansford W. Hastings, either in person or by his "Open Letter, " led part of theband to take his new road, which ultimated in dire tragedy, is wellknown. 

The Oregon division of the divided party took the right-hand trail, while the other took the left-hand to Fort Bridger. It is theexperiences of this latter party with which we are concerned. Misfortune came to them thick and fast from this time on. The wagonswere stalled in Weber Canyon and had to be hauled bodily up the steepcliffs to the plateau above; some of their stock ran away, afterheartbreaking struggles over the Salt Lake desert; mirages intensifiedtheir burning thirst by their disappointing lure; Indians threatenedthem, and finally, to add despair to their wretchedness, a quarrelarose in which Mr. Reed, in self-defence, killed one of the drivers, named Snyder. Reed was banished from the party under circumstances ofunjustifiable severity which amounted to inhuman cruelty, and his wifeand helpless children, the oldest of them, Virginia, only twelve yearsof age, had to take the rest of the journey without the presence oftheir natural protector. Food supplies began to give out, the snowfell earlier than usual and added to their difficulties, and beforethey reached the region of the Truckee River they were compelled togo on short rations. Then, under suspicious circumstances one of theparty, Wolfinger, was lost, and though his wife was informed that hehad been murdered by Indians, there was always a doubt in the minds ofsome as to whether that explanation were the true one. On the 19thof October, an advance guard that had gone on to California for food, returned, bringing seven mules ladened with flour and jerked beef. Thestory of this trip I have recounted more fully in the book _Heroesof California_. Without this additional food the party never couldhave survived. On the 22nd they crossed the Truckee River for theforty-ninth time. 

Heavy snow now began to intercept their weary way. They were finallycompelled to take refuge in an abandoned cabin near the shore of whatis now known as Donner Lake, and there, under circumstances of horrorand terror that can never fully be comprehended and appreciated, thedevoted men, women and children were imprisoned in the snow until thefirst relief party reached them, February 19th, with scant provisions, brought in at life's peril on snowshoes. A "Forlorn Hope" had tried toforce its passage over the snowy heights. Fifteen brave men and womendetermined to see if they could not win their way over and sendback help. Out of the fifteen seven only survived and reached theSacramento Valley, and they were compelled to sustain life by eatingthe flesh of those who had perished. 

The second relief party was organized by Mr. Reed, --the banishedleader--and thirty-one of the party were still in camp at Donner Lakewhen he arrived, with nine stalwart men to help, on March 1st. On the3rd nine of them left, with seventeen of the starving emigrants, butthey were caught in a fearful snow-storm as they crossed the summit, and ten miles below were compelled to go into camp. Their provisionsgave out, Mrs. Graves died, leaving an emaciated babe in arms andthree other children, one a five-year-old, who died the next day. Isaac Donner died the third night. Reed and Greenwood, carrying Reed'stwo children, Mattie and James Jr. , with one of the survivors whocould walk, now struggled down the mountain in the hope that theycould reach help to go back and finish the rescue work. These metMr. Woodworth who organized the third relief party, of seven men, whoreturned to "Starved Camp, " to find the survivors begging piteouslyfor something to eat. This relief party divided into two parts--one togo over the summit to give help to the needy there, the other to getthe "Starved Camp" remnant to safety. The first section succeeded intheir mission of mercy and a few days later caught up with the othersection from Starved Camp. 

Mr. C. F. McGlashan, formerly editor of the _Truckee Republican_, has written a graphic account, with great care and desire foraccuracy, of the complete expedition, which gives the heart-rendingstory with completeness, and I expect to publish ere long the personalstory of Virginia Reed Murphy, who is still alive, one of the fewsurvivors of the ill-fated party. 

[Illustration: The Steamer at the Wharf, Tahoe Tavern, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Donner Lake, on the Automobile Highway from Sacramentoto Truckee and Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: The Canyon of the Truckee River in Winter]

[Illustration: Automobiling along the Picturesque Truckee River, on the way to Lake Tahoe]

Through privations and hardships untold the survivors were ultimatelyenabled to reach Sutter's Fort, only to find the most vile and fearfulstories set in circulation about them. Four separate relief partieswere sent from California, and their adventures were almost as tragicas those of the sufferers they sought to help. Bret Harte, in his_Gabriel Conroy_, has told much--though in the exaggerated andunjust form the stories were first circulated--of the Donner tragedy, and it has been made the subject of much newspaper and other writingand discussion. 

An unusual trip that can be taken from Tahoe Tavern is down to thefoot of Donner Lake and then, turning to the left, follow the oldemigrant and stage-road. It has not been used for fifty years, but itis full of interest. There are many objects that remain to tell of itsfascinating history. Over it came many who afterwards became pioneersin hewing out this new land from the raw material of which lastingcommonwealths are made. Turning south to Cold Stream, it passes bySummit Valley on to Starved Camp. The stumps of the trees cut down bythe unfortunate pioneers are still standing. 

It was always a difficult road to negotiate, the divide between Mt. Lincoln and Anderson Peak being over 7500 feet high. But those heroesof 1848-49 made it, triumphing over every barrier and winning forthemselves what Joaquin Miller so poetically has accorded them, where he declares that "the snow-clad Sierras are their everlastingmonuments. "

This road is now, in places, almost obliterated. One section for threemiles is grown up. Trees and chaparral cover it and hide it from theface of any but the most studiously observant. When the road thattakes to the north of Donner Lake was built in 1861-62 and goesdirectly and on an easier grade by Emigrant Gap to Dutch Flat, thisroad by Cold Stream was totally abandoned. For years the county roadofficials have ignored its existence, and now it is as if it never hadbeen, save for its memories and the fragments of wagons, broken andabandoned in the fierce conflict with stern Nature, and suggestingthe heart-break and struggle the effort to reach California caused inthose early days. 

CHAPTER XI

LAKE TAHOE AND THE TRUCKEE RIVER

As is well known, the Truckee River is the only outlet to Lake Tahoe. This outlet is on the northwest side of the Lake, between Tahoe Cityand Tahoe Tavern, and is now entirely controlled by the concrete damand head-gates referred to in the chapter on "Public uses of the Waterof Lake Tahoe. "

When Frémont came down from Oregon in 1844, he named the river_Salmon Trout River_, from the excellent fish found therein, butthe same year, according to Angel, in his _History of Nevada_, aparty of twenty-three men, enthused by the glowing accounts they hadheard of California, left Council Bluffs, May 20th, crossed the plainsin safety, and reached the Humboldt River. Here an Indian, namedTruckee, presented himself to them and offered to become theirguide. After questioning him closely, they engaged him, and as theyprogressed, found that all his statements were verified. He soonbecame a great favorite among them, and when they reached the lowercrossing of the river (now Wadsworth), they were so pleased by thepure water and the abundance of the fish to which he directed them, that they named the stream "Truckee" in his honor. 

This Capt. Truckee was the chief of the Paiutis, and the father ofWinnemucca (sometimes known as Poito), and the grandfather of SarahWinnemucca Hopkins, long known in Boston and other eastern cities, where she lectured under the patronage of Mrs. Horace Mann, Mrs. OleBull, Miss Longfellow, and other prominent women, as the PrincessSallie. When I first went to Nevada, over thirty-three years ago, I soon got to know her and her father, Winnemucca, and met themconstantly. 

Sarah always claimed that Truckee and Frémont were great friends andthat it was the Pathfinder who named the river after her grandfather, but nowhere in his _Report_ of the 1843-44 Expedition does hemention Truckee, and he called the river the "Salmon Trout River";and this name he retained both in the report and map published in his_Memoirs of My Life_, Vol. I only of which was issued by Belford, Clarke and Company, of Chicago, in 1887. 

Hence Sallie is undoubtedly mistaken in this regard. But on severalpoints she is correct, and too great emphasis cannot be laid uponthese facts. They are, I, that Truckee guided several emigrantparties, even as far as Sutter's Fort, California (where Sacramento, the Capital of the State, now stands); II, that he was alwaysfriendly, true and honest in his dealings with the whites; III, thathad the emigrants and settlers in Nevada treated him as honestly as hedid them there would never have been any conflicts between the Paiutisand the whites; IV, that when the latter first came to the country hecalled councils of his people and bade them welcome the newcomers withopen arms. 

He died just as the wrongs inflicted upon the Paiutis were making themdesperate and resolved on war. Though his son, Winnemucca, is wellknown never openly to have waged war against the whites, it wasthoroughly understood that secretly he favored it. But had his fatherlived and retained his health and power there is little doubt but thatthe open conflict would have been averted, and many precious humanlives on both sides saved. 

The Truckee River has its rise in Lake Tahoe, flows northward andbreaks through the Mount Pluto ridge in a narrow canyon, one thousandto two thousand feet in depth. While the canyon is narrow and itsslopes, especially on the east, are rocky and steep, it is not exactlygorge-like, except for the space of a mile or so, a short distancebelow Tahoe. For twelve miles the river follows a northerly course, and it is then joined by Donner Creek flowing from Donner Lake. The united streams then turn eastward and take a course across thenorthern end of the gravelly flat of Martis Valley, in a channel twohundred to two-hundred-fifty feet below the level of the plain. AtBoca it cuts through the eastern range with a canyon one thousand tothree thousand five hundred feet in depth and emerges on the plainsof Nevada between Verdi and Reno. It returns again to the north belowWadsworth, having run sixty-nine miles from Donner Creek, and then, flowing sixteen more miles, it discharges into Pyramid Lake. At Tahoethe river begins at an elevation of 6, 225 feet above sea level; atPyramid the level is 4, 890 feet, thus giving the river a fall of 1, 335feet in ninety-seven miles. 

The Truckee River receives a number of large tributaries; theprincipal ones being Little Truckee River and Prosser Creek, theformer heading in Webber Lake, the latter in the main range of theSierras, most of its sources lying in small lakes held in hollows andbasins excavated by glaciers. 

Until it was contaminated by the refuse of civilization its waterswere pure and healthful, but legal enactments have been necessary toprotect the stream from sawdust and other pollutions. 

As elsewhere explained the Truckee River being the only outlet of LakeTahoe, and therefore its natural outflow channel, together with thefacts that its origin is in California and it then flows into Nevada, and that part of Lake Tahoe is in each state, has helped complicatethe solution of the question as to who is entitled to the surpluswaters of the Lake. This is discussed somewhat in a later chapterdevoted to the subject. 

It may be interesting to recall that in 1900 Mr. A. W. Von Schmidt, President of the _Lake Tahoe and San Francisco Water Works_, offered to sell to the City of San Francisco certain rights to thewater of Lake Tahoe, the dam at the outlet, contract for a deed to twoand a half acres of land on which the outlet dam was constructed, adiverting dam in the Truckee River, a patent to the land (forty acres)on which this land stood, and the maps and surveys for a complete lineconveying the water of Lake Tahoe to the city of the Golden Gate. Heoffered to construct this line, including a tunnel through the SierraNevadas, and deliver thirty million gallons of water daily, for$17, 960, 000. If a double line, or a hundred millions of gallons daily, were required, the price was to be correspondingly increased. 

This proposition aroused the people of Nevada, and R. L. Fulton, ofReno, Manager of the State Board of Trade, wrote to the San Franciscosupervisors, calling attention to the facts that there was no surpluswater from Tahoe during the irrigation season, for the water hadbeen diverted by the farmers living along the Truckee River to theirfields; that flouring-mills, smelting and reduction works, electriclight plant and water-works at Reno, immense saw-mills, a furniturefactory, box factory, water and electric-light works, railroadwater-tanks, etc. , at Truckee, half a dozen ice-ponds, producing over200, 000 tons of ice annually, sawmills and marble-working mills atEssex; planing-mills at Verdi, paper-mill at Floristan, and othersimilar plants, were totally dependent for their water supply upon theTruckee River. 

He also claimed (what was the well-known fact) that the Von Schmidtdam was burned out many years ago, and that Nevada would put up atremendously stiff fight to prevent any such diversion of Tahoe wateras was contemplated. Needless to say the plan fell through. 

CHAPTER XII

BY RAIL TO LAKE TAHOE

Lake Tahoe is fifteen miles from Truckee, which is one of the mountainstations on the main line of the Southern Pacific Railway (CentralRoute), two hundred and eight miles from San Francisco, thirty-fivemiles from Reno, Nevada, and five hundred and seventy-four milesfrom Ogden, Utah. By the San Joaquin Valley route via Sacramento, thedistance to Los Angeles is five hundred and eighty miles, or by SanFrancisco and the Coast Line six hundred and ninety-two miles. 

During the summer season trains run frequently through, making Tahoeeasily accessible. 

From the east the traveler comes over what is practically the longknown and historic overland stage-road, over which so many thousandsof gold-seekers and emigrants came in the days of California's goldexcitement. Every mile has some story of pioneer bravery or heroism, of hairbreadth escape from hostile Indians or fortuitous deliverancefrom storm or disaster. It was over this route the pilgrims came whosought in Utah a land of freedom where they might follow theirown peculiar conceptions of religion and duty, untrammeled anduninterfered with by hostile onlookers and disbelievers. Here came thehome-seekers of the earlier day, when California was still a provinceof Mexico; those who had been lured by the glowing stories of the Landof the Sun Down Sea, where orange and lemon, vine and fig flourishedand indicated the semi-tropic luxuriance and fruitfulness of the land. 

[Illustration: Truckee, Calif. , Where Travelers Take Trains forLake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Crossing the Truckee River Near Deer Park Station]

[Illustration: Placerville, El Dorado Co. , California]

[Illustration: Vineyard on the Automotive Highway between Placervilleand Lake Tahoe]

From the west the railroad traverses, in the main, the continuationof this old overland road. After leaving the fertile valley of theSacramento and rising into the glorious foot-hills of the Sierras, every roll of the billows of the mountains and canyons wedged inbetween is redolent of memories of the argonauts and emigrants. Yonderare Yuba, Dutch Flat, the North Fork, the South Fork (of the AmericanRiver), Colfax, Gold Run, Midas, Blue Canyon, Emigrant Gap, GrassValley, Michigan Bluff, Grizzly Gulch, Alpha, Omega, Eagle Bird, RedDog, Chips Flat, Quaker Hill and You Bet. Can you not see these camps, alive with rough-handed, full-bearded, sun-browned, stalwart men, and hear the clang of hammer upon drill, the shock of the blast, thewheeling away and crash of waste rock as it is thrown over the dumppile?

And then, as we look up and forward into the sea of mountain-wavesinto the heart of which we ride, who but Joaquin Miller can describethe scene?

Here lifts the land of clouds! Fierce mountain forms, Made white with everlasting snows, look downThrough mists of many canyons, mighty stormsThat stretch from Autumn's purple drench and drownThe yellow hem of Spring. Tall cedars frownDark-brow'd, through banner'd clouds that stretch and streamAbove the sea from snowy mountain crown. The heavens roll, and all things drift or seemTo drift about and drive like some majestic dream. 

And it is in the very bosom of this majestic scenery that Lake Tahoelies enshrined. Its entrancing beauty is such that we do not wonderthat these triumphant monarchs of the "upper seas" cluster around itas if in reverent adoration, and that they wear their vestal virginrobes of purest white in token of the purity of their worship. 

Thoughts like these flood our hearts and minds as we reach Truckee, the point where we leave the Southern Pacific cars and change to thoseof the narrow-gauge Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company. After a brief wait, long enough to allow transfer of baggage, weleave, from the same station, for the fifteen miles' ride to TahoeTavern on the very edge of the Lake. 

This ride is itself romantic and beautiful. On the day trainsobservation cars are provided, and the hour is one of delightful, restful and enchanting scenes. The Truckee River is never out of sightand again and again it reminds one in its foaming speed of JoaquinMiller's expressive phrase:

See where the cool white river runs. 

Before 1900 this ride used to be taken by stage, the railway havingbeen built in that year. It is interesting here to note that therails, the locomotives, the passenger and freight cars were alltransported bodily across the Lake from Glenbrook, on the Nevada side. There they were in use for many years mainly for hauling logs andlumber to and from the mills on the summit, whence it was "flumed" toCarson City. 

In those days logging was carried on in the Truckee River Canyon andthe visitor would often have the pleasure of seeing logs "shoot thechutes" into the river, by which they were floated to the mills atTruckee. Here is a picture:

 Tree, bush, and flower grow and blossom upon either side; and a little bird, with a throat like a thrush, warbles a canticle of exquisite musical modulations, so to speak. But the most stirring sight of all is the system of logging carried on by the mill companies. "Look! Quick!" ejaculates the driver; and your gaze is directed to a monster log that comes furiously dashing from the summit down a chute a thousand feet in length with twice the ordinary speed of a locomotive. So rapid is its descent that it leaves a trail of smoke behind it, and sometimes kindles a fire among the slivers along its way. Ah! it strikes the water! In an instant there is an inverted Niagara in the air, resplendent with prismatic and transparent veils of spray[1]. 

[Footnote 1: John Vance Cheney in _Lippincott's_. ]

The main portion of the canyon is walled in by abrupt acclivities, upon which majestic trees used to grow, but where now only the growthof the past twenty-five to fifty years is found, doing its best tohide the scars and wounds of the logging days. 

The river, issuing from the Lake above, dashes down its wild way inresistless freedom. It is a rapid, all but savage stream, wideningoccasionally into sheltered pools exceedingly dark and deep. Thebowlders in its channel, and those crowding down into it from itsfarther bank, cause it to eddy and foam with fierce but becomingpride. 

A few miles from the Tavern we pass the scene of the Squaw Valleymining excitement where the two towns of Knoxville and Claravillearose as if by magic, tent cities of thousands of inhabitants, luredhither by a dream of gold, too soon to fade away, leaving nothing butdistress behind. 

Deer Park station suggests the leaving point for that charminglypicturesque resort, snuggling in the heart of Bear Canyon. Now wepass the masses of tuffaceous breccia that "Pap" Church, the oldstage-driver used to call the Devil's Pulpit, and the devil's this andthat or the other, until many a traveler would wish they were all withthe devil. 

This is a remnant of the vast mass of volcanic rock that in long agoprehistoric times was poured out in molten sheets over the region, and that formed the range we shall shortly see at the north end of theLake--the Mount Pluto range. At some later period either earthquakeconvulsion started the break which ultimately eroded and disintegratedinto the great gorge through which the railway has brought us, orgrinding glacier cut the pathway for us. 

Here, on the right, is a tiny swinging foot-bridge over the river. This is the beginning, the suggestion, for the vast suspension bridgesthat have allowed the world to cross the great North River from NewYork to Brooklyn, and that span great rivers and gorges elsewhere inthe world. Nay! scarcely the beginning. That you find further up anddeeper down in the High Sierras and their shaded and wooded canyons, where wild vines throw their clinging tendrils across from one shoreto another of foaming creeks, and gradually grow in girth and strengthuntil they form bridges, over which chipmunks, squirrels, porcupines, 'coons, coyotes, and finally mountain lions, bears, and even men crosswith safety. There is the _real origin_ of the suspension bridge. But this is a miniature, a model, a suggestion of the big bridges. It affords ready access to the house on the other side. In winter, however, the boards are taken up, as the heavy snows that fall andaccumulate might wreck it. 

It is hard to realize that, a few months from now, when winter begins, this railroad must perforce cease its operations. Snow falls, here, where the sun is now smiling so beneficently upon laughing meadows, dotted here and there with dainty flowers, to a depth of ten and eventwenty feet. The mail--necessarily much reduced in winter--is first ofall carried in sleighs, then, as the snows deepen, on snow-shoes, so that those who stay to preserve the "summer hotels" from winter'sravages may not feel entirely shut out from the living world beyond. 

But there is nothing that suggests snow now. We are enjoying thedelights of a summer day or evening, and know that we are near ourjourney's end. Suddenly there is a long call of the whistle, a shortcurve, and if in the daytime, the Lake suddenly appears, or, if atnight, the lights of the Tavern, and our rail journey is done. We aredeposited in Fairyland, for whether it be day or evening, the Lakeor the Tavern, our senses are thrilled and charmed by everything thatappears. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE WISHBONE AUTOMOBILE ROUTE TO AND AROUND LAKE TAHOE

This is the name given to the 260-mile automobile route to and fromLake Tahoe, going in from Sacramento over the world-famed EmigrantGap and Donner Lake road, around the western shore of Lake Tahoe, from Tahoe Tavern to Tallac, and thence back to Sacramento over thehistoric and picturesque Placerville road. While both of the two mainarms of the "wishbone" carry the traveler over the Sierras, the roadsare wonderfully different. On the Emigrant Gap arm the road seems tohave been engineered somewhat after the Indian fashion, viz. , to allowthe wildest and most expansive outlooks, while the Placerville routeis largely confined to the picturesque and beautiful canyon of theSouth Fork of the American River. Both have honored histories and bothare fascinating from the scenic standpoint and the difference in thetwo routes merely accentuates the charm of the trip, when comparedwith the new portion of the road, the connecting link that bindsthem together and now makes possible the ride around the lake shore. Experience has demonstrated, however, that it is better to make thecircuit as herein outlined. 

A brief sketch of the history of the building of the Emigrant Gapportion of this road cannot fail to be of interest. 

It was practically followed by a host of the emigrants who soughtCalifornia during the great gold excitement of 1848-9. It was also oneof the earliest routes used between Sacramento and the mines of theHigh Sierras. In 1849 it was established from Sacramento to Auburn, Grass Valley and Nevada City and to-day there is practically littledeviation from the original route. In 1850 the mines on the ForestHill Divide were discovered and a branch road from Auburn was built tothat section. At Illinoistown (now Colfax) the road branched, one armcrossing the North Fork of the American River to Iowa Hill and othercamps on that divide, while the main road continued up the Sierras toGold Run, Dutch Flat and other points higher up. 

Until the Central Pacific Railway was built in the 'sixtiesIllinoistown was the junction for the different Camps in Nevada Countyand the Bear River and Iowa Hill Divides. The population of theseregions in those early days was much greater than at the present time, yet the demands of the modern automobile have so improved the roadsthat they are much superior to what the large population of those daysenjoyed. 

In 1862 the California legislature authorized the supervisors ofcertain counties to call special elections to vote upon the questionas to whether those counties should subscribe towards the building ofthe Central Pacific Railway, and to authorize them to issue bonds forthe amounts they decided to expend. San Francisco county subscribed$1, 000, 000, Sacramento county $300, 000 and Placer county $250, 000. 

In 1863 the Railroad Company began its work of grading the road bed atSacramento, and yet, in 1865 it was only completed to Alta, a distanceof 68 miles. At the same time it was making strenuous efforts todivert passenger and freight traffic for Virginia City and otherNevada points from the Placerville route. This had become possiblebecause of the fact that when the railway line was actually built asfar as Newcastle the engineers realized that before they could buildthe rest of their railroad they would need to construct a highway ofeasy grade, which would enable them to haul the necessary supplies forconstructing the tunnels, cuts and bridges. Accordingly a survey wasmade up to Truckee, over the Nevada line into Reno and Virginia City, securing the best possible grade for a wagon road, and this was rushedto a hasty completion. 

Naturally, they were anxious to gain all the paying traffic possible, and especially under the adverse conditions under which they werelaboring. But, needless to say, this caused the fiercest hostilityon the part of their competitors, laid them open to serious charges, which, later, were made, and that for a time threatened desperateconsequences, as I will now proceed to relate. 

In the late fall of 1864 the Sacramento Valley Railroad (the rival ofthe Central Pacific) arranged to make a record trip from Freeportto Virginia City by the Placerville route. Though the officialsendeavored to keep the matter secret, it leaked out and immediatelythe Central Pacific planned to circumvent their aim. They stationedrelays along their own line to compete, and Nature and Fate seemed tocome to their aid. A fierce storm arose the day before the start wasto be made, and it fell heavier on the Placerville than on the otherroute. Though the drivers of each line did their utmost, feeling theirown personal honor, as well as that of their company at stake, theheavy rains at Strawberry arrested the Placerville stage and madefurther progress impossible, while the other route was enabledto complete its trip on record time. Mr. L. L. Robinson, theSuperintendent of the Sacramento Valley Railroad, who himselfaccompanied the stage, wired from Strawberry, "Heavy rains, heavyroads, slow time"--reluctant to own a possible defeat. But theSacramento _Union_, the organ of the Central Pacific, came outthe next morning with glowing accounts of the successful run ofthe stages over the Emigrant Gap route and ridiculed Mr. Robinson'stelegram, ironically comparing it with Cćsar's classic message to theRoman Senate: "Veni, Vidi, Vici. "

It was such struggles for local business as this that led the SanFrancisco _Alta California_, a paper bitterly opposed to theCentral Pacific, to denounce the railway, in 1866, as the "Dutch FlatSwindle. " It claimed that the railway would never be built furtherthan Alta and that it was built so far only for the purpose ofcontrolling passenger and freight traffic over their wagon road toVirginia City and other Nevada points. Other San Francisco papersjoined in the fight and so energetically was it conducted, and sopowerful became the opposition that they actually prevailed upon thepeople of San Francisco to repudiate their contract to purchase amillion dollars' worth of Central Pacific stock and compromise bypractically making the railroad company a present of $600, 000 (whichhad already been expended) provided they would release the City andCounty from their pledge to raise the remaining $400, 000. 

The folly of this action is now so apparent that it is hard toconceive how even political and civic jealousy or hatred could havebeen so blinded to self-interest. The Central Pacific engineers hadundertaken one of the most difficult pieces of railway engineering inthe world, and the financiers of the company were having an equallydesperate struggle. During the Civil War the finances of the nationwere at a low ebb and money was exceedingly difficult to secure. Yetin spite of all obstacles the company had gone ahead in perfect goodfaith, and at that very time were hauling rails and track materialfrom Alta, and soon from Cisco, to Truckee (then called Coburn Stationon the old Emigrant Gap road), and had actually built therailroad from Truckee down into Nevada and as far east as Wadsworth, or a little beyond, before the tunnel at Summit was completed. 

[Illustration: Automobiling along the Truckee River]

[Illustration: On the Automobile Boulevard Around Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Atlantic to Pacific Automobile Party, Premier Tour, 1911, Stopping at Tahoe Tavern]

[Illustration: Copyright 1910, by Harold A. Parker. Cascade Lakeand Mt. Tallac]

Thus in storm and stress was this road born, and in the winter timeof our day it is still a road of storm and stress, as are all of theroads over the High Sierras. It must be remembered that while theelevation at Sacramento is but thirty feet above sea level, at Summitit is 7018 feet, and even at Truckee, where the turn is made forTahoe, it is 5819 feet. Naturally such high altitudes receiveconsiderable snow, which render the roads impassable during the winterseason. In 1914 I went from Truckee to the Summit on the 10th of June, and save for two or three patches of snow which were rapidly melting, there were no serious obstacles that any good motor could notovercome. 

FROM SACRAMENTO TO TAHOE ON THE EMIGRANT GAP AND DONNER LAKE ROUTE, 135 MILES

From Sacramento the grade is easy and the country fairly open untilAuburn is reached (35-1/2 miles. ) The roads are excellent, thedisintegrated granite affording local material close at hand forperfect road building. The Sierras stretch away to the east in gentlyascending billows, covered over with richest verdure of native treesof every variety, and of the thousands of orchard trees that aremaking this region as famous for its fruits as it used to be for itsmines. For from 1849 until the hydraulic mines were closed down bythe anti-débris decision in the U. S. Supreme Court, this section andbeyond was one of the richest gold mining regions of California, andhistorically, one of the greatest importance to the State. Such placesas Auburn, Illinoistown (Colfax), Gold Run and Dutch Flat, were richproducing camps and branch roads reached to Yankee Jim, Todd's Valley, Forest Hill, Michigan Bluffs, Bath, and other towns on what is knownas the Forest Hill Divide, a divide being a local term, to signify therocky, mountainous mass, --nearly always having a level grade on itssummit, --that separates two forks of the same stream, or two differentstreams. From Colfax another road led to Grass Valley, Nevada City, and North Bloomfield in Nevada County, and Iowa Hill, Wisconsin Hill, Monona Flat, and Damascus on the Iowa Hill Divide. All these werecenters of rich mining districts which were scenes of the greatestactivity in the days of their productivity. Now, however, most of themare abandoned, except Auburn, Colfax, and Nevada City which have otherresources, and Grass Valley, which maintains its high standing owingto its rich quartz mines. Forest Hill, Iowa Hill, and Michigan Bluffhave drift mines which maintain small and meager populations comparedwith those of the early and prosperous days. In the 'fifties YankeeJim and its tributary mines had a population of 3000, while to-day itis entirely deserted. Todd's Valley, which was also a flourishing camphas suffered the same fate. 

_Auburn to Colfax 16 Miles, Colfax to Emigrant Gap, 30-1/2Miles_. Leaving Auburn the road ascends more rapidly until Colfax(16 miles) is reached (elevation 2422 feet). Then ten miles furtherone is in the heart of the most extensive hydraulic mining operationsof California. Thousands of acres are passed which yet bear the scarsof the "washing down" for the precious mineral hid away during thecenturies until the Argonauts of '49 and later unearthed it by theirgigantic hydraulic nozzles. Millions of dollars were extracted fromthese placers, but now the villages are deserted and all miningoperations have ceased. The time is not far distant when automobileparties will arrange to stop over in one of these little places, andwith a competent guide, go over the deserted placers. It is hard torealize that by the mere power of water mountains were washed away, leaving the denuded country on the one hand, a land of mounds andhummocks, like the Bad Lands in miniature, and on the other hand ofmasses of débris, too heavy to be washed away into the streams. 

The wildest portions of the Sierras are revealed in ascending fromDutch Flat to the Summit. The snowsheds of the Southern PacificRailway come into sight, perched like peculiar long black boxes, withpeep-holes, along an impossible ledge of the massive granite cliffs, and the Sierran trees tower upright from every possible vantage groundin the granite beneath. 

At Towle, three miles beyond Dutch Flat, the shipping point is reachedfrom which much of the material was hauled for the building of LakeSpaulding dam. Hundreds of teams were employed in this work, and theroad showed an almost unbroken procession for months. This was in1912-13. A side trip to this remarkable dam, impounding the waters ofthe High Sierras for the generation of electric power to be used notonly in the Sacramento Valley but in far away San Francisco, cannotfail to be of interest. The area of the Lake, with the dam at itspresent elevation, is such as to justify the assertion that it is nextto if not the largest artificial lake in the world. 

_Emigrant Gap to Cisco, 14 Miles_. --Fourteen miles from Towle, after enjoying the rich blue haze of Blue Canyon, the road passesthrough the natural Sierran pass at Emigrant Gap which gives its nameto the route. Here one who has not been over the road before must notfail to note the following: As he passes through the Gap the massivegranite wall towers in dominant power to the right and leads one tofeel that miles of rugged peaks are there. _Yet not more than ahundred yards farther on_, the wall fades away, and if he stopshere, and turns off the road slightly to the right, he will glimpsea vision of glory and sublimity that will take away his breath. Here, from a thousand or two thousand feet almost sheer above it, one gazesdown to where in peaceful repose lies Bear Valley, a rich emeraldgreen meadow, on the right side of which flows the South Fork of theYuba River, and on the left heads Bear Creek, which empties into theSacramento at Marysville. Ten, fifteen, twenty minutes are alwayspent here by those who know of this delectable surprise, yet manycome over the road unheeding and are never aware of what they havemissed. 

Eight miles beyond Emigrant Gap, at Cisco, one sees a branch roadwhich leads to the old Meadow Lake Mining District, which in the'sixties had a population of several thousands. A large town was builtthere, which is now totally abandoned. 

_Cisco to Summit, 13 Miles_. At Summit a marvelous view is had inboth directions, east and west. Westward the fall of the Sierras intothe Sacramento Valley is apparently so gentle and easy as to lead oneto wonder that he has risen so high, but eastward the descent ismuch more steep and abrupt. The rude granite in many places is almostbarren though Sierran trees abound. The grade is easy, and the newgrade and tunnel under the Southern Pacific tracks makes an addedimprovement. Almost immediately on emerging from this tunnel the fullglory of the eastern view is forced upon the attention. At one's feet, apparently, lies the placid surface of Donner Lake, its pure bluegiving one a premonitory foretaste of the richer blues that await himat Tahoe, while beyond are the mountains that overlook the Great Basinof Nevada. 

_Summit to Truckee, 11 Miles_. Rapidly the road descends, wellengineered and easy to negotiate to any responsible driver, and beforeone is aware he is bowling along on the level Donner Boulevard, whichis as perfect a piece of country road as can be found anywhere onearth. The Monument (not yet completed) erected by the Native Sonsto the memory of the Donner Lake pioneers, and the Memorial Cross, erected on the spot where the unhappy party camped, are passed andin a few minutes Truckee is reached. This was once the scene of greatlumber activities but now much reduced, although it is the shippingpoint for Hobarts Mills, which is one of the largest lumber camps ofthe West. 

Here the road to Tahoe turns sharply to the south, and the fifteenmiles run to the Tavern is made in the picturesque canyon of theTruckee River fully described in another chapter. 

The elevations are Sacramento, 32 feet; Auburn, 1360; Colfax, 2422;Emigrant Gap, 5225; Cisco, 5940; Summit, 7018; Truckee, 5819; TahoeTavern, 6240. 

FROM TAHOE TAVERN TO TALLAC

On Tuesday, June 9, 1914, I had the pleasure of making the first tripof the season over the new Tahoe Boulevard from Tahoe to Tallac. Letme here quote the account written at the time:

It was a fine morning, clear and just cool enough to be pleasant, no wind, sun shining through the trees, the Lake glistening in itsrichest morning glory, the air like wine, birds singing everywhere, chipmunks chattering as they ran up and down the trees, and we as fullof life as they, when we made the start. Our machine was a Chalmers20, a first-class chauffeur at the wheel, with instructions to goslow, let us see all there was, and to run no risks if the winter'ssnows and storms had interfered with the safety of the road. We didn'teven wear overcoats, though all the peaks were covered with snow. 

The first mile or two from the Tavern is through avenues of secondgrowth timber just tall enough to be delightful. In turn we passedmany of the choice residences that are making Tahoe growingly popularas a summer home, and then crossed Ward Creek and Blackwood Creek. This latter is one of the principal trout spawning streams of Tahoe, and to prevent fishermen from catching the fish that seek the streamat the spawning season the Fish Commissioners have placed a buoy outin the Lake, some twenty-five hundred feet away, within which bound itis illegal to catch fish. 

While many trees have been logged from this region there are stillenough to make it forest-like, and as the road winds and turns itaffords glimpses and full views, sometimes for only a moment or two, and again for a minute or more, of the placid-faced blue Lake on theleft, or the snowy mountain summits straight ahead or on the right. What rich contrasts of color, what revelations of majesty andsublimity each new turn affords!

The first eight miles is fairly level road and close to the Lake, buteight miles out, just before reaching McKinney's, the new portion ofthe State Highway begins, and it has been engineered to give scenicand romantic effect all along the way. In road building no longer isit necessary to consider the cheapest and nearest way. "Give us themost scenic, " cry the motorists, "we'll pay the bills and our machineswill speedily eat up any extra distance we may be required to travelto obtain the best scenery of the country. " From now on the whole tripis one of carefully engineered surprises and revelations. Colwell'sMoana Villa, and Pomin's new and beautiful place are passed and thenwe ascend, and suddenly Meek's Bay is revealed to us, a glorioussymphony in blues, deepening and richening into pure amethyst, withlines, patches and borders of emerald and lapis lazuli. Beyond risehill-studded slopes leading the eye higher and higher until, anchoredin a sky as blue as is the Lake below, are the snowy-white crowns ofthe Rubicon Peaks, with here and there a craggy mass protruding asthough it were a Franciscan's scalp surrounded by pure white hair. Up and down we glide, the soft purring of the motor as we run on thelevel changing to the chug-chugging of the up-pulls, or the gripof the brake as we descend. Every few feet new vistas of beauty areprojected before us. The moving pictures are all exquisite. Indeed, after many studies of this incomparable Lake Tahoe I verily believethere is no more beautiful spot on it than Meek's Bay seen from thisroad. 

To get its full charm we stop the machine for a while. Looking back wediscover that the curve where we rest is a marvelous outlook point. Wehave ascended to a good height and look down upon the Lake. Thereare light blue, emerald green, deep blue in patches and in longirregularly shaped points. Here are Como, Maggiore, Lugano andWindermere all in one, though as yet free from the houses andartificial gardens on the slopes. But Nature such as this needs noneof man's adornment to make it perfect. 

Starting the engine again we circle around the point and comeimmediately into another charming circlet of views. Between Meek's Bayand Rubicon Point is another little recess in the lakeshore, Grecian Bay, a good second to the one I have just described. Here weparticularly notice the effect of the many varieties of trees, theirdark trunks, branches and foliage set out almost in silhouette againstthe pure color of the Lake below. These elevated stretches of road area constant joy and delight. They afford us glad surprises every fewmoments in such views of the Lake as we could not otherwise obtain. 

Crossing Lonely Gulch, watched over by the serene pure loveliness ofthe snowy peaks above, a good climb up a steep stretch of road bringsus to the shoulder of Rubicon Point. Winding in and out, twining andtwisting around and around, we reach Rubicon Park, from which place weget a perfect view of the whole Lake from one end to the other. 

To-day there are a score or more of fishermen out in their littleboats, and strange to say, all of them near enough to be seen, arefishing in a patch of deep blue. The water there must be deeper thanelsewhere, for there is where they invariably get their best catches. 

In marked contrast to the blue is a great finger of emerald thrust outfrom a nearby point, as if in warning not to dare pass its mysteriousborder. 

Now we come to the wild and rugged scenery. We are hemmed in on theright by towering crags and walls of massive gray rock. Shattered andseamed, scarred and disintegrated, they look as though earthquake andlightning shock and the storms of a thousand years had battled withthem. They give a new touch of grandeur and almost awesome sublimityto the scene. 

For a mile or two we play at hide and seek with the Lake. It seemsas though we were in the hands of a wizard. "Now you see it, now youdon't. " Query: "Where is the Lake?" Mountains, snowbanks, granitewalls, trees galore, creeks flashing their white crests dashing downtheir stony courses toward the Lake, but only now and then do we catchfleeting glimpses of it. All at once it bursts full and clear againupon our enraptured vision, but only to give us a full taste of itssupernal beauty before we are whirled around a curve where the eyerests upon nothing but the rugged majesty of the Sierras. Change andcontrast, the picturesque, beautiful, delicate and exquisite in closetouch and harmonious relationship with the majestic and the sublime. Travel the whole world over and nothing surpassing this can be found. 

Now we curve around high up above Emerald Bay, that small glacialLake, the eastern terminal moraine of which was unfortunately tornthrough, so that the _lake_ disappeared and became a _bay_of the great Lake itself. Every moment of this portion of the ride isa delight. The senses are kept keenly alert, for not only have we theLake, the bay and the mountains, but part of the way we have flowersand shrubs by the thousands, bees and butterflies flit to and fro, andsinging streams come foaming white from the snowbanks above, eager toreach the Lake. As our car-wheels dash across these streamlets theysplash up the water on each side into sparkling diamonds and on everyhand come up the sweet scents of growing, living things. Now Mt. Tallac, in all his serene majesty, looms ahead. Snow a hundred ormore feet deep in places covers his rocky sides. Here we can see whereglaciers were born in the early days when Tallac was several thousandfeet higher than it now is. 

Below us is the emerald-ringed bay, with its romantic little islandat the west end, and nearby the joyously-shouting Eagle Creek as itplunges over the precipice and makes the foam-flecked Eagle Falls. Ourroad here was blasted through some fiercely solid and hostile rock. One boulder alone that stood in the way weighed (it was estimated bythe engineers) from 800 to 1000 tons. Fifty cases of highly explosivepowder were suitably placed all around it. Excursion steamers tookhundreds of people from all parts of the Lake to see the explosion, and at the proper moment, while everybody held his breath, the fuseswere fired, the blasts took effect, the rock flew down to the levelbeneath, shattered into four great masses. A new El Capitan now risesabove us, though it lacks the smooth unbroken dignity of the greatYosemite cliff, yet it is sublime in its sudden rise and vast height. Nestling at its feet is Eagle Lake, and beyond are the Velmas and ascore of other glacial jewels calling for visitors to rhapsodize overtheir beauty. Maggie's Peaks are to our right, Eagle Falls to ourleft, with Emerald Bay, the Island, the Point and the Lake beyond allcalling upon us to enjoy them to the full. 

We decide to stay here for lunch, and under the shelter of a giantsugar pine a thousand years old, listening to the eternally buoyantsong of Eagle Falls, we refresh ourselves with the good lunch put upfor us at the Tavern. 

Again we push ahead and soon have our first adventure: The roadgang was at work, and we did not expect to go much farther, but theyassured us that, save for a few rough places here and there, whichthey would speedily correct, we need have no fear but that we couldget through with ease. In a score of places, since we left the Tavern, we had crossed little streams of snow-water that had come tumblingdown from the banks above. Suddenly we came to one with a largervolume than most of the others, and the road bed a little softer, so it had cut quite a deep little passage for itself. Easily ourchauffeur dropped the front wheels into the cut, and to his surprisehe found they stuck there. It did not take us long to jack up thewheels and put rocks underneath them, and we were about ready to getout when the road gang came along with a wagon and a pair of sturdymules. As quickly as it takes me to tell it the mules were attached toour back axle and we were pulled out. A few more rocks and a coupleof planks placed over the cut and we were honking on our way withtriumph. 

Half a mile farther we came upon the ridge that separates Emerald Bayfrom Cascade Lake. Both are in clear View at the same time, while tothe west we can hear the joyous song of Cascade Falls in its grandleap down from the foot of the snow-banks of Mt. Tallac into thetree-clad stream-course below. 

Now the road brings us almost directly above the Lake, with a rapidslope down, covered with dainty trees and shrubs of recent growth. From here we gain a fine view of the south end of the lakeshore. Tallac, the Grove, Bijou, Al Tahoe and clear across to Lakeside, withthe deep green of the meadows above, and the snowy crowns of Freel's, Job's, and Job's sister, with Monument Peak combine to give the propersetting to the Lake. 

Soon we are racing across the level to the Fish Hatchery, betweenavenues of quaking aspens and young tamaracks and pines. Suddenlywe come upon a mired car, the driver of which had just crossed theSierras from Placerville, with little or no difficulty, but coming toa soft piece of road here when going a trifle faster than he should, and the side of the road having caught a lot of snow-water, he hadbogged and was working like a beaver to extricate himself. We had astout rope along and it was the work of two or three minutes to gethim out and we again pushed forward, gratified and smiling at thewarmly expressed thanks of himself and his three happy women-folkswho were enjoying their first trip into the Tahoe country, and alreadyconfessing their complete subjection to its thrall. 

Passing the Hatchery we were only a few more minutes in reachingTallac House, the first to complete the auto-trip this season. Except for a few short stretches of scarcely completed road it is inexcellent condition, and the road gang now at work will have all therough portions smoothed down in a few days. 

It should here be noted that side trips may be made in automobiles toGlen Alpine Springs and Fallen Leaf Lodge. Both resorts use their ownautomobile stages daily during the season, hence keep the roads ingood condition. 

We made the return trip from Tallac House to the Tavern in two hoursexactly. The distance is 26 miles. The road gang had already put abridge over the place that had delayed us on coming out, and the roadthroughout was easy and safe. Naturally it is not as easy to negotiateas a San Francisco boulevard, but with the wheel in the hands of acareful chauffeur there is perfect safety and a trip that need givenot a moment's fear to the most timorous. 

FROM TALLAC TO SACRAMENTO, BY THE PLACERVILLE ROUTE, 108 MILES

This is practically the first historic route into California, for, asI have shown in the chapter on Frémont's Explorations, it was the onethe Pathfinder practically followed on his memorable trip that led tothe discovery of Lake Tahoe. 

Hence, when the gold excitement attracted its thousands to California, many of the argonauts took this road, following the Humboldt River andturning south at the Humboldt "Sink, " crossing to the Carson "Sink"and then ascending to the headwaters of the Carson River, over intoHope Valley and thence down to Strawberry Valley and on to the mines. This was the origin of the road, and it was in steady and continuoususe until the startling news of the discovery of the Comstock Lode inVirginia City aroused the mining world. From every camp in Californiarude and stalwart men eagerly set forth to reach the new Camp. It wasa genuine stampede. The chief question was: "Will the new Camp makegood?" It answered this question by transcending the expectationsof the most sanguine. Silver and gold were taken out in fabulousquantities. Chunks of almost pure native silver, weighing scores ofpounds, were hewed out of the chambers where they were found, andmen went wild with excitement. Houses sprang up over-night. A vastpopulation soon clung to the slopes of Mt. Davidson. Mining andmilling machinery was needed, and demanded with tremendous urgency, toreap the richer harvest. There was no railroad, and the old EmigrantRoad was not in condition to meet the needs. Few people can realizethe wild excitement that reigned and the string of teams, men ridingon horseback, or afoot, stage-coaches, freight wagons, that poured inendless procession over the road. Nothing like it has been seen since, except during the Klondike rush. As soon, however, as it was possibleto secure the proper authority newer and easier grades were surveyedand private individuals undertook to build certain sections of theroad under the condition that they were to be granted the right tocollect toll for so many years. These rights have long since lapsed, and the road is now a part of the excellent system of El DoradoCounty, which, though a mountain county, boasts some of the best roadsin California. 

_Tallac to Echo, 11-1/2 Miles_. Leaving Tallac, an easy andpleasant eight-mile run on almost level roads through Tallac Meadowsbrings one to Celios, once Myers' Station (6500 feet). Now begins theupgrade, winding its way up the mountain side to the crest from whichStarr King wrote his exquisite description, elsewhere quoted. Thisis one of the superb outlook-points where the full sweep of Lake andencircling mountains is in full and complete view. 

After a few minutes for gazing the journey is resumed, soon crossinga bridge, near which stand the remnants of the old toll-house. On theright a foot-trail or bridle-path leads to Glen Alpine. A few milesof fairly rapid descent and Echo is reached, 49-1/2 miles fromPlacerville. 

The stream here, during the snow-melting season must be a dashing, roaring, sparkling mass of foam, for it is a bowlder-strewn rocky way, suggesting the wild stream it becomes when the snows melt and spring'sfreshets come. 

_Echo to Strawberry, 7 Miles_. The next mile and a half is arapid descent, for elevation declines five hundred feet, ere we reachPhillips, near which, in Audrian Lake, is the chief source of theSouth Fork of the American River. 

The Water Company that controls the flow has here tampered withprimitive physiography, in that it has cut a tunnel or channel fromthe Echo Lakes, tapping their water supply and conveying it to AudrianLake. Hence strictly speaking the Echo Lakes are now the headwaters ofthe South Fork. 

Soon we pass Hay Press Meadows, so called from the fact that hay wascut here in the old stage-coach days, baled with an old-fashionedpress, and sold for $90 to $100 per ton, after being hauled toVirginia City. 

Down we go into Strawberry Valley, where 42-1/2 miles fromPlacerville, we reach Strawberry, at 5700 feet elevation. This used tobe a noted stopping-place in the olden days, sometimes the whole flatarea being covered with loaded wagons bound for the mines. 

There is a rugged majesty about this Valley that has always made itsimpression on men. To the right is the southern end of the CrystalRange, and to the left the Yosemite-like cliff known as Lover's Leap, 6985 feet elevation. As the station at Strawberry is 5700 feet, thiscliff is 1285 feet in sheer ascent. Leading up it are strange columnartowers and structures of Egyptian appearance that remind us of thoselines of Joaquin Miller's:

Great massive rocks that near us lay, Deep nestled in the grass untrod By aught save wild beasts of the wood-- Great, massive, squared, and chisel'd stone, Like columns that had toppled downFrom temple dome or tower crown, Along some drifted, silent way Of desolate and desert town Built by the children of the Sun. 

We pass under the great cliff, and past a glacially-polished dome onthe left. The cliff is all cross-hatched and seamed with infiltrationsof quartz. Ahead of us to the right is a canyon that is the southernextension of Desolation Valley. 

_Strawberry to Kyburgs, 10 Miles_. A few miles below Strawberrywe pass Georgetown Junction (where the road from Georgetown enters themain road), and ten miles brings us to Kyburgs, 4000 feet elevation, the canyon narrowing as we descend. On the right we pass Sugar Loaf(6500 feet). 

At Kyburgs the water is taken out for the domestic and irrigationwater-supply of Placerville--8000 inches of water. The station islocated at a break in the mountains where a cone-shaped rock, coveredwith trees, is a striking feature. 

_Kyburgs, Through Riverton, to Pacific House, 14 Miles_. Passingthe South Fork of the American on the left, nine and a half milesbrings us to Riverton, a charming river resort where many visitorsstop during the season for a day or a week, as this is a noted centerfor fishing and hunting. Here we cross over an excellent bridge, surrounded by a mountain amphitheater lined with trees, and our roadfollows the course of the bowlder-strewn river-bed. Yonder is thescene of a noted "hold-up" in the old mining days. 

If we cared to go over the files of the newspapers of the days whenbullion was being shipped daily by stage to Placerville, how manyaccounts might we not find of "hold-ups" by daring "road-agents. " Andit does not take much imagination to picture in this secluded spot orthat, the sudden appearance of a masked bandit, gun in hand, and tohear the sharp quick commands, "Halt! and Hands up!" and to hear the"squeesch" of the brake on the wheel, to see the hands of driver, express-messenger, and passengers go up in helpless anger and furiousimpotence. 

Then the "Stand down here!" or "Come off of that quick, and line upalongside!" and the immediate obedience of all concerned, and thesharp "keep _them_ hands up, gentlemen, or somebody'll be gettin'hurt, " or perhaps a fierce imprecation, if the bandit was less of the"Gentleman George" type than has so often been described. 

And what a scene it would make for an artist--the most indignantpassenger of them all made to hold the hat and collect the "swag, " asthe alert-eyed bandit stands by, gun in hand, ready to shoot down thefirst person who makes any show of resistance!

Then the permission given to get aboard, accompanied by the rudeorder: "Throw out that express-box, and drive on, and don't look thisway or some one'll have a hole blown through the top of his head!"and the mixture of dejection and relief shown in the faces of driver, messenger and passengers as the coach rolled on again. 

What a panorama of quickly acted scenes it must have been, and howoften it occurred on this road! Not even history has recorded a halfof the times it happened. 

Soon, almost hidden in the dense foliage of the tree-lined slopes, wepass Esmeralda Fall, whose waters dash in foam over 60 feet, to unitewith the river far beneath. 

As we near Pacific House, 4-1/2 miles further on, we come to where thenew road diverges a little from the old one. It used to descend to theriver, but we preserve a fairly even grade, solidly built, wide andwell kept. 

_Pacific House to Placerville, 18-1/2 Miles_. Then for a mile orso the road hangs over the yawning chasm of the river. It is wide andin fine condition so we dash along to where, on the up trip, the firstglimpse is gained of the Crystal Range, its two chief peaks, Pyramidand Agassiz, dominating the landscape from this side as they do fromDesolation Valley on the eastern side of the range. 

[Illustration: Casino at Tahoe Tavern, From Pier]

[Illustration: Pier, Steamer Tahoe, and Lake Tahoe from Casino]

In nine more miles Camino is reached, through clusters of pines, with perfectly level stretches for speeding and--dreaming. One's mindunconsciously goes back to the old days and he sees as in amoving-picture film the "days of '49. " For this road is a road ofmemories. One shuts his eyes and muses, and immediately there troopsbefore him a rushing, bustling, hurrying throng. These were the modernargonauts, the seekers for the Golden Fleece:

Great horny-handed men and tall;Men blown from many a barren land Beyond the sea; men red of hand, And men in love, and men in debt, Like David's men in battle set--And every man somehow a man. They push'd the mailčd wood aside, They toss'd the forest like a toy, That grand forgotten race of men--The boldest band that yet has beenTogether since the Siege of Troy. 

Some carried packs on their backs, with pick and shovel, drill andpan. Others rode, leading their burden-bearing burros or mules. Wagonafter wagon creaked along, laden to the full with supplies, food, ormachinery. 

As we push along and come to the river, Joaquin Miller's words makethe memory pictures for us:

I look along each gaping gorge, I hear a thousand sounding strokes Like giants rending giant oaks, Or brawny Vulcan at his forge;I see pickaxes flash and shine;Hear great wheels whirling in a mine. Here winds a thick and yellow thread, A moss'd and silver stream instead;And trout that leap'd its riffled tideHave turn'd upon their sides and died. 

Below Camino we pass near to Pino Grande, where the great cablerailway carries loaded cars of logs across the deep canyon of theAmerican River. 

Rapidly we reach Smith's Flat, 4 miles, a famous mining-camp in thedays gone by, but now consisting of a general store, a few houses, anda gnarled old log fashioned into a glorious water-trough fit for theVikings. 

Three more miles and Placerville is reached, the quaint old reminderof "the days of '49, the days of old, the days of gold, " when menflocked to California from all parts of the earth eager with the lustfor gold. In those memorable days it was called "Hangtown, " a namesome of its present-day citizens would fain forget, oblivious, intheir own small-mindedness that they are neither responsible for itshistory nor its nomenclature. 

Built primarily in the somewhat shut-in walls of a small canyon, itwinds and curves around in a happy-go-lucky fashion, and when thecanyon widens out, spills over into irregular streets and up and downhills that were once clad with pines, firs, spruces and junipers. Thatwealth and prosperity have smiled upon it in late years is evidencedby its comfortable lawn-girdled homes, its thriving orchards, itsactive business streets, and its truly beautiful, because simple, chaste and dignified, county court-house. 

_Placerville to Sacramento, 47 Miles_. This is a well-known road, via Diamond Springs, 2-1/2 miles; El Dorado, 6 miles; Shingle Springs, 11 miles, and Folsom, 25 miles. 

The elevation at Tallac is 6225 feet; at Echo, 7500 feet; Strawberry, 5700 feet; Kyburgs, 4000 feet; Riverton, 3300 feet; Pacific House, 3400 feet; Sportsman's Hall, 3600 feet; Camino, 3000 feet; Smith'sFlat, 2250 feet; Placerville, 1830 feet; El Dorado, 1610 feet; Folsom, 198 feet, and Sacramento, 32 feet. 

A well equipped auto stage is run daily between Tallac House andPlacerville. Experienced and careful drivers and first class carsonly are used. They are owned by the Richardson Garage, of Pasadena, Calif. , long known to the exacting population of that city as athoroughly reliable, prompt and efficient house. 

CHAPTER XIV

TAHOE TAVERN

Swinging around to the south from the course of the Truckee Riveron to the Lake, the railway deposits the traveler at Tahoe Tavern, preeminently the chief resort for those who demand luxurious comfortin all its varied manifestations. Yet at the outset let it be clearlyunderstood that it is not a fashionable resort, in the sense thatevery one, men and women alike, must dress in fashionable garb to bewelcomed and made at home. It is a place of common sense and rationalfreedom. If one comes in from a hunting or fishing trip at dinnertime, he is expected to enter the dining room as he is. If one hastaken a walk in his white flannels he is as welcome to a dance in theCasino, the dining-room, or the social-hall as if he wore the mostconventional evening dress. Indeed, visitors are urged to bring theirold clothes that they may indulge to the full their _penchants_for mountain-climbing, riding, rowing, fishing, horse-back-riding, botanizing in the woods, or any other out-of-door occupation where oldclothes are the only suitable ones. 

The building itself is completely embowered in pine, cedar, spruceand firs of differing ages, sizes and qualities of color. Though farenough from the Lake to allow of a large untrimmed grass-plot whereinnumerable swing seats, reclining chairs, "lazy rests, " etc. , inviteto lounging and loafing, the trees have been so trimmed out as to giveexquisite glimpses of the dazzling blue of the water from every hand. 

The Tavern is especially appropriate to its surroundings. It is threefull stories high, with many gables relieving the regularity of theroof, which is steep-pitched, to throw off the winter's snows. Thewhole structure is covered with shingles, stained or oiled to a darkbrown, and as climbing and clinging vines have wreathed themselvesabout every corner, and up many posts of the veranda, and there is awealth of cultivated wild flowers banked up in beds around it, nothingcould be more pleasing and harmonious. Roads, walks and trails radiatefrom the Tavern in all directions, except directly across the Lake, and numerous boats and launches make this as accessible as any otherdirection. Near enough to be interesting is the wharf, with its dailybustle of the arrival and departure of trains, launches and steamers. 

For all the indoor sports a Casino has been erected, far enough awayso that the music, dancing, the sharp clangor of bowling, the singingof extemporized glee-clubs, and the enthusiasm of audiences at amateurtheatricals and the like do not disturb the peaceful slumbers of thosewho retire early. While Tahoe Tavern itself is _sui generis_ inthat it is the most wonderful combination of primitive simplicitywith twentieth century luxury, the Casino is even more remarkable. Its interior finish is the work of a nature artist. Its porchesimmediately overlook the Lake, and when one has wearied of dancingthere is a witchery as rare and subtle as it is delightful to sitin the subdued light overlooking the ripples of the moonlit water, sipping some liquid refreshment, eating an ice or chatting with asuitable partner. 

Here a fine orchestra discourses sweet music, moving pictures areregularly shown, lectures and concerts occasionally provided, besidesall the conveniences for private card-parties and other pleasures thatfashionable visitors expect for their entertainment. 

[Illustration: Ballroom in the Casino, Tahoe Tavern]

[Illustration: Tahoe Tavern from Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Path in the Woods by Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Tavern]

[Illustration: Morning Service at the _Chapel of theTransfiguration_, Tahoe Tavern]

Ruskin has somewhere brought out the idea in his finest phraseologythat nowhere can man so readily worship God as in the presence of themost beautiful of His works in Nature. This is readily apparent atTahoe, hence the summer visitors and others of religious trend willdelight to learn that churches for both Catholic and Episcopalworshipers have been erected not far from the Tavern. The CatholicChurch was dedicated Sept. 10, 1911. It has a seating capacity of ahundred and seventy-five. Its location was chosen with an eye to thebeautiful, being on Tahoe Heights, and is less than fifteen minutes'walk from the Tavern. 

The Episcopal "Church of the Transfiguration" is unique in that itis an open air building, the altar only being roofed. Towering pinesstand as aisles and the vaulted ceiling is the clear blue dome ofheaven. Rustic and simple, it harmonizes exquisitely with itssurroundings, and strangely insensible must that worshiper be who, ashe kneels in this Nature shrine, and the organ peals forth its solemnnotes, with a wonderful accompaniment of hundreds of singing birds, and the ascending incense of a thousand flowers, does not feel his ownsoul lifted into a higher and more spiritual mental frame. 

One of the chief troubles about a hotel like Tahoe Tavern is that itis _too_ tempting, _too_ luxurious, _too_ seductive to the senses. Thecool, delicious breezes from the Lake make the nights heavenly forsleep. With Sancho Panza we cry aloud: "Blessed be the man thatinvented sleep, " and we add: "Blessed be the man that invented coolnights to sleep in. " And I have no fault to find with the fullindulgence in sleep. It is good for the weary man or woman. It is wellto make up arrears, to pay oneself the accumulated debts of insomniaand tossing and restlessness with an abundance of calm, dreamless, restful sleep. Nay, not only would I have men claim their arrearage, but lay in a surplus stock against future emergencies, future draftsupon their bank account of "restorer. "

Nor would I find any fault with the allurements of the Lake, eitherfor swimming, boating, "launching, " canoeing or fishing. Indulge themall to your heart's desire and you will not only be none the worse, but immeasurably better for every hour of yielding. A plunge everymorning is stimulating, invigorating and jolly. It clears the brain, sets the blood racing up and down one's spine, arms, fingers, legs andtoes, and sweeps the cobwebs out of the brain. A row is equally good. It pulls on the muscles of the lower back, as well as the arms, chestand shoulders. It drives away Bright's disease and banishes asthma andlung trouble. It makes one breathe deep and long and strong, andwhen inbreathing, one can take in power from Tahoe's waters, forests, mountains and snow-fields. It means a purifying of the blood, aclearing of the brain, a sending of a fuller supply of gastric juicesto the stomach, of digestive sauces to the palate, and a correspondingstimulus to the whole body, which now responds with vim, energy, buoyancy and exuberance to all calls made upon it by the spirit. 

So with walking through the woods, by the Lake, along the River Trail, up the mountains. The results are the same until the man who hates anddespises the poets shouts out with glee and exclaims: "_Them's_my sentiments!" when you throw out with fervor such lines as:

 Oh! the wild joys of living! the leaping from rock up to rock, The strong rending of boughs from the fir-tree, the cool silver shockOf the plunge in a pool's living water. . . How good is man's life, the mere living! how fit to employAll the heart and the soul and the senses forever in joy!

While all the conventional amusements are provided at Tahoe Tavern alarge number of the guests, like myself, find much pleasure in feedingand making friends with the chipmunks, which have been so fosteredand befriended that there are _scores_ of them, most of them sofearless as to climb into the laps, eat from the hands, run over theshoulders, and even explore the pockets of those who bring nutsand other dainties for their delectation. Children and adults, even gray-haired grandpas and grandmas, love these tiny morselsof animation, with their quick, active, nervous movements, theirsimulations of fear and their sudden bursts of half-timorousconfidence. With big black eyes, how they squat and watch, or stand, immovable on their hind legs, their little forepaws held as if inpetition, solemnly, seriously, steadily watch, watch, watching, until they are satisfied either that you are all right, or are to beshunned. For, with a whisk of the tail, they either dart towardsyou, or run in the other direction and hide in the brush, climb withamazing speed up a tree, or rush into their holes in the ground. 

Some of them are such babies that they cannot be many months old, andthey feel the friendly atmosphere into which they have been born. Andit is an interesting sight to see a keen, stern, active business manfrom "the city" saunter with his wife after lunch or dinner, sit downon the steps leading down to the water's edge, or on a tree stump, or squat down on his haunches anywhere on the walk, the lawn, or theveranda, fish some nuts out of his pocket and begin to squeak with hislips to attract the chipmunks. Sometimes it is a learned advocate ofthe law, or a banker, or a wine-merchant, or the manager of a largecommission-house. It seems to make no difference. The "chips" catchthem all, and every one delights in making friends with them. 

Here is a tiny little chap, watching me as I loll on the stairs. Hisblack, twinkling eye fixes itself on me. He is making sure. Suddenlyhe darts toward my outstretched fingers where a peanut is securelyheld. He seizes it with his sharp teeth, but I hold on. Then with hislittle paws he presses and pushes, while he hangs on to the nut with agrip that will not be denied. If he doesn't get it all, he succeeds insnapping off a piece and then, either darting off, with a quick whiskof his tail, to enjoy it in his chosen seclusion, or, squatting downon his hind legs, he holds the delicious morsel between his fore-pawsand chews away with a rapidity as astonishing as it is interesting andamusing. 

Now a fat old fellow--he looks like a grandpa in age--comes up. Heis equally suspicious at first, takes his preliminary reconnaissance, darts forward and just about reaches you, when he darts away again. Only for a moment however. On he comes, seizes the nut, and eats itthen and there, or darts off with inconceivable rapidity, up the treetrunk to a branch twenty, forty feet up, and then sits in most cunningand _cute_ posture, but in just as big a hurry and in equallyexcitable fashion to eat his lunch as if he were within reach. 

Sometimes half a dozen or more of them, big and little, will surroundyou. One leaps upon your knee, another comes into your lap, whileanother runs all over your back and shoulders. Now and again twoaim at the same time for the same nut, and then, look out. They areselfish little beggars and there is an immense amount of human naturein such tiny creatures. The bigger one wants the morsel and chasesthe smaller one away, and he is so mad about it and gets so in earnestthat sometimes he chases the other fellow so far that he forgetswhat it was all about. He loses the nut himself, but, anyhow, he hasprevented the other fellow from getting it. How truly human!

Then the younger one, or the smaller one, or the older one, will whiskhimself up a tree, perch on a branch and begin to scold, or he climbsto the top of a stump, or a rock, or merely stands upright withoutany foreign aid, and how he can "Chip, chip, chip, chip!" His piercinglittle shriek makes many a stranger to his voice and ways wonderwhat little bird it is that has so harsh a cry, and he keeps at it sopersistently that again you say, How human! and you wonder whether itis husband scolding wife, or wife husband, or--any of the thousandand one persons who, because they have the power, use it as a right toscold the other thousand and one poor creatures who have to submit, orthink they have (which is pretty much the same thing). 

These proceedings at Tahoe Tavern are diversified by the presence ofa friendly bluejay. He is one of the smartest birds in the world. Somerelation, no doubt, to the bird told of by Mark Twain in his _TrampAbroad_. This bluejay has watched the visitors and the chipmunksuntil he has become extra wise. He has noticed that the latter toilnot neither do they spin and yet neither Solomon Levi nor Kelly feedmore sumptuously or more often than do they, simply because they havesucceeded in beguiling the hearts of the guests who are so boredwith each other that association with the "lower" animals is a greatrelief. So he has started the "friendly chipmunk" rôle. He stifleshis raucous cry, he puts on a shy, timid and yet friendly demeanor. He flies conveniently near, and gives forth a gentle note, asking, _please_, your kind and favorable attention to the fact that heis a bluejay. As soon as he sees your eye upon him, he hops a littlenearer; not too near, however, either to mislead you or to put himselfin your hands, but just near enough to tempt you to try to tempt him. You hold out a nut, and then, with a quick dart and a sharp peck witha bill trained to certain and sure work, your thumb and finger losethat which they held, and Mr. Bluejay is eating it in perfect securitywell beyond your reach. Oh, he is a fascinating creature is thisbunch of beautiful blue feathers decorating the harshest voice of allbirddom in the region of Lake Tahoe. 

But birds, squirrels, flowers, scenery, sports, worship, finemusic, the best kind of food, "air the angel's breathe, " and sleeprecuperative enough to revivify the old and decrepit, fishing, rowing, swimming and the like are not all that need fill one's days at TahoeTavern. 

_Hike_[1] out, afoot or horseback. Take the trails. Get BobWatson, or one of his under-studies, to pilot you to Watson Peak andlake, go to Ellis, Squaw or a score of other peaks, visit the variousSierran lakes, or take a camping out or hunting trip to Hell Hole, theYosemite, or any one of the scenic spots, one, two, five, or ten daysaway. Then, my word for it, you will return home "a new man, " lifewill put on a new meaning, and sensations long since lost willcome back with unthought-of force, for you will have "regained youryouth"--that dream of the old of all the ages. 

[Footnote 1: This word, slang or not, is finely expressive, and isalready fully established in the accepted nomenclature of mountainclimbers. ]

There are a number of interesting walks, drives and automobile tripswhich may be taken from the Tavern, besides the lakeshore walks whichare always interesting. Indian Camp is half a mile away; Tahoe City, a little further, and here the interesting Frémont howitzer, to whosehistory I have devoted a separate chapter, may be seen; Tavern Spring, a beautiful walk through the woods, one and a quarter miles; the FishHatchery, a mile away, where all the processes of hatching variouskinds of trout before they are distributed to the different lakes andstreams may be witnessed. 

To those who prefer longer walks, or horseback rides, there are the Logging Camp, three and a third miles;Idlewyld, four miles; Stanford Rock, five miles; Ward Peak, six miles;Blackwood Creek Dairy, six miles; Carnelian Bay, six miles; and TwinPeaks, seven miles. Several of these interesting places can be reachedalso by automobile. 

An especially delightful walk or horseback ride is by the TruckeeRiver Trail to Deer Park Inn, six and a half miles, and thence twomiles farther to Five Lakes, near which the waters divide, one streamflowing into the Rubicon, thence into the Sacramento and out by theGolden Gate into the Pacific Ocean; the other by Bear Creek into theTruckee River, thence into Pyramid Lake in the heart of the Nevadadesert. 

Automobile trips from the Tavern are numerous, depending entirely uponthe length of time one can give to them. Chief of all is the TahoeBoulevard trip around the Lake to Tallac, and thence on by Lakesideand by Cave Rock to Glenbrook, a distance of fifty miles. HobartLumber Mills, twenty-two miles, are well worth a visit to those whohave never seen modern methods of making lumber; Independence Lake, thirty miles, is easily reached in two hours, and it is one of thecharming spots of the High Sierras; Webber Lake, forty-three miles, is another exquisite beauty spot, where there is an excellent CountryClub House. Reno is reached by three routes, all of them interesting, and each well worth traveling over. An excellent trip is to leave theTavern after breakfast, ride on the Tahoe Boulevard to Glenbrook forlunch, then over to Carson City, where a brief visit can be madeat the Capital of the State of Nevada, the Indian School and theprehistoric foot-prints, that for years have been the wonder of thescientists of the world. Then on to Reno, where at the RiversideHotel, mine host Gosse, one of the noted figures of the hotel world ofthe West, will accord a hearty welcome. Next morning Pyramid Lake canbe visited and the return to the Tavern made by way of Truckee. 

For those who enjoy motor-boating on the Lake excellent provision ismade. The Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company own severalsteam and gasoline launches, with varied capacities, --from six to twohundred and fifty passengers--full particulars of which can always beobtained. 

Fishing boats in large numbers are to be had either with or withoutoarsmen, together with full equipment for fishing or hunting trips. 

The Tavern stables are prepared to supply all reasonable demands forsaddle-horses, driving-teams, and pack-animals for hunting trips, andarrangements can be made for equipment and guides for mountain trips, of any duration, from a couple of days to three months or more. Thereis also a garage with first class cars and experienced chauffeurs forhire. 

[Illustration: Ladies' Lounging Room, the Casino, Tahoe Tavern]

[Illustration: The Front of Tahoe Tavern from a Table in theDining-Room]

[Illustration: The Launch _Catalini_, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Bathing in Lake Tahoe, Near Tahoe Tavern]

CHAPTER XV

TRAIL TRIPS IN THE TAHOE REGION

To nature-lovers, more or less active, the trails all around and aboutLake Tahoe are a source of perpetual surprise and delight. I know ofno region in California that possesses such a wealth of trails--noteven the Yosemite or Mt. Shasta regions. The Lake is an ever-presentfriend. From ridges, peaks, summits and passes, near at hand or scoresof miles away, it never fails to satisfy the eye. Again and again, when one is least expecting it, a turn in the trail, or a few stepsforward or backward on a summit ridge brings it into sight, and itspure blue surface, now seen smooth and glossy as a mirror, againshining in pearly brilliancy in the sun, or gently rippled by a calmmorning or evening zephyr, or tossed into white caps by a risingwind-storm, pelted with fierce rain or hail, or glimpsed only throughsudden openings in a snowstorm, at sunrise or sunset, each with itsown dazzling brilliancies--it always gives one a thrill and warmingsensation at the heart. 

Then, too, the number of peaks to the summits of which trails havebeen cut, so that the walker, or the horseback rider may have easyaccess, are many and varied. In all there are not less than fortypeaks, each of which is well worth a trip, each presenting somefeature of its own that renders its personality worth cultivating. 

In this and other chapters, I present my own experiences asillustrative to give the general reader an idea of what may beexpected if he (or she) is induced to try one of the chief delights ofa sojourn in this scenic region. 

WATSON'S PEAK AND LAKE

Leaving Tahoe Tavern, crossing the bridge to Tahoe City, the trailleaves the main road on the left about a mile and a half further on, passing the horse pasture on the right. Near Tahoe City is the FreeCamping Ground owned by the Transportation Company. This has a milefrontage overlooking the Lake, and scores of people habitually availthemselves of the privilege, bringing their own outfits with them, as, at present, there are no arrangements made for renting tents and theneeded furnishings to outsiders. 

The slope up which the trail now ascends with gradual rise is coveredwith variegated chaparral, making a beautiful mountain carpet andcushion _for the eye_. To the foot and body it is entanglingand annoying, placing an effectual barrier before any but the moststrenuous, athletic and determined of men. 

Now the white firs, with their white bark, and the red-barked yellowpines begin to appear. They accompany us all the rest of the way tothe peak and lake. 

Soon we cross Burton Creek, a mere creek except during thesnow-melting or rain-falling time. It empties into Carnelian Bay. Burton was one of the old-timers who owned the Island ranch near theLake shore, and who came to the Tahoe region at the time of the SquawValley mining excitement. When the "bottom fell out" of that he dida variety of things to earn a living, one of which was to cut bunchgrass from Lake Valley and bring it on mules over the pass that bearshis name, boat it across to Lakeside at the south end of the Lake, onthe Placerville and Virginia City stage-road, and there sell it to thestage station. Hay thus gathered was worth in those days from $80 to$100 per ton. 

About two and a half miles from the Tavern we come to a wood road, which is followed for half a mile. Years ago all these slopes weredenuded of their valuable timber, which was "chuted" down to the Lakeand then towed across to the sawmills at Glenbrook. The remnantsare now being gathered up and used as fuel for the hotel and thesteamboats. 

Here and there are charming little nurseries of tiny and growingyellow pines and white fir. How sweet, fresh and beautiful theylook, --the Christmas trees of the fairies. And how glad they make theheart of the real lover of his country, to whom "conservation" is nota fad, but an imperative necessity for the future--an obligation felttowards the generations yet to come. 

Of entirely different associations, and arousing a less agreeablechain of memories, are the ruined log-cabins of the wood-cutter's andlogger's days. Several of these are passed. 

As we re-enter the trail, Watson's Peak, 8500 feet high, with itsbasaltic crown, looms before us. At our feet is a big bed of wildsunflowers, their flaring yellow and gold richly coloring the moresomber slopes. Here I once saw a band of upwards of 2000 sheep, herdedby a Basque, one of that strange European people who seem especiallyadapted by centuries of such life to be natural shepherds. Few of themspeak much American, but they all know enough, when you ask them howmany sheep they have, to answer, "About sixteen hundred. " The limitallowed on any government reserve in any one band is, I think, 1750, and though a passing ranger may be sure there are more, he isnonplussed when, on his making question, the owner or the shepherdshrugs his shoulders and says, "If you don't believe me, they'rethere. Go and count 'em!"

Before the officials treated some of the Basque shepherds with whatseemed to be too great severity there were numerous forest fires onthe reserve. These men were generally both self-willed and ignorant, and we passed by at this spot a clump of finely growing firs, whichhad been destroyed by a fire started by a shepherd the year before. 

Watson assures me that he has personally known many cases where a treehad been blown across a trail, and the shepherd would stop his sheep, set fire to the "wind-fall" and then leave it to burn--sometimesallowing it to smolder for months, to the infinite peril of the forestshould an arousing wind blow the fire into life and make it spread. 

Fire notices, however, now are everywhere, and a few severepunishments have largely put a stop to all carelessness on the part ofshepherds, let alone their culpable neglect. There are still campersand automobilists and others, of the so-called superior and educatedrace, who need as severe lessons as some of these ignorant Basqueshepherds. They knock down the forest-service placards, throw downmatches, cigar and cigarette stumps, and often go off and leave acampfire burning. The time is rapidly coming when severer and swifterpenalties will be meted out to this class of culprits, for not onlyare their actions against the law, but they jeopardize all propertyin and near to the forests, as well as the lives, sometimes, of manyinnocent men, women and children, besides destroying the value of themountain slopes as watersheds. 

As our trail winds and ascends, the rotting stumps of trees cut yearsago meet the eye on every hand, until at length, when at about 7000feet altitude we see no more. The indications are clear that, thoughthe timber is abundant above this elevation, for some reason or othercutting ceased. Careful observation reveals a possible reason forthis. From this point on up the soil is both thin and poor, and thoughthe trees seem to have flourished they are, in reality, gnarled, twisted, stunted and unfit for a good quality of lumber. Many of themare already showing signs of decay, possibly a proof that they grewrapidly and are rotting with equal or greater speed. 

[Illustration: Pleasure Party on the 'Wild Goose', Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Looking Toward the Casino, Tahoe Tavern, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: A Trail Party About to Leave Tahoe Tavern]

[Illustration: On the Trail Returning from the Summit of Mt. Tallac]

At this elevation, 7000 to 8000 feet, the red fir begins to appear. Itis an attractive and ever-pleasing tree, its dark red bark soon makingit a familar friend. 

How remarkably a woodsman can read what would be an unintelligiblejumble of facts to a city man. Here on one trip we found a tree. Itstop was smitten off and removed a distance of forty to fifty feet. Parts of the tree were scattered for a distance of two hundred yards. What caused it? The unobservant man would have passed it by, and theobservant, though untrained and inexperienced, would have wonderedwithout an answer. And yet a few minutes' observation, with theinterpretation of Bob Watson, made it as clear as the adding of twoto two. The lightning had struck the tree, and shot the top off as iflifted and carried away bodily, at the same time scattering the piecesin every direction. Then, it had seemed to jump from this tree toanother, out of the side of which it had torn a large piece, as if, like a wild beast in angry fury, it had bitten out a giant mouthful ofsomething it hated. It had then jumped--where? There was no sign. Itsimply disappeared. 

Near by we found quite a nursery of graceful, dainty and attractiveyoung firs; "Noah's ark trees, " I always feel like calling them, forthey remind one constantly of the trees found in the Noah's arks ofchildhood days, made by the Swiss during the long winter nights intheir mountain chalets, where the trees are of a similar character tothose of the Sierras. 

Near to the point at which we turn to the left for Watson's Peak, andto the right for Watson's Lake, is a delicious, cool, clear spring, which I instinctively called, "the Spring of the Angels. " When Bobasked the _why_ of the name, the answer quickly came: "It is upso high and is so pure and good. " The elevation is about 8000 feet. Wetake to the left. 

Here also is found the mountain pine, its fine, smooth, black barkcontrasting markedly with that of the firs and pines further down. Itis generally found not lower than this elevation around Lake Tahoe. 

Near by are some scattered hemlocks. This tree is found even higherthan the mountain pine, and is seldom found lower than 8000 feet. Inthese higher elevations one sees what a struggle some of the treeshave for mere existence. Again and again a mountain pine will befound, a tree perhaps fifty feet high, bowed over almost to theground. This was done by snow. Given the slightest list from theperpendicular when the heavy, wet snow falls upon it, it is boundslowly to be forced over. If it is a tough, strong tree it may sustainthe weight until melting time comes, when it is released. But it neverbecomes upright again. On the other hand if a cold snap comes afterthe snow has bent it over, it is no uncommon thing for it to snapright in two, eight, ten or more feet from the ground. 

Now we stand on the summit. This peak and its attendant lake werenamed after my incomparable guide, Robert Watson, and it is wellthat the name of so admirable a man should be preserved in theregion through which he has intelligently and kindly guided so manyinterested visitors. The elevation is 8500 feet. 

What a wonderful panorama is spread out before us. Close by, justacross the valley in which nestles Watson's Lake, 7900 feet elevation, is Mt. Pluto, 8500 feet, the sides of which are covered with a densevirgin forest, thus presenting a magnificent and glorious sight. Thereis no trail through this forest though sheep are taken there to grazein the quiet meadows secluded on the heights. 

Further to the east and north is Mt. Rose, 10, 800 feet, on which isperched the Meteorological Observatory of the University of Nevada. Beyond is the Washoe Range. 

Even before reaching the summit we gain a fine view, through thetrees, of Castle Peak, 9139 feet, while further north is Mt. Lola, 9167 feet. Close at hand is a glorious specimen of red fir, fully fourand a half feet in diameter. Below us to the west is a patch of vividgreen, known as Antone Meadows. It was named after a Switzer who livedthere years ago and whose children now own it. Not far away is RoundMeadow, locally known as Bear-Trap Meadow, for one may still findthere an old bear-trap that hunters were wont to use thirty or fortyyears ago. In this meadow is the cabin of the Forest Ranger, which weshall see on the return trip. 

Looking now over Lake Tahoe to the western horizon we see, over TahoeTavern, and a little west of north, Needle Peak (8920 feet), to theright of which is Lyon Peak (about 9000 feet). A trifle to the southof Needle Peak is Granite Chief, followed by Squaw Peak (8960 feet), Ward Peak (8665 feet), and Twin Peak (8924 feet) the one to the righthaving the appearance of a buffalo feeding. 

While these peaks appear in a line, and as if belonging to the samerange, a glimpse at the map will reveal that they are some milesapart. 

As we look further south, across the head of Ward and Blackwood CreekCanyons, the mountains do not seem so high, though we discern BarkerPeak (over 8000 feet). 

Still further southward is Ellis Peak (8700 feet) apparently welltimbered. It was named after Jock Ellis, who, on the further side, hada dairy ranch for a while. But when he found the cream would not risein the colder periods of the year, he gave up his dairy, and went toraising sheep. In the summer months, however, he had no trouble indisposing of all the butter he could make, or milk and cream hecared to sell, for he was on the road from Georgetown which passed byRubicon Springs to McKinney's on the Lake. 

On the ridge to the left are the Rubicon Peaks (9199 feet) three ofthem apparently, all closely overlooking Lake Tahoe, and leading theeye down to Sugar Pine Point, which is at the south end of McKinney'sBay. 

To the west of Rubicon Peaks is Phipps Peak (9120 feet), and a littlefarther back Mt. Tallac (9185 feet), while farther to the south isRalston Peak (about 9500 feet), at this angle and distance appearingnot unlike one of the domes of the Yosemite Valley. Near by, to theright, is Pyramid Peak (10, 020 feet), though from here it presentsa very different appearance from that it holds when viewed fromMt. Tallac. Still farther to the right is Tell's Peak (9125 feet), apparently at the end of a richly timbered ridge. Tell was an oldSwitzer who used to keep a dairy ranch on the slopes of the mountainbearing his name. 

At the extreme south of Lake Tahoe stands Round Top (10, 130 feet), to the left of which are the three great peaks of the Tahoe region, Freel's (10, 900 feet), Job's (10, 500 feet) and Job's Sister (10, 820feet). Freel was one of the old timers who used to have a cattle-rangeon the slopes. 

Then, allowing the eye to follow along the southeastern curve ofthe Lake up to the mountains on the eastern side, the first greatdepression is the pass over which the Placerville road goes down theKingsbury grade to Genoa. At the foot of the grade, at the entranceto the Carson Valley is Van Sickle's old place, one of the early daystage-stations on the Placerville road. 

Van Sickle was a noted character, a fearless, rude pioneer, but wellliked and highly respected. His fame was materially enhanced when hekilled Sam Brown, one of the noted desperadoes of the Tahoe region inthe days of the Virginia City mining excitement. Tradition says thatBrown was a fire-eating southerner, from Texas, a man proud of his badrecord of several murders. He was notorious in Virginia City, and whenthe war broke out was one of the outspoken heralds and advocates ofsecession. He had trouble with Van Sickle and had threatened to killhim on sight. Coming to the place for this purpose he himself waskilled, for Van Sickle secured a shot-gun, "laid for him, " and shothim. A great sense of relief was felt by many people at this, what wasthen considered not only a justifiable but highly laudable act, forBrown was seeking to raise a body of men to go South and fight inthe Civil War. This event had much to do with stopping too vigorousadvocacy of the claims of the South from that time on in Virginia Cityand the immediate neighborhood. 

The road around the Lake forks at a place originally known asEdgewood's, the branch to the left continuing along the eastern shoreof Lake Tahoe, past Round Mound and Cave Rock to Glenbrook, where itswings over the grade to the east and over the summit, divides, onebranch going down Clear Creek Canyon, and the other down King's Canyonto Carson City. It is thirteen and a half miles from Glenbrook toCarson by way of King's Canyon, and automobiles use this route, whilestages run regularly over the other route via Clear Creek Canyon whichis only fourteen and a quarter miles to Carson. 

It was during the lumbering days at Glenbrook that the railway ranfrom the mills to the summit, nine miles, carrying carloads of lumberthere, which were then unloaded and shot down the water-flume toCarson City. 

Letting the eye still follow the eastern shore of Lake Tahoecompleting the circuit, northward, Snow Valley Peak and Marietta Peakare reached. Under the latter, to the southwest, is Marlette Lake, largely an artificial body over a mile long and half a mile wide, which is the reservoir for the water supply of Virginia City. Thecourse of the conveying flume may distinctly be traced, for part ofits twenty-four miles of length. Both peak and lake were named afterS. H. Marlette, once Surveyor-General of Nevada, and a well-knowncharacter of the earlier mining days. 

Just below Marlette Lake, almost directly facing Tahoe Tavern, areseveral scarrings, running almost parallel to each other and going inthe most direct fashion to Lake Tahoe. These denote where the flumebroke and the water made its own rude channels to the Lake beneath. 

From this inadequate and imperfect description it can readily beimagined what a sublime and comprehensive view is afforded fromWatson's Peak. Every visitor to Tahoe should take the trip, especiallythose who stay for a few days or longer at Tahoe Tavern. 

 * * * * *

WATSON LAKE

About half a mile northwest from the summit of Watson Peak is WatsonLake, 7900 feet. It is about 300 yards long by 250 yards broad, hencerudely oval in shape. While about fifty feet deep in the center, itshallows toward the edges, where lilies abound, and then becomes meremarsh. Practically it is surrounded by trees. Restocked with a varietyof fish (trout) in large numbers each year, it is one of the bestfishing lakes at the northern end of Lake Tahoe, and a most enjoyableday to the angler is to start early, take his lunch along, and spendthe day there. 

To those who are not anglers this same day can be spent in the quietenjoyment of the trees, flowers, lake and sky. 

The outlet from the lake is by Deer Creek, and thence into the Truckeenot far from the site of the old mining-camp of Knoxville. 

The return trip to Tahoe Tavern is made through a virgin forest, ona ridge between Watson Lake and the Truckee Valley, the trail havingbeen outlined only about five years ago. Later the Forest Rangersconsiderably improved it, until now it is a very easy and comfortabletrail to traverse. One notices here the especial "blaze" on the trees, of the rangers. It consists of a perpendicular parallelogram with asquare above, thus

[Illustration: 'Ranger's Blaze']

Wherever this blaze is found everybody in the region knows it for aranger's blaze, denoting a trail leading to a ranger's cabin. 

On this ride one has a wonderful illustration of the popular fallacyin woodcraft that moss is always found on the north side of the trees. Here the moss is mainly on the west. The fact is the moss is generallyfound on the side from which the rain-storms come, and here they aremainly from the south and southwest. A mile or so away on the trail toWatson's Lake the moss is all on the southwest side of the trees. 

Most of the trees here are red fir and mountain pine, some of thembeing of large size, and noble specimens. 

A little further on a fine opening reveals Deer Creek, through whichthe waters of Watson Lake flow to the Truckee. It was nearing the hourof sunset when I reached this point, and the trees were glowingwith flaming gold, reminding one of the pictures John Enneking, thewonderful Boston artist, so loves to paint, while below the watergleamed like dazzling diamonds. 

Along here the side of the ridge below the trail seemed as if plowedinto a number of rudely parallel lines. These were sheep-trails madeas the sheep followed each other over the softer soil of the mountainside. 

A mile and a half from Watson Lake we came to a telephone box. Thiswas the signal box of the Forest Rangers connecting with Lake Tahoe, five miles away, Truckee, eight miles, Shaffer's Mills, five miles andthence to Brockway, six miles. In the direction we were going it wasbut one mile to the ranger's log-cabin in Round Meadow. 

In the winter time the ranger often finds it difficult to keep theline in operation. The damp snow falling upon the wire, clings to it, freezes and keeps receiving additions until it is bigger than a man'sarm, and the weight breaks it down. 

As we rode along we saw a fat porcupine, weighing full twenty-fivepounds and deliberately walking up the slope near by, as if going toits den in the rocks, but, though we yelled and shouted, it scornedto notice us and indifferently went its way. A horned owl now and thenhooted and bade us begone, while a badger came out from his hole, buthurried back when he saw or smelled who we were. 

Now and again we caught marvelous sunset reflections on Lake Tahoethrough the trees, and on the eastern mountains was a peach glow moresoft and beautiful than the famous Alpen glow. 

Soon the sun was gone, and then, as we rode through the' dark aislesof the trees the stars came out and shone with dazzling splendoroverhead. Just as we left the ranger's cabin a long dark corridor ofmajestic trees framed in a patch of black velvet in the upper sky, andthere, in the very center, shining in resplendent glory, was Venus, the evening star. 

The wind began to blow a regular cyclone from the north, so theroaring of the trees told us, but we were largely sheltered, and as welooked up through the dancing and whirling tree-tops there was not acloud in the sky. 

Thus we returned to the Tavern, dramatically and gloriously bringingour delightful and easy trip to an end. 

I have been rather prolix, and have entered much more fully intodetail than some may deem necessary in the account of this trip, fortwo important reasons. It is a trip that none should fail to take, andI have made it a sort of general account, giving in broad outline whatthe visitor may expect of any of the peak trips in the vicinity ofTahoe Tavern. It goes without saying that, constantly, from a score ormore outlook points, the eye finds its resting place upon Lake Tahoe, each view being different and more charming than the one that precededit. 

 * * * * *

TO SQUAW VALLEY, GRANITE CHIEF PEAK, FIVE LAKES AND DEER PARK SPRINGS

Leaving Tahoe Tavern we cross the Truckee River and ride down on thenorth side. The flowing Truckee is placid and smooth, save where eagertrout jump and splash. The meadows are richly green and the mountainslope on the further side is radiant with virgin tree-life in joyousexuberance. Jays are harshly calling, chipmunks are excitedly running, the pure blue of the sky over-arches all, the wine of the morning isin the air, and we are glad we are alive. A spring of pure cold wateron the right, about a mile out, tempts us to a delicious morningdraught. 

A little further down is "Pap. " Church's "Devil's Playground, ""Devil's Post, " and devil's this, that and the other, out of whichhe gained considerable satisfaction while driving stage-coach betweenTruckee and Tahoe in the days before the railroad. 

It is well carefully to observe these singular lava puddingstonemasses, for, according to the theory of John Le Conte, the eminentphysicist, recounted in another chapter, these were the restrainingmasses that made the Lake at one time eighty or a hundred feet higherthan it is to-day. 

Four miles from the Tavern we pass Engineer Von Schmidt's old dam, forthe history of which see the chapter on "The Truckee River. "

Near Deer Park Station is another spring on the right. In the oldstage days "Pap. " Church always stopped here and gave his passengersthe opportunity to drink of the water, while he made discourse as toits remarkable coldness. Five years ago a land slide completely buriedit, and the road had to be cut through again. Ever since the springhas been partially clogged and does not flow freely, but it is coldenough to make one's teeth ache. 

In the winter of 1881-2 a land-and-snow-slide occurred a little beyondDeer Park Station. Watson was carrying the mail on snow-shoes at thetime and saw it. There had been a five foot fall of snow in earlyMarch, and a week or two later came a second fall of seven feet. Something started the mass, and down it came, rushing completelyacross the river and damming it up, high on the other side, and thecourse of the slide can clearly be seen to-day. It is now, however, almost covered with recent growth of chaparral, and thus contributedto one of the most beautiful effects of light and shade I ever saw. The mountain slope on one side was completely covered with a growth ofperfect trees. Through these came pencillings of light from the risingsun, casting alternate rulings of light and shadow in parallel lineson the glossy surface of the chaparral beyond. The effect was enhancedby the fleecy and sunshiny clouds floating in the cobalt blue above. 

Near the mouth of Bear Creek the river makes a slight curve and alsoa drop at the same time, and the road, making a slight rise, presentsthe view of a beautiful stretch of roaring and foaming cascades. Here the canyon walls are of bare, rocky ridges, of white and redbarrenness, with occasional patches of timber, but very different fromthe tree-clad slopes that we have enjoyed hitherto all the way downfrom the Tavern. 

Beyond is a little grove of quaking aspens. Their leaves, quiveringin the morning breeze, attract the eye. Crossing the railway, the roadmakes a climb up a hill that at one time may have formed a natural damacross the river. Here is a scarred tree on the left where HandsomeJack ran his stage off the bank in 1875, breaking his leg andseriously injuring his passengers. 

Crossing the next bridge to the left at the mouth of Squaw Creek, sixmiles from the Tavern, on a small flat by the side of the river isthe site of the town of Claraville, one of the reminders of the SquawValley mining excitement. 

Just below this bridge is an old log chute, and a dam in the river. This dam backed up the water and made a "cushion" into which the logscame dashing and splashing, down from the mountain heights above. Theywere then floated down the river to the sawmill at Truckee. 

At Knoxville we forded the river at a point where a giant splitbowlder made a tunnel and the water dashed through with roaring speed. Retracing our steps for a mile or so we came to the Wigwam Inn, awayside resort and store just at the entrance to Squaw Valley. To theright flows Squaw Creek, alongside of which is the bed of the loggingrailway belonging to the Truckee Lumber Co. It was abandoned two orthree years ago, when all the available logs of the region had beencut. Most of the timber-land between Squaw Creek and Truckee, on bothsides of the river, was purchased years ago, from its locators, by theTruckee Lumber Company. But Scott Bros. , purchased a hundred andsixty acres from the locators and established a dairy in Squaw Valley, supplying the logging-camps with milk and butter for many years past. 

For forty years or more this region has been the scene of activelogging, the work having begun under the direction of Messrs. Bricknell and Kinger, of Forest Hill. The present president of theTruckee Lumber Co. Is Mr. Hazlett, who married the daughter ofKinger. This company, after the railway removed from Glenbrook and wasestablished between Tahoe and Truckee, lumbered along the west side ofTahoe as far as Ward Creek. 

Entering the valley we find it free from willows, open and clear. Theupper end is surrounded, amphitheater fashion, by majestic mountains, rising to a height of upwards of 9000 feet. Clothed with sage-brush atthe lower end and rich grass further up, even to the very base of themountains, it is, in some respects, the prettiest valley in the wholeof this part of the Sierra Nevadas. 

The upper meadows are full of milk cows, quietly grazing or lying downand chewing their cuds, while just beyond the great dairy buildingsis the unpretentious cottage of the Forest Ranger. Remnants of old logchutes remind one of the logging activities that used to be carried onhere. 

One of the most observable features of Squaw Valley is its levelcharacter. This is discussed in the chapter on glacial action. 

On the right the vein of quartz which out-crops at Knoxville isvisible in several places and the various dump-piles show how manyclaimants worked on their locations in the hope of finding profitableore. 

Half way up the valley is an Iron Spring, the oxydization from whichhas gathered together a large amount of red which the Indians stillprize highly and use for face paint. 

How these suggestions excite the imagination--old logging chutes, mining-claims and Indians. Once this valley rang with the clang ofchains on driven oxen, the sharp stroke of the ax as it bit into theheart of the tree, the crash of the giant trees as they fell, the rudesnarl of the saw as it cut them up into logs, the shout of the driveras he drove his horses alongside the chute and hurried the logs downto the river, the quick blast of the imprisoned powder, the fallingof shattered rocks, the emptying of the ore or waste-bucket upon thedump--all these sounds once echoed to and from these hillsides andmountain slopes. 

Now everything is as quiet and placid as a New England pastoral scene, and only the towering mountains, snow-clad even as late as this in thefall, suggest that we are in the far-away wilds of the great West. 

But Squaw Valley had another epoch, which it was hoped wouldmaterially and forever destroy its quiet and pastoral character. Inthe earlier days of the California gold excitement the main roadfrom Truckee and Dormer Lake went into Nevada County and thus on toSacramento. In 1862 the supervisors of Placer County, urged on by themerchants, sent up a gang of men from Placerville to build a road fromSquaw Valley, into the Little American Valley, down the Forest HillDivide, thus hoping to bring the emigrant travel to Forest Hill, Michigan Bluff, and other parts of Placer County. 

It was also argued that emigrants would be glad to take this new roadas all the pasture along the other road was "eaten off. " Over thishistoric road we are now about to ride. 

As we look up it is a forbidding prospect. Only brave men and sanguinewould ever have dared to contemplate such a plan. The mountain cliffs, separated and split, arise before us as impassable barriers. Yet onebranch of the old trail used to pass through the divide to the right, over to Hopkins Springs, while the one that was converted into thewagon road took the left-hand canyon to the main divide. 

We now begin to ascend this road at the head of Squaw Valley, and infive minutes, or less, are able to decide _why_ it was never asuccess. The grade is frightful, and for an hour or more we go slowlyup it, stopping every few yards to give our horses breath. All the wayalong we can trace the blazes on the trees made over sixty yearsago. It is hard enough for horses to go up this grade, but topull heavily-ladened wagons--it seems impossible that even thosegiant-hearted men, used to seeing so many impossible thingsaccomplished, could ever have believed that such a road could befeasible. What wonderful, marvelous, undaunted characters they musthave been, men with wills of inflexible steel, to overcome suchobstacles and dare such hardships. Yet there were compensations. SquawCreek's clear, pellucid, snow-fed stream runs purling, babbling orroaring and foaming by to the right. These pioneers with their womenand children had crossed the sandy, alkali and waterless deserts. For days and weeks they had not had water enough to keep their facesclean, to wash the sand from their eyes. Now, though they had cometo a land of apparently unscalable mountains and impassablerock-barriers, they had grass for the stock, and water, --delicious, fresh, pure, refreshing water for themselves. I can imagine that whenthey reached here they felt it was a new paradise, and that God wasespecially smiling upon them, and to such men, with such feelings, what could daunt, what prevent, what long stay their onward march. 

As we ascend, the mountains on our right assume the form of artificialparapets of almost white rock, outlined against the bluest of blueskies. There is one gray peak ahead, tinged with green. The trail isall washed away and our horses stumble and slide, slip and almostfall over the barren and rough rocks, and the scattered bowlders, adevastating cloud-burst could not wash away. 

Here is a spring on the left, hidden in a grove of alders and willows, and now new and more fantastic spires arise on the right. Higher up wesee where those sturdy road-builders rolled giant rocks out of theirway to make an impassable road look as if it could be traversed. 

Reaching the point at the foot of Squaw Peak at last we look back overSquaw Valley. In the late summer tints it is beautiful, but what mustit be in the full flush of its summer glory and perfection? Thenit must be a delight to the eye and a refreshment to the soul. Howinteresting, too, it is to rehabilitate it as a great glacial lake. One can see its pellucid waters of clear amethystine blue and imaginethe scenes that transpired when the ancestors of the present Indiansfished, in rude dugouts, or on logs, or extemporized rafts, upon itssurface. Now it is covered with brown, yellowish grass, with tree-cladslopes rising from the marge. 

Turning to the right we find ourselves in a country of massivebowlders. They seem to have been broken off from the summits above andarrested here for future ages and movements to change or pass on. 

The road grows severer than ever, and we cannot help again picturingthose old heroes driving their wagons up, while the women and childrentoiled painfully on foot up the steep and rocky slopes. Could anythingever daunt them after this? any obstacle, however insurmountable, discourage them? any labor, however severe, compel them to turn back?

Though there is a deep pathos in all these memories, the heroism of itmakes our blood tingle with pride that such men and women belonged tous, that we are privileged to live in the land their labors, loves andlives have sanctified. 

We turn to the right; a tiny waterfall, which in the season must bequite a sight, trickles down near by; we are now advancing directlyupon the serrated ridge of fantastic spires that have long accompaniedus. We now find those white-seeming pinnacles are of delicate pinks, creams, blues, slates and grays. In one place, however, it seems forall the world as if there were a miniature Gothic chapel built ofdark, brownish-black lava. Another small patch of the same color andmaterial, lower down, presents a gable end, with windows, reminding usof the popular picture of Melrose Abbey in the moonlight. 

Now we are lined on either side by removed bowlders, but the road! ahthe road! who could ever have traveled over it? Trees twenty feet highhave now grown up in the roadway. To the left Squaw Peak (8960 feet)towers above us, while we make the last great pull through the rockyportion ere we come to the easier rise to the shoulders of GraniteChief. Here the road was graded out from the side of a granitemountain, blasted out and built up, but it is now sadly washed out. Further up, a broad porphyritic dyke crosses our path, then moretrees, and we come to the gentle slope of a kind of granitic sandwhich composes the open space leading to the pass between GraniteChief on the right, and a peculiar battlemented rock, locally knownas Fort Sumpter, on the left. This was named by the Squaw Valleystampeders who came over the trail in the early days of the Civil War, when all patriots and others were excited to the core at the news thatFort Sumpter had been fired upon. On one of the highest points standsa juniper on which a big blaze was cut by the early road-makers, sothat there need be no doubt as to which way the road turned. Othernearby trees, in their wild ruggedness and sturdy growth, remind usof a woman whose skirts are blown about by a fierce wind. Theirappearance speaks of storms braved, battles of wind and snow and iceand cold fought and won, for they have neither branch nor leaf on theexposed side, and on the other are pitiably scant. 

As we cross the sandy divide, over which a wagon could drive anywhere, we find white sage in abundance. Expansive vistas loom before us, ahead and to the right, while Squaw Peak now presents the appearanceof a vast sky-line crater. We seem to be standing on the inside of it, but on the side where the wall has disappeared. Across, the peak has acircular, palisaded appearance, and the lower peaks to the right seemas if they were the continuation of the wall, making a vast craterseveral miles in diameter. The plateau upon which we stand seems asif it might have been a level spot almost near the center of the bowl. Fort Sumpter is a part of this great crater-like wall and GraniteChief is the end of the ridge. 

As a rule there is a giant bank of snow on the saddle over which thetrail goes between Ft. Sumpter and Granite Chief, but this year (1913)it has totally disappeared. It has been the driest season known formany years. 

Looking back towards the Lake a glorious and expansive view ispresented. Watson Peak, Mt. Rose, Marlette Peak, Glenbrook and thepass behind it, are all in sight and the Lake glistening in pearlybrilliancy below. 

At the end of the Squaw Peak ridge, on the right, is a mass ofandesite, looking like rude cordwood, and just above is a mass ofbreccia very similar to that found in the Truckee Valley a few milesbelow Tahoe Tavern. 

Below us, at the head of Squaw Creek is a small blue pond, scarcelylarge and important enough to be called a lake, yet a distinctivefeature and one that would be highly prized in a less-favoredlandscape. 

On the very summit of the ridge we get fine views of Mounts Ralston, Richardson, Pyramid Peak and the whole Rock Bound Range, while closeat hand to the north is Needle Peak (8920 feet), and to the south, Mt. Mildred (8400 feet). To our left is Fort Sumpter, to the right theGranite Chief, and between the two a stiff breeze is blowing. 

Have you ever stood on a mountain ridge or divide when a fierce galewas blowing, so that you were unable to walk without staggering, andwhere it was hard to get your breath, much less speak, and where itseemed as if Nature herself had set herself the purpose of cleansingyou through and through with her sweetening pneumatic processes? Ifnot, you have missed one of the blessed influences of life. 

Rough? harsh? severe? Of course, but what of that, compared with theblessings that result. It is things like that that teach one tolove Nature. Read John Muir's account--in his _Mountains ofCalifornia_--and see how he reveled in wind-storms, and evenclimbed into a tree and clung to its top "like a bobolink on a reed"in order to enjoy a storm to the full. 

Immediately at our feet lie the various mazes of canyons and ravinesthat make the diverse forks of the American River. In one place isa forbidding El Capitan, while in another we can clearly follow formiles the Royal Gorge of this many branched Sierran river. To theright is Castle Peak (9139 feet) to the north and west of Donner Lake, while nearby is Tinker's Knob (9020 feet) leading the eye down toHopkins' Soda Springs. Beyond is Donner Peak (8135 feet) pointingout the location of Summit Valley, just to the left (west) where thetrains of the Southern Pacific send up their smoke-puffs and cloudsinto the air. 

At our feet is the Little American Valley, in which is the road, upthe eastern portion of which we have so toilsomely climbed. With alittle pointing out it is possible to follow the route it followed onthe balance of its steep and perilous way. Crossing the valley beneathit zig-zagged over the bluff to the right, through the timber to theridge between the North and Middle Forks, then down, down, by LastChance to Michigan Bluff. The reverent man instinctively thanks Godthat he is not compelled to drive a wagon, containing his householdgoods, as well as his wife and children, over such roads nowadays. 

Just before making the descent we succeed in getting a suggestiveglimpse of what is finely revealed on a clear day. Slightly to thesouth of west is Mount Diablo, while northwards the Marysville Buttes, Lassen's rugged butte, and even stately Mt. Shasta are in distinctsight. At this time the atmosphere is smoky with forest fires and theburning of the tules in the Sacramento and other interior valleys, hence our view is not a clear one. 

It did not take us long to reach the old stage-station in the LittleAmerican Valley. Here Greek George--he was never known by any othername--had a station, only the charred logs remaining to tell of someirreverent sheep-herder or Indian who had no regard for historiclandmarks. The pile of rocks which remain denote the presence ofthe chimney. When the new stage-road was built and travel over thisroad--always very slim and precarious--completely declined, GreekGeorge removed, but his log hotel and bunk-house remained until a fewyears ago. 

We lunch by the side of the old chimney and ruminate over the scenesthat may have transpired here in those early days. 

On our way back we pass the stumps of two large firs which wereundoubtedly cut down to supply George's houses with shakes. At thebase of Ft. Sumpter we leave the trail down which we have come, withthe intention of going--without a trail--down Whisky Creek, overseveral interesting meadows to Five Lake Creek, and thence up by theFive Lakes, over the pass into Bear Creek Canyon, past Deer Park tothe Truckee River and thus to the Tavern. 

With such an excellent guide as Bob Watson we have no hesitation instriking out in any direction and in a short time Mt. Mildred (8400feet) is on our right. 

Great groves of willows and alders cover immense areas of the canyon'ssides, while we pass a giant red fir with a diameter of fully sixfeet. 

When about half a mile from Five Lake Creek the largest portion ofthe canyon is taken up with irregular masses of granite over which aglacier, or glaciers, have moved. The striation and markings are downthe valley, and looking up from below the canyon for a mile or moreit has the appearance of a series of irregular giant steps, each stepgradually sloping back to the step above. From above the course ofthe glacier seems clear. It must have flowed downwards, polishing andsmoothing each step in turn, then falling over the twenty, thirtyor fifty feet high edge to the next lower level, to ascend the nextslope, reach the next precipice, and so on. 

At the point where we strike Five Lake Creek, in a large expanse ofmeadow, we pass a camp, where in the distance we can clearly see threemen and a woman. Deer hunters probably. We give them a cheery Halloo!and pass on. 

Five Lake Creek here makes a sharp bend into the canyon which is acontinuation of the canyon down which we have been traveling, andenters the Rubicon River at Hell Hole. We, however, turn _up_the Creek to the northeast, here striking the regular Hell Hole trailbuilt a few years ago by Miss Katherine Chandler, of Deer Park. Justahead of us, appearing through a grove of trees near to where the FiveLakes are nestling, is a perfectly white cloud, absolutely startlingin the vividness of its contrast to the deep blue of the sky and theequally deep green of the firs and pines. 

A wilderness of bowlders compels the winding about of the trail, butwe hear and see Five Lake Creek, roaring and dashing along, for ithas a large flow of water and its course is steep and rocky. We passthrough groups of willows, wild currants and alders, enter a sparselywooded meadow and in a few moments see the first of the Five Lakes. There is but little difference in their levels, though their sizesvary considerably. The first one is the largest. Here is a log cabinand two or three boats. These are owned by the Deer Park Springsresort, and are for their fishing and hunting patrons. They also own ahundred and sixty acres here, which include the area of the lake. Thetwo first or lower lakes are the largest and the deepest. It is theirflow which makes Five Lakes Creek. The three upper lakes are smallerand shallower. It is said that a divide used to separate the two lowerfrom the three upper lakes, and the flow from the latter descendedthrough Bear Creek, past Deer Park, into the Truckee River and thenceinto far-away Pyramid Lake in Nevada. 

From this point the trail is clear and well defined, being traveledconstantly during the season by guests of Deer Park Springs. Passingthrough a fine nursery of beautiful and exquisite red firs we dropinto the canyon of Bear Creek. To the left are great andesite crownson the mountain tops. Here also are more glacially polished masses andcliffs of granite, clearly indicating great glacial activity in theupper part of this canyon. The trail is ticklish in a few places, withsteps up and down which our horses take gingerly, but nothing whichneed excite an extra heart-beat to one used to mountain trails. 

In less than half an hour we are at Deer Park Springs, drinking itspleasant waters, and while we still have six and a half miles to goto the Tavern it is over easy and ordinary road, and therefore ourpleasant trip is practically at an end. 

 * * * * *

TO ELLIS PEAK

Homewood is the natural starting point for Ellis Peak (8745 feet) asthe trail practically leaves the Lake high-road at that point, andstrikes directly upon the mountain slope. Hundreds make the trip onfoot and it is by no means an arduous task, but many prefer to gohorse-back or burro-back. In its upward beginnings the trail followsthe course of an old logging chute for a distance of some two miles, the lake terminus of which is now buried in a nursery of white fir andmasses of white lilac. There are a few cedars and pines left untouchedby the logger's ax, but they are not prime lumber trees, or not one ofthem would now be standing. 

To the right is Dick Madden Creek, which, like all the streams on theeastern slopes of the great western escarpment of Lake Tahoe, comesdashing and roaring down steep and rocky beds to the Lake. 

When at about 7000 feet we find few other than red firs and mountainpines. Here is a wonderful nursery of them that have secured a firmhold upon life. Throughout the whole region the year 1913 seems tohave been a most kindly one for the untended, uncared for baby-trees. There has been comparatively little snowfall for three successiveyears, and this has given the young trees a chance. As soon as theirheads appear above the snow and they are not battered down by stormthey can make their way, but if the heavy snow falls and remains uponthem too long, they are either smothered, or so broken down, that lifebecomes a fearful struggle and scores of them succumb. Yet in spiteof this fact hemlocks and red firs seem to prefer the north or shadyslopes of the mountains and invariably thrive much better there thanwhere there is sunnier exposure. 

When about three miles up from the Lake we reach a richly-grassedmeadow, about five acres in extent, confined in a bowl-shaped rim, broken down at the east side, through which a rivulet, which flowsacross the meadow, finds outlet. This is undoubtedly one of the manymountain lakes of the region, too shallow and with too sluggish a flowof water into it to clear itself of the detritus washed down from thedisintegrating slopes above, hence it ultimately filled up and enteredupon a new life as a meadow. 

On the upper side of the meadow the trail passes through a gloriousgrove of hemlocks, the clean and clear "floor" of which leads one tothe observation that hemlocks generally seem to be hostile to otherand lesser growth coming in to occupy the ground with them. 

Sierran heather of purple color now appears here and there in patchesand we find quantities of it further along. There are also severalpeculiar puff-balls, and close by a remarkable fungus-growth like acauliflower, fully a foot in diameter. 

Nearing the summit we come to another meadow followed by anothergrove, where scarcely any trees but hemlocks are to be seen. Herealso we see great beds of the California primrose which grows with astraight upright stem crowned with blood-red or deep scarlet flowersabove a rich duster of leaves. These flowers generally can be foundblooming quite late in the season, following the snowline as thesummer's sun makes it climb higher each day. When the winter's snowshave been extra heavy the plants are covered and no flowers appear, asthe snow melts too late, but when there is a lesser amount they bloomas freely as ever, apparently none the worse for their dormant period. 

Over the peak billowy white clouds are tossing, like giant cradlesbuilt of the daintiest and most silvery cloud-stuff to be found in theheavens for the rocking of the cloud-babies to sleep. 

On a sister peak to Ellis Peak, just to the south, is to be seena remarkable and strikingly picturesque cluster of hemlocks. Itis almost circular in form, with eight trees in the center, andtwenty-three on the outer rim, which is over a hundred feet incircumference. Seldom does one see so interesting a group of treesanywhere, even when planted, and these, of course, are of nativegrowth. 

The summit itself is of broken and shattered granite, which hasallowed a scraggly mountain pine to take root and grow close to theU. S. Geological Survey monument. A fierce gale was blowing from thewest, and turning toward the tree-clad slopes of the east, we stoodin the wind, with the everlasting blue above and the glorious andnever-failing green beneath. Unconsciously there sprang to my lipsJoaquin Miller's lines:

And ever and ever His boundless blue, And ever and ever His green, green sod, And ever and ever between the twoWalk the wonderful winds of God. 

Braving the wind and looking over the steep precipice to the west wesee, some four hundred or five hundred feet below us, so that it seemsthat we might almost throw a stone into it, a small lake. This isBessie Lake, named after Mrs. C. F. Kohl, of Idlewyld. It dischargesits surplus waters into Blackwood Creek, and has several times beenstocked with fish. In the mid-distance is Loon Lake, which is thehead-waters of the California Ditch, which follows over the GeorgetownDivide, carries water some forty to fifty miles, and is distributedby its owners, the Reno Water and Electric Power Co. , for mining, irrigation and domestic purposes. 

East of Loon Lake are Spider and Pleasant Lakes, all of which weare told are connected with one another and controlled by the samecompany. Another lake, Bixly or Bixby, slightly to the north ofPleasant, is also connected. 

To the east of Pleasant Lake, Buck Island and Rock Bound Lakes weredazzlingly brilliant in the mid-day sun. 

One has but to look at the map to realize what a comprehensive surveyis possible in every direction from Ellis Peak. There is no wonderthat it is so popular. The panorama is unobstructed--the outlookpractically complete and perfect. Though the whole of the Lake is notrevealed, there is sufficient of it to make a transcendent picture. Every peak to the north and on the eastern side is in sight, while theTallac range, and the near-by mountains make one long for an aeroplanethat he might step from peak to peak without the effort of journeyingby land to their elevated summits. 

On the left side of Tinker's Knob is a peak, unmarked on the map, towhich the name of Lion Peak has been given, for the following reason:Some years ago former Governor Stanford's nephew, who has been avisitor for many years at Hopkins' Spring, was climbing, together witha companion, over this peak, when they came to a cave. Lighting a rudetorch they thoughtlessly entered it and had barely got well insidebefore they saw the two fierce eyes of a mountain lion glaring atthem. Surprised and startled, they were about to turn and run, whenthe astonished animal sprang past them and disappeared before theyrecollected they had a gun. 

It should not be overlooked that Ellis Peak is the most easternmountain of the Sierran divide. East, its drainage empties into LakeTahoe and thus eastward into the Big Basin; west, into the Rubicon, thence to the American, the Sacramento and finally out by the GoldenGate to the Pacific. 

To the west of the Rubicon Peaks is a chain of lakes in the valleybelow known as the Rock Bound Lakes. There are nine of these in all, though several of them are practically unknown except to the fewguides and the sheepmen who range over the surrounding mountains. 

As far as the eye can see, westward, there are distinct glacialmarkings, a wonderful revelation of the widespread and far-reachingactivity of these glaciers borne on the highest crests of the Sierras. The canyon in which the Rubicon River flows is definitely outlined, asis also the deep chasm known as Hell Hole. Near by is Bear Lake, aboutthe same size and appearance as Watson Lake, its overflow emptyinginto the Rubicon. 

Close at hand to the north and west are Barker's Peak, Barker's Pass, and Barker's Creek, and these decide us to go home by way of Barker'sPass instead of the way we came. Accordingly we drop down, returninga short distance to the south, over the western slope of Ellis Peak toEllis Valley. Both peak and valley receive their name from Jock Ellis, a Squaw Valley stay-behind, who entered the cattle and sheep business, and pastured his animals in this rich and well-watered region. 

On our way we pass through the most remarkable white fir nursery wehave yet seen. Not far away were a few hoary monarchs from the stillhanging but burst open cones of which winged seeds were flying beforethe breeze. These potential firs were carried in many cases over amile before they found lodgement. It was a beautiful and delightfuldemonstration of Nature's lavish method of preserving this usefulspecies of tree alive. 

Sweeping now to the north and east we make a rapid descent of some sixhundred or seven hundred feet to Barker's Pass, the elevation of whichis about 7000 to 7500 feet, the nearby Peak having an elevation ofabout 8500 feet. It is a round, bare mountain, and seems as if itought to be marked higher (on the map) than it is. 

Rapidly dropping we come to a peculiar mass of stratified rock, acutely tilted, unlike any found elsewhere in the region excepton Five Lake Creek on the way to Hell Hole. Just before reachingBlackwood's Creek the trail passes through rude piles of brecciasimilar to that of the Devil's Playground near the Truckee River. Itmay be perfectly possible that one of the volcanic flows that coveredlarge portions of the High Sierras, after the Cretaceous degradationshad taken place, came from a vent, or volcano, near by, and slowlyflowed down Blackwood Creek, leaving vast masses behind which haverapidly disintegrated until these are all that remain. 

These conjectures occupy our brain until we reach the Lake again, alongside of which the road soon brings us back to our starting point, after another most enjoyable, instructive, healthful and delightfulday. 

The foregoing are but samples of a hundred similar trail trips thatcan be taken from every part of the Lake, and from all the resorts. Each place has its chosen trips, and though, of course, there are manypoints of similarity, there are enough individualities to make eachtrip distinctive. 

My friends often ask me what food and drink I take along on suchhiking or riding trips. Generally the hotel provides a luncheon, butpersonally, I prefer a few Grant's crackers (a thick, hard crackerfull of sweet nutriment, made at Berkeley, Calif. ), a handful ofshelled nuts--walnuts, pecans, or almonds, a small bottle of Horlick'sMalted Milk tablets, a few slabs of Ghirardelli's milk chocolate, andan apple or an orange. On this food I can ride or walk _days at atime_, without anything else. Grant's crackers, Horlick's MaltedMilk tablets, and Ghirardelli's chocolate are the best of their kind, and all are nutritious to the full, as well as delicious to thetaste. For drink I find Horlick's Malted Milk the most comforting andinvigorating, and it has none of the after "letting-down" effects thataccompany coffee drinking. 

CHAPTER XVI

CAMPING-OUT TRIPS IN THE TAHOE REGION

There are many trips in the Tahoe Region which can be made, withgreater or lesser ease, on foot or horseback, in one day, so that onecan sleep in his hotel each night. On the other hand there are somehighly desirable trips that can be taken only by camping-out, andto these I wish to commend those of my readers of both sexes whoare strong enough to care for such intimate contact with God'sgreat-out-of-doors. 

To me one of Life's greatest delights, appealing alike to body, mindand soul, is a camping-out trip. Breathing day and night the pure airof mountain and forest, --occasionally swept by breezes from desert andocean, --exercising one's body into vigorous healthfulness, sweatingin the sun with life-giving labor, --even though it be only trampingor riding up and down trails, --sauntering over meadows, rambling andexploring untrailed spaces, under giant sky-piercing trees; lying downat night on the restful brown Mother Earth; sleeping peacefully anddreamlessly through delicious star-and-moon-lit nights, cooled andrefreshed by the night winds, awakening in the morning full of newlife and vigor, to feel the fresh tang of the air and the coolshock of the wash (or even plunge) in the snow-or-spring-fed stream;companioning with birds and bees, chipmunks and squirrels, grouse andquail, deer and antelope, trees and plants, shrubs and flowers, lavaand granite, lakes and creeks, rivers and ponds; smelling the sweetfragrance of the trees, shrubs, plants and vines; bathing in anatmosphere of calm and quiet that seems almost Divine; covered witha sky as cloudless and pure blue as the dome of heaven itself, andwhich, at night, changes into a rich blue-black velvet, studded withsilvery emblazonments, that dance and dazzle in the pellucid air;listening to the varied voices of Nature, each eager to give tongueto its joy; eating healthful, simple food with appetite and relish;absorbing the assurance that Nature means good and nothing but good toman, thus coming nearer to the heart of God; losing the fret andworry of money-getting and all other of Life's lower ambitions andstrivings; feeling the inflow of strength, --physical, mental andspiritual; gaining calmness, serenity, poise and power;--is there anywonder that a man so blessed should speak and write with radiant andexuberant enthusiasm of that which has been so lavish to him. This iswhat camping-out (in part) means to me. 

Hence, when I leave home for a mountain trip I always put into my_Indestructo_[1] an extra blue flannel shirt, riding boots andbreeches (or a pair of overalls), a cap, and a bottle of Vaseline. Thehunter and fisherman, of course, will bring his especial equipment, as, also, will the geologist or botanist. 

The first essentials of a successful camping-out trip are personal. One must have the receptive and acceptive spirit. No matter whatcomes it is for the best; an experience worth having. Nothing must becomplained of. The "grouch" has no place on a camping-trip, and onewho is a "grouch, " a "sissy, " a "faultfinder, " a "worrier, " a"quitter, " or who cannot or will not enter fully into the spirit ofthe thing had better stay at home. 

[Footnote 1: _Indestructo_ is the name given to a trunk that hasbeen such a delight to me for its enduring and useful qualities, thatI cannot refrain from "passing it on. " A poor trunk, to a constanttraveler, is a perpetual nuisance and worry. My trunks always gaveme trouble until I got an _Indestructo_. Since then I have hadfreedom from all such distress. It is fully insured for five years. ]

If experiences are met with that are disagreeable, meet them as a manshould; a woman always does, --or always has on trips taken with me. The "self-pitier, " the "self-indulgent, " the "fearful" also had betterstay at home. 

The next essentials are a good guide--such as is suggested by theDedication of this book--and good saddle-and-pack-animals, goodbedding, good food and the proper season. Then if the spot you havechosen contains anything worth while, you cannot fail to have anenjoyable, interesting, educative, health-giving and generallyprofitable time. 

In outfitting for such a trip always put into your pocket (and in thepack a reserve supply) a few Grant's crackers, a handful of Horlick'sMalted Milk tablets, and a cake of Ghirardelli's chocolate. Withthese you are safe for a whole day or two, or more, if anything shouldhappen to separate you from your pack animal, or you should desire toride on without stopping to prepare a noon, or later, camp meal. 

The Tahoe Region offers scores of just such trips, where for one ortwo months each year for a dozen years a visitor may camp-out in somenew region. For instance, every student of God's handiwork should goup to Deer Park, camp-out at Five Lakes, and study the evidences oflava flows at the head of Bear Creek. Go to the Lake of the Woods andspend a week there, tracing the glacial movements that made DesolationValley. Take such a trip as I enjoyed to Hell Hole on the Rubicon, but take more time for it than I could give; cross the range to theYosemite, and thus link the two sublimest parts of the Sierras inyour memory; follow the old trails that used to echo to the voices ofpioneers from Michigan Bluff, Last Chance, Hayden Hill, etc. ; go outwith one of the Forest Rangers and get a glimpse into his wonderfullife of activity, independence and solitude. Thus you will come incontact with larger conceptions, fuller ideas, deeper sympathies, higher aspirations than is possible where you follow the ordinaryroutine of the ordinary, mediocre, self-contented man. Thank God forthe spark of discontent, of ambition, of aspiration, of desire tosee beyond, to know more, to climb higher, to solve the mysteries, toabolish the unknown. 

Then, if you dare the perils and joys of winter, get Bob Watson, or some other expert on snow-shoes to go with you over Tahoe's wildwastes of snow. Emulate Snow-shoe Thompson, a short sketch ofwhose life and adventures will be found in my book, _Heroes ofCalifornia_, and henceforth the days and nights of spring, summer, fall and winter will never seem quite the same to you. 

Merely as a sample, the balance of this chapter is devoted to the tripmade in the fall of 1913 with Watson from Tahoe Tavern. 

 * * * * *

TO HELLHOLE AND THE RUBICON RIVER

I certainly think I can conjecture with accuracy the way it receivedits name. The trails in and out were first made and used by the wildanimals--bear, deer, antelope, mountain lions, etc. , then by the firstAmericans--the Indians, and at last, by the white man. Undoubtedly thefirst whites to come over the trails were miners from the Georgetownand Placerville districts, lured by the marvelous discoveries of theComstock lode in Virginia City. Then in 1862-3 came the Squaw Valleystampede and this "strike" being so much nearer than the Comstocknaturally attracted much attention, especially as the California minesof the Sierra Nevada were becoming less profitable. One of these oldminers, whose language was more luridly picturesque than refined, oncoming into the region or going out of it, --when he struck the rough, rugged, uncertain, rocky, and exceedingly steep grade, must havecalled it a "hell of a hole" to get into or out of, and in futurereferences the name stuck until, at last, it was passed down to futureages on the maps of the U. S. Geological Survey as the true and correctname. 

[Illustration: Angora Lake, near Lake Tahoe, Calif. ]

[Illustration: GLENBROOK ON THE NEVADA SIDE OF LAKE TAHOE]

[Illustration: THE STEAMER _TAHOE_, AT THE WHARF, JUST BEFORESTARTING AROUND THE LAKE]

But if the reader thinks the name in the slightest degreecharacteristic of the place itself he never made a greater blunder. Instead, it is a paradise of delightful surprises. A large, fairlylevel area--hundreds of acres at least--through which runs the clearand pellucid waters of the Rubicon River on their way to join those ofthe American, and dotted all over with giant cedars, pines, firs andlive oaks, with tiny secluded meadows, lush with richest grasses, it is a place to lure the city-dweller for a long and profitablevacation. Whether he hunts, fishes, botanizes, geologizes or merelyloafs and invites his soul, it is equally fascinating, and he isa wise man who breaks loose from "Society"--spelled with either acapital or small letter--the bank, the office, the counting-house, the store, the warehouse, the mill, or the factory, and, with a genialcompanion or two, buries himself away from the outer world in thisrestful, peaceful, and God-blessed solitude. 

When I first saw it I exclaimed: "Hell Hole? Then give me more of it, "and instead of hastening on to other places of well-known charm, I insisted upon one day at least of complete rest to allow itsperfection to "seep in" and become a part of my intimate inner life ofremembrance. 

It was under Bob Watson's efficient guidance I left Tahoe Tavern, fora five day trip. We took a pack-horse well laden with grub, utensilsfor cooking and our sleeping bags. Riding down the Truckee, up BearCreek, past Deer Park Springs, I was struck more forcibly than everbefore by the marvelous glacial phenomena in the amphitheater at thehead of the canyon through a portion of which the trail passes, andalso with the volcanic masses that rest upon the granite, mainly onthe right hand side of the pass. Its first appearance shows a capof from two hundred to three hundred feet in thickness; later on twoother patches of it appear, the upper one presenting the granite andsuperposed granite on the same level, clearly indicating a channel ofearly erosion filled up by the later flow of volcanic matter. 

Passing by Five Lakes and down Five Lake Creek to its junction withthe canyon down which we had come from the Little American Valley, wewere soon headed down the creek for the Rubicon. To the right toweredMt. Mildred (8400 feet), on the other side of which is Shank's Cove. Shank was a sheep-man who for years ran his sheep here during thesummer, taking them down to the Sacramento Valley in winter. Afterpassing several grassy meadows, cottonwood groves, and alder thicketswe reached Bear Pen Creek, a rocky, bone-dry crossing, nine miles fromthe divide. To the left, Powder Horn Creek comes in, which heads onthe northwestern slope of the ridge, on which, on the southern side, Barker Creek has its rise. It received this peculiar name from thefact that General Phipps, from whom Phipps Peak is named, was oncechasing a bear, when suddenly the infuriated animal turned upon him, made a savage strike at him with his paw and succeeded in knocking thebottom out of his old-fashioned powder-horn. 

Further down we came suddenly upon a hawk who had just captured agrouse, and taken off his head. As the bird dropped his prey on ourapproach we took it as a gift of the gods, and next morning, with twoor three quail, it made an excellent breakfast for us. 

Nearing the descent into Hell Hole we gained striking glimpses of agreat glacially-formed valley in the mountains on the farther side, while a ridge to our left revealed a cap of volcanic rock apparentlyof columnar structure and extending from the eastern end half way thelength of the ridge. 

Watson assured me that here he has found herds of sixteen and nineteendeer, on separate occasions. They seem to follow, in the early spring, the line of the melting snow. At this time they are tame and fearless, and will stand and look at you with surprise and impatience. Theyseldom run away. On one occasion he came upon a doe and two fawnsnot far from the brink or ridge of Hell Hole. He was close uponthem before he was aware, but stopped suddenly. The doe saw him, butinstead of turning to flee she stood and impatiently stamped herfoot several times. Then as he seemed to pay no attention and tobe harmless, she and her young began to graze again, and shortlydisappeared. 

Before long we arrived at what may be called the "jumping-off place. "In reality it is a steep descent into the depths of a wide canyon, but earth has so lodged in the rocky slopes that they are covered withdense growths of trees and chaparral, so that it is impossible tosee very far ahead. Down, down, down we went, winding and twisting, curving around and dodging, but getting deeper with every zig-zaguntil almost as suddenly as we began the steep descent we foundourselves on a fairly level platform. Hell Hole was reached. 

The day spent here was a delightful one. While Watson fished I wrote, loafed, rambled about, studied the rock formations, and wished for aweek or more instead of a day. 

Next morning we struck into the canyon of the Rubicon River, for SodaSpring, half a mile away, where salt and soda exude in suchquantities as to whiten the rocks. Here the deer, bear, grouse, quail, ground-hogs, and other creatures come for salt. Indeed, this is anatural "salt lick, " and there are eight or ten piles of rock, behindwhich Indian and white hunters used to watch for the coming of thegame they desired to kill. Twenty years ago one could get game herepractically every day. The Washoes used to descend the western slopeas far as this; the men for deer, the women for acorns, though theyhad to be on the alert as the Sierra Indians resented their intrusion. 

Right and left as we rode on there were great "islands" of granite, fifty to one hundred feet high, masses that either had been hurledfrom the heights above in some cataclysm, or planed to their presentshape by long-forgotten glaciers. These granite masses alternate withflower and shrub-bestrewed meadows that once were glacial lakes. At times we found ourselves in a dense forest where the trees wereancient monarchs, whose solitudes had never been disturbed by strokeof ax, or grate of saw. Clumps of dogwood and chaparral of a dozenkinds confuse the tyro, and he loses all sense of direction. Only theinstinct that makes a real mountain and forest guide could enableone successfully to navigate these overgrown wilds, for we were nowwandering up a region where trails had been abandoned for years. Hereand there, when we came to the rocky slopes "ducks"[2] in confusingvariety were found but scarce a sign of a trail, and the "blazes"on the trees were more confusing than if we had been left to our owndevices. 

Yellow jackets' nests hung from many branches, and we were now andthen pestered by the flying creatures themselves. Then we had a goodlaugh. Our pack-horse, Shoshone, got between two trees. His head couldpass but his pack couldn't, and there he stood struggling to pullthrough. He couldn't do it, but stupidly he would not back up. Talk about horse-sense! A burro would have backed up in a minute, but most horses would struggle in such a place until they died. 

[Footnote 2: _Ducks_ are small piles of stone so placed as todenote the course of the trail. ]

Near here there came into sight a granite ridge between the Rubiconand Five Lake Creek. This grows higher until it becomes quite amountain, between Five Lake Creek and Barker Creek. On the rightMcKinstry Peak (7918 feet) towered up, with its double top, leadingthe eye along a ridge of red granite rock to Red Peak. 

About three miles up the canyon we found a number of rocky basins inthe course of the Rubicon with water, eight, ten and more feet deep inthem, temptingly suggesting a plunge. I didn't need much tempting, and as quickly as I could disrobe I had plunged in. What a cold, invigorating shock it was. There's nothing like such a plunge forthoroughly arousing one and sending the blood quickly coursing throughhis veins. 

Nearby were great beds of brake-ferns, four and five feet high, grovesof immense alders, sugar pines, some of which were fully eight feetthrough and the trunks of which were honeycombed with woodpeckerholes. I saw and heard several woodpeckers at work. They had redtop-knots, and the noise they made echoed through the woods more as ifa sledge hammer had struck the tree than the bill of a bird. How theyclimb up the trunk of the trees, holding on in a mysterious fashionand moving head up or down, as they desire, with jerky little pulls, bobbing their heads as if emphasizing some remarks they were making tothemselves. 

And what ideal spots for camping-out we passed, shady trees, nearbymeadows, to give abundant feed for the horses, the pure waters of theRubicon close by, with scenery, trees, flowers, animals, birds--allthe glory of nature--surrounding one with objects of delight, interestand study. 

One large area was strewn with hundreds of thousands of the biglong cones of the sugar pine. When one wishes to pack and ship homespecimens of these and other cones, it is well to soak them in water. They then close up and carry safely, opening up as before, as they dryout. 

Then we passed some giant "wind falls, " mainly spruces. The roots ofthese monarchs of the forest had twined themselves around rocks ofevery size and shape, some of them massive bowlders, but when thestorm came, the purchase, or leverage of the tall trees was so greatthat these heavy rock-masses were pulled out of place and lifted up asthe trees crashed over to their fall. 

Now we came to a stretch of perfect virgin forest. No ax, no saw, nolog chutes, no wagons, no dragging of logs, no sign of the hand ofman. Nature was the only woodsman, with her storms and winds, hersnows and rains, to soften the soil and uproot her growing sons anddaughters. There was confusion in places, even rude chaos, but inand through and above it all a cleanness, a sweetness, a purity, agrandeur, harmony, glory, beauty and majesty--all of which disappearwhen destroying man comes upon the scene. 

About five miles up, we left the Rubicon and struck up toward BarkerCreek. Here was another of the great, tempting granite basins, full ofclear cool water. We also passed patches of belated scarlet larkspur, shooting stars, and glaring golden-rod. 

Half a mile up we reached Barker Creek, now a bowlder-strewn arroyowhich aroused my covetousness to high degree. How I would love tobuild, with my own hands, a cottage, bungalow or house of some kindwith these great bowlders, of varied sizes and colors, shapes andmaterial. 

Just above the junction of Barker Creek and the Rubicon is "LittleHell Hole, " a camping-place almost as famous as its larger namesake, and noted for the fact that half a mile away is a small canyon full ofmineral springs--sulphur, iron, soda, magnesia, etc. Naturally it is a"deer-lick, " which makes it a Mecca during the open season to hunters. The springs bubble up out of the bed of the stream, the water of whichis stained with the coloring matter. When the stream runs low so thatone can get to the springs he finds some of them as pleasant to thetaste as those of Rubicon and Glen Alpine. 

As we got higher we left the spruces behind, and the junipers, coveredwith berries, began to appear. Then we came to open spaces where thewind began to sing in the tops of the pines. 

About a mile up Barker Creek, Watson showed me the course of one ofhis trails back to the Tavern. It ascends a formidable ridge and leadsquickly to Idlewyld, but we were bound for Rubicon Springs. The oldtrail was inaccessible, but Mr. Colwell of the Springs had latelymarked out a new trail, so we took our chances on finding our waysomehow. Over windfalls, up and down and around rocky promontories, we came to West Meadow Creek Wash, its rude bowlder-strewn coursestriking directly across our path. Here we struck beds of brakesnestling in the shade of giant trees. On the left side of the creekwhere we were, we ran into dense clumps of wild-cherry which preventedfurther progress. Scouting found us an outlet on the other side ofBarker Creek. The divide on the left towered up with rugged majesty, reddish in color, and split into gigantic irregular terraces, thetaluses of which were all crowded with dense chaparral growths. 

On this side the slopes were all more open, nothing but ruggedbowlders clinging on the bare surfaces. 

How enjoyable was this forcing our way along through these solitarywilderness places, so that I was really sorry when we finally droppedover a forested slope into the Rubicon Springs and McKinney's Road. Amile away we found the hotel, with Mr. And Mrs. Colwell. The buildingsare old but all nature is gloriously grand and beautiful. 

Though cordially invited to stay overnight, we pushed on over theRubicon River, up the hill on part of the Georgetown road for amile and a half, --from which we had a fine view of Buck IslandLake, --struck the trail for another mile and in the early afternoonmade camp at Rock Bound Lake. Here we rowed and swam, studied thecountry from the nearby hills, and then slept the sleep of thehealthfully weary under the blue vault of heaven. 

Though Rubicon Springs was not far away there was such an air ofquietude in this spot that we felt as if we were in one of Nature'schoicest retreats. 

Returning to Rubicon we followed the road back to where we had struckit the day before. The old trail from McKinney's used to come over thedivide from the east and strike the Rubicon near where we then stood, pass by the Springs and then follow the river, but to avoid the steepgrades the road had to be constructed around by Buck Island Lake. 

Those who ride into Rubicon Springs from McKinney's, just as they makethe last descent, have a wonderful view of Georgetown Mountain beforethem. Its sloping side is glacially planed off at a steep angle, andit reveals the vast extent the great ice field must have covered inthe days of glacial activity. Many bowlders near the Springs are verystrongly marked by glacial action. 

About a mile from the Springs we came to a tree on which a "cut-off"sign was placed. When the road was being constructed the buildersstarted a new grade at this point and after going for a mile or sofound it was so steep that it had to be abandoned and a lesser gradefound by going around. 

From the summit we could clearly follow the course of the LittleRubicon, and also secured an excellent view of the sharp point ofRubicon Peak (9193 feet). 

A stiff and cool breeze was blowing from the west so we were not sorryto find shelter from the wind as we entered a wooded park, where thesong of the pines cheered us on our way. Soon we struck the road andfollowed it until we came to the headwaters of Miller's Creek on theright. Miller used to run sheep up in the meadows, which afford asmooth grade for the road for some distance. There are many aldershere, which bear mute though powerful testimony, in the shape of theirgnarled and bent over ground-groveling trunks, of the heavy winters'snows. 

These meadows clearly were once glacial lakes, now filled up, andMiller's Creek was the instrument of their destruction. Crossing thelast of the meadows we came to Burton's Pass, so called from H. D. Burton, another Placerville pioneer who used to cut hay here, pack iton mules to McKinney's, and then ship it across to Lakeside, where hesold it for $80 to $100 a ton. We then passed McKinney's old cabin, the place he built and occupied in 1863, before he went to live at theLake. Only a few fragments now remain, time and storms having nearlycompleted the work of destruction. 

Nearby was a beautiful lily pond, soon to be a meadow, and just beyondthis we stood on the actual divide between the Great Basin and thePacific. We were at the head of Phipps Creek, named on the map GeneralCreek, from General Phipps. At the mouth of the creek this pioneerlocated on 160 acres, which, when he died about 1883, was sold to M. H. De Young, of the _San Francisco Chronicle_. After holding it formany years he sold it in turn to I. Hellman, the banker, who now usesit as his summer estate, having built a fine residence upon it. 

Near here we lunched at a sheep-herder's camp and heard an interestingstory of the relocation of an old mine that had helped create theSquaw Valley excitement forty years before. Owing to new and improvedmethods of extracting the precious metal it is now deemed that thismay soon develop into a paying property. 

Returning to the road we passed Jock Ellis's cabin, in a similar stateof ruin to that of McKinney. Ellis Peak (8945 feet) is named afterhim. He was a Squaw Valley stampeder. Nearby we saw the largesttamarack I have yet found in the Sierras. It was fully five feetthrough and fluted in an interesting and peculiar fashion. 

From here we made a mile detour to visit Hank Richards Lake, abeautiful crystal jewel in an incomparable wooded setting. Thenback to Phipps Creek, over a perfect jumble of granite bowlders andtree-clad slopes until we finally struck the trail and followed it tothe Lake, and thence home to the Tavern. 

The reader should observe that in this, as in the chapter on "TrailTrips, " only a sample is given of a score or more of similar trips. His host at any of the hotels can suggest others equally interesting. 

CHAPTER XVII

HISTORIC TAHOE TOWNS

There have been only three towns on the immediate banks of Lake Tahoe, viz. , Tahoe City, Glenbrook and Incline, though Knoxville was locatedon the Truckee River only six miles away. 

_Tahoe City_. Tahoe City was founded in 1864 at the collapseof the Squaw Valley mining excitement, the story of which is fullyrelated in another chapter. Practically all its first inhabitantswere from the deserted town of Knoxville. They saw that the lumberingindustry was active and its permanence fully assured so long asVirginia City, Gold Hill and other Nevada mining-camps remainedprofitable. The forests around the Lake seemed inexhaustible, andthere was no need for them to go back to an uncertainty in the placermines of El Dorado County, when they were pretty sure to be ableto make a good living here. They, also, probably exercised a littleimagination and saw the possibilities of Lake Tahoe as a health andpleasure resort. Its great beauty must have impressed them somewhat, and the exploitation of these features may have occurred to them. 

Anyhow, in 1864, the Bailey Hotel was erected, and, later, a mannamed Hill erected the Grand Central. The Squaw Valley excitement hadattracted a number from the Nevada camps, and when these men returnedthey took with them glowing accounts of the beauty of Lake Tahoe, andof the fishing and hunting to be enjoyed there. Thus the Lake receivedsome of its earliest resort patronage. During lumbering days it was anactive, bustling place, being the nearest town to which the loggers, drivers, tree-fellers, millmen and others could flee for their weeklyrecreation and periodic carouses. Yet it must not be thought that thetown was wholly given over to roughness. Helen Hunt Jackson, a widelytraveled and observant woman of finest susceptibilities, says of theLake Tahoe House, which she visited in stage-coach days, that it was"one of the very best in all California. " It was the stopping-place ofthe _élite_ who came to see and enjoy Tahoe, and until laterand more fashionable hotels were built around the Lake enjoyed greatpopularity. 

As soon as the logging industry declined Tahoe City began to go down, and only the fishing and tourist interests kept it alive. 

When the railway was moved over from Glenbrook and the shops and yardof the Transportation Company were established here it regained someof its former activity and life, and is now the chief business centeron the Lake. It is the headquarters of the campers who come forpleasure each year, and its store does a very large and thrivingbusiness. New cottages are being erected and it is destined ere longto be a stirring pleasure resort town, for, as the delights of Tahoebecome more widely known, every available piece of land will increasein value and where there is now one summer home there will be ahundred. 

_Glenbrook_. On the Nevada side of the Lake, Glenbrook used to beone of the most active, busy, bustling towns in the west. It scarcelyseems credible to one who visits the quiet, placid resort of to-daythat when I first saw it, some thirty years ago, it had three orfour large sawmills in constant operation, day and night. It was thenregarded, and so designated in the _History of Nevada_, publishedin 1881, as "the great lumber manufacturing town of the state. "

The town was begun in 1860, the land being squatted upon by G. W. Warren, N. E. Murdock, and R. Walton. In 1861 Captain A. W. Pray erecteda saw-mill, run by water-power, but as water sometimes failed, whenthe demand for lumber increased, he changed to steam-power. He alsosecured a thousand acres, much of it the finest timber land, from thegovernment, using in its purchase Sioux Scrip. 

Up to 1862 the only way to travel from California to Carson andVirginia City, south of Lake Tahoe, was by the Placerville road whichcame by Bijou and Lakeside and then over the Kingsbury Grade, viaFriday's Station, afterward called Small's, by which latter name itis still known on the maps of the U. S. Geological Survey. In 1862, however, a new road was projected, branching off to the northwest(the left) from Small's, and following the eastern shore of the Lake, passed Zephyr Cove and Cave Rock to Glenbrook, thence by Spooner'sand down King's Canyon to Carson. This was called the Lake Bigler TollRoad (notice the fact that "Tahoe" was then officially designated inNevada as "Bigler"), and was completed in 1863. 

This demanded the opening of a better class of hotel for travelersand others in Glenbrook, and in the same year the road was finishedMessrs. Winters and Colbath erected the "Glenbrook Hotel, " whichfinally came into the hands of Messrs. Yerington and Bliss, who, later, were the builders of the railway, the owners of most of thesurrounding timberlands, and who had practical control of the majorportion of the lumber interests. But prior to this a lumber-mill wasbuilt by J. H. F. Goff and George Morrill in the northern part of thetown. This did a good business, for even in those early days commonlumber was worth $25. 00 per thousand feet, and clear lumber, $45. 00. The mill was soon destroyed by fire, but the site was bought by A. H. Davis and Son, who erected a new mill, which they operated for awhile and then sold to Wells, Fargo & Co. It was not until 1873 thatYerington & Bliss came to Glenbrook. They revolutionized the lumberindustry. While Captain Pray had long used a steam tug to raft logsacross Lake Tahoe, the lumber itself was hauled down to Carson andVirginia City. Now, owning large areas of timberland, operating twoand then three saw-mills in Glenbrook, and several others in thenearby mountains, Messrs. Yerington & Bliss sought easier means oftransportation for their merchandisable product. They constructeddams and reservoirs, with V flumes in a number of places, makingthem converge as near as possible at the Summit, some six miles fromGlenbrook. To this point they built a narrow gauge railway for thepurpose of transporting the millions of feet of lumber sawn at theirmills. 

From Summit a large V flume was constructed down Clear Creek Canyoninto Carson City, and into this flume a constant stream of water waspoured from the reservoirs which carried upon its bosom another streamof boards, timber, studding, joists and sheathing, the two streamsemptying simultaneously just outside of Carson City at a point on theVirginia & Truckee railway, where the lumber was loaded and thenceshipped to its place of consumption. 

That tremendous amounts of lumber were being manufactured is shownby the fact that the official records of Douglas County, Nevada, for1875, give 21, 700, 000 feet as the product for that year. 

One department of the lumber business should not be overlooked in thisconnection. As the timber disappeared from the mountain slopes nearestGlenbrook, the operators were compelled to go further afield for theirlogs. These were cut on the mountain slopes north, south, east andwest, and sent down the "chutes" into the Lake. Where the ground waslevel great wagons, drawn by ten, sixteen, twenty oxen, hauled thelogs to the shore, where they were dumped into the water. Here theywere confined in "booms, " consisting of a number of long, thin polesfastened together at the ends with chains, which completely encircleda "raft" of logs arranged in the form of a V. The raft was thenattached, by strong cables, to a steamer and towed to Glenbrook, wherethe mills were so located that the logs were drawn up from the Lakedirectly upon the saw-carriages. The size of some of the rafts may beimagined when it is known that they yielded from 250, 000 to 300, 000feet of lumber. 

The principal vessel for this purpose at the time I first visited LakeTahoe in 1881 was an iron tug, called the _Meteor_. It was builtin 1876 at Wilmington, Delaware, by Harlan, Hollingsworth & Co. , thentaken apart, shipped by rail to Carson City and hauled by teams toLake Tahoe. It was a propeller, eighty feet long and ten feet beam, and cost $18, 000. 

The first store erected in Glenbrook was placed on piles over thewater. This was built in 1874, by J. A. Rigby and A. Childers. Onemorning the latter partner disappeared, and it was surmised that hehad fallen into the water and was drowned. New partners were takeninto the firm, but in January, 1877, the store was burned, and it wasnot re-erected on its original site. 

When the lumber interests and the railway were removed Glenbrookdeclined, until it was the most deserted looking place possible. Thenthe sons of Mr. Bliss, one of whom was born there, cleared away allthe evidences of its former lumbering activities, built a handsome andcommodious modern hotel on the most scenic point, and re-establishedthe place as a choice resort on the Nevada shore, as describedelsewhere. 

_Incline_. It will be a source of interest, even to many who knowLake Tahoe well, that there used to be a town named Incline on itsshores. In the curve of Crystal Bay, a few miles from where the scarsshow where the water escaped from Marlette Lake flume, this townwas located in 1882. It was the source of supplies for the lumberinginterests of the Sierra Nevada Wood and Lumber Company, and receivedits name from a sixteen-hundred feet incline up which lumber washauled. The incline was operated by an endless cable, somewhat afterthe style of Mount Lowe, in Southern California, the car on one sidegoing up, and on the other coming down one trip, and _vice versa_the next. The lumber thus raised was thrown into the flume, carriedtherein around to Lake View, on the line of the Virginia and Truckeerailway, there loaded on cars and shipped to Carson and Virginia, largely for use in the mines. 

When the logging interests were active the place had quite apopulation, had its own post-office and was an election precinct. Whenthe logging interests waned the town declined, and in 1898 the postoffice was discontinued. Now nothing remains but the old incline, grown up with weeds and chaparral. New towns are springing up at AlTahoe, Lakeside and Carnelian Bay which will soon demand a revision ofthis chapter. 

[Illustration: Lake Tahoe from Tahoe Tavern]

[Illustration: Steamer Tahoe Rounding Rubicon Point, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: McKinney's and Moana Villa, With Rubicon Peaksin the Distance, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Steamer Landing, McKinney's, Lake Tahoe]

CHAPTER XVIII

BY STEAMER AROUND LAKE TAHOE

The ride around Lake Tahoe is one of varied delights, as the visitorsees not only the Lake itself from every possible angle, but gains anever shifting panorama of country, and, more remarkable than all, herides directly over that wonderful kaleidoscope of changing color thatis a never-ceasing surprise and enchantment. 

Tahoe Tavern is the starting point of the ride, the train conveyingthe passenger directly to the wharf from which he takes the steamer. Capt. Pomin is in control. 

Not far from where this, the most beautiful and charming hotel of theLake is erected, there used to be a logging camp, noted as the placefrom which the first ties were cut for that portion of the CentralPacific Railroad lying east of the summit of the Sierras. A number ofbeautiful private residences line the Lake for some distance, the areahaving been portioned out in acre and half-acre lots. Chief of theseare the summer home of Professor W. T. Reid, for a time President ofthe State University of California, and Idlewyld, the residence of Mr. And Mrs. Frederick Kohl, of San Francisco. 

One of the oldest villas of this portion of the Lake used to be ownedby Thomas McConnell, of Galt, and it was his daughter, Mary, who firstmade the ascent of one of the peaks now known as Maggie's Peaks, as amarble tablet placed there testifies. 

In the mountains beyond are Ward's Peak (8665 feet) to the right, andTwin Peak (8924) to the left, from the first of which heads Ward'sCreek, and the second Blackwood Creek, both entering the Lake twomiles or so apart. Just beyond Twin Peak are Barker's Peak (8000feet), and nearer to the Lake, Ellis Peak (8745 feet), the waters fromthe former making the South Fork of Blackwood Creek. Ellis Peak, beingeasily reached by a good trail, is the common point of ascent fromHomewood, McKinney's, Tahoe Tavern and other resorts. 

Six miles out from the Tavern, the first stop is made at Homewood, oneof the newer resorts. 

Three and one-half to four miles further along is McKinney's, one ofthe oldest, best known and well established resorts on Lake Tahoe. Itwas founded by J. W. McKinney, who was first attracted to this regionby the Squaw Valley excitement. (See special chapter. ) For a time in1862-3 he sold lots on the townsite of Knoxville, then when thebottom dropped out of the "boom" he returned to Georgetown, engaged inmining, but returned to Tahoe in or about 1867, located on 160 acreson the present site and in 1891-2, after having erected two or threecottages, embarked fairly and fully in the resort business. Forseveral years his chief patronage came from the mining-camps, etc. , of Nevada, Gold Hill, Virginia City, Dayton, Carson City, Genoa, etc. They came by stage to Glenbrook and thence across the Lake, on thesmall steamer that already was doing tourist business in summer andhauling logs to the lumber mills in winter and spring. Thus thisresort gained its early renown. 

The bottom of the Lake may be seen at a considerable depth nearMcKinney's, and looks like a piece of mosaic work. The low conicalpeak, back of McKinney's is about 1400 feet above the Lake and used tobe called by McKinney, Napoleon's Hat. 

The next stop of the steamer is quite close to McKinney's, viz. , Moana Villa, and a mile or so further on at Pomin's, the former an oldestablished resort, and the latter an entirely new one. After passingSugar Pine Point, Meek's Bay and Grecian Bay are entered. These twoshallow indentations along the shore line are places where the coloreffects are more beautiful than anywhere else in the Lake, and viewith the attractions of the shore in arresting the keen attention ofthe traveler. Meek's Bay is three miles long, and, immediately ahead, tower the five peaks of the Rubicon Range, some 3000 feet abovethe Lake. Beyond, a thousand feet higher, is snow-crownedTallac, --_the_ mountain--as the Washoe Indians called it, thedominating peak of the southwest end of the Lake. 

Rubicon Point is the extension of the Rubicon Range and it fallsoff abruptly into the deepest portion of the Lake. The result is amarvelous shading off of the water from a rich sapphire to a deeppurple, while the shore on either side varies from a bright sparklingblue to a blue so deep and rich as almost to be sombre. Well, indeed, might Lake Tahoe be named "the Lake of ineffable blue. " Here areshades and gradations that to reproduce in textile fabrics would havepricked a king's ambition, and made the dyers of the Tyrian purple ofold turn green with envy. Solomon in his wonderful temple never sawsuch blue as God here has spread out as His free gift to all the eyes, past, present and to come, and he who has not yet seen Tahoe has yetmuch to learn of color glories, mysteries, melodies, symphonies andharmonies. 

Soon, Emerald Bay is entered. This is regarded by many as the richjewel of Lake Tahoe. The main body of the Bay is of the deep blueour eyes have already become accustomed to, but the shore-line isa wonderful combination of jade and emerald, that dances andscintillates as the breeze plays with the surface of the waters. Alanding is made at Emerald Bay Camp, one of the most popular resortsof the Lake, and while at the landing the curious traveler should takea good look at the steep bank of the opposite shore. This is a lateralmoraine of two glaciers, one of which formed Emerald Bay, as isexplained in Chapter VIII, and the other formed Cascade Lake, whichnestles on the other side of the ridge. 

At the head of Emerald Bay, also, is Eagle Falls, caused by theoutflow of water from Eagle Lake, which is snugly ensconced at thebase of the rugged granite cliffs some three miles inland. 

Four miles beyond Emerald Bay is Tallac, one of the historic resortson the Lake. 

Tallac was originally Yanks. Yank was really Ephraim Clement, originally a Yankee from Maine, a stout, hearty, bluff man, whohomesteaded his land, added to it until he owned about a thousandacres, and finally sold out to E. J. (Lucky) Baldwin. Baldwin had comeover from Virginia City and seeing the great havoc made in the finetimber, of which he was very fond, exclaimed with an oath: "Someonewill be cutting this (the timber of Yanks) next, " and then and therehe began to bargain for the place. In 1878 he bought, changed thename, and thenceforward Tallac became known. Little by little, asYank had done, so Baldwin bought from sheep-men, squatters, and othersuntil he had quite a holding. 

The hotel was built and in 1879 Sharp Brothers ran it. In 1880 Capt. Gordon was manager for a year, and in 1881 Baldwin gave a lease toMessrs. Lawrence & Comstock who held it until 1914. 

Baldwin was a great lover of trees, and when the present hotel andcottages were built, not a single tree was cut without his expresspermission. Yet he had no foolish sentiment about the matter as isproven by the fact that all the buildings were constructed fromlocal lumber produced in his own sawmill, except the redwood used forfinishing. The hotel as it now stands was completed in 1900. 

Gulls, pelicans and mud-hens can generally be seen in large numbersaround the piers at Tallac, and the fleet of fishing boats, each withits one or more eager anglers, is one of the sights. 

The steamer stops here long enough to allow a few minutes ashore, andthe visitors ramble over to the hotel, chat or chatter with the WashoeIndian squaws who have their baskets for sale, or enjoy the grassy andshaded grounds. 

From the wharf at Tallac visitors for Glen Alpine, Fallen Leaf Lodge, and Cathedral Park take their respective stages. These three resortsare within a few miles and afford additional opportunities for loversof the region to add to their knowledge of its scenic, botanic, arboreal and geologic features. Indeed such glacial experts as JosephLeConte, John Muir, and David Starr Jordan have united in declaringthat the region around Glen Alpine gives a better opportunity for thestudy of comparatively recent glacial phenomena than any other knownarea. 

Adjoining Tallac on the east is the private residence of W. S. Tevis, of San Francisco. His beautiful yacht, the _Consuelo_, maygenerally be seen anchored here, when not in actual service. 

Half a mile from Tallac is The Grove, close to the Upper TruckeeRiver, the main feeder of Lake Tahoe, and four miles furtheris Al-Tahoe, a new and well-equipped hotel, standing on a bluffcommanding an expansive view of the Lake. It practically occupies thesite of an old resort well-known as "Rowland's. " It is near to Freel'sPeak (10, 900 feet), which in olden days was known as Sand Mountain, onaccount of its summit being composed of sand. 

A mile and a half further along is Bijou, a pleasant and comfortablestopping place, while three miles further a picturesque rusticpavilion on the end of the pier denotes Lakeside Park, a well-knownand long-famous resort. Forty-five years ago, or more, Capt. W. W. Latham built the famous State Line House at this point, and twentyyears ago it came into the hands of its present owners. 

This is the most easterly of all the resorts and settlements at thesouth end of Lake Tahoe. It is in California, in El Dorado County, though its post-office is Stateline, the dividing line betweenCalifornia and Nevada. The Park is over 2000 acres in extent and hasalready become the nucleus for a choice summer residence section. 

Leaving Lakeside Park the steamer now turns northward and follows theeastern or Nevada shore, until Cave Rock is passed and Glenbrook isreached. This is the only resort on that side of Lake Tahoe. Once thescene of an active, busy, lumber town, where great mills daily turnedout hundreds of thousands of feet of timber for the mines of VirginiaCity and the building up of the great historic mining-camps of Nevada, the magic of change and of modern improvements has swept awayevery sign of these earlier activities and left Glenbrook a quiet, delightful, restful resort, nestling in its own wide and expansivemeadows at the foot of towering mountains that give a rich andcontrasting background for the perennial beauty of the Lake. Practically all that remains to remind one of the old days are theremnants of the logging piers and cribs, the school-house, the quiet"City of Those who are Gone, " and further up the hills, the oldrailroad grade on which the logs were carried to the mill and thelumber taken through the tunnel, which still remains, to the flume bywhich it was further conveyed to the railroad at Carson City. 

Immediately to the right of Glenbrook, as the steamer heads for thewharf, can be seen the celebrated Shakspeare Rock. John Vance Cheney, the poet, thus describes it:

 No sooner had the steamer been made fast than a ledge of rocks was pointed out to us, rising precipitously some distance from the pier. "Can't you see it?" again and again asked our guide, renewing his endeavor to dispel our distressing stupidity. At length "it" appeared to us, and we stood mute with astonishment. There, on the front of a bold cliff, graven with all the care of the best copies with which we are familiar, looked down upon us the face of Shakspeare! As if in remembrance of her favorite son, here in this far wild region, nature had caused his features, cut in everlasting rock, to be hung on high, a fitting symbol of his intellectual sovereignty over the world. The likeness needs no aid from the imagination: it is life-like, recognized instantly by the most careless observer, and, let it be added, never forgotten. The beard is a trifle longer than we are accustomed to see it, but this deviation does not detract from the majesty of expression becoming the illustrious original. The spacious forehead, the nose, even the eyes, all are admirably represented. A more astounding surprise it has not been the writer's fortune to experience. The portrait looks as if it were made by moss growing upon the smooth flat surface of a huge rock; but we were informed that the face is all of stone, and has undergone no perceptible change since its discovery about five years since. [This was written in 1882. ] A lady tourist from Massachusetts has, it is believed, the honor of first pointing it out. Nature cannot forget her Shakspeare. So we all mused, and, musing, would have forgotten our dinners, had we not been summoned inside the hotel. The repast was not peculiarly relishable; consequently, we had all the more opportunity to feed spiritually upon the masterpiece on the cliff, --the rock-portrait of Avon's, of England's, of the World's immortal bard. 

As the steamer leaves Glenbrook one may gain clear and distinct viewsof the four prominent peaks of the Nevada side. Above Lakeside, at thesoutheast end, is Monument Peak, then, about midway between Lakesideand Glenbrook is a sharp-pointed bare mass of rock known as GenoaPeak. Immediately behind Glenbrook is Dubliss Mountain (8729 feet), so named after Duane Bliss, father and son, both of whom have doneso much to make Tahoe known to the world. Marlette Peak is to thenortheast, 8864 feet, with Snow Valley Peak, 9214 feet, a little tothe South. These both overshadow Marlette Lake, a full description ofwhich is given elsewhere. All these peaks afford excellent views ofLake Tahoe on the one side and of the valleys and mountains of westernNevada on the other. 

The steamer now continues along the Nevada shore, past the scarscaused by the breaking of the Marlette Lake flume, by Crystal Bayand the site of the old town of Incline, around State Line Point toBrockway. 

This resort has been long and favorably known for its famous hotmineral springs. The hot water is piped to all rooms and private bathsof the hotels and cottages, and is a great source of pleasure as wellas health-giving comfort to the guests. 

We are now on the home-stretch, and soon after leaving Brockway (1-˝miles away) and forty-five minutes (eight miles) from Tahoe Tavern, wereach Tahoe Vista. Here one is afforded a perfect view of the Lake andits snowcapped ranges east and south. 

Crossing Agate and Carnelian Bays the steamer's last stop is atCarnelian Bay. Here there is great building activity going on and manyneat and commodious cottages and bungalows are being erected. 

[Illustration: Snowballing in June, July and August, near the Summitof "The Crags, " Deer Park Springs, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Fishing in Grass Lake, Near Glen Alpine Springs]

[Illustration: Rubicon Point, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Brockway's Hot Springs Hotel, Lake Tahoe]

Observatory Point is the last object passed before the Tavern is againreached. This name was given because of the fact that it was oncethe chosen site, by James Lick, for the observatory he contemplatedbuilding. This plan, however, was never carried out, as it was shownto the philanthropist that the cold weather of winter would workexceeding hardship upon the astronomers without any compensatingadvantages. The result was the Observatory was finally established onMt. Hamilton, and it is now a part of the great California Universitysystem. 

Thus the complete circuit of Lake Tahoe is made daily in summer by thesteamer, and no matter how often the trip is taken it never pallsupon the intelligent and careful observer. New glories and wonders areconstantly springing forth as pleasant surprises and one soon learnsto realize that here Nature indeed has been most prodigal in herscenic gifts to mankind. 

CHAPTER XIX

DEER PARK SPRINGS

While in one sense _all_ the resorts of the Tahoe region are_mountain_ resorts, a difference should be noted between thosethat are located directly on the shores of Lake Tahoe, or some lesserlake, and those that are away from immediate proximity to a lake. The latter type is more correctly designated mountain resorts, and ofthese are three in the Tahoe region, viz. , Deer Park Springs, Rubicon Springs and Glen Alpine. All these resorts were discoveredby following the trails of animals which were visiting them for "saltlicks" that existed in connection with their mineral waters as relatedin the chapter on Glen Alpine. 

Deer Park is a private estate of approximately 469 acres, in twosections, one the Mineral Springs Section, consisting of nearly309 acres, and on which the celebrated springs--two of soda, one ofsulphur, and one of iron--are located, and the other, the Five LakesSection, of 160 acres. The former begins a mile from the TruckeeRiver, up Bear Creek Canyon. This was originally taken up from theGovernment as timber claims, but the timber has never been cut, andthe great pines, firs and junipers remain as the original settlersfound them. The Five Lakes section is a fascinating and attractivelocation two miles away, over the first divide of the mountains, andtherefore 1000 feet higher than the Inn, where five glacial lakesnestle in their granite basin. Four of these, and a large part of thefifth, are included in the estate, while all surrounding is governmentland of the Tahoe National Forest. If a dam were built to restrain theflow of water into Five Lake Creek, it would need only to be ten feethigh to convert the five lakes into one, so near are they to the samelevel. 

As it is the flow from these lakes forms Five Lakes Creek, whichempties into the Rubicon and thence into the South Fork of theAmerican. 

Five Lakes afford excellent fishing and a log-cabin, three boats andfishing tackle are kept here throughout the season for the pleasure ofguests. Those who disdain the ordinary accommodations of a hotel canhere camp out, rough it, and make it their headquarters while climbingthe adjoining peaks or exploring the ravines and canyons at the headof the American River. 

In 1914 a student from Stanford University was _host_ at the FiveLakes log-cabin. He cooked for those who desired it, helped gather firboughs for camp beds, prepared fishing-tackle for women anglers, rowedthem to and fro over the lakes, and accompanied parties to the nearbysummits. There are full accommodations at the cabin for seven persons, and the rule of the camp is that guests stay only one night, moving onto make room for the next comer, unless arrangements for a longer stayare made beforehand. Thus all the guests at Deer Park Inn may enjoythis novel experience if they so desire. 

In the region of Five Lakes, Basque and other foreign shepherds maybe found tending their flocks, and prospectors, with queer littlepack-burros, who climb the mountains seeking the elusive gold, as theydid in the days of '49. 

It was from Deer Park that the trail into the famous Hell Hole wasrecut by Miss Katherine Chandler, owner of the Inn and estate, in1908, after having been lost for many years. Arrangements for thistrip, and other famous hunting and fishing trips may be made at theInn and many people who have gone over the mountains to the Yosemitehave outfitted and secured their guide here. 

One of the finest trail trips of the Tahoe region is that affordedover the trail, back of Deer Park Inn, to the rugged pile known as TheCrags, over Inspirational Ridge to Ward's Peak. In the early partof the season great snow banks are encountered, and when the flowersbegin to bloom there are great fields covered with Sierran primroses, with many patches of white heather and beautiful cyclamens. This isbut one of many fine trail trips that may be made. 

_Deer Park Inn_ is one of the oldest and best established resortsof the Tahoe region. The house that I occupied on my short visit wasa solid log cabin, full of romantic interest, for it was quaint, old-fashioned and appropriate to the surroundings. The key-note of theplace is comfort. Under its present management a large number of wildNew England flowers have been planted to add their beauty to that ofthe native California flower, and each year, about the third week inJuly, the guests wander over the sun-kissed slopes, climb the snowyheights and ramble through the shady woods gathering Sierran flowersof every hue, form and variety for an annual flower show. This is oneof the distinctive features of the life at Deer Park Inn. 

It is an interesting fact here to notice that, when Miss Parsons, chief author of _Flowers of California_, was preparing thatvolume, she found such a wealth of mountain flora in the Deer Parkregion that she spent about as many weeks as she had planned for days. Other botanists have found it equally productive. 

To those who come early in the season tobogganing and snow shoeing arenot unusual experiences. The shady sides of the mountains offer thesewinter sports as late as June and early July, and many Californianswho have never enjoyed the frolic of snow-balling come here to gaintheir first experience in this common eastern enjoyment. 

Elsewhere I have referred to the many evidences of glacial actionfound about a mile above Deer Park Inn. Still further up the canyon, on the trail going to Five Lakes, are interesting deposits of volcanicrock--andeside--so that these two geological phenomena may be studiedclose at hand. 

Having its own rich meadows on Bear Creek, the Deer Park Spring tablesare always supplied with good milk and cream from its own dairies, while fresh fruit and vegetables are supplied daily. Fish and game inseason are frequent, and the table being under the direct and personalsupervision of the management has gained an enviable reputation. 

Living water flows in marvelous abundance through Deer Park allthroughout the year. Springs and melting snow send four differentstreams, tributary to Bear Creek, coursing across the property. The domestic water supply of the Inn is gained from springs on themountain side, 800 feet above the Inn, and it is piped all over theplace and to every cottage. 

There has been some talk, recently, of converting Deer Park into aprivate park. There is no better location for such a purpose in thewhole Tahoe region. Situated as it is in the heart of a canyon itis readily isolated and thus kept entirely secluded and free fromintrusion. While such a procedure would be a great advantage toany individual or club who might purchase the estate, it would be adecided loss to the general public who for so many years have enjoyedthe charms and delights of this earliest of Sierran mountain resorts. 

CHAPTER XX

RUBICON SPRINGS

One of the oldest and most famous resorts of the High Sierras isRubicon Springs. It is nine miles from Lake Tahoe, at McKinney's, over a mountain road built many years ago, engineered so as to affordmarvelously entrancing glimpses of the Lake and of the mountainscenery on either hand. Here are primeval forest, flower-strewnmeadows of emerald, crystal streams and placid-faced glacial lakesin which snow-clad mountain summits are mirrored in quiet glory. TheRubicon River is one of the feeders of the American River, and thesprings are located not far from its head waters. 

The Rubicon Springs were originally discovered and located upon by theHunsaker brothers, two genuine explorers and adventurers whose namesdeserve to be preserved in connection with the Tahoe region. Theywere originally from the Hoosier state, coming to California in 1849, across the plains, by Fort Hall, the sink of the Humboldt, Ragtown, and by Carson Canyon to old Hangtown (now Placerville). They minedfor several years. Then came the Comstock excitement. They joined theexodus of miners for the Nevada mountains and were among the earliestto help to construct the Georgetown trail. Thus it was they discoveredRubicon. In 1869 they located upon 160 acres, built a log-house andestablished a stopping station which they called Hunsaker Springs. Inthe winter they rested or returned to Georgetown, making occasionaltrapping trips, hunting bear and deer, and the meat of which theysold. In those days deer used to winter in large numbers almost as fardown as Georgetown (some fifteen miles or so), so that hunting themfor market was a profitable undertaking in the hands of experts. 

They and John McKinney, the founder of McKinney's, were great friends, having worked together in the Georgetown mines. They soon made theirplaces famous. Their mining friends came over from Virginia City, Gold Hill, Carson, etc. , by way of Glenbrook, where they wereferried across Lake Tahoe by the old side-wheel steamer, _GovernorStanford_, to McKinney's. Then by pack trail over to Hunsakers. 

For many years they used to cut a great deal of hay from the nearbymeadows. A natural timothy grows, sometimes fully four feet high. A year's yield would often total fully thirty tons, for which thehighest price was paid at the mines. 

There was another spring, beside Hunsakers', about a mile higher up, owned by a friend of the Hunsakers, named Potter. In time he sold thisspring to a Mrs. Clark, who finally sold it back to him, when it wasbought by Mr. R. Colwell, of Moana Villa. When the Hunsakers grew tooold to run their place they sold it to a man named Abbott, who, indue time wished to sell out. But, in the meantime the railroad hadsurveyed their land, granted by Congress, and found that the springsand part of the hotel building were on their land, so that whileAbbott sold all his holdings to Mr. Colwell, he could not sell themain objects of the purchaser's desire. An amicable arrangement, however, was made between all the parties at interest. 

Mr. Colwell is now the owner of all the property. 

For countless centuries the Indians of both west and east of Tahoewere used to congregate in the Rubicon country. They came to drinkthe medicinal waters, fish, catch deer and game birds, and also gatheracorns and pine nuts. How well I remember my own visit to the Springsin the fall of 1913. Watson and I had had three delightful days onthe trail and in Hell Hole, and had come, without a trail, fromLittle Hell Hole up to Rubicon. The quaking aspens were droppingtheir leaves, the tang of coming winter was in the air, mornings andevenings, yet the middle of the day was so warm that we drank deeplyof the waters of the naturally carbonated springs. No, this statementis scarcely one of fact. It was warm, but had it been cold, we, or, at least, I should have drank heartily of the waters because I likedthem. They are really delicious, and thousands have testified to theirhealthfulness. 

We saw the station of the water company, where a man remains throughthe year to register the river's flow and the snowfall. Then we passeda large lily lake to the left, --a once bold glacial lake now rapidlynearing the filled-up stage ere it becomes a mountain meadow--and werefairly on the Georgetown grade, the sixty mile road that reaches fromMcKinney's to Georgetown. It is a stern road, that would make the"rocky road to Dublin" look like a "flowery bed of ease, " though wefollowed it only a mile and a half to leave it for the steep trailthat reaches Rock Bound Lake. This is one of the larger of the smallglacial lakes of the Tahoe Region, and is near enough to RubiconSprings to be reached easily on foot. 

From a knoll close by one gains an excellent panorama of Dick's, Jack's and Ralston's Peaks. Tallac and Pyramid are not in sight. Thefishing here is excellent, the water deep and cold and the lake largeenough to give one all the exercise he needs in rowing. 

On the summit of the Georgetown road one looks down upon the nearbyplacid bosom of Buck Island Lake. It received this name from Hunsaker. The lake is very irregular in shape, about a third of a mile long, and a quarter of a mile wide in its widest part. Near one end is asmall island. Hunsaker found the deer swam over to this island torest and sleep during the heat of the day, hence the name. 

[Illustration: Angora Lakes, Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe ]

[Illustration: White Cloud Falls, Cascade Lake]

[Illustration: Upper Eagle Falls, Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe]

The Little Rubicon river flows into Buck Island Lake and out again, and about two miles below Rubicon Springs the Georgetown road crossesthe river at the foot of the lake. 

With these two lakes, and others not far away, fine hunting andfishing, with several mountains nearby for climbing, the hotsprings, a fine table and good horses to ride it can well be understood thatRubicon Springs makes a delightful summer stopping-place. One greatadvantage that it possesses, under its present proprietorship is thatguests may alternate between Moana Villa and the Springs and thusspend part of their time on the Lake and the other part in the heartof the mountains. The Colwells are hearty and homelike hosts, and aredevoted to giving their many guests the greatest possible enjoyment, pleasure and health that a summer's vacation can contain. 

CHAPTER XXI

EMERALD BAY AND CAMP

Situated near the southwest corner of Lake Tahoe is Emerald Bay, by many thousands regarded as the choicest portion of Lake Tahoe. Surrounded by so many wonderful scenes, as one is at Tahoe, it isdifficult to decide which possesses surpassing power, but few thereare who see Emerald Bay without at once succumbing to its allurement. Its geological history has already been given in Chapter VIII, inwhich it is clearly shown by Dr. Joseph Le Conte that it was once aglacial lake, and that the entrance to the main lake used to be theterminal moraine that separated the two bodies of water. As a naturalconsequence, therefore, visitors may expect to find evidences ofglacial action on every hand. They are not disappointed. The walls ofthe Bay, on both north and south, are composed of glacial detritus, that of the south being a pure moraine, separating the once glaciallake of Emerald Bay from Cascade Lake. 

Emerald Bay is about three miles in length, with a southwesterlytrend, and half a mile wide. The entrance is perhaps a quarter of amile wide and is formed by a triangular spit of sand, on which grows alone pine, on the one side, and a green chaparral-clad slope, knownas Eagle Point, on the other. The Bay opens and widens a littleimmediately the entrance is joined. The mountains at the head of theBay form a majestic background. To the southwest (the left) is MountTallac, with a rugged, jagged and irregular ridge leading to the west, disappearing behind two tree-clad sister peaks, which dominate thesouthern side of the Bay's head. These are known as Maggie's Peaks(8540 and 8725 feet respectively, that to the south being the higher), though originally their name, like that of so many rounded, shapely, twin peaks in the western world gained by the white man from theIndian, signified the well-developed breasts of the healthy andvigorous maiden. Emerging from behind these the further ridge againappears with a nearer and smoother ridge, leading up to a broken andjagged crest that pierces the sky in rugged outline. A deep gorge isclearly suggested in front of this ridge, in which Eagle Lake nestles, and the granite mass which forms the eastern wall of this gorge towersup, apparently higher than the nearer of Maggie's peaks, and is knownas Phipps' Peak (9000 feet). This is followed by still another peak, nearer and equally as high, leading the eye further to the north, where its pine-clad ridge merges into more ridges striking northward. 

Between Maggie's and Phipps' Peaks the rocky masses are broken downinto irregular, half rolling, half rugged foothills, where pines, firs, tamaracks and cedars send their pointed spires upwards fromvarying levels. In the morning hours, or in the afternoon up tosunset, when the shadows reveal the differing layers, rows, and levelsof the trees, they stand out with remarkable distinctness, each treepossessing its own perfectly discernible individuality, yet eachcontributing to the richness of the clothing of the mountainside, as awhole. 

Down across the lower portion of Maggie's Peaks, too to 200 feet abovethe level of the Bay, the new automobile road has ruled its slopingline down to the cut, where a sturdy rustic bridge takes it over thestream which conveys the surplus waters from Eagle Lake to the Bay. Onthe other side it is lost in the rolling foothills and the tree-linedlower slopes of Cathedral Peak from whence it winds and hugs the Lakeshore, over Rubicon Point to Tahoe Tavern. 

But Emerald Bay has other romantic attractions besides its scenery. In the early 'sixties Ben Holladay, one of the founders of the greatOverland Stage system that reached from the Pacific Coast to theMissouri River, built a pretentious house at the head of the Bay. Naturally it was occupied by the family only part of the time, and in1879, a tramp, finding it unoccupied, took up his lodgings therein, and, as a mark of his royal departure, the structure burned down thenext morning. The site was then bought by the well-known capitalist, Lux, of the great cattle firm of Miller & Lux, and is now owned byMrs. Armstrong. 

As the steamer slowly and easily glides down the Bay, it circlesaround a rocky islet, on which a number of trees find shelter. Thisisland was inhabited at one time by an eccentric Englishman, knownas Captain Dick, who, after having completed a cottage to live in, carried out the serious idea of erecting a morgue, or a mausoleum, asa means of final earthly deposit upon dissolution. This queer-lookingdog-house might have become a sarcophagus had it not been for onething, viz. , Captain Dick, one dark and stormy night, having visitedone of the neighboring resorts where he had pressed his cordialintemperately, determined to return to his solitary home. In vain thedanger was urged upon him. With characteristic obstinacy, enforced bythe false courage and destruction of his ordinarily keen perception bythe damnable liquor that had "stolen away his brains, " he refused tolisten, pushed his sail-boat from the wharf and was never seen again. His overturned boat was afterwards found, blown ashore. 

[Illustration: The marble tablet on one of Maggie's Peaks, bearingthe inscription: "FLEETWOOD PEAK, ASCENDED BY MISS MARY McCONNELL, SEPT. 12, 1869. "]

[Illustration: The island in Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: 'Whispering Pines', Al Tahoe, on Lake Tahoe]

 * * * * *

EMERALD BAY CAMP

Emerald Bay is made accessible to regular summer guests by Emerald BayCamp, one of the choice and highly commendable resorts of the Tahoeregion. The Camp is located snugly among the pines of the north sideof the Bay, and consists of the usual hotel, with nearby cottages andtents. 

Less than five minutes' walk connects it with the picturesqueAutomobile Boulevard, which is now connected with the Camp by anautomobile road. The distance is four-fifths of a mile and hundreds ofpeople now enjoy the hospitality of Emerald Bay Camp who come directlyto it in their own machines. 

Its location suggests many advantages for the angler, the famousIndian fishing grounds being located at the mouth of the bay. Cascade, Eagle, and the unfished Velma Lakes are easily accessible to trampers, the outlets from these furnishing sporty brook trout fishing. Thesestreams and lakes are all stocked with Eastern brook, Loch Levinand cutthroat. The protected waters of the bay make boating safe andbathing a comfortable delight. 

But not all the beauty of nature and the advantages of excellentlocation can make a popular camp. There is much in the individualityof those who own or "run" it. Emerald Bay Camp is owned by Mr. NelsonL. Salter, for many years so favorably known in the Yosemite Valley. Such is its growing popularity that Mr. Salter has recently (1921)purchased another ten acres of adjoining land, thus enlarging hisfrontage on the Bay to about 1000 feet, and giving him many morecottages for the entertainment of his guests. 

 * * * * *

EAGLE LAKE

From Emerald Bay Camp there are quite a number of interesting trailand climbing trips, one of the commonest of which is that to EagleLake. 

Taking the trail west, one zigzags to the north until the AutomobileBoulevard is reached. A half mile's walk brings one to the bridge overEagle Creek. Here a few steps lead to the head of the upper portion ofEagle Falls, which dash down a hundred feet or so to the rocky ledge, from whence they fall to their basin, ere they flow out to join thewaters of Emerald Bay. 

A few yards beyond the bridge the trail starts. It is a genuinemountain trail, now over rough jagged blocks of granite, then throughgroves of pines, firs, tamaracks and spruces, where flowers, ferns, mosses and liverworts delight the eyes as they gaze down, and thespiculae and cones and blue sky thrill one with delight as they lookabove, and where the sunlight glitters through the trees as they lookahead. To the right Eagle Creek comes noisily down, over falls andcascades, making its own music to the accompaniment of the singingvoices of the trees. Now and again the creek comes to a quiet, pastoral stretch, where it becomes absolutely "still water". Not thatit is motionless, but noiseless, covered over with trees and vines, that reflect upon its calm surface and half hide the trout that floatso easily and lazily through its clear, pure, cold stream. 

There is enough of climbing to call into exercise long unused muscles, the granite blocks are rough, angular and irregular enough to exerciseeyes, hands and feet to keep one from falling, and the lungs arefilled with balsam-ladened mountain-air, fresh from God's own perfectlaboratories, healing, vivifying, rejuvenating, strengthening, whilethe heart is helped on and encouraged to pump more and more of itsblood, drawn from long almost quiescent cells into the air-chambers ofthe lungs, there to receive the purifying and life-giving oxygen andother chemical elements that multiply the leucocytes vastly and setthem at work driving out the disease germs that accumulate and lingerin every city-living man's and woman's system. 

Suddenly from a little rise the lake is revealed. Eagle Lake, or PineLake, or Spruce Lake, or Hidden Lake, or Granite Lake, or ShelteredLake--any of these names would be appropriate. Almost circular inform--that is if you are not expected to be too rigidly exact ingeometric terms--it is literally a jewel of lapis lazuli in a settingof granite cliffs. 

Here one may sit and rest, enjoying the placid waters of the lake, therugged grandeur of the immediate cliffs, or the slopes of the toweringmountains that encircle the horizon. 

Eagle Lake is but one of the hundred of glacially made Sierran lakesof the Tahoe region, but a study of its idiosyncrasies would revealdistinctive and charming characteristics. 

 * * * * *

CATHEDRAL PEAK

There are two Cathedral Peaks at Tahoe, one above Cathedral Park onFallen Leaf Lake, the other at the rear of Emerald Bay Camp. Early inthe season, 1914, three _girls_ decided to climb this peak fromthe camp although there was no trail. One of them wrote the followingaccount of the trip:

 The most interesting peak of the Rubicon ridge is Cathedral. The mountain rises directly back of Emerald Bay, some three thousand feet above the Lake. About six hundred feet above the camp there is a meadow where larkspur grows four and five feet high. But from Eagle Creek the aspect is quite different. There are no soft contours. Huge rocks pile up--one great perpendicular surface adding five hundred feet to the height--into spires and domes for all the world like some vast cathedral which taunts the soul with its aloofness. If, on some sunshiny afternoon you look up from the camp and see a ghost-moon hanging, no more than a foot above the highest spire, you must surely be "citified" if you do not pause to drink in its weird sublimity and wild beauty. 

 Many winters of storm and snow have loosed the rocks and carried them down the mountain. Those thrown down years ago are moss-covered and have collected enough soil in their crevices to nourish underbrush and large trees. But there are bare rocks along Eagle Creek to-day large enough for a man to hew a cabin from. Standing in awe of their size one surely must look curiously up the mountain to find the spaces they once occupied. Then, taking in the size of the peak it is equally natural that one should be filled with a desire to climb it and look down the other side and across the vista to the neighboring ranges. While we were getting used to the altitude we stood below admiring. Every evening we went out on the wharf, gazed up at its grandeur and discussed the best way to go, for though we knew we should have to break our own trail, we had decided to attempt the climb. We set a day and the hour for rising; the night before laid out our tramping clothes and religiously went to bed at eight. I doubt if any of us slept, for we were used to later hours and excitement kept us awake. 

 As it was the first trip of the season, we lost some time at the start, admiring each others' costumes. Two of us adhered to the regulation short skirt and bloomers, but the third girl wore trousers, poked into the top of her high boots. This proved, by far, the most satisfactory dress before the day's tramping was done. We got started at four-thirty. The first awakened birds were twittering. The shadows of the moraine lay reflected in the unruffled surface of the Bay. Gradually rosy flushes showed in the east. By the time we reached the meadow the sun rose suddenly above the Nevada mountains and some of the chill went out of the atmosphere. 

 The meadow was flooded with snow-water. Beyond, the mountain rose by sheer steps of rock with slides of decomposed granite between. We avoided the under-brush as far as possible, preferring to take back and forth across the loose granite. The wind came up as we left the meadow, grew in force as we climbed. Some one suggested breakfast, and then there began a search for a sheltered place. A spot sided by three bowlders away from under-brush was decided upon. By the time the fire was built the wind was a gale sending the flames leaping in every direction--up the rocks and up our arms as we broiled the bacon. Breakfast was a failure, as far as comfort was concerned. It was a relief when we finally tramped out the embers and resumed our journey. 

 The top of a long snow-drift was a previously chosen land-mark. It was seven when we reached the top of it. Some one came out on the Bay in a row-boat--we were too high for recognition--thought better of it and went back. Towards the top we left the decomposed granite and underbrush behind, climbing the rocks in preference to the snow, where the choice was allowed us. The wind howled and shrieked, and blew with a force great enough to destroy balance, while its icy touch brought the blood tingling to our cheeks. 

 At last we reached the summit. And oh! the joy of achievement. 

 All Rubicon ridge and its neighbors, as far as the eye could see, were white with snow; the lakes in the valley below were still frozen--only one showing any blue. Clouds came up rapidly from the west, rushed by to the Nevada side where they piled up in great cumulous heaps. The apex of Pyramid was cloud-capped all day. Shifting gusts drove the waters of Tahoe scurrying first this way, then that. Where in the early morning every tree had viewed her image among the reflected tints of sunrise, at ten-thirty white-caps flashed and disappeared to flash in a different place among the everchanging eddies. Cascade and Fallen Leaf Lakes presented a continuous procession of white-caps to the east, while Eagle lay black and sinister in the shadow of Maggie's Peaks. 

 After lunch, the wind blowing too cold for comfort, we started home, straight down--over snow, granite and underbrush--till we hit the State Highway. Here we found a sheltered place by a creek and talked over the day's happenings. 

 Along the roadside we drew up a resolution on the satisfaction of the trip. The girl who had been cold all day didn't ever want to see snow again, but already the others were discussing a possible ascent from the Eagle Creek side--so great is the lure of the high places. 

CHAPTER XXII

AL-TAHOE

Al-Tahoe, four miles east of Tallac, is one of the newer, better andmore fashionable and pretentious resorts recently established at thesouth end of the Lake. Its projectors saw the increasing demand forsummer residences on the Lake, and realizing to the full the superioradvantages of this location, they divided their large holding intosuitable villa and bungalow sites, and other lots, and readilydisposed of a number of them to those who were ready to build. Tofurther the colonizing plans of these chosen and selected purchasersa fine, modern, well-equipped hotel was erected, replete with everyconvenience and luxury that progressive Americans now expect anddemand in their chosen resorts. The result is quite a settlementhas grown up, and Al-Tahoe sees ahead an era of rapid growth andprosperity. Its homes are substantial and beautiful and indicate thatJohn LeConte's prophecy, elsewhere quoted, is already coming to pass. Pasadena capitalists are behind the hotel and town project. 

Being advantageously located on the State and National automobileboulevard, and near to all the choice mountain, lake and other resortsof the southern end of Tahoe, it appeals to those who wish to combineequally ready access to civilization with the wild ruggedness andinfinite variety of many-featured Nature. 

It is situated on a high plateau, gently sloping from the bluff, witha Lake-frontage of about three quarters of a mile. The land rises witha gentle slope to the edge of the terrace facing the stream, meadow, and mountains on the south. 

With no stagnant water, there are practically no mosquitoes, and it isconfessedly one of the most healthful spots of all this health givingregion. Being on a lea shore, the cold air from the snowy summits ofthe mountains tempered by the warm soil of the foothills and levelarea, there is no place on the Lake better adapted for bathing andboating, especially as the beach is sandy and shallow, sloping off forsome distance from the shore. 

The accompanying photographs give some idea of the hotel and itscottages, together with some Al-Tahoe homes. The water supply for thetown and hotel is gained from beautiful and pure Star Lake, 3000 feethigher than Lake Tahoe, and where snow may be seen during the entireyear. The Al-Tahoe Company owns its own electric generating plant andsupplies all the cottages with electric light. 

The hotel itself is conducted on the American plan, and in everymodern way meets the requirements of the most exacting patrons. Amusements of every kind are provided, and there is a good liverystable and automobile garage. 

The town itself is being built up with a select class of summerresidents. No saloons are allowed. There are still desirable lots forsale, and the Al-Tahoe Company, or L. H. Bannister, the Postmaster, will be glad to correspond with any who contemplate purchasing orbuilding. Letters may be addressed to either at Al-Tahoe, Lake Tahoe, Calif. 

CHAPTER XXIII

GLEN ALPINE SPRINGS

The earliest of all the resorts of the Tahoe region away from theshores of Tahoe itself, Glen Alpine Springs still retains its naturalsupremacy. Located seven miles away from Tallac, reached by excellentroads in automobile stages, sequestered and sheltered, yet absolutelyin the very heart of the most interesting part of the Tahoe region, scenically and geologically, it continues to attract an increasingnumber of the better class of guests that annually visit thesedivinely-favored California Sierras. John Muir wrote truthfully whenhe said:

 The Glen Alpine Springs tourist resort seems to me one of the most delightful places in all the famous Tahoe region. From no other valley, as far as I know, may excursions be made in a single day to so many peaks, wild gardens, glacier lakes, glacier meadows, and Alpine groves, cascades, etc. 

The drive from Tallac around Fallen Leaf Lake under trees whoseboles form arch or portal, framing pictures of the sunny lake, is amemorable experience; then on past Glen Alpine Falls, Lily Lake, andModjeska Falls, up the deep mountain glen, where the road ends at thehospitable cottages, log-houses and spacious tents of Glen Alpine. 

[Illustration: Mount Tallac, Rubicon Peaks, etc. , from Long Wharfat Al Tahoe, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Al Tahoe Inn and Cottages, on Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Murphey Cottage, Al Tahoe, on Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Porterfield Cottage, Al Tahoe, on Lake Tahoe]

Here is the world-famous spring, discovered in the 'fifties byNathan Gilmore (for whom Gilmore Lake is named). Mr. Gilmorewas born in Ohio, but, when a mere youth, instead of attendingcollege and graduating in law as his parents had arranged forand expected, he yielded to the lure of the California goldexcitement, came West, and in 1850 found himself in Placerville. In due time he married, and to the sickness of his daughterEvelyn, now Mrs. John L. Ramsay, of Freewater, Ore. , is owinghis discovery of Glen Alpine. The doctor ordered him to bring thechild up into the mountains. Accompanied by an old friend, BartonRichardson, of the James Barton Key family of Philadelphia, he cameup to Tallac, with the ailing child and its mother. Being of activetemperament he and Mr. Richardson scaled Mt. Tallac, and in returningwere much entranced by Fallen Leaf Lake. Later Mr. Gilmore came toFallen Leaf alone, wandering over its moraines and lingering by itsshores to drink in its impressive and growingly-overpowering beauty. In those days there was no road at the southern end of Fallen Leaf andthe interested explorer was perforce led to follow the trails of bear, deer and other wild animals. Rambling through the woods, some twomiles above the lake he came to a willow-surrounded swampy place, where the logs and fallen trees were clearly worn by the footprintsof many generations of wild animals. Prompted by curiosity he followedthe hidden trail, saw where a small stream of mineral-stained waterwas flowing, observed where the deer, etc. , had licked the stones, andfinally came to the source in what he afterwards called Glen AlpineSprings. Scientific observation afterwards showed that the water hadan almost uniform temperature, even in the hottest days of summer, of39. 6 degrees Fahr. , and that there was free carbonic acid gas to theextent of 138. 36 cubic inches. The analysis revealed that each U. S. Gallon contained grains as follows:

Sodium Chloride . . . . . . . . . . . . 21. 17Sodium Carbonate . . . . . . . . . . . 32. 75Potassium Carbonate . . . . . . . . TraceFerrous Carbonate. . . . . . . . . . . 1. 8Alumnia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1. 43Borates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TraceMagnesium Carbonate . . . . . . . . . 9. 96Calcium Carbonate . . . . . . . . . . . 45. 09Calcium Sulphate . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. 10Silica . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. 50Organic Matter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Trace ------Total Solids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118. 80

The water is pleasant to the taste, and, as has been shown, highlycharged with carbonic acid gas; its action is diuretic, laxative andstimulative to the entire digestive tract. Eminent physicians claimthat it is beneficial in dyspepsia, torpid liver, kidney and bladderirritation, and is also a tonic. 

Whether this be true or not I cannot say, but I do know that everytime I go to Glen Alpine I drink freely and abundantly of the water, to my great physical pleasure and satisfaction. It is one of the mostdelicious sparkling waters I have ever tasted, as gratifying to thepalate and soothing to the fevered mucous membranes as Apollinaris orShasta Water, and I am not alone in the wish I often express, viz. , that I might have such a spring in my backyard at home. 

One result of this discovery was that Mr. Gilmore decided to locateupon the land. As soon as the first claim was made secure a rudeone-roomed cabin was built and Mr. Richardson was the first guest. Preparatory to bringing his family, Mr. Gilmore added two more rooms, and to render ingress easier he built a road to intersect with theTallac road at the northern end of Fallen Leaf Lake. As this had tobe blasted out with black powder, --it was before the days ofdynamite, --Mr. Gilmore's devotion to the place can be well understood. 

When his daughters grew up, they and their friends came here to spendtheir summers, and by and by, almost unconsciously, but pleasantly andagreeably, the place became a public resort. Though Mr. Gilmore haslong since passed on, having died in Placerville, Calif. , in the year1898, Glen Alpine Springs is still in the ownership of his family, andits management and direction is entirely in their hands. 

As in the beginning they have ever sought to preserve its character ofsimplicity. It is their aim that everything should be as primitive aspossible, consonant with healthfulness, privacy and comfort. Whileno sanitary precautions are neglected, and water, hot and cold, isextravagantly provided, with free shower baths, there are none ofthe frills and furbelows that generally convert these--what shouldbe--simple nature resorts into bad imitations of the luxurious hotelsof the city. There are positively no dress events. Men and women areurged to bring their old clothes and wear them out here, or provideonly khaki or corduroy, with short skirts, bloomers and leggings forthe fair sex. Strong shoes are required; hob-nailed if one expects todo any climbing. Wraps for evening, and heavy underwear for an unusualday (storms sometimes come in Sierran regions unexpectedly), aresensible precautions. 

Sleeping out-of-doors is one of the features of the place, aninvigorating, rejuvenating joy, which Mark Twain affirmed was ableto destroy any amount of fatigue that a person's body could gather. Visitors are given their choice of a comfortable bed in the open, in acottage, tent, or one of the main buildings. There are practically norules at Glen Alpine save those that would operate in any respectablehome. No liquors are sold, and visitors are frankly told that "If theymust have liquid stimulants they must bring them along. " In order thatthose who desire to sleep may not be disturbed by the thoughtlessnessof others, music is prohibited after ten o'clock. One of the delightsof the place is the nightly camp-fire. Here is a large open space, close to the spring, surrounded by commodious and comfortable canvasseats, that will easily hold eight or ten persons, the blazing fireis started every evening. Those who have musical instruments--guitars, banjos, mandolins, flutes, cornets, violins, and even the plebeianaccordion or the modest Jew's-harp--are requested to bring them. Solos, choruses, hymns and college songs are indulged in to theheart's content. Now and again dances are given, and when any speakerarrives who is willing to entertain the guests, a talk, lecture orsermon is arranged for. 

Three things are never found at Glen Alpine. These are poison-oak, rattlesnakes and poisonous insects. The rowdy, gambling and carousingelement are equally absent, for should they ever appear, they speedilydiscover their lack of harmony and voluntarily retire. 

While the Glen Alpine resort is not situated directly on one of thelakes, it owns over twenty boats on eight of the nearby lakes, andthe use of these is freely accorded to its guests. That it is in closeproximity to lakes and peaks is evidenced by the following table, which gives the distance in miles from the hotel:

_Miles_2-1/2 Angora Lake4 American Lake6 Avalanche Lake3-1/4 Alta Morris Lake7 Azure Lake5 Center Lake5-1/2 Crystal Lake5-3/4 Crater Lake6 Cup Lake4-3/4 Cathedral Lake5-1/2 Echo Lake2 Fallen Leaf Lake5-1/4 Floating Island Lake4-1/4 Forest Lake6 Fontinalis Lake1-1/4 Glen Alpine Falls1-1/4 Grass Lake4-3/4 Grouse Lake3-1/2 Glmore Lake3-1/4 Heather Lake3-1/4 Half Moon Lake5 Kalmia Lake1 Lily Lake2-1/4 Lucile Lake3-3/4 LeConte Lake2-1/2 Margery Lake1/4 Modjeska Falls3-1/2 Observation Point4-1/4 Olney Lake4-1/4 Pit Lake6 Pyramid Lake4-3/4 Rainbow Lake2-3/4 Susie Lake3-1/2 Susie Lake Falls2-3/4 Summit Lake6 Snow Lake

[Illustration: Cluster of Tents, Glen Alpine Springs]

[Illustration: Glen Alpine Falls, Near Glen Alpine Springs]

[Illustration: In the 'Good Old Days'. Glen Alpine Stage approachingOffice at Glen Alpine Springs]

_Miles_4-1/4 Tamarack Lake6 Tallac Lake7 Tahoe Lake6-1/2 Velma Lakes3-1/4 Woods, Lake of the3-1/2 Angora Peak5-1/4 Dicks Peak5-1/2 Jacks Peak2-1/2 Keiths Dome7 Pyramid Peak6-1/2 Ralston Peak3-3/4 Richardsons Peak5 Upper Truckee River4-3/4 Mt. Tallac7 Mt. Agassiz3 Cracked Crag

As the proprietors of Glen Alpine ask: "Where else outside ofSwitzerland is there a like region of lakes (forty-odd) and world ofSierran grandeur, such air with the tonic of altitude, mineral-springwater, trout-fishing, and camaraderie of kindred spirits!"

While the foregoing list gives a comprehensive suggestion of the widereach of Glen Alpine's territory there are several especial peaks andlakes that are peculiarly its own. These are Pyramid, Agassiz, Dicks, Jacks, Richardsons, Ralston, and the Angora Peaks, Mount Tallac, Mosquito Pass, and Lakes Olney, LeConte, Heather, Susie, Grass, Lucile, Margery, and Summit with Lake of the Woods and others inDesolation Valley, Gilmore, Half Moon, Alta, Morris, Lily, Tamarack, Rainbow, Grouse, and the Upper and Lower Echo. Desolation Valley andall its surroundings is also within close reach. This is some fourmiles westward of Glen Alpine Springs, and is reached by way of easymountain trails under sweet-scented pines and gnarled old junipers;besides singing streams; across crystal lakes, through a cliff-guardedglade where snowbanks linger until midsummer, ever renewing thecarpet of green, decking it with heather and myriad exquisite mountainblossoms. On, over a granite embankment, and lo! your feet are stayedand your heart is stilled as your eyes behold marvelous DesolationValley. Greeting you on its southern boundary stands majestic PyramidPeak, with its eternal snows. Lofty companions circling to your veryfeet make the walls forming the granite cradle of Olney, the Lake ofMazes. The waters are blue as the skies above them, and pure as themelting snows from Pyramid which form them. He who has not lookedupon this, the most remarkable of all the wonder pictures in the Tahoeregion, has missed that for which there is no substitute. 

The whole Glen Alpine basin, --which practically extends from theTallac range on the north, from Heather Lake Pass (the outlet fromDesolation Valley) and Cracked Crag on the west and southwest, RalstonPeak and range to the south and the Angora Peaks on the east, --is onemass of glacial scoriations. Within a few stone-throws of the spring, on a little-used trail to Grass Lake, there are several beautifuland interesting markings. One of these is a finely defined curve orgroove, extending for 100 feet or more, above which, about 1˝ feet, isanother groove, some two to four feet wide. These run rudely parallelfor some distance, then unite and continue as one. Coming back to thetrail--a hundred or so feet away, --on the left hand side returning tothe spring, is a gigantic sloping granite block, perfectly polishedwith glacial action, and black as though its surface had been coatedin the process. Near here the trail _ducks_ or markers are placedin a deep grooving or trough three or four feet wide, and of equaldepth, while to the right are two other similar troughs working theirwinding and tortuous way into the valley beneath. 

In Chapter VIII an idea is given of the movements of the greatglaciers that formed Desolation Valley and all the nearby lakes, as well as Glen Alpine basin. These gigantic ice-sheets, with theirfirmly-wedged carving blocks of granite, moved over the Heather LakePass, gouging out that lake, and Susie Lake, in its onward march, andthen, added to by glacial flows from Cracked Crag, the southern slopesof the Tallac range, and the Angora Peaks, it passed on and down, shaping this interestingly rugged, wild and picturesque basin as wefind it to-day. How many centuries of cutting and gouging, bevelingand grooving were required to accomplish this, who can tell? Neverresting, never halting, ever moving, irresistibly cutting, carving, grinding and demolishing, it carried away its millions of millionsof tons of rocky débris in bowlders, pebbles, sand and mud, and thushelped make the gigantic moraines of Fallen Leaf Lake. The ice-flowitself passed along over where the terminal moraine now stands, cutting out Fallen Leaf Lake basin in its movement, and finally restedin the vast bowl of Lake Tahoe. 

To the careful student every foot of Glen Alpine basin is worthy ofstudy, and he who desires to further the cause of science will dowell to make a map of his observations, recording the direction, appearance, depth, length and width of all the glacial markings hediscovers. On the U. S. Government maps the stream flowing through GlenAlpine basin is marked as Eau Claire Creek. To the proprietors of GlenAlpine, and the visitors, the French name is absurd and out of place. No Frenchman has ever resided here, and if it was desired to callit Clear Water Creek, why not use good, understandable, common-senseEnglish. At the request of those most intimately concerned, therefore, the name has been changed on the map that accompanies this volume, to Glen Alpine Creek, a name that "belongs" and to which no one canpossibly have any objection. 

CHAPTER XXIV

FALLEN LEAF LAKE AND ITS RESORTS

Fallen Leaf Lake is a noble body of water, three and a half mileslong and about one mile across. Why it is called Fallen Leaf is fullyexplained in the chapter on Indian Legends. Some people have thoughtit was named from its shape, but this cannot be, for, from the summitof Mt. Tallac, every one instantly notices its resemblance to theimprint of a human foot. It is shaped more like a cork-sole, as if cutout of the solid rock, filled up with a rich indigo-blue fluid, andthen made extra beautiful and secluded with a rich tree and plantgrowth on every slope that surrounds it. 

The color of the water is as richly blue as is Tahoe itself, and thereis the same suggestion of an emerald ring around it, as in the largerLake, though this ring is neither so wide nor so highly colored. 

In elevation it is some 80 feet above Lake Tahoe, thus giving it analtitude of 6300 feet. 

At the upper end, near Fallen Leaf Lodge, under the cliffs it has adepth of over 380 feet, but it becomes much shallower at the northernor lower end near the outlet. Its surroundings are majestic andenthralling as well as picturesque and alluring. On the west Mt. Tallac towers its nearly 10, 000 feet into the sea of the upper air, flanked on the south by the lesser noble and majestic Cathedral Peak. In the earlier part of the season when these are covered with snow, the pure white materially enhances the splendor of both mountain andlake by enriching their varied colorings with the marked contrast. 

[Illustration: Glen Alpine Falls]

[Illustration: Glimpse of Grass Lake, looking across and upGlen Alpine Canyon]

[Illustration: The Triumphant Angler, Lake Tahoe]

To the southwest rise the Angora Peaks, and these likewise catch, and hold the winter's snow, often, like Mt. Tallac, retaining beds of_névé_ from year to year. 

To the geological student, especially one interested in glacialphenomena, the lateral and terminal moraines of Fallen Leaf Lake areof marked and unusual interest. The moraine on the east is upwards of1000 feet high, and is a majestic ridge, clothed from the lake shoreto its summit with a rich growth of pines, firs and hemlocks. Itsgreat height and bulk will suggest to the thoughtful reader thequestions as to how it was formed, and whence came all the materialof its manufacture. It extends nearly the whole length of thelake, diminishing somewhat in size at the northern end. There is acorresponding moraine on the western side not less compelling in itsinterest though scarcely as large in size as its eastern counterpart. The terminal moraine, which is the one that closed up the lake, separating and raising it above the level of Lake Tahoe, is a lessnoble mound, yet geologically it allures the mind and demands study asmuch as the others. In Chapter VIII, Dr. Joseph LeConte's theories aregiven in full explaining the various glacial phenomena connected withthis lake. 

The fish of Fallen Leaf are practically the same as those of Tahoe, though rod and fly fishing is more indulged in here. 

Boating, canoeing and the use of the motor boat are daily recreations, and swimming is regularly indulged in during the summer season. 

FALLEN LEAF LODGE

The distinguishing characteristics of this resort are simplicity, home-likeness, unostentation. It makes its appeal especially to thethoughtful and the studious, the not luxuriously rich, those who loveNature rather than the elegance of a first-class hotel, and who desireto climb trails, study trees, hunt, fish, and generally recreateout-of-doors rather than dress and fare sumptuously. 

It is situated on the southwestern edge of Fallen Leaf Lake, fivemiles from Tallac, reached by a road that winds through the trees ofthe Baldwin estate, and then skirts the eastern and southern shoresof the Lake. Stages--horse and automobile--run daily during the seasonand meet all the steamers at Tallac. 

The "Lodge" consists of a number of detached buildings, convenientlyand picturesquely scattered among the pines on the slopes and at theedge of the lake. There are dining hall, social hall, post office, store, electric power-house, boat-house, with stables far enough awayto be sanitary, and cottages and tents located in every suitable nookthat can be found. There are one, two or three-roomed cottages, tents, single and double, all in genuine camp style. There is no eleganceor luxury, though most of the cottages have modern toilets, porcelainbath-tubs with running hot and cold water. Electric lights areeverywhere. 

The camp has been in existence now (1915) for seven years and eachyear has seen considerable enlargement and improvement, until nowFallen Leaf Lodge in the heart of the summer season is an active, busy, happy and home-like community. 

The table is wholesome, substantial and appetizing. There is nopretense at elaborateness. Home-cooking, well served, of simple andhealthful dishes, in reasonable variety, is all that is offered. 

Needless to say there is no bar or saloon, though there is no attemptto compel a personal standpoint on the liquor question upon those whoare accustomed to the use of alcoholic liquors at meals. 

In its natural beauties and advantages Fallen Leaf Lodge claims--andwith strong justification--one of the very best of locations. FallenLeaf Lake is large enough to give scope to all the motor-boats, row-boats, canoes and launches that are likely to be brought to it forthe next hundred years, and ten thousand fishermen could successfullyangle upon its bosom or along its shores. For millions of Tahoe trout, rainbow, Eastern brook, Loch Levin, Mackinac and German brown havebeen put into this and nearby lakes in the last few years. Whilesome jerk-line fishing is indulged in, this lake, unlike Lake Tahoe, affords constant recreation for the more sportsmanlike fly-fishing. 

Another of the special advantages of Fallen Leaf Lodge is itspossession of a fine log-house and camp on the shore of Lake of theWoods, five miles away, in Desolation Valley. To those who wish tofish in greater solitude, to climb the peaks of the Crystal Range, orboat over the many and various lakes of Desolation Valley this is agreat convenience. 

Nothing can surpass the calm grandeur of the setting of this gloriousbeautiful water. Lying at the lower edge of Desolation Valley andfacing stupendous mountains, the picture it presents, with PyramidPeak reflected in its gorgeously lit-up sunset waters, is one thatwill forever linger in the memory. 

The close proximity of Fallen Leaf Lodge to Mt. Tallac, CathedralPeak, the Angora Peaks, Mounts Jack, Dick, and Richardson, RalstonPeak, Keith's Dome, Maggie's Peaks, Tell's Peak, with the toweringpeaks of the Crystal Range--Pyramid and Agassiz--to the west, andFreel's, Job's and Job's Sister to the southeast, afford an abundanceand variety of mountain-climbing that are seldom found in any region, however favored. 

But in addition to the peaks there are Sierran lakes galore, richin unusual beauty and picturesqueness, and most of them stocked withtrout that compel the exertion of the angler's skill, as much astickle the palate of the uncorrupted epicure. Close by are Cascade, Cathedral, Floating Island, Echo, Heather, Lucile, Margery, Gilmore, Le Conte, Lily, Susie, Tamarack, Grouse, Lake of the Woods, Avalanche, Pit, Crystal, Pyramid, Half Moon, with the marvelous and alluring mazeof lakes, bays, straits, channels, inlets and "blind alleys" of theLake Olney of the ever-fascinating Desolation Valley. And those Ihave named are all within comparatively easy walking distance to theordinarily healthful and vigorous man or woman. For those who seekmore strenuous exercise, or desire horse-back or camping-out tripsanother twenty, aye fifty lakes, within a radius of fifty miles maybe found, with their connecting creeks, streams and rivers where gameytrout abound, and where flowers, shrubs and trees in never-ceasingvariety and charm tempt the botanist and nature-lover. 

While to some it may not be an attraction, to others there may be bothpleasure and interest in witnessing the operations of the Fallen Leafsawmill. This is situated on the western side of the lake, and isa scene of activity and bustle when logging and lumbering are inprogress. On the hills about the lake the "fellers" may be found, chopping their way into the hearts of the forest monarchs of pine, fir and cedar, and then inserting the saw, whose biting teeth sooncut from rim to rim and cause the crashing downfall of trees that havestood for centuries. Denuded of their limbs these are then sawn intoappropriate lengths, "snaked" by chains pulled by powerful horses tothe "chute", down which they are shot into the lake, from whence theyare easily towed to the mill. The chute consists of felled logs, laid side by side, evenly and regularly, so as to form a continuoustrough. This is greased, so that when the heavy logs are placed thereinthey slide of their own weight, where there is a declivity, and areeasily dragged or propelled on the level ground. 

[Illustration: Boating on Fallen Leaf Lake]

[Illustration: Fallen Leaf Lodge Among the Pines, on Fallen Leaf Lake]

[Illustration: Camp Agassiz Boys setting out for a Trip, Lake Tahoe, Cal. Copyright 1910, by Harold A. Parker. ]

[Illustration: Tahoe Meadows, With Mt. Tallac in the Distance]

I use the word propelled to suggest the interesting method used inthese chutes. Sometimes ten or a dozen logs will be placed, followingeach other, a few feet apart, on the trough (the chute). A chain isfastened to the rear end of the hindermost log. This chain is attachedto a single-tree fastened to a horse's harness. The horse is started. This makes the hinder log strike the next one, this bumps into thethird and gives it a start, in its turn it bumps the fourth, thefourth the fifth, and so on, until the whole dozen are in motion. Hadthe string of logs been fastened together, the horse would have foundit impossible to move them, but "propelling" them in this fashion theyare all set in motion, and their inertia once overcome there is nodifficulty experienced in keeping them going. 

The views from Fallen Leaf Lodge are varied and beautiful, one inparticular being especially enchanting. Over the Terminal moraine, across the hidden face of Lake Tahoe, the eye falls upon the mountainsin Nevada, on the far-away eastern side. In the soft light of eveningthey look like fairy mountains, not real rocky masses of gigantic, rugged substance, but something painted upon the horizon with delicatefingers, and in tints and shades to correspond, for they look tendererand sweeter, gentler and lovelier than anything man could conceive orexecute. 

The owner of Fallen Leaf Lodge is Professor William W. Price, agraduate of Stanford University, who first came into this regionto study and catch special Sierran birds and other fauna for theSmithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, andthe British Museum. Later, when he founded the Agassiz school forboys, at Auburn, California, he established Camp Agassiz near FallenLeaf Lake, in a grove of pines, firs, and cedars. Assisted by otheruniversity men he made of this an ideal open-air school and campfor boys. They were taught such practical things as to take careof themselves in the mountains, find a trail, or go to a given spotwithout a trail, fish, hunt, make camp, build fires in a rain-storm, find proper shelter during a lightning-storm, carry a pack, pack amule or burro, even to the throwing of the "diamond hitch, " the"squaw hitch, " and the "square" or other packer's especial "knots" and"ties". They were induced to climb mountains, row, swim, "ski", andsnow-slide, and all were taught to recognize at sight the commonbirds, smaller wild animals, trees, and flowers. Frequent camping-outtrips were arranged for, and the youngsters thus gained health, vigorand permanent strength while doing what they all enjoyed doing. 

In due time the parents wished to share the fun, joy, and out-of-doorexperiences of their youngsters; then the friends, and those who heardabout them, and out of the numerous requests for accommodations FallenLeaf Lodge was born. For a time Mr. Price tried an ordinary hotelmanager, but the peculiar and individualistic needs of his peculiarand individualistic camp at length led Mrs. Price and himself to takethe complete control. From that time its success has been continuous. 

Mr. Price is a scientific expert upon the flora (especially thetrees), the birds and the four-footed fauna of the whole region, andhis readiness and willingness to communicate his knowledge to hisguests is a great advantage to the studious and inquiring. 

Owing to the demands made upon his time by the management of FallenLeaf Lodge Mr. Price has transferred his school into other hands, andhas given up the Boys' Camp, though the lads are still welcome, withtheir parents, as regular guests at the Lodge. 

It should be noted that Fallen Leaf Lodge is but two miles from GlenAlpine Springs and that all that is said of the close proximity of themost interesting features of the southern end of the Lake Tahoe regionto Glen Alpine, applies with equal force (plus the two miles) toFallen Leaf Lodge. 

CATHEDRAL PARK ON FALLEN LEAF LAKE

One of the newest of the Tahoe region resorts is that of CathedralPark, located on the western side of Fallen Leaf Lake. It was openedin the latter part of the season of 1912 by Carl Fluegge. Everythingabout it is new, from the flooring of the tents to the finedining-room, cottages and stables. A special road has been constructedon the west side of the lake, over which Cathedral Park stages rundaily the three and a half miles, to meet every steamer during theseason at Tallac. 

Rising directly from the edge of the lake, surrounded by majestictrees, protected by the gigantic height of Mt. Tallac (9785 feet)from the western winds, a clear open view of Fallen Leaf Lake and thethousand-feet high lateral moraine on the eastern side is obtained;there could be no better location for such a resort. 

The distinctive features of Cathedral Park are simplicity andhome-comforts, with special advantages for hunting, fishing andcamping out. For ten years Mr. Fluegge has taken out some of the mostdistinguished patrons of the Tahoe region in his capacity as expertguide and huntsman. He knows every trail thoroughly and has scaledevery mountain of the surrounding country. He knows the habits andhaunts of bear, deer, and other game, and is a successful hunter ofthem, as well as of grouse and quail. His office and social-hall bearpractical evidence of his prowess and skill in the mounted heads ofdeer, and the dressed skins of bear that he has shot. He is also anexpert angler, and well acquainted with the best fishing in Granite, Eagle, the Rock-Bound, Gilmore and other lakes, as well as thosecloser at hand. There are twelve such lakes within easy reach ofCathedral Park. Fishing and hunting are his hobbies and delights, hence he makes a thoroughly competent, because interested, andinteresting guide. Nothing pleases him more than to get out with hisguests and assist them in their angling and hunting. To aid in this hehas established his own permanent camp at the beautiful Angora Lakes, four miles from Cathedral Park, which is placed freely at the disposalof his guests. 

Especial arrangements are made for the perfect and satisfactoryaccommodation of guests who desire to sleep out of doors. Tents, sleeping porches and platforms are arranged with a view to thestrictest privacy, and those who desire this healthful open-air modeof life can nowhere be better accommodated than here. As Mark Twainhas said, it is the "open air" sleeping in the Lake Tahoe region thatis so beneficial. Again to quote him: "The air up there in the cloudsis very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't itbe?--it is the same the angels breathe. I think that hardly any amountof fatigue can be gathered together that a man cannot sleep off inone night here. _Not under a roof, but under the sky_. " ThereforeCathedral Park says to those who wish to breathe the same air as theangels while they are yet on the earth: Come to us and we will meetyour reasonable wishes in every possible way. 

[Illustration: Picturesque Palo Alto Lodge, at Lakeside Park, LakeTahoe]

[Illustration: The Long Wharf at Lakeside Park, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Automobile Road Around Cave Rock, Lake Tahoe]

The presence of Mrs. Fluegge, who is associated with her husbandin the management, guarantees to ladies, whether unaccompanied, orwith their families, the best of care, and the former are especiallyinvited to come and test the homelike qualities of the place. 

The water supply of Cathedral Park is gained from its own springs, onthe mountain side above the resort. It is piped down to every tent orcottage and the supply is superabundant. Fish are caught almost dailyon the landing in front of the hotel. Fallen Leaf is an ideal spot forrowing, canoeing, and launch rides, and the hotel owns its own launchin which parties are regularly taken around the lake. During thesummer season bathing is as delightful here as in any of the seasideresorts of the Atlantic and Pacific, and almost every one takes aplunge daily. 

A camp-fire is built every night, where singing, storytelling, andopen air amusements of an impromptu nature are indulged in to one'sheart's content, though visitors are all expected to remember therights of others and not keep too late hours. 

Informal dances are indulged in occasionally and everything is done topromote the comfort, pleasure and enjoyment of the guests that earnestdesire, constant watchfulness and long experience can suggest. 

The table is simple and homelike, but abundant, well-served andsatisfactory. This department is entirely under the control of Mrs. Fluegge, who never employs any other than white help in the kitchen. Fresh fruit and vegetables, lake trout and game in season, fresh milkand cream, with everything of the best that the markets afford, arenone too good for the guests at Cathedral Park. 

Unlike most of the Lake Tahoe resorts, it keeps open throughout thewhole year, and is managed with but one idea, viz. , to give absoluteand complete satisfaction to all its guests. 

Its rates are reasonable, and especial prices are given to childrenunder ten years of age and to families who wish to stay for any lengthof time. 

The short trail to Mount Tallac rises directly from Cathedral Park, and all that has been said of the close proximity of Glen Alpine andFallen Leaf Lodge to the most interesting peaks, lakes, etc. , of theTahoe region applies with equal force to Cathedral Park, plus theshort additional distance, which is something less than a mile. 

Mr. Fluegge will be glad to correspond with those contemplating avisit to Cathedral Park, especially should they desire his servicesfor hunting, fishing, or camping-out trips of a few days or a month'sduration. The address is Cathedral Park, Tallac P. O. , Lake Tahoe, California. 

CHAPTER XXV

LAKESIDE PARK

Situated on the shore of Lake Tahoe and at the same time on thegreat Lincoln Highway stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific, --adivision of the State Automobile Highway reaching from Sacramento, California, to Carson City, Nevada, via Placerville, Lakeside Park isreadily reached by travelers from every direction, whether theycome by steamer, buggy, or automobile. The Lakeside Park hotel wasestablished in 1892 and has an enviable reputation. It consists ofhotel, with adjacent cottages and tents, comfortably furnished andequipped with every healthful necessity. Here surrounded by beautifultrees, that sing sweet songs to the touch of the winds, drinking inhealth and vigor from their balsamic odors, enjoying the invigoratingsunshine and the purifying breezes coming from mountain, forestand Lake, swimming in the Lake, rowing, canoeing, climbing mountaintrails, exploring rocky and wooded canyons, fishing, hunting, botanizing, studying geology in one of the most wonderful volumesNature has ever written, sleeping out-of-doors under the trees and theglowing stars after being lulled to rest by the soothing lappingsof the gentle waves upon the beach--who can conceive a more idealvacation-time than this. 

Unlike many parts of Lake Tahoe, Lakeside Park possesses a finestretch of beautiful, clean, sandy beach. There are no rocks, deepholes, tide or undertow. Children can wade, bathe or swim in perfectsafety as the shore gradually slopes into deeper water. 

The whole settlement is abundantly supplied with purest spring waterwhich is piped down from its source high on the mountain slopes to thesouth. The hotel is fully equipped with hot and cold water for bathsand all other needed purposes, and there is a good store, well stockedlivery stable, row-boats, steam laundry and home dairy. 

The store carries a very complete line of provisions and supplies, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy-produce, ice, hay, grain, lumber, shingles, stove-wood, paints, gasoline--in fact, everythingthat is likely to be in demand in such a community. Camp-fire wood isabundant and free to patrons. This is particularly advantageous forthose who wish to tent and "board themselves. " Housekeeping tentsare provided, on platforms in the grove, at reasonable rates, and thehotel owns its pasture in which the horses of patrons are cared forfree of charge. 

The location of Lakeside Park in relation to Lake Tahoe is peculiarlyadvantageous in that it affords daily opportunity for driving, horseback-riding or walking directly along the shore for miles. Indeedthe twelve mile drive to Glenbrook is one of the noted drives ofthe world, taking in the celebrated Cave Rock, and giving the widestpossible outlooks of the whole expanse of the Lake. 

Patrons of the hotel or camps are assured that there are norattlesnakes, fleas, malaria, fogs, or poison oak. The characterand tone of the place will also be recognized when it is knownthat saloons and gambling resorts are absolutely prohibited in theresidential tract. 

The most majestic of all the mountains of Lake Tahoe are closelyadjacent to Lakeside Park. Mt. Sinclair, 9500 feet, rises immediatelyfrom the eastern boundary, whilst Monument Peak, Mounts Freel, Job, and Job's Sister, ranging from 10, 000 to 11, 200 feet above sea levelare close by. Such near proximity to these mountains gives unequalledopportunities for tramping, riding and driving through and overmarvelous diversity of hill, valley, woodland, canyon and mountain. Scores of miles of mountain trails remain to be thoroughly exploredand to the hunter these highest mountains are the most alluring spotsof the whole Tahoe Region. 

Yet while these mountains are close by Lakeside Park is near enoughto Fallen Leaf Lake, Glen Alpine Springs and Desolation Valley to givefullest opportunity for trips to these noted spots and their adjacentattractions. 

In addition it allows ready incursions into Nevada, where theprehistoric footprints at Carson City, the marvelous SteamboatSprings, and the world-famed mines and Sutro Tunnel of Virginia Cityhave been a lure for many thousands during the past decades. It isalso near to Hope Valley and the peak on which Frémont climbed when, in 1844, he discovered and first described Lake Tahoe, and is thenatural stopping-place for those who wish to go over the road thePathfinder made, accompanied by Kit Carson, his guide and scout, whosename is retained in Carson City, Carson Tree, Carson Valley and CarsonCanyon, all of which are within a day's easy ride. 

PRIVATE RESIDENCES AT LAKESIDE PARK

To meet the ever-increasing demand for lots on which to build summerhomes on Lake Tahoe the Lakeside Park Company has set aside a limitedand desirable portion of its large property on the southeasterly shoreof Lake Tahoe for cottages and log cabins, bungalows and lodges, or acre tracts for chalets and villas. Already quite a number haveavailed themselves of this privilege and a colony of beautiful homesis being established. Mr. And Mrs. Hill, with a keen eye for theappropriate, and at the same time wishful to show how a most perfectbungalow can be constructed at a remarkably low price, have plannedand erected several most attractive "specimens" or "models, " at pricesranging from $450 to $1000 and over. The fact that the tract is solocated in an _actual_, not merely a nominal, wooded park, wherepines, firs, tamaracks and other Sierran trees abound, allow theproprietors to offer fine logs for cabins and rustic-work in almostunlimited quantities, and in the granite-ribbed mountains close by isa quarry from which rock for foundations, chimneys and open fireplacesmay be taken without stint. These are great advantages not to beignored by those who desire to build, and those who are first on thescene naturally will be accorded the first choice both of lots andmaterial. 

There is but one Lake Tahoe in America, and as the men of Californiaand Nevada cities find more time for leisure it will not be many yearsbefore every available spot will be purchased and summer residencesabound, just as is the case in the noted eastern lakes, or those nearto such cities as Minneapolis, etc. , in the middle west. 

In setting aside this residential section at Lakeside Park the ownershave planned with far-sighted and generous liberality. The Lakefrontage is reserved for general use of the hotel guests and cottagecommunity, so there will be no conflict regarding privileges ofboating, bathing, fishing, and "rest cure" on the beach. Another wiseprovision is that a generous portion of the amounts received fromearly sales of lots is being devoted to general improvements that arefor mutual benefit; such as the extension of roads, paths, trailsand water-pipes, a substantial breakwater for better protection oflaunches and boats, larger dancing-pavilion or platform, automobilegarage, more dressing rooms for bathers, etc. 

CHAPTER XXVI

GLENBROOK AND MARLETTE LAKE

In Chapter XVI the history of Glenbrook is given in some detail. It isnow, however, converted into a pleasure resort especially popularwith residents of Nevada, and largely used by automobiles crossing theSierras and passing around Lake Tahoe. 

The Inn, and its veranda overlooking the Lake, is built with an eyeto comfort and convenience. Every need for pleasure and recreation isarranged for. For those who enjoy privacy, cozy cottages are provided, around which beautiful wild flowers grow in wonderful profusion. Theguests here are especially favored in that the Inn has its own ranch, dairy, poultry farm, fruit orchard and vegetable garden. The table, therefore, is abundantly provided, and everything is of known qualityand brought in fresh daily. 

Glenbrook Inn makes no pretense to be a fashionable resort. Itespecially invites those individuals and families who wish to be freefrom the exhausting "frivolities of fashion, " to come and enjoy to thefull Nature's simple charms, regardless of the city's conventions asto dress and fashion. Rest and recreation, amusement and recuperationare the key-notes. Simplicity of life, abundance of sleep, sufficiencyof good food, tastefully served, the chief hours of the day spentin the open air, fishing, boating, swimming, trail-climbing, horseback-riding, driving or automobiling, --these bring health, renewed energy and the joy of life. 

The specific pleasures provided at Glenbrook are varied. It isconfessedly the best place for fishing on the Lake. During the seasonthe fishermen from all the resorts at the south end of the Lake bringtheir patrons over in this direction. The Inn has its own fleet ofgasoline launches and row boats, with experienced men to handle them, and it supplies fishing-tackle free, but those who wish to use the rodmust bring that with them. As is explained in the chapter on fishingthe trout of Lake Tahoe are taken both by rod and "jerk-line"trolling. Near Glenbrook, however, the rod can be used to greateradvantage than anywhere else, and catches of from one-half to thirtypounds are of daily occurrence. 

While promiscuous fishing is not allowed now in the famous MarletteLake, eight miles away, the patrons of Glenbrook Inn can always securepermits, without any vexatious inquiries or delays, and there anabundance of gamey trout of various species are caught. 

The bathing facilities here are exceptionally good. There is a longstretch of sandy beach, which extends far out into the water, thusensuring both warmth and safety to children as well as adults. 

In mountain and trail climbing Glenbrook has a field all its own. Theride or drive to Marlette Lake is a beautiful one, and the climb toMarlette Peak not arduous. The chief mountain peaks easily reachedfrom Glenbrook are Dubliss, Edith, and Genoa Peaks, which not onlyafford the same wonderful and entrancing views of Lake Tahoe thatone gains from Freel's, Mt. Tallac, Ellis and Watson's Peaks, but inaddition lay before the entranced vision the wonderful Carson Valley, with Mt. Davidson and other historic peaks on the eastern horizon. 

The drive along the shore by the famous Cave Rock to Lakeside Parkor Tallac is one that can be enjoyed daily, and for those who likedriving through and over tree-clad hills, surrounded by majesticmountains, the drive over the Carson road is enchanting. 

[Illustration: Glennbrook Inn, on Nevada side Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Sunset at Glenbrook, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: by Harold A. Parker. Carnelian Bay, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Cottage overlooking Carnelian Bay, Lake Tahoe]

It is at Glenbrook that the famous Shakspeare head is to be seengraphically described by John Vance Cheney, and quoted elsewhere(Chap. XVI). 

TO MARLETTE LAKE FROM GLENBROOK

Marlette Lake and Peak are two of the attractive features to visitorsat Glenbrook Inn. The trip can be made in a little over two hours, andas on the return it is down hill nearly all the way, the return triptakes a little less. 

Leaving Glenbrook on the excellently kept macadamized road overwhich Hank Monk used to drive stage from Carson City, the eyes of thetraveler are constantly observing new and charming features in themountain landscape. The Lake with its peculiar attractions is leftentirely behind, with not another glimpse of it until we stand on theflume at Lake Marlette. Hence it is a complete change of scenery, fornow we are looking ahead to tree-clad summits where eagles soar andthe sky shines blue. 

About two and a half miles out we come to Spooner's, once an active, bustling, roadside hotel, where in the lumbering and mining days teamslined the road four, six and eight deep. Now, nothing but a ramshackleold building remains to tell of its former greatness. Here we made asharp turn to the left, leaving the main road and taking the specialMarlette Lake road. We cross the grade of the abandoned railway--therails, engines and equipment of which are now operating betweenTruckee and Tahoe--see in the distance the tunnel through which thetrains used to take the lumber, and notice on the hill-sides the linesof the old flumes which used to convey the water to the reservoir onthe other side of the tunnel, or bring water and lumber ready to besent on the further journey down to Carson City. 

My driver was in a reflective mood, and as he pointed these thingsout to me, made some sage and pertinent remarks about the peculiarfeatures of some industries which required large expenditures tooperate, all of which were useless in a comparatively short time. Mainly uphill the road continues through groves of cottonwood, bylogged-over mountain slopes and sheep-inhabited meadows until thedivide is reached. Here a very rapid down hill speedily brings us tothe south edge of Marlette Lake. Skirting the southern end we followthe road to the caretaker's house, tie our horses, and walk down tothe dam, and then on the flume or by its side to a point overlookingLake Tahoe, from which a marvelously expansive view is to be obtained. We return now to Marlette and while drinking a cup of coffee preparedfor us by the hospitable caretaker, glean the following facts inregard to the history and uses of Marlette Lake. 

Marlette is an artificial lake, fifteen hundred feet above the levelof Lake Tahoe, and about three miles from its easterly shore. Itswaters are conveyed by tunnel, flume, etc. , over the mountains, theWashoe Valley and up the mountain again to Virginia City. Originallythe only supply of water available for Virginia City was from a fewsprings and mining tunnels. This supply soon became insufficient andmany tunnels were run into hills both north and south from Virginiafor the express purpose of tapping water. These soon failed and itbecame necessary to look for a permanent supply to the main rangeof the Sierra Nevada twenty-five or more miles away. Accordinglythe Virginia and Gold Hill Water Company called upon Mr. HermannSchussler, the engineer under whose supervision the Spring ValleyWater Works of San Francisco were constructed. After a careful surveyof the ground he found water at Hobart Creek, in the mountains on theeast side of Lake Tahoe, and in the spring of 1872, received orders togo ahead and install a water system. He ordered pipe made to fit everyportion of the route. It had to pass across the deep depression ofWashoe Valley with water at a perpendicular pressure of 1720 feet, equivalent to 800 pounds to the square inch. 

The first operations were so successful that as needs grew the supplyflume was extended eight and a half miles to Marlette Lake, thusmaking the total distance to Virginia City thirty-one and a halfmiles. This Lake was named after S. H. Marlette, formerly SurveyorGeneral of Nevada, who was associated with W. S. Hobart, of SanFrancisco, the owner of the land and one of the original projectors ofthe Water Company. The site was a natural basin, the dam of which hadbeen broken down or eroded centuries ago. A dam was built in 1875, andlater raised eleven feet higher so as to afford more storage capacity. The area of the lake is now about 600 acres (before the heighteningof the dam it was 300 acres), and its storage capacity is about twobillion gallons. 

When the supply was enlarged a second pipe was laid alongside thefirst with an equal capacity, each being able to convey 2, 200, 000gallons every twenty-four hours. A third pipe was installed later. Thesecond and third pipes were laid by the late Captain J. B. Overton, whowas Superintendent of the Company for over thirty-two years. CaptainOverton also extended the flume lines, constructed the tunnel throughthe mountain ridge, built the Marlette Lake dam and made many otherimprovements and extensions. 

On leaving Marlette Lake through an opening at the lower portionof the dam the water is conducted five miles in a covered flume andthence through a tunnel four thousand feet long through the summitof the dividing ridge or rim of the Tahoe basin to its easterly side. From this point it is again conducted through covered flumes, togetherwith water from Hobart Creek and other streams, to the intake ofthe pipes across Washoe Valley. These pipes are three in number, twotwelve inch and one ten inch. The difference in elevation betweenthe inlet and discharge from No. 1 and No. 2 pipes is 465 feet. Thedifference in elevation between the inlet and discharge of No. 3 pipeis 565 feet. The pipes are laid across Washoe Valley in the form ofinverted syphons. At the lowest point in the valley, the perpendicularpressure is 1720 feet on No. 1 and No. 2 pipes and 1820 feet on No. 3 pipe. The pipe lines go up and down nine canyons in their courseacross the Valley. Each line is something over seven miles in length. The pressure gauges at Lake View, the point of heaviest pressure, register 820 lbs. On No. 1 and No. 2 pipes when filled, and 910 lbs. On No. 3 pipe when filled. 

When this work was first contemplated many hydraulic engineerscondemned the project as impossible, as never before had water beencarried so far under such pressure. But the fact that the first pipeslaid by Engineer Schussler are still in active use demonstrates thescientific and practical knowledge and skill with which he attackedthe problem. 

It is an interesting fact to note that, prior to the building of thedam, part of the water was used for "fluming" lumber and wood toLake View, and also for a short period of time after the dam wasconstructed. But for the past twenty years this practice has beendiscontinued, the water being solely for the supply of Virginia City. The total cost of the work was about $3, 500, 000. The Company is nowunder the immediate and personal supervision of James M. Leonard. Theflumes and pipe-lines have recently been rebuilt and repaired wherenecessary so that the entire system is in excellent condition and ahigh state of efficiency. 

DUBLISS, EDITH AND GENOA PEAKS

The ride to these three peaks can easily be made in a day, and thoughthey are all in reasonably close proximity, there are differencesenough in their respective outlooks to make a visit to each of themenjoyable and profitable. With a good saddle-horse from the Glenbrookstables, a guide, and a lunch tied to the saddle, one may start outconfident that a most delightful scenic trip is before him. The firsthour's riding is over the rocky and tree-clad slopes, far wilderand more rugged than one would imagine, rudely bordering the Lakesouthwards. Then turning east, hills and vales, flowery meads anddainty native nurseries of pines, firs and hemlocks enchant the eye. Reaching the summit of any one of the peaks, a wide expanse of Lake isoffered, extending to the surrounding mountains north, south and west, but on Genoa Peak an additional charm is found in the close proximityof the Nevada Valley, and mountains to the eastward. The contrastbetween the richly clad Sierras and the apparently unclothed, volcanicNevada mountains is remarkable. 

CHAPTER XXVII

CARNELIAN BAY AND TAHOE COUNTRY CLUB

On making the circuit of the Lake the last stopping-place on thetrip starting south, or the first when starting north and east, isCarnelian Bay. This is a new settlement rapidly coming into prominencebecause of the number of cottages and bungalows erected by theirowners on their own lots. From early until late in the seasons of1913 and 1914 the sounds of the saw and hammer were seldom still. Theresult is the growth of quite a summer settlement. Easy of access, either by train and steamer from Truckee, or by direct wagon or autoroad via Truckee or the new boulevard from the south end of the Lake, Carnelian Bay attracts the real home-seeker. It has been the firstsection to fully realize what John LeConte has so ably set forth inanother chapter on Tahoe as a Summer Residence. With the completion ofthe state highway around Lake Tahoe and the projected automobile routefrom Reno and Carson City, Carnelian Bay will be adjacent to the mainarteries of travel. The proposed link of the Lincoln Highway aroundthe north shore of the Lake will put Carnelian Bay directly on thegreat international auto road. 

The beauties of Lake Tahoe can hardly be magnified to the people ofthe West. Those who have once viewed its wonders and its magnificence, who have for a season breathed its invigorating and stimulatingatmosphere, who have caught the wily trout which abound in its waters, who have sailed, or rowed, or motor-boated over its indigo-bluesurface, carry in memory pictures in comparison with which anyword-picture would be inadequate and incomplete. 

Hence the projectors of Carnelian Bay struck a popular note when, outof their 81-acre tract, they put on sale convenient-sized lots. Ofthese 75 were purchased almost immediately, and by 1914 there wereover 45 homes, large and small, already erected. Every lot was sold toa purchaser who expressed his definite intention of speedily erectinga house, cottage or bungalow for his own use. Hence the communityis of a selected class into which one may come with confidence andassurance of congenial associations. 

While there is no hotel at present there are several cottages andbungalows especially erected for rent to transient guests, and agood store, together with its close proximity to Tahoe City and TahoeTavern, render a summer vacation here one of comfort, pleasure andperfect enjoyment. 

PROJECTED TAHOE COUNTRY CLUB AT CARNELIAN

The increasing need exists among those who are familiar with thebeauties and advantages of Lake Tahoe as a summer residence resort foraccommodations for families or transients where the usual comfortsof home may be obtained at a cost not prohibitive to the family ofordinary means. Last year no less than 80, 000 persons visited LakeTahoe. It is safe to say that this number will increase annually, particularly with added accommodations at the Lake and with betterfacilities for automobile travel. The proximity of Lake Tahoe to thecoast cities and the cities of the Sierras and the Middle West makesit at once attractive to the business man who desires to spend hissummer vacation where the family is located for the summer months. 

The Tahoe Country Club is designed to meet the need. The incorporatorshave taken over in fee simple a beautiful tract embracing about 1500feet of the beach at Carnelian Bay, California, perhaps the mostattractive site on Lake Tahoe. It commands a view of the entire lengthof the Lake, looking toward the south, and embracing a magnificentpanoramic view of the mountains beyond. This site containsapproximately nine acres, and includes a natural inland harbor, makingoff from a protected bay. The beach is shallow, of clean sand, slopingdown from easy terraces beautified by shade trees and lawns. 

The plan of organization of the Tahoe Country Club is cooperative. Itsbenefits are to be shared by its members, their families, and suchof their friends as they may invite to be guests of the club. Theproperties taken over by the incorporation, including the 1500 feetof beach front, harbor, wharf, and a system of water works alreadyinstalled, together with the perpetual title to the water rights, isconservatively appraised at $30, 000. This is held in fee, free fromincumbrance. 

The charter--or organizing--members of the club will be the investorsin the bonds issued and secured on the real estate taken over bythe incorporation. This bond issue, the redemption of which will beguaranteed by first mortgage on the properties, will be for $20, 000. These will be in denominations of $100 each, bearing six per cent. Interest after two years from June 1, 1914, and will be redeemable, atthe option of the mortgagor, at any regular annual interest period onor after five years from the date of issue. They will be payable infifteen years. 

Each original bond purchaser becomes a charter life member ofthe club, entitled, without the payment of annual dues or otherassessments, to the privileges and benefits offered. These, briefly, aside from the natural advantages of location, scenery, etc. , arean assured congenial environment, known associations (not always apossibility in a public summer hotel), the absence of every possibleunpleasant influence, opportunities for fishing, boating, tennis, golf and other outdoor sports, and first-class accommodations at acost far below that charged at regular high-class summer hotels. 

[Illustration: Proposed Family Club House, Carnelian Bay, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Launch towing boats out to the fishing grounds, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: An Early Morning Catch, Tahoe Trout, Lake Tahoe]

The proceeds of the bond issue are to be devoted to the erection ofthe first unit of the club's buildings, consisting of the club houseproper, and probably six four-room cottages adjacent. Thus thevalue of the real estate securing the bonds will at once be enhancedvirtually to the full extent of the investment made by the chartermembers. 

With the initial buildings assured and in process of erection, themembership and patronage of the club will be augmented by extendingthe privileges of the organization to non-investors, who will beenrolled upon payment of a fixed membership charge. These associatemembers, like the charter members, will enjoy the privileges offeredfor themselves and their families and for such of their friends asthey may desire to recommend, and for whom limited-period guest-cardsare requested. 

With a membership so broadly scattered as will be the membership ofthis club, community control of its affairs would be impracticable, if not impossible. It has been decided, therefore, to vest thesupervisory control of the club in a self-perpetuating advisoryboard, composed of many of the most prominent citizens of Nevada andCalifornia. 

The plan proposed is a feasible and practicable one, and one thatought to appeal to nature lovers who desire just such opportunitiesas it will afford on Lake Tahoe. The president of the company and thedirecting genius who has made Carnelian Bay possible is L. P. Delano, of Reno, Nevada, to whom all requests for further particularsregarding the Tahoe Country Club, or of Carnelian Bay should beaddressed. 

CHAPTER XXVIII

FISHING IN THE LAKES OF THE TAHOE REGION

Fishing in Lake Tahoe, and the other lakes of the region is a pleasureand a recreation as well as an art and a science. There are laymen, tyros, neophytes, proficients and artists. The real fraternity haspasses, catchwords, grips and signals to which outsiders seek to"catch on" in vain. 

The chief native trout of Lake Tahoe is locally known as the"cut-throat, " because of a brilliant dash of red on either side of thethroat. The name, however, gives no hint of the exquisite beauty ofthe markings of the fish, the skill required and excitement developedin catching it, and the dainty deliciousness of its flesh whenproperly cooked. 

Owing to the wonderful adaptability of Lake Tahoe, and the lakesand brooks of the surrounding region, to fish life, several otherwell-known varieties have been introduced, all of which have thrivedabundantly and now afford opportunity for the skill of the fishermanand delight the palate of the connoisseur. These are the Mackinac, rainbow, eastern brook, and Loch Levin. There is also found abeautiful and dainty silver trout, along the shore where the coldwaters of the various brooks or creeks flow into Lake Tahoe (and alsoin some of the smaller lakes), that is much prized. Some fishermenclaim that it is the "prettiest, gamiest, sweetest and choicest" fishof the Lake, and it has been caught weighing as high as twelve pounds. 

Another fish, native to Lake Tahoe, is found in vast numbers by theIndians in the fall. The ordinary summer visitor to Tahoe seldom seesor hears of these, as they rarely bite until the summer season isover, say in October. This is a white fish, varying in size from halfa pound to four pounds in weight, with finely flavored flesh. It isfound in shallow water and near the mouths of the creeks, and theIndians have a way of "snagging" them in. Building a kind of halfplatform and half stone screen over the pools where they abound, theIndians take a long wire, the end of which they have sharpened andbent to form a rude hook. Then, without bait, or any attempt at sport, they lower the hook and as rapidly as the fish appear, "snag" themout, literally by the hundreds. Most of these are salted down forwinter use. This is supposed to be a native, and the traditions of theIndians confirm the supposition. 

The largest native Tahoe trout caught, of which there is any authenticrecord, was captured not far from Glenbrook and weighed 35 pounds, and, strange to say, its capturer was an amateur. This, the boatmentell me, is generally the case--the amateurs almost invariablybringing in the largest fish. Although there are rumors of fish havingbeen caught weighing as high as 45 pounds it is impossible to tracethese down to any accurate and reliable source, hence, until there ispositive assurance to the contrary it may be regarded that this catchis the largest on record. 

The common Tahoe method of "trolling" for trout is different fromthe eastern method. It is the result of years of experience and ispractically as follows: A copper line, 100 to 200 feet long, whichsinks of its own weight, on which a large copper spoon is placedabove the hook, which is baited with a minnow and angle-worm, is used. Thrown into the water the line is gently pulled forward by the angler, then allowed to sink back. He takes care, however, always to keep ittaut. This makes the spoon revolve and attracts the fish. The momentthe angler feels a strike he gives his line a quick jerk and proceedsto pull in, landing the fish with the net. The local term for thismethod of fishing is "jerk-line. "

The copper line used is generally a 6 oz. For 100 feet, and the lengthis adjusted to the places in which the fisherman wishes to operate. 

Let us, for a short time, watch the would-be angler. Women areoften far more eager than men. The hotels of Tahoe keep their ownfishing-boats. The larger ones have a fleet of twenty or more, and inthe season this is found insufficient for the number who wish to trytheir hand and prove their luck. Often great rivalry exists not onlyin securing the boatmen who have had extra good luck or displayedextraordinary skill, but also between the guests as to the extentof their various "catches. " When a boatman has taken his "fare" intoregions that have proven successful, and does this with frequency, itis natural that those who wish to run up a large score should try hardto secure him. This adds to the fun--especially to the onlookers. 

The boat is all ready; the angler takes his (or her) seat in thecushioned stern, feet resting upon a double carpet--this is fishing_de luxe_. The oarsman pushes off and quietly rows away from thepier out into deep water, which, at Tahoe varies from 75 feet to theunknown depths of 1500 feet or more. The color of the water suggestseven to the tyro the depth, and as soon as the "Tahoe blue" is reachedthe boatman takes his large hand-reel, unfastens the hook, baitsit with minnow and worm and then hands it to the angler, withinstructions to allow it to unreel when thrown out on the port side atthe stern. 

At the same time he prepares a second hook from a second reel which hethrows out at the starboard side. At the end of each copper line a fewyards of fish-cord are attached in which a loop is adjusted for thefingers. This holds the line secure while the backward and forwardpulls are being made, and affords a good hold for the hook-impaling"jerk" when a strike is felt. While the "angler" pulls on his line theboatman slowly rows along, and holding his line on the fingers of his"starboard" hand, he secures the proper motion as he rows. 

Then, pulling over the ledges or ridges between shallow and deeper, or deeper and deep water, he exercises all his skill and acquiredknowledge and experience to enable his "fare" to make a good catch. As soon as a strike is felt and duly hooked he sees that the line isdrawn in steadily so as not to afford the fish a chance to rid itselfof the hook, and, as soon as it appears, he drops his oar, seizes thenet, and lands the catch to the great delight of his less-experiencedfare. 

Many are the tales that a privileged listener may hear around thefisherman's night-haunts, telling of the antics of their many andvarious fares, when a strike has been made. Some become so excitedthat they tangle up their lines, and one boatman assures me that, onone occasion a lady was so "rattled" that she finally wrapped her linein such a fashion around both elbows that she sat helpless and he hadto come to her rescue and release her. 

On another occasion a pair of "newly-weds" went out angling. When "hubby" caught a fish, the pair celebrated the catch byenthusiastically kissing, totally regardless of the surprise or envythat might be excited in the bosom of the poor boatman, and when"wifie" caught a fish the same procedure was repeated. "Of course, "said the boatman, in telling me the story, "that pair caught morefish than any one I had had for a month, simply to taunt me with theircarryings on. "

In the height of the season the guests become the most enthusiasticfishermen of all. They take a growing pride in their increasing scoresand the fishing then resolves itself into an earnest, almost deadly, tournament in which each determines to outscore the others. This iswhat the boatmen enjoy--though it often means longer hours and moresevere rowing--for it is far easier to work (so they say) for a"fare" who is really interested than for one who is halfhearted andindifferent. 

As these rivals' boats pass each other they call out in triumph theirrising luck, or listen gloweringly to the recital of others' goodfortune, when they are compelled to silence because of their ownfailure. 

Sometimes the boatmen find these rivalries rather embarrassing, forthe excitement and nervousness of their "fares" become communicated tothem. Then, perhaps, they lose a promising strike, or, in their hurry, fail to land the fish when it appears. Scolding and recriminationsare not uncommon on such occasions, and thus is the gayety of nationsadded to. 

What is it that really constitutes "fisherman's luck"? Who can tell?The theories of Tahoe fishermen are as many as there are men. Somethink one thing, some another. One will talk learnedly of the phasesof the moon, another of the effect of warmer or colder weather uponthe "bugs" upon which the fish feed. 

Sometimes one will "jerk" half a day and never get a strike; otherdays the boat will scarcely have left the wharf before one pulls thefish in almost as fast as hooks can be baited and thrown out. Whenfishing is slow an amateur soon becomes tired out. The monotonous pullon the line soon makes the arm weary, and destroys all enthusiasm. But let the strikes begin and weariness disappears. Some days the fishwill bite for an hour, say from eleven to twelve, and then quit andnot give another strike all day. The very next day, in the same spot, one cannot get a bite until afternoon. 

One of my fishermen friends once related the following: "Again andagain I have heard old and experienced fishermen say that no fish canbe caught in a thunder-storm. Yet in July 1913 four boats were towedby a launch out to the Nevada side, near to Glenbrook. It appearedstormy before the party left, but they refused to be daunted ordiscouraged by the doleful prognostications of the "know-it-alls. "Before long the lightning began, the clouds hung heavy, and while theyfished they were treated to alternate doses of thunder, lightning, cloud, sunshine, rain and hail. In less than an hour every member ofthe party--and there were several ladies--were soaked and drenched tothe skin, but all were happy. For, contrary to the assertions of theexperts, every angler was having glorious success. Each boat securedits full quota, 40 fish to each, and the catch averaged 70 pounds toa boat, scarcely a fish being pulled out that did not weigh over apound. Talk about luck; these people surely had it. "

Once again; I was out one day with Boat No. 14 (each boat has its ownnumber), and the boatman told me the following story. I know himwell and his truthfulness is beyond question. He had with him twowell-known San Francisco gentlemen, whom I will name respectively, Rosenbaum and Rosenblatt. They were out for the day. For hours they"jerked" without success. At last one turned to the other and said:"Rosie, I've got a hunch that our luck's going to change. I'm going tocount twenty and before I'm through we'll each have a fish. " Slowly hebegan to count, one, --two, --three. Just as he counted fourteen, bothmen felt a strike, gave the fateful jerk, and pulled in a large fish, and from that moment their luck changed. 

This is not the whole of the story, however. Some days later the sameboatman was out on the Nevada side with two gentlemen, who couldnot get a bite. Merely to while away the time the boatman told theforegoing facts. To his surprise and somewhat to his disgust at hisown indiscretion in telling the story, one of the gentlemen beganto count, and, believe it or not, he assures me that at the fatefulfourteen, he gained a first-class strike, and continued to havesuccess throughout the afternoon. 

As he left the boat he turned to his companion and said: "Well, thatfourteen's proved a lucky number. I'm going right over to the roulettewheel to see what luck it will give me over there. "

My boatman friend added that as he heard nothing of any great winningsat the wheel that night, and Mr. N. Looked rather quiet and sober thenext day, he is afraid the luck did not last. Needless to say thatexcept to me, and then only in my capacity as a writer, the story hasnever been told. 

Now, while the jerk-line method brings much joy to the heart of thesuccessful and lucky amateur, the genuine disciple of Izaak Waltonscorns this unsportsman-like method. He comes earlier in the season, April, May, or June, or later, in September, and brings his rod andline, when the fish keep nearer to the shore in the pot-holes androcky formations, and then angles with the fly. It is only at thesetimes, however, that he is at all likely to have any success, as theTahoe trout does not generally rise to the fly. 

Yet, strange to say, in all the smaller trout-stocked lakes of theregion, Fallen Leaf, Cascade, Heather, Lily, Susie, Lucile, Grass, LeConte, Rock Bound, the Velmas, Angora, Echo, Tamarack, Lake of theWoods, Rainbow, Pit, Gilmore, Kalmia, Fontinalis, Eagle, Granite, andas many more, the trout are invariably caught with the fly, thoughthe species most sought after is not the native Tahoe trout, but theeastern brook. This is essentially fish for the genuine angler, andmany are the tales--true and otherwise--told of the sport the captureof this fish has afforded in the region. 

There are several interesting peculiarities about the fish of LakeTahoe and its region that it is well to note. In the large lake(Tahoe) the native cutthroat grows to much the largest size--the35-lb. One referred to elsewhere being proof of its great growth. 

The next in size is the Mackinac which is often caught as large as 10lb. , and now and again up to 15 lb. 

In Fallen Leaf Lake, which was stocked with Mackinac some years ago, the native trout has become comparatively scarce, the former seeminglyhaving driven it out, though in Lake Tahoe there is no such result. InFallen Leaf not more than one or two in ten will be cutthroats, whileMackinacs abound, up to 6 lbs. And 7 lbs. In weight. Occasionally muchlarger fish are seen, though they are seldom brought to net. Not longago a Loch Levin, weighing 12 lbs. , was caught here. 

While the catch of fish in the smaller lakes of the region isexceedingly large the fish themselves are smaller, the opportunitiesfor hiding and fattening and growing older being comparatively greaterin the larger body of water. 

During the height of the season when there are a great many boatsout it is common to hire a launch which will tow from four to a dozenboats over towards Emerald Bay on the California side, or towardsGlenbrook on the Nevada side, where the fishing grounds are known tobe of the best. The boatmen especially enjoy these days out--althoughthe "fares" may not always suspect it--as it gives them a change fromtheir ordinary routine and table fare. They enjoy trout as well asdo the visitors, and of course, they are all expert cooks as well asboatmen. When noon-time comes, if there has been any luck, a camp-fireis built and the fish are fried, or broiled on the coals, or byexperts, made into an excellent chowder. And never does one enjoy afish dinner so much as under these circumstances. The exercise, thefresh air, the motion over the water, the deliciousness and delicateflavor of the fish, all conspire to tempt the most capriciousappetite. 

Once in a while a black bass will be caught, though it is not believedthat this is a native fish. It does not seem to thrive in Tahoe thoughthe boatmen tell me they occasionally see a few, especially off thedocks at Tallac and other points at the south end of the Lake. 

Now and again small bull-heads will be seen, and a very smallrock-bass. But these never bite on hook and line, and are seldom foundmore than two or three inches long. 

On the other hand big schools of suckers and chubs are seen. Theformer naturally are scorned by all true fishermen as they areregarded as hogs, or scavengers, and are thrown back whenever caught, or are taken and fed to the gulls or pelicans. The chubs occasionallyare hooked and are from half a pound to a pound and a half in size. As a rule these are thrown back, though they make good eating to thosewho do not object to their excess of bones. 

One of the most interesting of sights is to see one of the schools ofminnows that fairly abound in Lake Tahoe. In the clear and pellucidwater one can clearly see them swim along. As they pass a rocky placea trout will dart out and catch his prey. A flutter at once passesthrough the whole school. Yet, strange to say, the trout willsometimes swim around such a body and either stupify them with fear, or hypnotize them into forgetfulness of their presence, for they willfloat quietly in the center of the mass, catching the minnows one byone as they need them without exciting the least fear or attention. The minnows generally remain in fairly shallow water, and keep soclosely together that a line of demarcation is made between where theyare and outside, as if it had been cut with a knife along a straightedge, and in some mysterious way the fish dare not cross it, though itconstantly moves along with their movements. 

It will be obvious that necessarily there is much market-fishing inLake Tahoe and its surrounding lakes. Indeed there are large numbersof fishermen--Indians and whites--who supply the various hotels bothof the Lake region and in San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento andadjacent cities, and even as far as Denver and Salt Lake City, eastwards, and Los Angeles to the south. These fishermen are verypersistent in their work, keeping at it from early morning untillate at night, though their catches are supposed to be officiallyregulated. 

The amount of fish caught and shipped by these market-fishermen isremarkable. In 1911 the report shows that over 22, 000 pounds were sentout by express, over half of which were sent from Tallac alone. Andthis does not take any account of the amount caught and eaten byprivate residents around the Lake, by the visitors or by the hotels. 

The fish that are to be shipped are not, as one might naturallysuppose, packed in ice. Experience has demonstrated a better way whichis now universally followed. At Tallac the hotel has a large placedevoted to this process, which is practically as follows: Each boatmanhas a fish-box, numbered to correspond with his boat. These are keptin the water during the season, and if the catch of his "fare" for oneday is not sufficient for a shipment it is placed in the box. Whena sufficient number is on hand, they are taken out by the boatman, carefully cleaned and hung up to dry in fly-proof, open-air cages. When perfectly dry inside and out they are packed in sweet-smellingTallac Meadow hay, and shipped by express. 

Many visitors cannot understand why there are no fish in some ofthe lakes that, to their eyes, seem just as well adapted for fish asothers that possess an abundance. Even old timers do not all know thereason. If a lake is shallow, when the deep snow falls it soon sinksbelow the surface in a heavy mushy mass that presses down upon thefish and prevents their breathing. Then, if a severe frost follows andthe mass freezes the ice squeezes the fish to the bottom. Over threeyears ago Watson took fish to Bessie Lake, putting in as many as 6000fry of Lake Tahoe and other species. The next year, and the followingyears they were all right, having grown to eight or nine inches inlength. Then came a severe winter and in the spring there was not aliving fish left. The bottom was strewn with them, many of them withbroken backs. 

[Illustration: A gnarled monarch of the High Sierras, an aged Juniper, near Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Mountain Heather, in Desolation Valley, Near Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: The Successful Deer Hunter at Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Chris Nelson, With His Catch, a 23 Lb. Tahoe Trout]

CHAPTER XXIX

HUNTING AT LAKE TAHOE

In the chapter on the Birds and Animals of the Tahoe Region I havewritten of the game to be found. There are few places left in theSierras where such good deer- and bear-hunting can be found as nearTahoe. During the dense snow-falls the deer descend the westernslopes, approaching nearer and nearer to the settlements of the upperfoothills, and there they do fairly well until the snow begins torecede in the spring. They keep as near to the snow line as possible, and are then as tame and gentle almost as sheep. When the seasonopens, however, they soon flee to certain secret recesses and hiddenlairs known to none but the old and experienced guides of the region. There are so many of these wooded retreats, however, and the Tahoearea is so vast, that it is seldom an expert goes out for deer(or bear) that he fails. Hence the sportsman is always assured of"something worth while. "

As for bear I have told elsewhere of recent hunts on Mt. Freel fromTallac, and the two bears killed there in 1913, and of Carl Flugge'sexperiences. With Tallac hunters, Flugge, Bob Watson or any otherexperienced man, one can scarcely fail to have exciting and successfultimes. 

CHAPTER XXX

THE FLOWERS OF THE TAHOE REGION

It would be impossible in the space of a brief chapter to presenteven a list of all the flowers found and recorded in the Tahoe Region. Suffice it to say that 1300 different species already have beenlisted. This chapter will merely call attention to the most prominent, or, on the other hand, the rarer and special flowering plants that thevisitor should eagerly search for. 

As fast as the snow retires from the sun-kissed slopes the flowersbegin to come out. Indeed in April, were one at Tahoe, he could makea daily pilgrimage to the receding snow-line and there enjoy newrevelations of dainty beauty each morning. For the flowers, as thesnow-coating becomes thinner, respond to the "call of the sun", andthrust up their spears out of the softened and moistened earth, sothat when the last touch of snow is gone they are often already in budready to burst forth into flower at the first kiss of sunshine. 

In May they come trooping along in all their pristine glory, God'sthoughts cast upon the mold of earth, so that even the men and womenof downcast eyes and souls may know the ever-fresh, ever-present loveof God. 

Most interesting of all is the snow-plant (_sarcodes san-guineaTorrey_). The name is unfortunate. The plant doesn't look likesnow, nor does it grow on or in the snow. It simply follows the snowline, as so many of the Sierran plants do, and as the snow melts andleaves the valley, one must climb to find it. It is of a rich redcolor, which glows in the sunlight like a living thing. It has noleaves but is supplied with over-lapping scale-like bracts of awarm flesh-tint. At the lower part of the flower these are rigid andclosely adherent to the stem, but higher up they become looser andcurl gracefully about among the vivid red bells. In the spring of 1914they were wonderfully plentiful at the Tavern and all around the Lake. I literally saw hundreds of them. 

Next in interest comes the heather, both red and white. In DesolationValley, as well as around most of the Sierran lakes of the TahoeRegion, beds of heather are found that have won enthusiastic Scotchmento declare that Tahoe heather beats that of Scotland. The red heatheris the more abundant, and its rich deep green leaves and crown ofglowing red makes it to be desired, but the white heather is a flowerfit for the delicate corsage bouquet of a queen, or the lapel of thenoblest of men. Dainty and exquisite, perfect in shape and color itstiny white bell is _par-excellence_ the emblem of passionatepurity. 

Blue gentians (_Gentina calycosa, Griseb_) abound, their deepblue blossoms rivaling the pure blue of our Sierran skies. These oftencome late in the season and cheer the hearts of those who come uponthem with "a glad sweet surprise". There are also white gentians foundaplenty. 

The water lilies of the Tahoe Region are strikingly beautiful. In manyof the Sierran lakes conditions seem to exist which make them flourishand they are found in plentiful quantities. 

Wild marigolds abound in large patches, even on the mountain heights, where there is plenty of moisture and sunshine, and a species ofmarguerite, or mountain daisy, is not uncommon. The Indian paint-brushis found everywhere and is in full bloom in deepest red in September. Wild sunflowers also abound except where the sheep have been. Then nota sign of once vast patches can be found. They are eaten clear to theground. 

The mullein attains especial dignity in this mountain region. Statelyand proud it rises above the lesser though more beautiful flowers ofthe wild. It generally dies down in September, though an occasionalflowering stalk may be seen as late as October. 

Another very common but ever-welcome plant, for its pungent andpleasing odor, is the pennyroyal. It abounds throughout the wholeregion and its hardiness keeps it flowering until late in the fall. 

Beautiful and delicate at all times wherever seen, the wild snowdropis especially welcome in the Tahoe Region, where, amid soaring pinesand firs, it timidly though faithfully blooms and cheers the eye withits rare purity. 

Now and again one will find the beautiful California fuchsia(_zauschneria Californica_, Presl. ) its delicate beautydelighting the eye and suggesting some of the rare orchids of a paleyellow tint. 

The Sierra primrose (_Primula Suffrutescens_) is often found nearto the snow-line. Its tufts of evergreen leaves seem to revel in thecold water of the melting snow and the exquisite rose-tints of theflowers are enhanced by the pure white of what snow is left to helpbring them into being. 

It is natural that, in a region so abounding in water, ferns of manykinds should also abound. The common brake flourishes on the easternslopes, but I have never found the maiden hair. On the western slopesit is abundant, but rarely if ever found on the easterly exposures. 

Most striking and attractive among the shrubs are the mountain ash, the mountain mahogany (_cereocarpus parvifolius_, Nutt. ) theCalifornia laurel (_umbellularia Californica_, Nutt. ) and theCalifornia holly, or _toyon_. The rich berries, the green leaves, the exquisite and dainty flowers, the delicious and stimulating odorsall combine to make these most welcome in every Sierran landscape, nomatter at what season they appear. 

While in the foregoing notes on the flowers of the Tahoe region I havehastily gone over the ground, one particular mountain to the north ofTahoe has been so thoroughly and scientifically studied that it seemsappropriate to call more particular attention to it in order thatbotanists may realize how rich the region is in rare treasures. Forwhat follows I am indebted to the various writings of Professor P. Beveridge Kennedy, long time professor at the University of Nevada, but recently elected to the faculty of the University of California. 

One could almost write a "Botany" of Mt. Rose alone, so interestingare the floral specimens found there. This mountain stands unique inthe Lake Tahoe region in that it is an intermediate between the highmountains of the Sierra Nevada and those of the interior of the GreatBasin. Its flora are undoubtedly influenced by the dry atmosphericconditions that exist on the eastern side. A mere suggestion only canbe given here of the full enjoyment afforded by a careful study ofwhat it offers. 

At from 10, 000 feet up the following new species have been found. _Eriogonum rhodanthum_, a perennial which forms dense mats onhard rocky ground. The caudex is made up of many strands twistedtogether like rope, its numerous branches terminated by clusters ofvery small, new and old leaves, with flower clusters. Another similarspecies is the _E. Rosensis_. 

An interesting rock-cress is found in the _Arabis Depauperata_, which here shows the results of its fierce struggles for existence. Itbears minute purple flowers. 

Flowering in the middle of August, but past flowering at the end ofSeptember the _Gilia montana_ is found, with its numerous whiteand pink leaves. 

Nearby is the _Phlox dejecta_ in large quantities, resembling adesert moss, and covering the rocks with its tinted carpet. 

An Indian paint-brush with a flower in an oblong cream-colored spike, with purple blotches, was named _Castilleia inconspicua_, possiblybecause it is so much less conspicuous and alluring to the eye thanits well-known and striking brother of the California fields, _C. Parviflora_. This species has been of great interest to botanists, as when first observed it was placed in the genus _Orthocarpus_. Professor Kennedy thinks it is undoubtedly a connecting link betweenthe two genera. It has been found only on Mount Rose, where it iscommon at between 9000 and 10, 000 feet elevation. It reaches, however, to the summit, though it is more sparingly found there. 

Professor Kennedy also describes _Hulsea Caespitosa_, or Alpinedandelion, a densely pubescent plant, emitting a disagreeable odor, whose large yellow flowers surprise one when seen glowing apparentlyout of the masses of loose volcanic rock. It is soon found, however, that they have roots deep down in good soil beneath. Another newspecies, _Chrysothamnus Monocephala_, or Alpine rabbit-brush, isa very low, shrubby plant, with insignificant pale yellow flowers. 

A beautiful little plant, well adapted to rockeries and suited forcultivation, is _Polemonium Montrosense_. Under good conditionsit grows excellently. It was found on the summit of Mt. Rose, and atlower elevations. 

Clusters of the Alpine Monkey-flower (_Mimulus Implexus_, Greene), arealso found on Mt. Rose, as well as on other Tahoe mountain summits. The rich yellow flowers bloom profusely, though their bed is often amoraine of wet rocks over which a turbulent cold stream has recentlysubsided. 

Slightly below the summit the little elephant's-head have been found(_Elephantella attolens_(Gray) Heller). Rydberg in his _Flora ofMontana_ showed that these were not properly the true _pendicularis_, as they had hitherto been regarded, hence the new name. The corollastrikingly resembles the head of an elephant, the beak of the galeaforming the trunk, the lateral lobes of the lips the ears, and thestigma the finger-like appendage of the trunk. 

In August, growing below the perpetual snow banks at about 10, 000 feetelevation that supply an abundance of moisture, one will often findclumps of _Rhodiola Integrifolia_, which attract the eye withtheir deep reddish-purple flowers and fruits. The leaves also have apurple tinge. 

Nearby clambering over the granite bowlders the Alpine heath, _Cassiope Mertensianae_, with its multitude of rose-tinted flowerbells, sometimes is found, though not in the profusion it displays inDesolation Valley. 

Another very interesting plant is the Alpine currant (_RibesInebrians_, Lindl. ) which between the years 1832 and 1907 hasreceived no less than eight different names accorded by European andAmerican botanists. It is a remarkable shrub, in that it occurs higheron the mountain than any other form of vegetation except lichens. Theroots penetrate deeply into the crevices of the lava rocks, enablingit to withstand the fierce winds. The flowers, which appear inAugust, are white, shading to pink, and the red berries, which are notespecially palatable on account of their insipid taste and numerousseeds, are abundant in September. Another new Mt. Rose _ribes_has been named _Churchii_ in honor of Professor J. E. Church, Jr. , whose original work at the Mt. Rose Observatory is described in thechapter devoted to that purpose. 

Growing at elevations of from 6000 to 10, 000 feet, displaying aprofusion of white flowers sometimes delicately tinged with lightpurple is the _Phlox Douglasii_, Hook. It is low but with loose, much-branched prostrate stems and remarkably stout, almost woodyroots. 

A new Alpine willow (_Salix Caespitosa_) has also beendiscovered. Professor Kennedy thus writes of it:

 The melting snow, as it comes through and over the rocks in the nature of a spring, brings with it particles of sand and vegetation, which form a very shallow layer of soil on a flat area to one side of the main branch of the stream. On this the willow branches adhere like ivy, rooting at every joint and interlaced so as to form a dense mat. From these, erect leafy shoots, one or two inches high, appear, with the many flowered catkins extending above the foliage. The pistillate plants occupy separate but adjacent areas to the staminate ones. 

[Illustration: Professor Fergusson at the Fergusson Meteorographat Mt. Rose Observatory. 10, 090 Feet]

[Illustration: An Alpine White Pine, Defying the Storms, on theNorth Slope of Mt. Rose, 9, 500 Ft. ]

[Illustration: Tallac, Lake Tahoe]

[Illustration: Looking North from Cave Rock, Lake Tahoe]

CHAPTER XXXI

THE CHAPARRAL OF THE TAHOE REGION

The word _chaparral_ is a Spanish word, transferred bodily intoour language, without, however, retaining its strict and originalsignificance. In Spanish it means a plantation of evergreen oaks, or, thick bramble-bushes entangled with thorny shrubs in clumps. Hence, in the west, it has come to mean any low or scrub brush that thicklycovers a hill or mountain-side. As there is a varied chaparral in theTahoe region, it is well for the visitor to know of what it is mainlycomposed. 

Experience has demonstrated that where the larger lumber is cutoff close on the Sierran slopes of the Tahoe region the low bushychaparral at once takes full possession. It seems to prevent thetree seeds from growing and thus is an effectual preventive toreforestation. This, however, is generally not so apparent east of themain range as it is on the western slopes. One of its chief elementsis the manzanita (_Arctostaphylos patula_) easily distinguishableby the red wood of its stem and larger branches, glossy leaves, waxen blossoms (when in flower) and green or red berries in the earlyautumn. 

The snow-bush abounds. It is a low sage-green bush, very thorny, henceis locally called "bide-a-wee" from the name given by the Englishsoldiers to a very thorny bush they had to encounter during the BoerWar. In the late days of spring and even as late as July it is coveredwith a white blossom that makes it glorious and attractive. 

Then there is the thimble-berry with its big, light yellow, sprawlingleaves, and its attractively red, thimble-shaped, but rather tastelessberries. The Indians, however, are very fond of them, and so are someof the birds and animals, likewise of the service berries, which lookmuch like the blueberry, though their flavor is not so choice. 

Here and there patches of the wild gooseberry add to the tangle ofthe chaparral. The gooseberries when ripe are very red, as are thecurrants, but they are armored with a tough skin completely coveredwith sharp, hairy thorns. In Southern California all the fruit ofthe wild _ribes_ have the thorns, but they do not compare inpenetrating power and strength with those of the Tahoe gooseberries. 

One of the most charming features of the chaparral is the mountainash, especially when the berries are ripe and red. The Scotch name_rowan_ seems peculiarly appropriate. Even while the berries areyellow they are attractive to the eye, and alluring to the birds, butwhen they become red they give a splendid dash of rich color that setsoff the whole mountain side. 

The mountain mahogany is not uncommon (_Cereocarpus parvifolius_, Nutt. ) and though its green flowers are inconspicuous, its long, solitary plumes at fruiting time attract the eye. 

While the California laurel (_Umbellularia Californica_, Nutt. )often grows to great height, it is found in chaparral clumps on themountain sides. It is commonly known as the bay tree, on account ofthe bay-like shape and odor of its leaves when crushed. It gives aspicy fragrance to the air and is always welcome to those who know it. 

In many places throughout the mountains of the Tahoe region there areclumps or groves of wild cherry (_Prunus Demissa_, Walpers), thecherries generally ripening in September. But if one expects the ripered _wild_ cherries to have any of the delicious richness andsweetness of the ripe Queen Anne or other good variety he is doomedto sad disappointment. For they are sour and bitter--bitter asquinine, --and that is perhaps the reason their juice has beenextracted and made into medicine supposed to have extraordinary tonicand healing virtue. 

The elder is often found (_Sambucus Glauca_, Nutt. ), sometimesquite tall and at other times broken down by the snow, but bravelycovering its bent and gnarled trunks and branches with dense foliageand cream-white blossom-clusters. The berries are always attractive tothe eye in their purple tint, with the creamy blush on them, and happyis that traveler who has an expert make for him an elderberry pie, ordistill the rich cordial the berries make. 

Another feature of the chaparral often occupies the field entirelyto itself, viz. , the chamisal or greasewood (_Adenostomafasciculatum_, Hook, and Arn. ). Its small clustered and needle-likeleaves, richly covered with large, feathery panicles of tinyblossoms, give it an appearance not unlike Scotch heather, and make amountainside dainty and beautiful. 

The California buckeye (_Aesculus Californica_, Nutt. ) is alsofound, especially upon stream banks or on the moist slopes ofthe canyons. Its light gray limbs, broad leaves, and long, whiteflower-spikes make it an attractive shrub or tree (for it oftenreaches forty feet in height), and when the leaves drop, as they doearly, the skeleton presents a beautiful and delicate network againstthe deep azure of the sky. 

Another feature of the chaparral is the scrub oak. In 1913 the busheswere almost free from acorns. They generally appear only every otheryear, and when they do bear the crop is a wonderfully numerous one. 

A vast amount of wild lilac (_Ceanothus Velutinus_) is found onall the slopes. It generally blooms in June and then the hillsides areone fragrant and glowing mass of vivid white tinged with the creamyhue that adds so much charm to the flowers. 

The year 1913, however, was a peculiar year, throughout, for plantlife. In the middle of September in Page's Meadows a large patchof ceanothus was in full bloom, either revealing a remarkably lateflowering, or a second effort at beautification. 

Another ceanothus, commonly called mountain birch, is often found. When in abundance and in full flower it makes a mountain side appearas if covered with drifted snow. 

Willows abound in the canyons and on the mountains of the Tahoeregion, and they are an invariable sign of the near presence of water. 

There is scarcely a canyon where alders, cottonwoods and quakingaspens may not be found. In 1913 either the lack of water, someadverse climatic condition, or some fungus blight caused the aspenleaves to blotch and fall from the trees as early as the beginning ofSeptember. As a rule they remain until late in October, changing toautumnal tints of every richness and hue and reminding one of theglorious hues of the eastern maples when touched by the first frostsof winter. 

No one used to exploring dry and desert regions, such as the Coloradoand Mohave Deserts of Southern California, the Grand Canyon region, the Navajo Reservation, etc. , in Arizona and New Mexico, the constantpresence of water in the Tahoe region is a perpetual delight. Dailyin my trips here I have wondered at the absence of my canteen andsometimes in moments of forgetfulness I would reach for it, and bealmost paralyzed with horror not to find it in its accustomed place. But the never-ending joy of feeling that one could start out for aday's trip, or a camping-out expedition of a week or a month and nevergive the subject of water a moment's thought, can only be appreciatedby those who are direfully familiar with the dependence placed uponthe canteen in less favored regions. 

CHAPTER XXXII

HOW TO DISTINGUISH THE TREES OF THE TAHOE REGION

By "trees" in this chapter I mean only the evergreen trees--the pines, firs, spruces, hemlocks, cedars, junipers and tamaracks. Many visitorslike to know at least enough when they are looking at a tree, to tellwhich of the above species it belongs to. All I aim to do here is toseek to make clear the distinguishing features of the varioustrees, and to give some of the more readily discernible signs of thedifferent varieties of the same species found in the region. 

It must not be forgotten that tree growth is largely dependent uponsoil conditions. The soil of the Tahoe region is chiefly glacialdetritus. 

 On the slopes and summits of the ridges it is sandy, gravelly, and liberally strewn with masses of drift bowlders. The flats largely formed of silting while they still constituted beds of lakes, have a deep soil of fine sand and mold resting on coarse gravel and bowlder drift. Ridges composed of brecciated lavas, which crumble easily under the influence of atmospheric agencies, are covered with soil two or three feet, or even more, in depth, where gentle slopes or broad saddles have favored deposition and prevented washing. The granite areas of the main range and elsewhere have a very thin soil. The flats at the entrance of small streams into Lake Tahoe are covered with deep soil, owing to deposition of vegetable matter brought from the slopes adjacent to their channels. As a whole, the soil of the region is of sufficient fertility to support a heavy forest growth, its depth depends wholly on local circumstances favoring washing and removal of the soil elements as fast as formed, or holding them in place and compelling accumulations. [1]

Coniferous species of trees constitute fully ninety-five per cent. Of the arborescent growth in the region. The remaining five percent. Consists mostly of different species of oak, ash, maple, mountain-mahogany, aspen, cottonwood, California buckeye, westernred-bud, arborescent willows, alders, etc. 

Of the conifers the species are as follows: yellow pine, _pinusponderosa_; Jeffrey pine, _pinus jeffreyi_; sugar pine, _pinuslambertiana_; lodge-pole pine, _pinus murrayana_; white pine, _pinusmonticola_; digger pine, _pinus sabiniana_; white-bark pine, _pinusalbicaulis_; red fir, _pseudotsuga taxifolia_; white fir, _abiesconcolor_; Shasta fir, _abies magnifica_; patton hemlock or alpinespruce, _tsuga pattoniana_; incense cedar, _libocedrus decurrens_;western juniper, _juniperus occidentalis_; yew, _taxus brevifolia_. 

[Footnote 1: John B. Leiberg, in _Forest Conditions in the NorthernSierra Nevada_. ]

The range and chief characteristic of these trees, generally speaking, are as follows:

_Digger Pine_. This is seldom found in the Tahoe region, exceptin the lower reaches of the canyons on the west side of the range. Itis sometimes known as the Nut Pine, for it bears a nut of which thenatives are very fond. It has two cone forms, one in which the spurspoint straight down, the other in which they are more or less curvedat the tip. They grow to a height of forty to fifty and occasionallyninety feet high; with open crown and thin gray foliage. 

_Western Juniper_. This is a typical tree of the arid regionseast of the Sierra, yet it is to be found scattered throughout theTahoe country, generally at an elevation between five thousand andeight thousand feet. It ranges in height from ten to twenty-five oreven sixty-five feet. Its dull red bark, which shreds or flakeseasily, its berries, which begin a green color, shade through togray, and when ripe are a rich purple, make it readily discernible. It is a characteristic feature of the scenery at timber line in manyTahoe landscapes. 

 With the crowns beaten by storms into irregular shapes, often dead on one side but flourishing on the other, the tops usually dismantled and the trunks excessively thickened at base, such figures, whether erect, half overthrown or wholly crouching, are the most picturesque of mountain trees and are frequently of very great age. --_Jepson_. 

_Yew_. This is not often found and then only in the west canyonsabove the main range. It is a small and insignificant tree, rarelyexceeding forty feet in height. It has a thin red-brown smooth barkwhich becomes shreddy as it flakes off in thin and rather smallpieces. The seeds are borne on the under side of the sprays andwhen mature set in a fleshy scarlet cup, the whole looking like abrilliantly colored berry five or six inches long. They ripen in Julyor August. 

_Incense Cedar_. This is commonly found all over the region atelevations below 7500 feet, though its chief habitat is at elevationsof 3500 to 6000 feet. It grows to a height of fifty to one hundred andfifty feet, with a strongly conical trunk, very thick at the base, andgradually diminishing in size upward. The bark is thick, red-brown, loose and fibrous, and when the tree is old, broken into prominentheavy longitudinal furrows. The cones are red-brown, oblong-ovate whenclosed, three-fourths to an inch long. 

_Shasta Fir_. This is found on the summits, slopes and shoresof Lake Tahoe, and to levels 6200 feet in elevation on the slopes andsummits directly connected with the main range. It is found along theMount Pluto ridge. It is essentially a tree of the mountains, wherethe annual precipitation ranges from fifty inches upward. In the Tahoeregion it is locally known as the red fir. Sometimes it is called thered bark fir and golden fir. It grows from sixty to even one hundredand seventy-five feet high with trunk one to five feet in diameter anda narrowly cone-shaped crown composed of numerous horizontal strata offan-shaped sprays. The bark on young trees is whitish or silvery, onold trunks dark red, very deeply and roughly fissured. The cones whenyoung are of a beautiful dull purple, when mature becoming brown. 

_White Pine_. This is found on northern slopes as low down as6500 feet, though it generally ranges above 7000 feet, and is quitecommon. It sometimes is called the silver pine, and generally in theTahoe region, the mountain pine. It grows to a height of from fifty toone hundred and seventy-five feet, the branches slender and spreadingor somewhat drooping, and mostly confined to the upper portion of theshaft. The trunk is from one to six feet in diameter and clothed witha very smooth though slightly checked whitish or reddish bark. Theneedles are five (rarely four) in a place, very slender, one to threeand three-fourths inches long, sheathed at the base by thinnish narrowdeciduous scales, some of which are one inch long. The cones come inclusters of one to seven, from six to eight or rarely ten incheslong, very slender when closed and usually curved towards the tip, black-purple or green when young, buff-brown when ripe. It is bestrecognized by its light-gray smooth bark, broken into squarishplates, its pale-blue-green foliage composed of short needles, and itspendulous cones so slender as to give rise to the name "Finger-ConePine. "

_Sugar Pine_. This is found on the lower terraces of Tahoe, fringing the region with a sparse and scattering growth, but it isnot found on the higher slopes of the Sierra. On the western sideits range is nearly identical with that of the red fir. It grows fromeighty to one hundred and fifty feet high, the young and adult treessymmetrical, but the aged trees commonly with broken summits orcharacteristically flat-topped with one or two long arm-like branchesexceeding shorter ones. The trunk is from two to eight feet indiameter, and the bark brown or reddish, closely fissured into roughridges. The needles are slender, five in a bundle, two to three and ahalf inches long. The cones are pendulous, borne on stalks at theend of the branches, mostly in the very summit of the tree, verylong-oblong, thirteen to eighteen inches long, four to six inches indiameter when opened. 

 This pine gains its name from its sugary exudation, sought by the native tribes, which forms hard white crystallized nodules on the upper side of fire or ax wounds in the wood. This flow contains resin, is manna-like, has cathartic properties, and is as sweet as cane-sugar. The seeds are edible. Although very small they are more valued by the native tribes than the large seeds of the Digger Pine on account of their better flavor. In former days, when it came October, the Indians went to the high mountains about their valleys to gather the cones. They camped on the ridges where the sugar pines grow and celebrated their sylvan journey by tree-climbing contests among the men. In these latter days, being possessed of the white man's ax, they find it more convenient to cut the tree down. It is undoubtedly the most remarkable of all pines, viewed either from the standpoint of its economic value or sylvan interest. It is the largest of pine trees, considered whether as to weight or girth, and more than any other tree gives beauty and distinction to the Sierran forest. --_Jepson_. 

The long cones found in abundance about Tahoe Tavern are those of thesugar pine. 

_Yellow Pine and Jeffrey Pine_. These are practically one andthe same, though the latter is generally regarded as a variety and theformer the type. Mr. Leiberg says:

 The two forms differ chiefly in the size of the cones, in the tint and odor of the foliage, and in the color and thickness of the bark, differences which are insufficient to constitute specific characters. The most conspicuous of the above differences is that in the size of the cones, which may seemingly hold good if only a few hundred trees are examined. But when one comes to deal with thousands of individuals the distinction vanishes. It is common to find trees of the Jeffrey type as to foliage and bark that bear the big cones, and the characteristic smaller cones of the typical yellow pine, both at the same time and on the same individual, while old cones strewn about on the ground indicate that in some seasons trees of the Jeffrey type produce only small-sized cones. The odor and the color of leaves and bark are more or less dependent on soil conditions and the inherent vitality of the individual tree, and the same characters are found in specimens belonging to the yellow and Jeffrey pine. It is noticeable that the big-cone variety preferably grows at considerable elevation and on rocky sterile ground, while the typical form of the yellow pine prevails throughout the lower regions and on tracts with a more generous soil. 

 The yellow pine has a wider range than any other of the Tahoe conifers, though on the high, rocky areas, south and west of Rubicon Springs it is lacking. It crosses from the western slopes to the eastern sides of the Sierras and down into the Tahoe basin over the heads of Miller and McKinney Creeks, in both places as a thin line, or rather as scattering trees mixed with Shasta fir and white pine. 

It grows from sixty to two hundred and twenty-five feet high withtrunk two to nine feet in diameter. The limbs in mature trees arehorizontal or even drooping. The bark of typical trees is tawnyyellow or yellow-brown, divided by fissures into large smoothishor scaly-surfaced plates which are often one to four feet long andone-half to one and a quarter feet wide. The needles are in threes, five to ten inches long; the cones reddish brown. 

 It must be noted, too, that "the bark is exceedingly variable, black-barked or brown-barked trees, roughly or narrowly fissured, are very common and in their extreme forms very different in trunk appearance from the typical or most-abundant 'turtle-back' form with broad, yellow or light brown plates. "--_Jepson_. 

_Lodge Pole Pine_. The range of this tree is almost identicalwith that of the Shasta fir, though here and there it is found at aslow an altitude as 4500 feet. It loves the margins of creeks, gladesand lakes situated at altitudes of 6000 feet and upward, where itusually forms a fringe of nearly pure growth in the wet and swampyportions of the ground. In the Tahoe region it is invariably called atamarack or tamarack pine. It is a symmetrical tree commonly reachingas high as fifty to eighty feet, but occasionally one hundred andtwenty-five feet. When stunted, however, it is only a few feet. Thebark is remarkably thin, rarely more than one quarter inch thick, light gray in color, very smooth but flaking into small thin scales. There are only two needles to a bunch, in a sheath, one and a half totwo and three quarters inches long. The cones are chestnut brown, oneto one and three quarters inches long. 

It is when sleeping under the lodge pole pines that you begin toappreciate their perfect charm and beauty. You unroll your blanketsat the foot of a stately tree at night, unconscious and careless as towhat tree it is. During the night, when the moon is at the full, youawaken and look up into a glory of shimmering light. The fine taperingshape, the delicate fairy-like beauty, instantly appeal to thesensitive soul and he feels he is in a veritable temple of beauty. 

They are very sensitive trees. In many places a mere grass fire, quickand very fierce for a short time, has destroyed quite a number. 

_White Fir_. This follows closely the range of the incense cedar, though in some places it is found as high as 8700 feet. It is oneof the most perfect trees in the Sierras. Ranging from sixty to onehundred and fifty and even two hundred feet high, with a narrow crowncomposed of flat sprays and a trunk naked for one-third to one-halfits height and from one to six feet in diameter, with a smooth bark, silvery or whitish in young trees, becoming thick and heavily fissuredinto rounded ridges on old trunks, and gray or drab-brown in color, it is readily distinguishable, with its companion, the red fir, by theregularity of construction of trunk, branch and branchlet. As SmeatonChase expresses it, "The fine smooth arms, set in regular formation, divide and redivide again and again _ad infinitum_, weaving atlast into a maze of exquisitely symmetrical twigs and branchlets. "

_Red Fir_. The range of the red fir is irregular. It occurson the Rubicon River and some of the headwaters of the west-flowingstreams, reaching a general height of 6000 feet, though it isoccasionally found as high as 7000 feet. In some parts of Californiathis is known as Douglas Spruce, and Jepson, in his _Silva ofCalifornia_ definitely states:

 The name "fir" as applied to the species is so well established among woodsmen that for the sake of intelligibility the combination Douglas Fir, which prevents confusion with the true firs and has been adopted by the Pacific Coast Lumberman's Association, is here accepted, notwithstanding that the name used by botanists, "Douglas Spruce" is actually more fitting on account of the greater number of spruce-like characteristics. It is neither true spruce, fir, nor hemlock, but a marked type of a distinct genus, namely, _pseudotsuga_. 

It must not be confounded with the red silver fir (_AbiesMagnifica_) so eloquently described as the chief delight of theYosemite region by Smeaton Chase. It grows from seventy to two hundredand fifty or possibly three hundred and fifty feet high, and is themost important lumber tree of the country, considering the quality ofits timber, the size and length of its logs, and the great amount ofheavy wood and freedom from knots, shakes or defects. On young treesthe bark is smooth, gray or mottled, sometimes alder-like; on oldtrunks one to six and a half inches thick, soft or putty-like, darkbrown, fissured into broad heavy furrows. The young rapid growth inthe open woods produces "red fir", the older slower growth in denserwoods is "yellow fir". Every tree to a greater or lesser extentexhibits successively these two phases, which are dependent uponsituation and exposure. 

The chief difference between the white and red fir is in the_spiculae_ or leaves. Those of the red fir are shorter, stubbierand stiffer than those of the white. The bark, however, is prettynearly alike in young trees and shows a marked difference when theyget to be forty to fifty years old. 

_The Alpine Spruce_ (_Hesperopeuce Pattoniana_ Lemmon) isfound only in the highest elevations. Common in Alaska it is limitedin the Tahoe region to the upper points of forests that creep upalong glacier beds and volcanic ravines, close to perpetual ice. Itdisappears at 10, 000 feet altitude on Mt. Whitney and is found nowheresouth of this point. On Tallac, Mt. Rose and all the higher peaksof the Tahoe region it is common, giving constant delight with itsslender shaft, eighty to a hundred feet high, and with a diameter atits base of from six to twelve feet. It is only in the lower portionsof the belt where it occurs. Higher it is reduced to low conicalmasses of foliage or prostrate creeping shrubs. 

By many it is regarded as a hemlock, but it is not strictly so. It wasfirst discovered in 1852 by John Jeffrey, who followed David Douglasin his explorations of the forests of the American Northwest. 

 In favorable situations, the lower limbs are retained and become long, out-reaching, and spreading over the mountain slope for many feet; the upper limbs are irregularly disposed, not whorled; they strike downward from the start (so that it is almost impossible to climb one of the trees for want of foothold), then curving outward to the outline of the tree, they are terminated by short, hairy branchlets that decline gracefully, and are decorated with pendant cones which are glaucous purple until maturity, then leather brown, with reflexed scales. 

 The main stem sends out strong ascending shoots, the leading one terminating so slenderly as to bend from side to side with its many purple pendants before the wind, and shimmering in the sunlight with rare beauty. --_Lemmon_. 

On the slopes of Mt. Rose near timber line, which ranges from 9700 to10, 000 feet according to exposures, while still a tree of considerablesize, it loses its symmetrical appearance. Professor Kennedy says:

 Buffeted by the fierce winter winds and snows, the branches on the west side of the tree are either entirely wanting or very short and gnarled, and the bark is commonly denuded. Unlike its associate, _Pinus Albicaulis_, which is abundant as a prostrate shrub far above timber line, the spruce is rarely encountered above timber line at this place, but here and there a hardy individual may be found lurking among the pines. The greatest elevation at which it was noticed is 10, 500 feet. 

To me this is one of the most beautiful of Sierran trees. Its delicatesilvery hue, and the rarely exquisite shading from the old growth tothe new, its gracefulness, the quaint and fascinating tilt of itstip which waveringly bends over in obedience to whichever breeze isblowing makes it the most alluringly feminine of all the trees of theSierra Nevada. 

It is interesting to note the differences in the cones, and in the waythey grow; singly, in clusters, at the end of branches, on the stems, large, medium-sized, small, short and stubby, long and slender, conical, etc. Then, too, while the pines generally have cones everyyear, the firs seem to miss a year, and to bear only alternate years. 

The gray squirrels are often great reapers of the cones, before theyare ripe. They cut them down and then eat off the tips of the scalesso that they present a pathetically stripped appearance. 

CHAPTER XXXIII

THE BIRDS AND ANIMALS OF THE TAHOE REGION

_Birds_. The bird life of the Tahoe region does not seemparticularly interesting or impressive to the casual observer. Atfirst sight there are not many birds, and those that do appear haveneither so vivid plumage nor sweet song as their feathered relativesof the east, south and west. Nevertheless there are severalinteresting species, and while this chapter makes no pretense tocompleteness it suggests what one untrained observer without birdsparticularly on his mind has witnessed in the course of his severaltrips to the Tahoe region. 

It soon becomes evident that altitude has much to do with bird life, some, as the meadow-lark and blackbird never being found higher thanthe Lake shore, others at the intermediate elevations where the Alpinehemlock thrives, while still others, such as the rosy finch and therock-wren, are found only on the highest and most craggy peaks. 

While water birds are not numerous in the summer, observant visitorsat Lake Tahoe for the first time are generally surprised to findnumbers of sea gulls. They fly back and forth, however, to and fromtheir native haunts by the sea. They never raise their young here, generally making their return flight to the shores of the Pacific inSeptember, October and at latest November, to come back in March andApril. While out on the mountain in these months, fifty or more mileswest of Lake Tahoe I have seen them, high in the air, flying straightto the place they desired. 

The blue heron in its solitary and stately watchfulness isoccasionally seen, and again etches itself like a Japanese pictureagainst the pure blue of the sky. The American bittern is also seenrarely. 

Kingfishers are found, both on the lakes and streams. It isfascinating to watch them unobserved, perched on a twig, as motionlessas if petrified, until, suddenly, their prey is within grasp, and witha sudden splash is seized. 

On several of the lakes, occasionally on bays of Tahoe itself, andoften in the marshy lands and sloughs of the Upper Truckee, nearTallac, ducks, mallard and teal are found. Mud chickens in abundanceare also found pretty nearly everywhere all through the year. 

The weird cry of the loon is not infrequently heard on some of thelakes, and one of these latter is named Loon Lake from the fact thatseveral were found there for a number of years. 

Flocks of white pelicans are sometimes seen. Blackbirds of two orthree kinds are found in the marshes, also killdeer, jacksnipe and theever active and interesting spotted sandpipers. A few meadow-larksnow and again are heard singing their exquisite song, reminding oneof Browning's wise thrush which "sings each song twice over, lest youshould think he cannot recapture that first fine careless rapture. "

Doves are not common, but now and again one may hear their sweetmelancholy song, telling us in Joaquin Miller's poetic and exquisiteinterpretation:

There are many to-morrows, my love, my love, But only one to-day. 

In the summer robins are frequently seen. Especially do they revelon the lawns at Tahoe Tavern, their red-breasts and their peculiar"smithing" or "cokeing" just as alluring and interesting as theplumage and voices of the richer feathered and finer songsters of thebird family. 

Mountain quails are quite common, and one sometimes sees a dozenflocks in a day. Grouse are fairly plentiful. One day just on theother side of Granite Chief Peak a fine specimen sailed up and outfrom the trail at our very feet, soared for quite a distance, asstraight as a bullet to its billet for a cluster of pine trees, andthere hid in the branches. My guide walked down, gun in hand, readyto shoot, and as he came nearer, two others dashed up in disconcertingsuddenness and flew, one to the right, the other to the left. We nevergot a sight of any of them again. 

At another time I was coming over by Split Crag from the Lake of theWoods, with Mr. Price, of Fallen Leaf Lodge, when two beautiful grousearose from the trail and soared away in their characteristic style. 

At one time sage-hens were not infrequent on the Nevada side of theLake, and as far west as Brockways. Indeed it used to be a commonthing for hunters, in the early days, to come from Truckee, throughMartis Valley, to the Hot Springs (as Brockways was then named) andshoot sage-hens all along the way. A few miles north of Truckee, SageHen Creek still preserves, in the name, the fact that the sage-hen waswell known there. 

Bald-headed and golden eagles are often seen in easy and circularflight above the highest peaks. In the fall and winter they pass overinto the wild country near the almost inaccessible peaks abovethe American River and there raise their young. One year Mr. Priceobserved a pair of golden eagles which nested on Mt. Tallac. He and Iwere seated at lunch one day in September, 1913, on the very summit ofPyramid Peak, when, suddenly, as a bolt out of a clear sky, startlingus with its wild rush, an eagle shot obliquely at us from the upperair. The speed with which it fell made a noise as of a "rushing mightywind. " Down! down, it fell, and then with the utmost grace imaginable, swept up, still going at terrific speed, circled about, and was soonlost to sight. 

Almost as fond of the wind-tossed pines high up on the slopes of themountain as is the eagle of the most rugged peaks, is Clark's crow, a grayish white bird, with black wings, and a harsh, rasping call, somewhat between that of a crow and the jay. 

Of an entirely different nature, seldom seen except on the topmostpeaks, is the rosy-headed finch. While on the summit of Pyramid Peak, we saw two of them, and one of them favored us with his (or her)sweet, gentle song. 

Hawks are quite common; among those generally seen are the long tailedgrouse-hawk, the sparrow hawk, and the sharp-shinned hawk. Night-hawksare quite conspicuous, if one walks about after sunset. They are duskywith a white throat and band on the wing. They sail through the airwithout any effort, wings outspread and beak wide open, and thus gleantheir harvest of winged insects as they skim along. Oftentimes theirsudden swoop will startle you as they rush by. 

Woodpeckers are numerous, and two or three species may be seen almostanywhere in a day's walk through one of the wooded sections. Many arethe trees which bear evidence of their industry, skill and providence. The huge crow-like pileolated woodpecker with its scarlet crest, thered-shafted flicker, the Sierra creeper, the red-breasted sap-sucker, Williamson's sap-sucker, the white-headed woodpecker, Cabanis'swoodpecker with spotted wings and gray breast, the most common ofwoodpeckers, and Lewis's woodpecker, a large heavy bird, glossy blackabove, with a white collar and a rich red underpart, have all beenseen for many years in succession. 

The red-breasted sap-sucker and Williamson's sap-sucker are found mostfrequently among the aspens and willows along the lake shore, whilethe red-shafted flicker, Cabanis's woodpecker, and the white-headfavor the woods. One observer says the slender-billed nut-hatch ismuch more common than the red-breasted, and that his nasal laughresounded at all times through the pines. 

High up in the hemlock forests is the interesting Alpine three-toedwoodpecker. It looks very much like Cabanis's, only it has three toesin place of four, and a yellow crown instead of a black and red one. 

In importance after the woodpeckers come the members of the sparrowfamily that inhabit the Tahoe region. The little black-headedsnowbird, Thurber's junco, is the most common of all the Tahoe birds. The thick-billed sparrow, a grayish bird with spotted breast andenormous bill is found on all the brushy hillsides and is noted forits glorious bursts of rich song. 

Now and again one will see a flock of English sparrows, and thesweet-voiced song-sparrow endeavors to make up for the vulgarity ofits English cousin by the delicate softness of its peculiar song. 

Others of the family are the two purple finches (reddish birds), thepine-finch, very plain and streaked, the green-tailed towhee, with itscat-like call, and the white-crowned sparrow, --its sweetly melancholysong, "Oh, dear me, " in falling cadence, is heard in every Sierranmeadow. 

The mountain song-sparrow, western lark, western chipping-fox, gold-finch, and house- and cassin-finches are seen. The fly-catchersare omnipresent in August, though their shy disposition makes themhard to identify. Hammond, olive-sided and western pewee are oftenseen, and at times the tall tree-tops are alive with kinglets. 

Some visitors complain that they do not often see or hear thewarblers, but in 1905, one bird-lover reported seven commonrepresentatives. She says:

 The yellow bird was often heard and seen in the willows along the Lake. Late in August the shrubs on the shore were alive with the Audubon group, which is so abundant in the vicinity of Los Angeles all winter. Pileolated warblers, with rich yellow suits and black caps, hovered like hummers among the low shrubs in the woods. Now and then a Pacific yellow-throat sang his bewitching "wichity wichity, wichity, wee. " Hermit and black-throated gray warblers were also recorded. The third week in August there was an extensive immigration of Macgillivray warblers. Their delicate gray heads, yellow underparts, and the bobbing movement of the tail, distinguished them from the others. 

The water ouzel finds congenial habitat in the canyons of the Tahoeregion, and the careful observer may see scores of them as he walksalong the streams and by the cascades and waterfalls during a summer'sseason. At one place they are so numerous as to have led to the namingof a beautiful waterfall, Ouzel Falls, after them. Another bird ismuch sought after and can be seen and heard here, perhaps as oftenas any other place in the country. That is the hermit thrush, small, delicate, grayish, with spotted breast. The shyness of the bird isproverbial, and it frequents the deepest willow and aspen thickets. Once heard, its sweet song can never be forgotten, and happy is he whocan get near enough to hear it undisturbed. Far off, it is flute-like, pure and penetrating, though not loud. Gradually it softens until itsounds but as the faintest of tinkling bell-like notes, which die awayleaving one with the assurance that he has been hearing the songof the chief bird of the fairies, or of birds which accompany theheavenly lullabies of the mother angels putting their baby angels tosleep. 

Cliff-swallows often nest on the high banks at Tahoe City, and a fewhave been seen nesting under the eaves of the store on the wharf. Thenests of barn swallows also have been found under the eaves of theice-house. 

Nor must the exquisite hummers be overlooked. In Truckee Canyon, andnear Tahoe Tavern they are quite numerous. They sit on the telephonewires and try to make you listen to their pathetic and scarcelydiscernible song, and as you sit on the seats at the Tavern, if youhappen to have some bright colored object about you, especially red, they will flit to and fro eagerly seeking for the honey-laden flowerthat red ought to betoken. 

Several times down Truckee Canyon I have seen wild canaries. They arerather rare, as are also the Louisiana tanager, most gorgeous of allthe Tahoe birds, and the black-headed grosbeak. 

Of the wrens, both the rock wren and the canyon wren are occasionallyseen, the peculiar song of the latter bringing a thrill of cheer tothose who are familiar with its falling chromatic scale. 

Then there is the merry chick-a-dee-dee, the busy creepers, and thenut-hatches hunting for insects on the tree trunks. 

The harsh note of the blue jay is heard from Tahoe Tavern, all aroundthe Lake and in almost every wooded slope in the Sierras. He is anoisy, generally unlovable creature, and the terror of the small birdsin the nesting season, because of his well-known habit of stealingeggs and young. At Tahoe Tavern, however, I found several of them thatwere shamed into friendliness of behavior, and astonishing tameness, by the chipmunks. They would come and eat nuts from my fingers, andone of them several times came and perched upon my shoulder. There isalso the grayish solitaire which looks very much like the mockingbirdof less variable climes. 

The foregoing account of the birds, which I submitted for revision toProfessor Peter Frandsen, of the University of Nevada, called forthfrom him the following:

 I have very little to add to this admirable bird account. Besides the gulls, their black relatives, the swallow-like terns, are occasionally seen. The black-crowned night-heron is less common than the great blue heron. Clarke's crow is more properly called Clarke's nutcracker--a different genus. The road robin or chewink is fairly common in the thickets above the Lake. Nuttal's poor will, with its call of two syllables, is not infrequently heard at night. The silent mountain blue-bird, _sialia arctica_, is sometimes seen. So is the western warbling vireo. The solitary white-rumped shrike is occasionally met with in late summer. Owls are common but what species other than the western horned owl I do not know. Other rather rare birds are the beautiful lazuli bunting and the western warbling vireo. Among the wood-peckers I have also noted the bristle-bellied wood-pecker, or Lewis's wood-pecker, Harris's wood-pecker, and the downy wood-pecker. 

_ANIMALS_. These are even more numerous than the birds, thoughexcept to the experienced observer many of them are seldom noticed. 

While raccoons are not found on the eastern slopes of the HighSierras, or in the near neighborhood of the Lake, they are notuncommon on the western slopes, near the Rubicon and the headwaters ofthe various forks of the American and other near-by rivers. 

Watson assured me that every fall he sees tracks on the Rubicon andin the Hell Hole region of very large mountain lions. They hide, amongother places, under and on the limbs of the wild grapevines, whichhere grow to unusual size. In the fall of 1912 he saw some strangemarkings, and following them was led to a cluster of wild raspberryvines, among which was a dead deer covered over with fir boughs. Intelling me the story he said:

 I can generally read most of the things I see in the woods, but this completely puzzled me. I determined to find out all there was to be found. Close by I discovered the fir from which the boughs had been stripped. It was as if some one of giant strength had reached up to a height of seven or eight feet and completely stripped the tree of all its lower limbs. Then I asked myself the question: "Who's camping here?" I thought he had used these limbs to make a bed of. But there was no water nearby, and no signs of camping, so I saw that was a wrong lead. Then I noticed that the limbs were too big to be torn off by a man's hands, and there were blood stains all about. Then I found the fragments of a deer. "Now, " I said to myself, "I've got it. A bear has killed this deer and has eaten part of it and will come back for the rest. " You know a bear does this sometimes. But when I hunted for bear tracks there wasn't a sign of a bear. Then I assumed that some hunter had been along, killed a doe (contrary to law), had eaten what he could and hidden the rest, covering the hide with leaves and these branches. But then I knew a hunter would cut off those branches with a knife, and these were torn off. The blood spattered about, the torn-off boughs and the fact that there were no tracks puzzled me, and I felt there was a mystery and, probably, a tragedy. 

 But a day or two later I met a woodsman friend of mine, and I took him to the spot. He explained the whole thing clearly. As soon as he saw it he said, "That's a mountain-lion. " "But, " said I, "Where's his tracks?" "He didn't make any, " he replied, "he surprised the doe by crawling along the vines. I've found calves and deer hidden like this before, and I've seen clear traces of the panthers, and once I watched one as he killed, ate and then hid his prey. But as you know he won't touch it after it begins to decompose, but a bear will. And that's the reason we generally think it is a bear that does the killing, when in reality it is a mountain lion who has had his fill and left the remains for other predatory animals, while he has gone off to hunt for a fresh kill. "

Occasionally sheep-herders report considerable devastations frommountain-lions and bear to the Forest Rangers. James Bryden, whograzes his sheep on the Tahoe reserve near Downieville, lost sixteensheep in one night in July, 1911. 

There are three kinds each of chipmunks and ground-squirrels. All ofthe former have striped backs and do more or less climbing of trees. Of their friendliness, greediness, and even sociability--where nutsare in evidence or anticipated--I have written fully in the chapter onTahoe Tavern. Of the three ground-squirrels the largest is the commonground-squirrel of the valleys of California. It is gray, somewhatspotted on the back, and has a whitish collar and a bushy tail. Thenext in size is the "picket-pin", so called from his habit of sittingbolt upright on his haunches and remaining steadfast there, withoutthe slightest movement, until danger threatens, when he whisks away sorapidly that it is quite impossible to follow his movements. In colorhe is of a grayish brown, with thick-set body, and short, slim tail. He has an exceeding sharp call, and makes his home in grassy meadowsfrom the level of the Lake nearly to the summits of the highest peaks. The "copper-head" is the other ground-squirrel, though by some he maybe regarded as a chipmunk, for he has a striped back. 

The flying squirrel is also found here. It comes out only at night andlives in holes in trees. On each side between the fore and hind legsit has a hairy flap, which when stretched out makes the body verybroad, and together with its hairy tail it is enabled to sail fromone tree to another, though always alighting at a lower level. A morecorrect name would be a "sailing" squirrel. The fur is very soft, ofa mouse color and the animal makes a most beautiful pet. It has greatlustrous eyes and is about a foot in length. 

The tree squirrel about the Lake is the pine squirrel or "chickeree. "The large tree squirrel is abundant on the west slope of the Sierrafrom about six thousand feet downward, but it is not in the Lakebasin, so far as I am aware. The pine squirrel is everywhere, fromthe Lake side to the summits of the highest wooded peaks. It is darkabove, whitish to yellow below, usually with a black line along theside. The tail is full, bushy, the hairs tipped with white forming abroad fringe. It feeds on the seeds of the pine cones. 

The woodchuck or marmot is a huge, lumbering, squirrel-like animal inthe rocky regions, wholly terrestrial and feeding chiefly on roots andgrass. The young are fairly good eating and to shoot them with a rifleis some sport. 

Of the fur bearing and carnivorous animals the otter, fisher, etc. , all are uncommon, though some are trapped every year by residents ofthe Lake. The otter and mink live along the larger streams and on theLake shore where they feed chiefly on fish. They may sometimes catch awild fowl asleep. The martin and fisher live in pine trees usuallyin the deepest forests, and they probably prey on squirrels, mice andbirds. They are usually nocturnal in their habits. The martin is thesize of a large tree squirrel; the fisher is about twice that size. The foxes are not often seen, but the coyote is everywhere, a scourgeto the few bands of sheep. Often at night his long-drawn, doleful howlmay be heard, a fitting sound in some of the wild granite canyons. 

One day while passing Eagle Crag, opposite Idlewild, the summerresidence of C. F. Kohl, of San Francisco, with Bob Watson, he informedme that, in 1877, he was following the tracks of a deer and they ledhim to a cave or grotto in the upper portion of the Crag. While hestood looking in at the entrance a snarling coyote dashed out, farmore afraid of him than he was surprised at the sudden appearance ofthe creature. 

A few bears are still found in the farther away recesses of theSierras, and on one mountain range close to the Lake, viz. , the one onwhich Freel's, Job's and Job's Sister are the chief peaks. These arebrown or cinnamon, and black. There are no grizzlies found on theeastern slopes of the Sierras, nowadays, and it is possible they nevercrossed the divide from the richer-clad western slopes. In September, 1913, a hunting party, led by Mr. Comstock, of Tallac, and LloydTevis, killed two black bears, one of them weighing fully four hundredpounds, on Freel's Mountain, and in the same season Mr. Carl Flugge, of Cathedral Park, brought home a good-sized cinnamon from the Rubiconcountry, the skin of which now adorns my office floor. 

The grizzly has long since been driven from the mountains, thoughthere may be a few in southern Alpine County, but the evidence isnot conclusive. The panther is migratory, preying on young colts andcalves. They are not at all common, though some are heard of everyyear. The "ermine" is pure white in winter, except the tip of thetail, which is black. It is yellowish brown in summer. 

There are two rabbits, one a huge jackrabbit of the great plainsregion, the other the "snowshoe" rabbit, so called because of hisbroad furry feet which keep it from sinking into the soft snow inwinter. Both rabbits are very rare, and probably both turn white inwinter. I have seen specimens of the snowshoe rabbit taken in winterthat are pure white. 

On the wildest and most desolate peaks and rock piles is found thecony or pika or "rock rabbit" as it is variously called. It is small, only six inches or so in length, tailless but with large round earsand soft grayish fur like a rabbit's. 

The jumping mouse is interesting. It may be seen sometimes at eveningin swampy areas and meadows. It is yellowish above, whitish below, with an extremely long tail. It travels by long leaps, takes readilyto the water and is an expert swimmer. The meadow mice are bluish greyand are found in swampy places. The wood mice are pure white below, brown above and are found everywhere. 

Quite a number of badgers are to be found in the Tahoe region, andthey must find abundance of good food, for the specimens I have seenwere rolling in fat, and as broad backed as a fourteen inch board. 

Several times, also, have I seen porcupines, one of them, weighingfully twenty-five pounds, on the slopes of Mt. Watson, waddlingalong as if he were a small bear. They live on the tender bark of themountain and tamarack pines, sometimes girdling the trees and causingthem to die. They are slow-gaited creatures, easily caught by dogs, but with their needle spines, and the sharp, quick-slapping action oftheir tails, by means of which they can thrust, insert, inject--whichis the better word?--a score or more of these spines into a dog'sface, they are antagonists whose prowess cannot be ignored. 

Very few people would think of the porcupine as an animal destructiveto forest trees, yet one of the Tahoe Forest rangers reports that inthe spring of 1913 fifty young trees, averaging thirty feet high, werekilled or ruined by porcupines stripping them of their bark. Sometimes as many as ninety per cent. Of the young trees growing ona burned-over area are thus destroyed. They travel and feed at night, hence the ordinary observer would never know their habits. 

The bushy-tailed woodrat proves itself a nuisance about the houseswhere it is as omnivorous an eater as is its far-removed cousin, thehouse rat. The gopher is one of the mammals whose mark is more oftenseen than the creature itself. It lives like the mole in undergroundburrows, coming to the surface only to push up the dirt that it hasbeen digging. 

CHAPTER XXXIV

THE SQUAW VALLEY MINING EXCITEMENT

The Tahoe region was once thrilled through and through by a realmining excitement that belonged to itself alone. It had felt thewonderful activity that resulted from the discovery of the Comstocklode in Virginia City. It had seen its southern border crowded withminers and prospectors hurrying to the new field, and later had heardthe blasting and picking, the shoveling and dumping of rocks while theroad from Placerville was being constructed. 

It had seen another road built up from Carson over the King's Canyongrade, and lumber mills established at Glenbrook in order to supplythe mines with timbers for their tunnels and excavations, as thevaluable ore and its attendant waste-rocks were hauled to the surface. 

But now it was to have an excitement and a stampede all its own. Anenergetic prospector from Georgetown, El Dorado County, named Knox, discovered a big ledge of quartz in Squaw Valley. It was similar rockto that in which the Comstock silver was found in large quantities. Though the assays of the floating-rock did not yield a large amount ofthe precious metals, they showed a little--as high as $3. 50 per ton. This was enough. There were bound to be higher grade ores deeper down. The finder filed his necessary "locations, " and doubtless aided bycopious draughts of "red-eye" saw, in swift imagination, his claimdevelop into a mine as rich as those that had made the millionairesof Virginia City. Anyhow the rumor spread like a prairie fire, and mencame rushing in from Georgetown, Placerville, Last Chance, KentuckyFlat, Michigan Bluff, Hayden Hill, Dutch Flat, Baker Divide, YankeeJim, Mayflower, Paradise, Yuba, Deadwood, Jackass Gulch and all theother camps whose locators and residents had not been as fortunatefinancially as they were linguistically. 

Knox started a "city" which he named Knoxville, the remains ofwhich are still to be seen in the shape of ruined log-cabins, stonechimneys, foundations of hewed logs, a graveyard, etc. , on the lefthand side of the railway coming from Truckee, and about six miles fromTahoe. 

One has but to let his imagination run riot for a few moments to seethis now deserted camp a scene of the greatest activity. The manyshafts and tunnels, dump-piles and prospect-holes show how busy a spotit must have been. The hills about teemed with men. At night thelog store--still standing--and the saloons--tents, shacks and loghouses--were crowded with those who sought in the flowing bowl somesurcease from the burden of their arduous labors. 

Now and again a shooting took place, a man actually "died with hisboots on, " as in the case of one King, a bad man from Texas who had arecord, and whose sudden end was little, if any, lamented. He had hada falling out with the store-keeper, Tracey, and had threatened tokill him on sight. The former bade him keep away from his store, butKing laughed at the prohibition, and with the blind daring that oftencounts as courage with such men--for he assumed that the store-keeperwould not dare to shoot--he came down the following day, intendinghimself to do all the shooting there was to be done. But he reckonedmistakenly. Tracey saw him coming, came to the door, bade him Halt!and on his sneering refusal, shot the bad man dead. 

In September, 1913, I paid a visit to Knoxville. Just above the town, on the eastern slope of the mountain, were several tunnels and greatdump-piles, clearly showing the vast amount of work that had beendone. The quartz ledge that caused the excitement was distinctly inevidence, indeed, when the Tahoe Railway roadbed was being graded, this quartz ledge was blasted into, and the director of operationssent a number of specimens for assay, the rock looked so favorable. 

Here and there were the remains of old log-cabins, with their outsidestone chimneys. In some cases young tamaracks, fifteen and twenty feethigh, had grown up within the areas once confined by the walls. Theseruins extended all the way down to Deer Creek, showing the largenumber of inhabitants the town once possessed. 

I saw the graveyard by the side of the river, where King's body wasthe first to be buried, and I stood in the doorway of the store fromwhich the shot that killed him was fired. 

In imagination, I saw the whole life of the camp, as I have seenmining-camps after a stampede in Nevada. The shacks, rows of tents, and the rudely scattered and varied dwellings that the ingenuity andskill of men hastily extemporized. Most of the log-houses are nowgone, their charred remnants telling of the indifferent carelessnessof campers, prospectors or Indians. 

The main street was in a pretty little meadowed vale, lined on eitherside with trees, and close to the Truckee, which here rushes anddashes and roars and sparkles among the bowlders and rocks thatbestrew its bed. 

When it was found the ore did not "pan out, " the excitement dieddown even more rapidly than it arose, and in 1863-4 the camp waspractically dead. 

It has been charged that the Squaw Valley claims were "salted" withore brought from Virginia City. I am inclined to doubt this, and manyof the old timers deny it. They assert that Knox was "on the square"and that he firmly believed he had paying ore. It is possible theremay have been the salting of an individual claim or so after the campstarted, but the originators of the camp started it in good faith, as they themselves were the greatest losers when the "bottom" of theexcitement dropped out. 

About a mile further up the river is still to be seen the site of therival town of Claraville, founded at the same time as Knoxville. There is little left here, though the assay office, built up againsta massive square rock still stands. It is of hewed timbers rudelydovetailed together at the corners. 

It would scarcely be worth while to recount even this short historyof the long dead, --almost stillborn--Squaw Valley camp were it not forthe many men it brought to Lake Tahoe who have left their impress andtheir names upon its most salient canyons, streams, peaks and otherlandmarks. Many of these have been referred to elsewhere. 

One of the first to arrive was William Pomin, the brother of thepresent captain of the steamer _Tahoe_. His wife gave birth tothe first white child born on Lake Tahoe, and she was named after theLake. She now lives in San Francisco. When she was no more than two orthree months old, her mother took her on mule-back, sixty miles overthe trail to Forest Hill, _in one day_. Pomin removed to thenorth shore of the Lake when Squaw Valley "busted, " and was one ofthe founders of Tahoe City, building and conducting one of the firsthotels there. 

Another of these old timers was J. W. McKinney, from whom McKinney'swas named. He came from the mining-camp of Georgetown over the trail, and engaged himself in selling town lots at Knoxville. He and Knox hadworked together in the El Dorado excitement. 

He originally came over the plains in the gold-alluring days of '49. When his party reached the land of the Indians, these aborigines weretoo wise to make open attacks. They hit upon the dastardly method ofshooting arrows into the bellies of the oxen, so that the pioneerswould be compelled to abandon them. One night McKinney was on guardduty. He was required to patrol back and forth and meet anothersentinel at a certain tree. There they would stop and chat for a fewmoments before resuming their solitary march. Just before day-break, after a few words, they separated. On answering the breakfast callMcKinney found he was alone, and on going back to investigate, foundhis companion lying dead with an arrow through his heart. The moccasintracks of an Indian clearly revealed who was the murderer, and alittle study showed that the Indian had swam the river, waited untilthe sentinel passed close by him, and had then sent the arrow true toits fatal mark. 

The next night the Indians shot an arrow into an ox. In the morning itwas unable to travel, but McKinney and his friends had determinedto do something to put a stop to these attacks. Taking the ox in theshadow of a knoll, they shot it, and eight men then hid in the shelterof some brush where the carcass was clearly in view. 

When the train pulled out it seemed as if they had abandoned the ox. It was scarcely out of sight when the watchers saw eight Indians comesneaking up. Each man took the Indian allotted to him, but by someerror two men shot at the same Indian, so that when the guns werefired and seven men fell dead the other escaped. On one of them wasfound seven twenty-dollar gold pieces wrapped up in a dirty rag, whichhad doubtless cost some poor emigrant or miner his life. Some of theparty wished to leave this gold with the dead Indian, but McKinneysaid his scruples would not allow him to do any such thing, and thegold found its way into his pocket. 

Though a man of practically no education--it is even said by those whoclaim to have known him well that he could neither read nor write, but this seems improbable--he was a man of such keen powers ofobservation, retentive memory, ability in conversation and strongpersonality, that he was able to associate on an equality with menof most superior attainments. John Muir was a frequent visitor tohis home, especially in the winter time when all tourists and resortguests had gone away. John McGee, another well-known lover of thewinter mountains, was also a welcome guest, who fully appreciated themanly vigor and sterling character of the transplanted Missourian. 

John Ward, from whom Ward Creek and Ward Peak (8, 665 feet) are named, was another Squaw Valley mining excitement stampeder. He came in theearly days of the rush, and as soon as the camp died down, located onthe mouth of the creek that now bears his name. 

The next creek to the south--Blackwood's, --is named after stillanother Squaw Valley stampeder. For years he lived at the mouth ofthis creek and gained his livelihood as a fisherman. 

The same explanation accounts for Dick Madden Creek. 

Barker who has peak, pass and valley named after him, came fromGeorgetown to Knoxville, and like so many other of his unfortunatemining brethren from over the divide, started a dairy on the west sideof the pass which bears his name. The valley, however, was so high andcold that more than half the year the cream would not rise, so he gaveup dairying and went elsewhere. 

These are but a few of many who might be mentioned, whose namesare linked with the Tahoe region, and who came to it in the hope of"making their everlasting fortunes" when Squaw Valley "started up. "

CHAPTER XXXV

THE FRÉMONT HOWITZER AND LAKE TAHOE

Hundreds of thousands of Americans doubtless have read "How a Woman'sWit Saved California to the Union, " yet few indeed know how intimatelythat fascinating piece of history is linked with Lake Tahoe. 

Here is the story of the link:

When Frémont started out on his Second Exploration (fairly well dealtwith in another chapter), he stopped at the Kansas frontier to equip. When he finally started, the party (108) was armed generally withHall's carbines, which, says Frémont:

 with a brass twelve-pound howitzer, had been furnished to me from the United States arsenal at St. Louis, agreeably to the command of Colonel S. W. Kearny, commanding the third military division. Three men were especially detailed for the management of this, under the charge of Louis Zindel, a native of Germany, who had been nineteen years a non-commissioned officer of the artillery in the Prussian army, and regularly instructed in the duties of his profession. 

As soon as the news that he had added a cannon to his equipmentreached Washington, the Secretary of War, James M. Porter, sent amessage after him, post haste, countermanding the expedition on theground that he had prepared himself with a military equipment, whichthe pacific nature of his journey did not require. It was speciallycharged as a heinous offense that he had procured a small mountainhowitzer from the arsenal at St. Louis, in addition to his otherfirearms. 

But Frémont had already started. He was not far on his way, and themessage could have reached him easily. It was not destined to do so, however, until after his return. The message came to the hands of hisgirl-wife, Jessie Benton Frémont, the daughter of Missouri's greatsenator, Thomas H. Benton, and she knew, as Charles A. Moody has wellwritten, that

 this order, obeyed, would indefinitely postpone the expedition--probably wreck it entirely. She did not forward it. Consulting no one, since there was no one at hand to consult, she sent a swift messenger to her husband with word to break camp and move forward at once--"he could not have the reason for haste, but there was reason enough. " And he, knowing well and well trusting the sanity and breadth of that girl-brain, hastened forward, unquestioning, while she promptly informed the officer whose order she had vetoed, what she had done, and why. So far as human wit may penetrate, obedience to that backward summons would have meant, three years later, the winning of California by another nation--and what _that_ loss would have signified to the United States none can know fully, but any may partly guess who realizes a part of what California has meant for us. 

In commenting later upon this countermand of the Expedition Frémontremarks:

 It is not probable that I would have been recalled from the Missouri frontier to Washington to explain why I had taken an arm that simply served to increase the means of defense for a small party very certain to encounter Indian hostility, and which involved very trifling expense. The administration in Washington was apparently afraid of the English situation in Oregon. 

Unconscious, therefore, of his wife's action, --which might easily haveruined his career--Frémont pushed on. The howitzer accompanied himinto Oregon, back through into Nevada, and is clearly seen in thepicture of Pyramid Lake drawn by Mr. Preuss (which appears in theoriginal report), showing it after it had traveled in the neighborhoodof four thousand miles. 

The last time it was fired as far as the Frémont Expedition isconcerned was on Christmas Eve, in 1843. The party was camped onChristmas Lake, now known as Warner Lake, Oregon, and the followingmorning the gun crew wakened Frémont with a salute, fired in honor ofthe day. A month later, two hundred and fifty miles south, it was tobe abandoned in the mountains near West Walker River, on account ofthe deep snow which made it impossible for the weary horses to drag itfurther. 

On the 28th of January Frémont thus writes:

 To-night we did not succeed in getting the howitzer into camp. This was the most laborious day we had yet passed through, the steep ascents and deep snows exhausting both men and animals. 

Possibly now the thought began to take possession of him that theweapon must be left behind. For long weary days it had been a constantcompanion. It had been dragged over the plains, mountains and canyons. It was made to ford rivers, plunge through quicksands and wallowthrough bog, mire, mud, marsh and snow. Again and again it delayedthem when coming over sandy roads, but tenaciously Frémont held on toit. Now deep snow forbade its being dragged further. Haste over thehigh mountains of the Sierra Nevada was imperative, for such peaksand passes are no lady's playground when the forces of winter begin tolinger there, yet one can well imagine the regret and distress felt bythe Pathfinder at being compelled to abandon this cannon, to which hehad so desperately clung on all the wearisome miles his company hadhitherto marched. 

On the 29th he writes:

 The principal stream still running through an impracticable canyon, we ascended a very steep hill, which proved afterwards the last and fatal obstacle to our little howitzer, which was finally abandoned at this place. [This place appears to be about eight or ten miles up the river from Coleville, and on the right or east side of the river. ] We passed through a small meadow a few miles below, crossing the river, which depth, swift current, and rock, made it difficult to ford [this brings him to the west bank for the first time, but the cannon did not get this far, and therefore was left on the east side of the river. This is to be noted on account of the fact that it was found on the other side of the river in another canyon], and after a few more miles of very difficult trail, issued into a larger prairie bottom, at the farther end of which we camped, in a position rendered strong by rocks and trees. 

The reader must not forget that the notes in brackets [ ] areinterjections in Frémont's narrative by Mr. Smith, (see the chapter onFrémont's discovery of Lake Tahoe). 

Frémont continues:

 The other division of the party did not come in to-night, but camped in the upper meadow, and arrived the next morning. They had not succeeded in getting the howitzer beyond the place mentioned, and where it had been left by Mr. Preuss, in obedience to my orders; and, in anticipation of the snow-banks and snow-fields ahead, foreseeing the inevitable detention to which it would subject us, I reluctantly determined to leave it there for a time. It was of the kind invented by the French for the mountain part of their war in Algiers; and the distance it had come with us proved how well it was adapted to its purpose. We left it, to the great sorrow of the whole party, who were grieved to part with a companion which had made the whole distance from St. Louis, and commanded respect for us on some critical occasions, and which might be needed for the same purpose again. 

 [It is the impression of those of the old settlers on Walker River, of whom we have inquired regarding the subject, that the cannon was found early in the 60's near the head of Lost Canyon. This canyon comes into Little Antelope Valley--a branch of Antelope Valley--from the south. This impression evidently was accepted by the government geological surveyors, for they twisted the name of the creek coming down this canyon to "Lost Cannon Creek", and called a peak, which looks down into this canyon, Lost Cannon Peak. The origin of the name of this canyon lies in the fact that an emigrant party, on its way to the Sonora Pass, and in an endeavor probably to avoid the rough river canyon down which Frémont came, essayed this pass instead of the meadows above. It is a canyon which, at first, promises an easy pass but finally becomes almost impassable. The party in question found it necessary to abandon several of their wagons before they could get over. They, or another party, buried one of their men there, also some blacksmith tools. My endeavors to ascertain what party this was have thus far not been successful. Mr. Timothy B. Smith, who went to Walker River in 1859, says that the wagons were there at that time. The cannon is supposed to have been found with or near these wagons. Mr. Richard Watkins, of Coleville, who went into that section in 1861, or soon after, informs me that wagons were also found in one of the canyons leading to the Sonora Pass from Pickle Meadow. The cannon, according to Mr. Watkins, was found with these wagons. At any rate, it seems likely that the cannon was not found at the place where Frémont left it, but had been picked up by some emigrant party, who, in turn, were compelled to abandon it with several of their wagons. ]

For several years the cannon remained where its emigrant findersremoved it, then at the breaking out of the Civil War, "Dan deQuille, " William Wright, the author of _The Big Bonanza_, thefellow reporter of Mark Twain on one of the Virginia City newspapers, called the attention of certain belligerent adherents of the south toit, and they determined to secure it. But the loyal sons of the Unionwere also alert and Captain A. W. Pray, who was then in the Nevadamining metropolis, succeeded in getting and maintaining possession ofit. As he moved to Glenbrook, on Lake Tahoe, that year, he took thecannon with him. Being mounted on a carriage with fairly high wheels, these latter were taken and converted into a hay-wagon, with which, for several years, he hauled hay from the Glenbrook meadows to hisbarn in town. The cannon itself was mounted on a heavy wooden block towhich it was affixed with iron bands, securely held in place by boltsand nuts. For years it was used at Glenbrook on all patriotic andspecial occasions. Frémont never came back to claim it. The governmentmade no claim upon it. So while Captain Pray regarded it as his ownit was commonly understood and generally accepted that it was townproperty, to be used by all alike on occasions of public rejoicing. 

After Captain Fray's death, however, the cannon was sold by his widowto the Native Sons of Nevada, and the news of the sale soon spreadabroad and caused no little commotion. To say that the people wereastonished is to put it mildly. They were in a state of consternation. Frémont's cannon sold and going to be removed? Impossible! No! it wasso! The purchasers were coming to remove it the next day. 

Were they? That remained to be seen!

That night in the darkness, three or four determined men quietly andstealthily removed the nuts from the bolts, and, leaving the blockof wood, quietly carried the cannon and hid it in a car of scrap-ironthat was to be transported the next day from Glenbrook to Tahoe City. 

When the day dawned and the purchasers arrived, the cannon was notto be found, and no one, apparently, knew what had become of it. Solicitations, arguments, threats had no effect. The cannon was gone. That was all there was to it, and Mrs. Pray and the Nevada purchasershad to accept that--to them--disagreeable fact. 

But the cannon was not lost. It was only gone on before. For severalyears it remained hidden under the blacksmith shop at Tahoe City, its presence known only to the few conspirators--one of whom was myinformant. About five years ago it was resurrected and ever since thenits brazen throat has bellowed the salutation of the Fourth of Julyto the loyal inhabitants of Tahoe. It now stands on the slight hilloverlooking the Lake at Tahoe City, a short distance east of thehotel. 

CHAPTER XXXVI

THE MOUNT ROSE OBSERVATORY

While Californians rightly and justly claim Tahoe as their own, itmust not be forgotten that Nevadans have an equal claim. In the NevadaState University, situated at Reno, there is a magnificent bandof young men, working and teaching as professors, who regardall opportunities as sacred trusts, and who are making for theiruniversity a wonderful record of scientific achievement for universalbenefit. 

Located on the Nevada side of the Tahoe region line, at the northeastend of the Lake, is Mount Rose. It is one of the most salient andimportant of the peaks that surround Tahoe, its elevation being10, 800 feet. The professor of Latin in the Nevada University, James E. Church, Jr. , a strenuous nature-lover, a mountain-climber, gifted withrobust physical and mental health, making the ascent of Mt. Whitney inMarch, 1905, was suddenly seized with the idea that a meteorologicalobservatory could be established on Mt. Rose, and records oftemperature, wind, snow or rain-fall taken throughout the wintermonths. The summit of Mt. Rose by road is approximately twenty milesin a southwesterly direction from Reno, and Professor Church and hisassociates deemed it near enough for week-end visits. The courage, energy and robust manliness required to carry the work along can beappreciated only by those who have gone over the ground in winter, andforms another chapter of quiet and unknown heroism in the interest ofscience written by so many of our younger western professors who arenot content with mere academic attainment and distinction. 

The idea of obtaining winter temperatures on the mountains of thePacific Coast was first suggested by Professor McAdie, head of theWeather Bureau in San Francisco. [1] He responded to the request forinstruments, and through his recommendation, thermometers, rain-gauge, etc. , were speedily forthcoming from the Weather Bureau. On June 24, 1905, with "Billy" and "Randy, " family ponies, loaded with a newlydesigned thermometer-shelter, constructed so as to withstand wintergales and yet allow the easy exit of snow, the first advance on Mt. Rose was made. 

From that day the work has been carried on with a vigor and enthusiasmthat are thrilling in their inspiration. An improved instrument wasadded that recorded temperatures on a self-registering roll, allfluctuations, and the highest and lowest temperatures, wind-pressures, all variations in humidity, temperature, and air pressure as well asthe directions and the velocity of the wind for periods of seventydays and more. This instrument was the achievement of Professor S. P. Fergusson, for many years a pioneer worker in mountain meteorologyat Blue Hill Observatory and an associate of Professor Church at theMount Rose Observatory, which has now become a part of the Universityof Nevada. 

After two winters' work it was discovered, on making comparisons withthe records at the Central Weather Station at Reno, 6268 feetbelow, that frost forecast could probably be made on Mt. Rose fromtwenty-four to forty-eight hours in advance of the appearance of thefrost in the lower levels, provided the weather current was travelingin its normal course eastward from the coast. 

[Footnote 1: Since this was written Professor McAdie has beenappointed to the chair of Meteorology at Harvard University. ]

Second only in importance was the discovery and photographicrecording of evidence of the value of timber high up on mountains, andespecially on the lips of canyons, for holding the snow until late inthe season. 

This latter phase of the Observatory's work has developed into a mostnovel and valuable contribution to practical forestry and conservationof water, under Dr. Church's clear and logical direction. AtContact Pass, 9000 feet elevation, and at the base of the mountain, supplementary stations have been established, where measurements ofsnow depth and density, the evaporation of snow, and temperatureswithin the snow have been taken. Lake Tahoe, with its seventy miles ofcoast line also affords ready access throughout the winter, by meansof motor boat, snow-shoes and explorer's camp, to forests of varioustypes and densities where snow measurements of the highest importancehave been made. 

Delicate instruments of measurement and weight, etc. , have beeninvented by Dr. Church and his associates to meet the needs as theyhave arisen, and continuous observations for several years seem tojustify the following general conclusions. These are quoted froma bulletin by Dr. Church, issued by the International IrrigationCongress. 

 The conservation of snow is dependent on mountains and forests and is most complete where these two factors are combined. The mountain range is not only the recipient of more snow than the plain or the valley at its base, but in consequence of the lower temperature prevailing on its slopes the snow there melts more slowly. 

 However, mountains, because of their elevation, are exposed to the sweep of violent winds which not only blow the snow in considerable quantities to lower levels, where the temperature is higher, but also dissipate and evaporate the snow to a wasteful degree. The southern slopes, also, are so tilted as to be more completely exposed to the direct rays of the sun, and in the Sierra Nevada and probably elsewhere are subjected to the persistent action of the prevailing southwest wind. 

 On the other hand, the mountain mass, by breaking the force of the wind, causes much of the drifting snow to pile up on its lee slope and at the base of its cliffs, where it finds comparative shelter from the wind and sun. 

 Forests, also, conserve the snow. In wind-swept regions, they break the force of the wind, catching the snow and holding it in position even on the windward slopes of the mountains. On the lower slopes, where the wind is less violent, the forests catch the falling snow directly in proportion to their openness, but conserve it after it has fallen directly in proportion to their density. This phenomenon is due to the crowns of the trees, which catch the falling snow and expose it to rapid evaporation in the open air but likewise shut out the sun and wind from the snow that has succeeded in passing through the forest crowns to the ground. Both mountains and forests, therefore, are to a certain extent wasters of snow--the mountains because they are partially exposed to sun and wind; the trees, because they catch a portion of the falling snow on their branches and expose it to rapid disintegration. However, the mountains by their mass and elevation conserve immeasurably more snow than they waste, and forested areas conserve far more snow than unforested. If the unforested mountain slopes can be covered with timber, much of the waste now occurring on them can be prevented, and by thinning the denser forests the source of waste in them also can be checked. 

The experiences met with by the voluntary band of observers to securethe data needed in their work are romantic in the extreme. An averagewinter trip requires from a day and a half to two days and a halffrom Reno. From the base of the mountain the ascent must be made onsnow-shoes. When work first began there was no building on the summit, and no shelter station on the way. Imagine these brave fellows, daringthe storms and blizzards and fierce temperatures of winter calmlyascending these rugged and steep slopes, in the face of every kind ofwinter threat, merely to make scientific observations. In March, 1906, Professor Johnson and Dr. Rudolph spent the night at timber-line ina pit dug in the snow to obtain protection from a gale, at thetemperature of 5° Fahr. _below_ zero, and fought their way tothe summit. But so withering was the gale at that altitude even atmid-day, that a precipitate retreat was made to avoid freezing. Thefaces of the climbers showed plainly the punishment received. Threedays later Dr. Church attempted to rescue the record just as the stormwas passing. He made his way in an impenetrable fog to 10, 000 feet, when the snow and ice-crystals deposited by the storm in a state ofunstable equilibrium on crust and trees were hurled by a suddengale high into the air in a blinding blizzard. During his retreat hewandered into the wildest part of the mountain before he escaped fromthe skirts of the storm. 

Other experiences read like chapters from Peary's or Nansen's recordsin the Frozen North, and they are just as heroic and thrilling. Yetin face of all these physical difficulties, which only the most superbcourage and enthusiasm could overcome, Dr. Church writes that, tothe spirit, the mountain reveals itself, at midnight and at noon, at twilight and at dawn, in storm and in calm, in frost-plume and inverdure, as a wonderland so remote from the ordinary experiences oflife that the traveler unconsciously deems that he is entering anotherworld. 

In the last days of October, 1913, I was privileged to make the tripfrom Reno in the company of Dr. Church, and two others. We were justahead of winter's storms, however, though Old Boreas raved somewhatwildly on the summit and covered it with snow a few hours afterour descent. The experience was one long to be remembered, and thepersonal touch of the heroic spirit afforded by the trip will be apermanent inspiration. 

CHAPTER XXXVII

LAKE TAHOE IN WINTER[1]

BY DR. J. E. CHURCH, JR. , OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA

[Footnote 1: By courtesy of _Sunset_ magazine. ]

Lake Tahoe is an ideal winter resort for the red-blooded. For theViking and the near Viking; for the man and the woman who, for thevery exhilaration of it, seek the bracing air and the snow-cladforests, Lake Tahoe is as charming in winter as in summer, and fargrander. There is the same water--in morning placid, in afternoonfoam-flecked, on days of storm tempestuous. The Lake never freezes;not even a film of ice fringes its edge. Sunny skies and warmnoons and the Lake's own restlessness prevent. Emerald Bay alone issometimes closed with ice, but more often it is as open as the outerLake. Even the pebbles glisten on the beach as far back as the wash ofthe waves extends. 

But beyond the reach of the waves a deep mantle of white clads theforests and caps the distant peaks. The refuse of the forests, thedusty roads, and the inequalities of the ground are all buried deep. A smooth, gently undulating surface of dazzling white has taken theirplace. 

The forest trees are laden with snow--each frond bears its pyramid andeach needle its plume of white. The fresh green of the foliage and theruddy brown of the bark are accentuated rather than subdued by theirwhite setting. But as the eye travels the long vista of ascending andretreating forest, the green and the brown of the near-by trees fadegradually away until the forest becomes a fluffy mantle of whiteupon the distant mountain side. Above and beyond the forest's utmostreaches rise the mountain crags and peaks, every angle rounded intogentle contours beneath its burden of snow. 

[Illustration: The Fergusson Metrograph on the summit of Mt. Rose, wrecked by snow "feathers, " some of which were six feet long. ]

[Illustration: Refuge Hut and Headquarters for Snow Studies onMt. Rose, 9000 Feet]

[Illustration: Skiing from Tallac to Fallen Leaf Lodge]

[Illustration: Snow Surveyor on the Mountains Above Glen Alpinein Winter]

Along the margin of the Lake appear the habitations and works ofmen deeply buried and snow-hooded until they recall the scenes inWhittier's _Snow Bound_. 

The lover of the Lake and its bird life will miss the gulls but willfind compensation in the presence of the wild fowl--the ducks and thegeese--that have returned to their winter haunts. 

Lake Tahoe is remarkably adapted as a winter resort for three primereasons: first, it is easily accessible; second, no place inthe Sierra Nevada, excepting not even Yosemite, offers so manyattractions; third, it is the natural and easy gateway in winter tothe remote fastnesses of the northern Sierra. 

Among the attractions preeminently associated with Lake Tahoe inwinter are boating and cruising, snow-shoeing and exploring, campingfor those whose souls are of sterner stuff, hunting, mountainclimbing, photography, and the enjoyment of winter landscape. Fishingduring the winter months is prohibited by law. 

If one asks where to go, a bewildering group of trips and pleasuresappears. But there come forth speedily from out the number a few ofunsurpassed allurement. These are a _ski_ trip from Tallac toFallen Leaf Lake to see the breakers and the spray driven by a risinggale against the rock-bound shore, and, when the lake has grownquieter, a boat ride to Fallen Leaf Lodge beneath the frowningparapets of Mount Tallac. Next a _ski_ trip up the Glen to theburied hostelry at Glen Alpine, where one enters by way of a dormerwindow but is received to a cheerful fire and with royal hospitality. 

Then under the skillful guidance of the keeper, a day's climb up thesouthern face of Mount Tallac for an unrivalled panoramic view fromits summit and a speedy but safe glissade back to the hostelry far, far below. 

And if the legs be not too stiff from the glissade, a climb overthe southern wall of the Glen to Desolation Valley and Pyramid Peak, whence can be seen the long gorge of the Rubicon. The thousand lakesthat dot this region present no barrier to one's progress, for theyare frozen over and lie buried deep beneath the snow that falls herein an abundance hardly exceeded elsewhere in the Tahoe region. 

A close rival of these is the climb from Rubicon Park up the statelyrange in its rear to visit the mountain hemlock, the graceful queenof the high mountain, and to gaze across the chasm at the twin cragsbeyond. 

And peer of them all, though requiring but little exertion, is a tripto Brockway to enjoy the unrivalled view of the "Land's End" of theLake and catch the colors of the pansies that are still in bloom in aniche of the old sea wall. If one possess the artist's mood, he willadd thereto a boat ride round State Line Point in the lazy swell ofthe evening sea beneath the silent pine-clad cliffs, while the moon, as beautiful as any summer moon, rides overhead. Only the carpet ofsnow and the film of ice that gathers from the spray upon the boatkeeps one alive to the reality that the season is winter. 

Finally a rowing trip along the western shore of the Lake with stopsat pleasure _en route_. One can have weather to suit his taste, for the waters on this shore are safe in storm, and the barometer andthe sky will give full warning long before the weather attains thedanger point. The man who loves the breath of the storm and the glowof excitement will loose his boat from Tallac when the clouds swingdown the canyon and speed forth borne, as it were, on the wings of thewaves toward the distant foot of the Lake--past the black water wallwhere the waves of Emerald Bay sweep into Tahoe, through the frothywaters where the wind shifts and whips around Rubicon Point, over thewhite caps of Meek's Bay until by skillful maneuvering the juttingcape is weathered and quieter water is found in McKinney Bay. Fulltime there is, with the wind astern, to reach the river's mouth atTahoe City, but the voyager who loves the woodland will tarry fora night in the dense fir forest of Blackwood, while his boat ridessafely moored to the limb of a prostrate tree. 

Regarding the eastern side of the Lake, the bald shore and juttingheadlands, the fewness of the landing places, and the sweep of thewaves make cruising in these waters a matter of supreme skill andfarsightedness. Let the Viking learn with broad-beamed boat themastery of the western shore before he turns his boat's prow to theeast. 

For the man of milder tastes the motorboat will suffice or the mailsteamer, which plies the waters of Lake Tahoe twice a week. 

In tobogganing, the hills and open meadows at Tahoe City and atGlenbrook will furnish royal sport for the devotee. Skating andice-yachting must be sought in regions where the snow is less deep andthe cold more intense. 

_Skiing_ is the chief method of locomotion in winter at the Lakeand the novice soon becomes expert in the milder forms of the sport. _Ski_ trails thread the forests at Tahoe City and radiate fromevery resort. 

The open inns at Tahoe City and Glenbrook, and The Grove near Tallacand the resorts on Fallen Leaf Lake insure the traveler's comfort, while the hospitality of the caretakers at all of the resorts isproverbial. The question of when and how to go is naturally a leadingone. During the months of November to April, two sledging services arefurnished each thrice a week--one from Carson City to Glenbrook, theother from Truckee to Tahoe City. (The narrow gauge railway has alsoestablished a semi-weekly winter schedule. ) The mail boat connectswith the incoming sledges and train on Tuesday and Saturday. Theroute from Carson City, which crosses the heights of the Carson Range, affords a superb view of the Lake at sunset. The route from Truckeetraverses the wooded canyon of the Truckee River, when scenically atits best. 

The traveler who approaches the Lake by way of Glenbrook and leavesby way of the canyon of the Truckee will have an experience in wintertravel both unique and replete with beautiful landscapes. 

The journey from Truckee to the Lake can also be made on _ski_in one short day. It is an exhilarating trip, if one travels light. If one desires to tarry _en route_, he may carry his blankets andfood on his back or haul them on a toboggan, and spend the night atthe half-way station, known as Uncle Billy's. 

The best time to visit the Lake is after the heaviest of the wintersnows have fallen. The period of steady and heavy precipitationoccurs in January. After this month is past, there are long periodsof settled weather broken only occasionally by storms, which add torather than detract from one's pleasure. 

The special equipment requisite for winter trips to Tahoe is slight. The list includes goggles (preferably amber), German socks andrubbers, woolen shirt, sweater, short heavy coat, and mittens. Formountain climbing a pair of Canadian snowshoes should be added to theequipment; for traveling on the level, a pair of _ski_ can berented at Truckee or the Lake. If one desires to camp instead ofstopping at the resorts around the Lake, a tent and waterproofsleeping bag should be procured. 

The cost of transportation in winter is scarcely more than in summer. The sledge trip from either Truckee or Carson City to the Lake is$2. 50, an amount only $1. 00 in excess of the regular fare by rail. Board will cost no more than in summer. 

TRUCKEE

Closely associated with Lake Tahoe as a center for winter sports isTruckee, the natural point of departure for the Lake. Here a wintercarnival is held annually for the entertainment of outsiders. Amongthe chief sports are _ski-racing_ and jumping and tobogganing. The toboggan course is two thousand feet long and has a fall ofone-hundred fifty feet. A device is employed for drawing the toboggansback to the starting point. The hotel facilities are ample. Toboggansand _ski_ can be rented for use here or at the Lake. Clothing andother winter outfits can be procured. Canadian snow-shoes, however, must be obtained in San Francisco. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII

LAKE TAHOE AS A SUMMER RESIDENCE

One of the most marked differences that the traveler observes betweenthe noted lakes of Europe and Lake Tahoe is the comparative dearth ofhomes, summer villas, bungalows, residences, on the latter. This isnatural. California and Nevada are new countries. They have scarcelyhad time to "find themselves" fully as yet. It took a thousand yearsto people the shores of the European lakes as we find them to-day, and in due time Tahoe will assuredly come to its own in this regard. Indeed as John LeConte well wrote a number of years ago:

 The shores of Lake Tahoe afford the most beautiful sites for summer residences. When the states of California and Nevada become more populous, the delicious summer climate of this elevated region, the exquisite beauty of the surrounding scenery, and the admirable facilities afforded for fishing and other aquatic sports, will dot the shores of this mountain Lake with the cottages of those who are able to combine health with pleasure. But it must be remembered that the prolonged severity of the winter climate, and especially the great depth of snowfall, render these elevated situations unfit for permanent residences. According to the observations of Dr. G. M. Bourne, during the winter of 1873-74, the aggregate snowfall near the shores of the Lake amounted to more than thirty-four feet. In fact, frequently there are not more than four months in the year in which the ground of the margin of the Lake is entirely free from snow. And the vast gorges which furrow the sides of the surrounding amphitheater of lofty mountain peaks are perpetually snow-clad. Hence, it is unreasonable to assume that many persons besides the wealthy will be able to enjoy the luxury of private residences here, which can be occupied only during the summer months of the year. Nevertheless, when the refinement and taste incident to the development of an older civilization shall have permeated the minds of the wealthy classes of citizens, this charming lake region will not only continue to be the favorite resort of tourists and artists, but will become, during the summer season, the abode of families whose abundant means enable them to enjoy the healthful climate, the gorgeous scenery, and the invigorating sports which lend an inexpressive charm to the sojourn on its shores. 

 Amidst the magnificent nature that surrounds this region, there should be an inspiration corresponding more or less with the grandeur of the aspect of the material world. The modifications impressed upon the moral and intellectual character of man by the physical aspects of nature, is a theme more properly belonging to those who have cultivated the ćsthetic side of humanity. The poet and the artist can alone appreciate, in the fullness of their humanizing influence, the potent effects of these ćsthetic inspirations. The lake districts in all Alpine countries seem to impress peculiar characteristics upon their inhabitants. 

 When quietly floating upon the placid surface of Lake Tahoe, the largest of the "Gems of the Sierra"--nestled, as it is, amidst a huge amphitheater of mountain peaks--it is difficult to say whether we are more powerfully impressed with the genuine childlike awe and wonder inspired by the contemplation of the noble grandeur of nature, or with the calmer and more gentle sense of the beautiful produced by the less imposing aspects of the surrounding scenery. On the one hand crag and beetling cliff sweeping in rugged and colossal massiveness above dark waves of pine and fir, far into the keen and clear blue air; the huge mantle of snow, so cumulus-like in its brightness, thrown in many a solid fold over ice-sculptured crest and shoulders; the dark cathedral-like spires and splintered pinnacles, half snow, half stone, rising into the sky like the very pillars of heaven. On the other hand the waving verdure of the valleys below, the dash of waterfalls, the plenteous gush of springs, the laugh and dance of brook and rivulet as they hurry down the plains. Add to this picture the deep repose of the azure water, in which are mirrored snow-clad peaks, as well as marginal fringes of waving forests and green meadows, and it is difficult to decide whether the sense of grandeur or of beauty has obtained the mastery of the soul. 

CHAPTER XXXIX

THE TAHOE NATIONAL FOREST

The Tahoe National Forest was first set apart by proclamation, September 17, 1906. Previous to this there had been the Tahoe and YubaForest Reserves which were established by proclamation under the actsof March 3, 1891, and June 4, 1897. The original Tahoe Forest Reserveconsisted of six townships along the west side of Lake Tahoe. Part ofthis territory is now in the Tahoe and part in the El Dorado NationalForest. Changes and additions were later made by proclamations ofMarch 2, 1909, and July 28, 1910. 

Although Lake Tahoe does not lie within any National Forest it isalmost surrounded by the Tahoe and El Dorado Forests. There are a fewmiles of shore-line on the Nevada side in the vicinity of Glenbrookwhich are not within the National Forest Boundary. 

The gross area of the Tahoe National Forest is 1, 272, 470 acres. Ofthis amount, however, 692, 677 acres are privately owned. The El DoradoNational Forest has a gross area of 836, 200 acres with 284, 798 of themin private hands. These privately owned lands are technically spokenof as "alienated lands. "

The towns of Truckee, Emigrant Gap, Cisco, Donner, Fulda, Downieville, Sierra City, Alleghany, Forest, Graniteville, Goodyear's Bar, andLast Chance, as well as Tahoe City, are all within the Tahoe NationalForest. 

It is estimated that there are probably 350 people living on theForest outside of the towns. These are principally miners or smallranch-owners living along the rivers in the lower altitudes. 

Slowly but surely the people are awakening to the great value of thenatural resources that are being conserved in the National Forests. Inthe Tahoe Reserve the preservation of the forest cover is essential tothe holding of snow and rain-fall, preventing rapid run-off, thereby conserving much of what would be waste and destructive_flood-water_, until it can be used for irrigation and otherbeneficial purposes. 

Many streams of great power possibilities rise and flow through theTahoe Forest Reserve, such as the Truckee, Little Truckee, Yuba andAmerican rivers. Working in conjunction with the U. S. ReclamationService the Truckee General Electric Company uses the water that flowsout of Lake Tahoe down the Truckee River for the development of power. The Pacific Gas and Electric Company, of San Francisco, controls thewaters of the South Yuba river, and its Colgate plant is on the mainYuba, though it obtains some of its water supply from the North Yuba. Lake Spaulding, one of the largest artificial lakes in the world, is acreation of this same company. It is situated near Emigrant Gap and isused for the development of power. 

The Northern Water and Power Company controls the Bowman reservoir anda string of lakes on the headwaters of Canyon Creek, a branch of theSouth Yuba river. As yet its power possibilities are not developed. 

Through the activities of these companies electricity and water forirrigation are supplied to towns and country regions contiguous totheir lines, and they have materially aided in the development of theSacramento Valley. 

Only about five per cent. Of the Reserve is barren land, and this ismostly situated at a high elevation above timber line. The tree growthis excellent, and under proper direction reproduction _could_ bemade all that any one could desire. Fully twenty per cent. , however, of the present Reserve is covered with chaparral. Practically allof this originally was timbered. The chaparral has grown up becausenothing was done at the proper time to foster reproduction over acresthat had been cut. Systematic and scientific efforts are now beingmade to remedy this condition, the rangers being encouraged tostudy the trees, gather seeds from the best of their type, plant andcultivate them. Tree cutting is now so regular as to obtain by naturalreproduction a second crop on the logged-over areas. Where naturalreproduction fails planting is resorted to. Thus it is hoped, in time, to replant all the logged-over areas now owned by the government, serving the double purpose of conserving the water-supply andproviding timber for the needs of the future. Much of the timber-land, however, of the Tahoe region, is patented to private owners. Little, if anything, is being done towards reforestation on these privatetracts. Legal enactments, ultimately, may produce effective actionalong this needed line. 

As has elsewhere been shown the world owes a debt of gratitude to theTahoe region. Had it not been for the timber secured so readily fromthe Tahoe slopes the mining operations of Virginia City, Gold Hill andDayton would have been seriously retarded and crippled. As it was theTahoe trees were transferred as mining-timbers for propping upthe immense and continuous excavations of that vast series ofhoney-combings underground, the products of which revivified the goldsupply of the world. 

Tahoe timber also has contributed much to the upbuilding of thetowns and country farms on the whole upper Pacific Coast and interiorregions of Northern California, and today much of its timber finds itsway to San Francisco and other Pacific Coast markets. 

At Floriston, on the Truckee River, a mill is in successful operation, using Tahoe fir for the making of paper. Red and white fir, which arepractically useless for lumber, are found to make excellent wrappingand tissue papers, and thus, from being unremunerative products ofour forests, become sources of income. After planing off the bark, thewood is made into small chips, about a half inch square, and an eighthof an inch thick. These chips are then "digested" by a process ofmixing with acids and cooking, through which it becomes "wood pulp. "Different processes produce different pulps, two of which are mixedtogether, allowed to flow out on a very fine wire screen nine feetwide, revolving at a rate of 300 feet a minute, with a "jigging"movement from side to side. This makes all the fibers lie flat. Theyare then sent through steel rollers, the water squeezed out, andfinally carried over and around twenty-five revolving steam-heatedcylinders which completely dry the paper and put the needed gloss orfinish on it. 

The rainfall on the Tahoe Reserve averages about fifty inchesannually, the most frequent rains occurring between October and May. Necessarily there is much snow-fall on the higher regions. Furtherdown the snow disappears in the early spring, say March, but in theupper altitudes it remains until late June, with perpetual snow in thesheltered portions of the topmost peaks. 

Agriculture, owing to the average high altitude, is a negligibleindustry in the Reserve, little more being done than to raise a littlefruit, grain and vegetables, mainly for home consumption. Naturallythere is a fair amount of grazing, almost the whole area of theReserve being used for this purpose during the summer months. Manyportions of meadow-land are used for dairy-herds, most of the hotelsand resorts on and near Lake Tahoe having their own herds and meadows. Bands of beef-cattle are also pastured, together with large bandsof sheep, the two kinds of stock often grazing in common, the cattleusing the meadows and the sheep the ridges and timber-lands. In takingthe trail-rides described in other chapters I invariably came acrossboth cattle and sheep, and all the near-by meadows are occupied bythe dairy-herds belonging to the hotels. Patented lands of privateownership within the bounds of the Forest are often also leased tocattle- and sheep-men. Last year it was estimated that there were47, 000 head of sheep, and about 6000 head of cattle on the Reserve. Under the protection of the rangers grazing conditions are rapidlyimproving, the cattle- and sheep-men being held strictly to certainrules laid down by the Supervisor. Systematic efforts are made to ridthe Forest, as far as possible, of predatory animals that kill thesheep, also of poisonous plants which render grazing dangerous. 

There are far less cattle on the Sierra ranges in the Tahoe regionthan there are sheep. During the summer most of the mountain valleyshave their great sheep-bands. Many are brought over from Nevada, and far more from the Sacramento Valley and other regions near thePacific. The feed, as a rule, is good and abundant from the time thesnow leaves until the end of September or even later. Though the year1913 was the third dry season (comparatively speaking) the regionhad suffered, I found a score or more of meadows in my rambles aroundTahoe, where thousands of sheep might have had rich and abundantpasture. 

But well may John Muir dislike sheep in his beloved Sierras, and termthem in his near-to-hatred "the locusts of the mountains. " When themost fertile valley has been "fed off" by sheep, or they have "beddeddown" night after night upon it, it takes some time before the younggrowth comes up again. 

It is the custom when the lambing season is over, and the lambsare strong enough to travel and old enough to ship, to move to someconvenient point on the railway, where there is an abundance offeed and water on the way, and there ship either to Reno, Carson andVirginia City, or to some market on the Pacific Coast. Hence overlandtravelers on the Southern Pacific trains are often surprised to seevast flocks of sheep and hear the bleating of the lambs at unlookedfor stations at the highest points of the Sierra Nevada, as at SodaSprings, Cisco, Emigrant Gap, Blue Canyon, or sidings on the way. 

There is a large mining industry within the Reserve. Since 1849 thewestern part of the Forest has been most active, one county, Sierra, having produced since then upwards of $200, 000, 000. The present outputis much smaller than formerly, still it is large enough to rendermining an important factor in the productive wealth of the state. In 1853 hydraulic mining was inaugurated near Nevada City. This gaverenewed interest to placer-mining. 

Four of the old emigrant roads cross the Tahoe and El Dorado Reserves. The most famous of these is the one across Donner Pass and throughEmigrant Gap. This was the general course taken by the unfortunateDonner Party, as recorded in another chapter. 

Another road was the Heuness Pass road, on a branch of which wasNigger Tent, a rendezvous of robbers and cutthroats in the early days. Prospectors and miners were often robbed and murdered at this place. The Heuness Pass Road and the Donner Road branch in Sardine Valley, the former going through by Webber Lake, and the latter through thepresent site of Truckee. On the latter road, in the vicinity of YouBet, is a large tree which bears the name "Frémont's Flagpole, " thoughit is doubtful whether it was ever used by Frémont for this purpose. 

The third important road is the present Placerville Road, --a portionof the State Highway and the great trans-continental Lincoln Highway, elsewhere described. 

The fourth is the Amador Grade Road, on which stood the tree whereuponKit Carson carved his name. 

The Georgetown Road is an important and historic feature of the TahoeRegion, for it connects Georgetown with Virginia City, and it was fromthe former place so many Tahoe pioneers came. I have already referredto the trail built in the early 60's. Then when the Georgetown minersconstructed a ditch to convey water for mining purposes from LoonLake, they soon thereafter, about '72 or '73, built a road about fortymiles long, to enable them to reach the Lake, which was their mainreservoir. Loon, Pleasant and Bixby's Lakes were all dammed andlocated upon for the water company. 

When the Hunsakers built the road from McKinney's to their Springs in1883 there was a stretch of only about seven miles from Loon Lake tothe Springs to complete a road between Lake Tahoe and Georgetown. The matter was laid before the Supervisors of Placer and El DoradoCounties, and they jointly built the road in 1884, following asnearly as possible the old Georgetown trail, which was practically theboundary between the two counties. 

While automobiles have gone over it, it is scarcely good enough forthat form of travel, but cattle, sheep and horses are driven over itconstantly, campers make good use of it in the summer, and though ithas not the activity of the days when it was first built, it has fullyjustified its existence by the comfort and convenience it gives to thesparsely settled population of the region for which the waters ofthe Reserve were flumed in every direction. When legal enactmentpractically abolished placer mining, owing to its ruining theagricultural lands lower down by the carrying of the mud and siltupon them, the water systems were utilized for domestic and irrigationpurposes, thus laying the foundation of the great systems now beingused for power purposes. 

One of the greatest excitements known in the Tahoe region occurredwhen the first notice of the discovery of the Comstock lode inVirginia City appeared in the _Nevada City Journal_, July 1, 1859. Immediately the whole country was aroused, fully one-third ofall the male population setting forth for the mines. This was also oneof the great urgents in the building of a railway which soon ultimatedin the Central Pacific. 

There are several mineral springs of note on the Forest, chief ofwhich are Deer Park Springs, Glen Alpine Springs and Brockway's. 

The most northern grove of Big Trees, _Sequoia Gigantea_, inexistence, is found in the Tahoe Forest, on the Forest Hill Divide, near the southern boundary of Placer County, on a tributary of theMiddle Fork of the American River. There are six of these trees aswell as several which have fallen. 

Dotted over the Reserve are cabins of the rangers. These men live amost interesting, and sometimes adventurous and daring life. Primarilytheir days and nights are largely those of solitude, and it isinteresting to throw a little light upon the way they spend theirtime. 

Necessarily their chief thought and care is that of protecting theForest from fire. To accomplish this end fire-brakes--wide passages, trails, or roads--are cut through the trees and brush, so that it ispossible to halt a fire when it reaches one of the constant patrolsand watches that are maintained. Lookout stations are placed onelevated points. In the fall of 1911 a Lookout Tower was erectedon Banner Mountain, four miles southeast of Nevada City, in which awatchman with a revolving telescope is on duty day and night. Thismountain is at 3900 feet elevation and affords an unobstructed viewof about one-third of the whole area of the Tahoe Forest. 

[Illustration: Outlet of Lake Tahoe, Truckee River]

[Illustration: Flock of Sheep Being Driven from the Tahoe NationalForest]

[Illustration: Island Park, Lake Tahoe]

By a system of maps, sights and signals the location of fires canbe determined with reasonable accuracy, and the telephone enableswarnings to be sent to all concerned. 

Telephone lines bisect the Reserve in several directions, andfire-fighting appliances are _cached_ in accessible placesready for immediate use. When a Forest officer is notified of theapproximate location of a fire he goes immediately with what helphe thinks he needs. If he finds that the fire is larger than hecan handle with the available force at his command, he notifiesthe Supervisor, who secures men from the most practical point anddispatches them to the fire as soon as possible, by automobile ortrain. 

To give further fire protection a gasoline launch--the_Ranger_--twenty-six feet long and with a carrying capacity offifteen men, and a speed of about nine miles an hour, was placed onLake Tahoe in 1910, at the Kent Ranger Station, located a mile belowthe Tavern. The guard who is in charge of this boat is on the Lakeabout eight hours each day, going up the Lake in the morning towardsTallac and taking the northern end of the Lake in the afternoon. Thelaunch is put in service each year about the 15th of June and keptthere until the fire-danger is over in the fall. Normal years this isabout the 15th of September, but in 1913 the launch remained and thepatrolman was on duty much later. 

If the guard sights a fire anywhere within the watershed of LakeTahoe, he immediately obtains men at the nearest point and proceedsto the fire. Since the launch has been on the Lake there have been noserious fires. Every fire has been caught in its infancy and put outbefore any damage has been done. There has been only one fire of anysize on the Lake since the launch was installed. This burned about 20acres just east of Brockway. Numerous small fires of an acre or lesshave been put out each year. 

The Forest Guard in charge of the launch for the years 1912-13 wasMark W. Edmonds. Mr. Edmonds is the son of Dr. H. W. Edmonds, who isnow in the Arctic doing scientific work for the Carnegie Institute. 

The force of men at work on the Reserve varies in number according tothe season of the year. When the fire-season is on many more men areon duty than in the winter-season. The year-long force consists of theSupervisor, Deputy Supervisor, Forest Clerk, Stenographer, thirteenRangers and two Forest Examiners who are Forest School men engagedchiefly on timber sale and investigative work. The force in 1913during the season of greatest danger was fifty-six. Some of thetemporary employees are engaged for six months, some for three monthsand others for shorter periods. The longer termed men are generallyAssistant Rangers who cannot be employed the year around, but who areconsidered first for permanent jobs that occur on the statutory rollon account of their Civil Service standing. 

Forest fires are caused in a variety of ways, but chiefly throughinexcusable carelessness. Now and then lightning produces fire, butthe throwing down of lighted matches by smokers, the butt ends ofcigars and cigarettes that are still alight, leaving camp-firesunextinguished, or building them too large, allowing fires for burningwaste land or brush to get from under control--these are the chiefsources of forest fires. Accordingly the local and federal authoritiesconstantly keep posted on Forest Reserves notices calling attentionto the dangers and urging care upon all who use the forests for anypurpose whatever. 

In addition to fire-fighting the rangers are required to give constantoversight to the sheep- and cattle-ranges, and to the animals thatare brought there, so that the feed is not eaten out, or too many headpastured upon a given area. Seeds of forest trees must be gathered atthe proper season and experiments in reforestation conducted, besidesa certain amount of actual planting-out performed. The habits ofseed-eating birds and animals are studied, especially in relation toreforestation. A very small number of squirrels or mice can get awaywith a vast number of seeds in a season. Methods of protecting theseeds without destroying too many of the wild animals must be devised. 

Available areas of timber are sought for and offered for sale. Certainmen are detailed to measure the trees and determine the value of thetimber; they must mark the trees included in the sale, leaving outenough seed-trees for satisfactory reproduction. If it be a secondsale over a cut-over area the problems are somewhat altered. Will thetrees that are left suffer from wind-fall? If partially suppressedtrees are left can they be depended upon to recover and make a goodgrowth?

Then, too, the questions of natural _versus_ artificialreforestation have to be scientifically studied and exhaustive testsmade. Shall seeds be sown, or shall young trees be planted? Whichtrees are best suited for certain localities, and which are the moreprofitable when grown?

To many people it is not known that dwellers in or near NationalForests can obtain free of charge timber for their domestic needs. The rangers determine where this "free area" shall be located, exactlywhat trees, whether dead or alive, shall be taken, and endeavor to laydown rules that shall give equal chances for all comers. 

As one of the mottos of the Forest Service is "the greatest good tothe greatest number, " small sales are encouraged to those who wishto make their own lumber or shakes. Settlers in remote localities areoften helped in this manner. 

Cases of trespass have to be guarded against, and now and againsuits have had to be brought against loggers for encroaching uponthe territory of the Reserve, and removing timber which they had notpurchased. 

In 1911 every District Ranger was appointed a Deputy Fish and GameCommissioner and thus was duly authorized to enforce the law in regardto fish and game. 

Another subject of interest and importance to the ranger is the studyof insect infestation. Many trees are killed annually by certaininsects, and these must be discovered and their devastation prevented. 

Then, too, there are diseases and parasites that affect the trees, andthis branch of study demands constant attention. 

Hence it will be seen that the office of the Forest Ranger is by nomeans a sinecure. He works hard and he works long and alone and ourkindly thoughts should go out to him in his solitary patrols andvigils. 

The present Supervisor of the Tahoe Forest is Richard L. P. Bigelow, towhose kindness I am indebted for much of the information contained inthis chapter. 

CHAPTER XL

PUBLIC USE OF THE WATERS OF LAKE TAHOE

There has always been considerable discussion and dissension amongconflicting interests as to the use of the waters of Lake Tahoefor private or semi-public uses, and, finally, in 1903 the U. S. Reclamation Service entered into the field. At my request Mr. D. W. Cole, engineer-in-charge of the Truckee-Carson project, kindlyfurnishes the following data:

 Along in the 60's of the last century the region around the Lake acquired great importance on account of the fine growth of timber on the surrounding mountain slopes. It is said that a great many million feet of lumber were harvested in this region. For many years the entire lumber supply for the old Comstock mines was derived from this source. Virginia City, Carson City and the neighboring mining communities were built from the timber of the Lake Tahoe basin, and it might be said that the foundation of the fortunes of the California gold kings, who developed the Comstock mines, was made of the pine wood which grew upon the shores of Lake Tahoe, without which that wonderful output of $700, 000, 000 of gold from the Comstock lode would have been impossible. 

 Supplementing the timber supply the water from Marlette Lake, a tributary to Lake Tahoe, was diverted by a remarkable engineering achievement for supplying Virginia City and the deep mines. Marlette Lake lies several hundred feet above Lake Tahoe on the Nevada side, and half a century ago its waters were taken through flume, tunnel and pipe line across the dividing mountain range and out into the desert valley of the Carson River for sustaining the gold seekers of Virginia City. This work of the pioneer engineers was scarcely less bold in its conception and wonderful in its execution than the famous Sutro tunnel which drains the underground waters from the Comstock mines. 

 About 1870 the first use of Lake Tahoe for other than navigation purposes was made by building a log crib dam at the outlet for the purpose of storing flood-waters to be used in log-driving in the Truckee River below the Lake. 

 The outlet of the Lake was in a land grant section belonging to the Central Pacific Railway Company, and one of the earlier lumber companies procured a charter from the State of California and proceeded to build a dam and operate it for log-driving purposes. 

 In the course of time the development of water-power in the Truckee River below the Lake became of considerable importance, both for saw-mill and other manufacturing purposes. The dam at the Lake's outlet was passed from the possession of the Donner Boom & Lumber Company into the hands of other interests who were making a larger use of power. 

 Eventually, in the last decade of the century, the water-power plants were converted into hydro-electric plants and began to furnish electric current for power and lighting in the city of Reno and as far south as Virginia City. 

 About the year 1908 the ownership of the several hydroelectric plants was passed to the Truckee River General Electric Company, under the management of the Stone & Webster Engineering Corporation, of Boston, one of the very large public utilities corporations of the country. 

 This company has enlarged and improved the plants and is now furnishing a large amount of electric current for all purposes in Reno, Virginia City, Carson City, Yerington, Thompson, Minden and various other towns and mining camps in the State of Nevada, forming a group of communities which are wholly dependent upon this power for their various purposes. 

 In 1903 the United States Reclamation Service filed an appropriation of all surplus waters which had theretofore gone to waste from Lake Tahoe, and under this appropriation, with others covering waters in the Carson River, the Truckee-Carson Reclamation Project in Nevada was commenced. 

 By this irrigation project it is proposed to cover an area of about 206, 000 acres, of which 35, 000 acres are now being irrigated and about 500 families have their homes upon productive lands, which were formerly a part of the great desert which was traversed with much suffering by the pioneer gold seekers. 

 In 1908 the Reclamation Service entered into negotiations for the purchase of the real estate and dam controlling the outlet of Lake Tahoe, but before the purchase was concluded the reorganized power company secured possession of the property. A condemnation suit was then brought by the United States to acquire possession and control of the Lake's outlet. A contract was entered into with the power company for the joint building of a new dam with gates for controlling the outlet from the Lake. This dam was partly built in 1909, replacing a portion of the old timber structure. Owing to various complications this new cement dam has stood in an uncomplete condition until the fall of 1913 when arrangements were made for its completion, and now the structure is entirely done and is well adapted to control the outlet from the Lake so as to hold the waters at satisfactory levels according to the various uses for which the water is required. 

 There have been confusing statements made in the public press and otherwise concerning the intentions and actions of the Reclamation Service and of the power company. The gist of the whole matter is that both the Reclamation Service and the power company have proposed by means of the new dam to regulate the Lake within a range of six feet vertically, this being well within the limits of fluctuations which have occurred during the past 40 years when the Lake has been partially controlled by means of the old logging dam, and during which period the navigation and resort interests have taken the place of the lumber business in the commercial aspects of the Lake. 

 The records show that during these 40 years the Lake has fluctuated to the extent of a little more than eight feet between low and high water marks. The landowners around the Lake are principally interested in its esthetic qualities as a basis for the commercial interests involved in the tourist traffic and summer resort business. These interests would naturally desire the Lake to be held at a fixed level. 

 Likewise the navigation interests which operate a large number of boats of various sizes would be best pleased with a stationary level of the Lake, in order that their wharves and boat routes might be built and maintained for a single level of the water. 

 On the other hand the natural conditions and the use of water for power and irrigation, which are among the older vested rights, require the Lake to be used to some extent as a storage reservoir, which implies a fluctuating level. 

 The whole problem is to reconcile these various interests so as to derive the greatest possible economic advantages while maintaining the great beauties of the Lake for those whose interests lie mainly in that direction. 

 There has been suspicion on the part of some of the riparian owners that either the power company or the Government, or both, have been entertaining ulterior motives with the purpose of drawing down the Lake to unprecedented levels and of extracting from the Lake an amount of water greater than the average annual inflow. It may be stated once for all that there has never been such a purpose and that all calculations of the available water in the Lake have been based upon a long record of seasonable fluctuations which prove that the average annual outflow from the Lake is about 300, 000 acre feet. 

 All plans have contemplated the use of _only_ this average amount of water annually. 

 The Lake has an area of 193 square miles. The elevation of its high-water mark has been at 6231. 3, whereas its low-water mark is recorded at elevation 6223. 1 above sea level. 

 Should the Government be successful in acquiring the outlet property from the power company by the condemnation suit now in court, it is proposed to operate the gates of the dam at all times so as to maintain the Lake at the highest level consistent with the maintenance of a desirable shore-line and the conservation of water for the public utilities. It is proposed never to draw the Lake below the previous low-water mark or to allow it to rise as high as the previous high-water mark, at which low and high limits damage in some degree was done to one or another's interests at the Lake. 

 The regulation proposed by the Government provides for recognition and protection of all rights in and to the waters and shores of Lake Tahoe, including the rights of the general public and of the lovers of natural beauty everywhere, and it is believed that the charms, as well as the utilities, of this paragon of lakes can more safely be entrusted to a permanent government agency than to any single private interest. 

A few additions to Mr. Cole's lucid statement will help the generalreader to a fuller comprehension of the difficulty as between theStates of Nevada and California. It will be recalled that Lake Tahoehas an area of about 193 square miles, of which 78 square miles are inthe counties of Washoe, Ormsby and Douglas, Nevada, the remaining 115square miles being in Placer and El Dorado Counties, California. 

Because of this fact, that nearly two-thirds of the superficial areaof the Lake is in California, the people of California claim that theyhave the natural and inherent right to control, even to determining ofits disposal at least nearly two-thirds of the water of the Lake. 

The situation, however, is further complicated by the fact that theonly outlet to the Lake is in California near Tahoe City, in PlacerCounty, into the Truckee River, which meanders for some miles in anortheasterly course until it leaves California, enters Nevada, passesthrough the important city of Reno, and finally empties into PyramidLake, which practically has no outlet. 

In response to the claim of California, the people of Nevada, in whichit appears they are backed up by the U. S. Reclamation Service, contendthat Nature has already determined whither the overflow waters ofLake Tahoe shall go. That, while they do not wish in the slightestto restrict the proper use of the waters of the Truckee River by thedwellers upon that river, they insist that no one else is entitledto their use, and that every drop of superfluous water, legally andmorally, belongs to them, to be used as they deem proper. 

In accordance with this conception of their rights the Nevadalegislature passed the following act, which was approved, March 6, 1913:

 That for the purpose of aiding the Truckee-Carson reclamation project now being carried out by the Reclamation Service of the United States of America, under the Act of Congress approved June 17, 1902 (32 Stat. P. 384), known as the Reclamation Act, and acts amendatory thereof or supplementary thereto, consent is hereby given to the use by the United States of America of Lake Tahoe, situated partly in the State of California and partly in the State of Nevada, and the waters, bed, shores and capability of use for reservoir purposes thereof, in such manner and to such extent as the United States of America through its lawful agencies shall think proper for such purpose, and as fully as the State of Nevada could use the same, provided, however, that the consent hereby given is without prejudice to any existing rights that persons or corporations may have in Lake Tahoe or the Truckee River. 

At the present time (winter of 1914-15) the matter is in thecourts awaiting adjudication, which it is to be hoped, while beingsatisfactory to all parties to the suit, will fully conserve for thescenic enjoyment of the world all the charms for which Tahoe has beenso long and so justly famous. 

APPENDIX

CHAPTER A

MARK TWAIN AT LAKE TAHOE

Early in the 'sixties the immortal Mark made his mark at Lake Tahoe. In his _Roughing It_, he devotes Chapters XXII and XXIII to thesubject. With the kind consent of his publishers, Harper Bros, of NewYork, the following extracts are presented. 

Later, when in Italy, he described Lake Como and compared it withTahoe in _Innocents Abroad_, and while his prejudices against theIndians led him to belittle the Indian name--Tahoe--and in so doing tomake several errors of statement, the descriptions are excellent andthe interested reader is referred to them as being well worthy hisattention. 

 Chapter XXII, _Roughing It_. --We had heard a world of talk about the marvelous beauty of Lake Tahoe, and finally curiosity drove us thither to see it. Three or four members of the Brigade[1] had been there and located some timber lands on its shores and stored up a quantity of provisions in their camp. We strapped a couple of blankets on our shoulders and took an ax apiece and started--for we intended to take up a wood ranch or so ourselves and become wealthy. We were on foot. The reader will find it advantageous to go on horseback. We were told that the distance was eleven miles. We tramped a long time on level ground, and then toiled laboriously up a mountain about a thousand miles high and looked over. No lake there. We descended on the other side, crossed the valley and toiled up another mountain three or four thousand miles high, apparently, and looked over again. No lake yet. We sat down tired and perspiring, and hired a couple of Chinamen to curse those people who had beguiled us. Thus refreshed, we presently resumed the march with renewed vigor and determination. We plodded on, two or three hours longer, and at last the Lake burst upon us--a noble sheet of blue water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea, and walled in by a rim of snowclad mountain peaks that towered aloft full three thousand feet higher still! It was a vast oval, and one would have to use up eighty or a hundred good miles in traveling around it. As it lay there with the shadows of the mountains brilliantly photographed upon its still surface I thought it must surely be the fairest picture the whole earth affords. 

[Footnote 1: The "Brigade" to which the distinguished humorist hererefers was a company of fourteen camp-followers of the Governorof Nevada, who boarded at the same house as Mark, that of Mrs. O'Flannigan. They had joined the Governor's retinue "by their ownelection at New York and San Francisco, and came along, feeling thatin the scuffle for little territorial crumbs and offices they couldnot make their condition more precarious than it was, and mightreasonably expect to make it better. They were popularly known as the'Irish Brigade, ' though there were only four or five Irishmen amongthem. "]

 . . . After supper as the darkness closed down and the stars came out and spangled the great mirror with jewels, we smoked meditatively in the solemn hush and forgot our troubles and our pains. In due time we spread our blankets in the warm sand between two large bowlders and soon fell asleep. . . . The wind rose just as we were losing consciousness, and we were lulled to sleep by the beating of the surf upon the shore. 

 It is always very cold on that Lake shore in the night, but we had plenty of blankets and were warm enough. We never moved a muscle all night, but waked at early dawn in the original positions, and got up at once thoroughly refreshed, free from soreness, and brim full of friskiness. There is no end of wholesome medicine in such an experience. That morning we could have whipped ten such people as we were the day before--sick ones at any rate. But the world is slow, and people will go to "water cures" and "movement cures" and to foreign lands for health. To Three months of camp life on Lake Tahoe would restore an Egyptian mummy to his pristine vigor, and give him an appetite like an alligator. I do not mean the oldest and driest mummies, of course, but the fresher ones. The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be?--It is the same the angels breathe. I think that hardly any amount of fatigue can be gathered together that a man cannot sleep off in one night on the sand by its side. Not under a roof, but under the sky; it seldom or never rains there in the summer time. 

 . . . Next morning while smoking the pipe of peace after breakfast we watched the sentinel peaks put on the glory of the sun, and followed the conquering light as it swept down among the shadows, and set the captive crags and forests free. We watched the tinted pictures grow and brighten upon the water till every little detail of forest, precipice, and pinnacle was wrought in and finished, and the miracle of the enchanter complete. Then to "business. "

 That is, drifting around in the boat. We were on the north shore. There, the rocks on the bottom are sometimes gray, sometimes white. This gives the marvelous transparency of the water a fuller advantage than it has elsewhere on the Lake. We usually pushed out a hundred yards or so from the shore, and then lay down on the thwarts in the sun, and let the boat drift by the hour whither it would. We seldom talked. It interrupted the Sabbath stillness, and marred the dreams the luxurious rest and indolence brought. The shore all along was indented with deep, curved bays and coves, bordered by narrow sand-beaches; and where the sand ended, the steep mountain-sides rose right up aloft into space--rose up like a vast wall a little out of the perpendicular, and thickly wooded with tall pines. 

 So singularly clear was the water, that where it was only twenty or thirty feet deep the bottom was so perfectly distinct that the boat seemed floating in the air! Yes, where it was even _eighty_ feet deep. Every little pebble was distinct, every speckled trout, every hand's-breadth of sand. Often, as we lay on our faces, a granite bowlder, as large as a village church, would start out of the bottom apparently, and seem climbing up rapidly to the surface, till presently it threatened to touch our faces, and we could not resist the impulse to seize an oar and avert the danger. But the boat would float on, and the bowlder descend again, and then we could see that when we had been exactly above it, it must have been twenty or thirty feet below the surface. Down through the transparency of these great depths, the water was not _merely_ transparent, but dazzlingly, brilliantly so. All objects seen through it had a bright, strong vividness, not only of outline, but of every minute detail, which they would not have had when seen simply through the same depth of atmosphere. So empty and airy did all spaces seem below us, and so strong was the sense of floating high aloft in mid-nothingness, that we called these boat-excursions "balloon-voyages. "

 We fished a good deal, but we did not average one fish a week. We could see trout by the thousand winging about in the emptiness under us, or sleeping in shoals on the bottom, but they would not bite--they could see the line too plainly, perhaps. We frequently selected the trout we wanted, and rested the bait patiently and persistently on the end of his nose at a depth of eighty feet, but he would only shake it off with an annoyed manner, and shift his position. [1]

[Footnote 1: These extracts are made from Mark Twain's copyrightedworks by especial arrangement with his publishers, Harper & Bros. , New York. ]

CHAPTER B

MARK TWAIN AND THE FOREST RANGERS

In a quarterly magazine published solely for the Rangers of the TahoeReserve, one of the Rangers thus "newspaperizes" Mark's experiencesin two different sketches, one as it was in 1861 "before" theestablishment of the Reserve, and the other as it would be "now. "

AS IT WAS IN 1861

 _Extract from January Harper's_. --Mark Twain heard that the timber around Lake Bigler (Tahoe) promised vast wealth which could be had for the asking. He decided to locate a timber claim on its shores. He went to the Lake with a young Ohio lad, staked out a timber claim, and made a semblance of fencing it and of building a habitation, to comply with the law. They did not sleep in the house, of which Mark Twain says: "It never occurred to us for one thing, and besides, it was built to hold the ground, and that was enough. We did not wish to strain it. "

 They lived by their camp-fire on the borders of the Lake and one day--it was just at nightfall--it got away from them, fired the Forest, and destroyed their fence and habitation. His picture of the superb night spectacle--the mighty mountain conflagration--is splendidly vivid. 

 "The level ranks of flame were relieved at intervals by the standard-bearers, as we called the tall dead trees, wrapped in fire, and waving their blazing banners a hundred feet in the air. Then we could turn from the scene to the Lake and see every branch and leaf, and cataract of flame upon its banks perfectly reflected, as in a gleaming, fiery mirror. The mighty roaring of the conflagration, together with our solitary and somewhat unsafe position (for there was no one within six miles of us), rendered the scene very impressive. "

AS IT WOULD BE NOW

 _Press Dispatch_, --_August_ 15, 1912. 

 MARK TWAIN FIRES FOREST! ! !

 NOTED HUMORIST CHARGED BY FOREST OFFICERS WITH CRIMINAL CARELESSNESS

 Mark Twain and a friend from Ohio, who have been camping on Lake Tahoe, are responsible for a Forest fire which burned over about 200 acres before it was checked by Forest officers. The fire was sighted at 6 o'clock P. M. By one of the coöperative patrolmen of the Crown Columbia Paper Company, who at once telephoned to the tender of the Launch 'Ranger' for help. Within an hour the launch was on the scene with a dozen men picked up at Tahoe City, and by 10 o'clock the fire was practically under control. 

 Twain and his friend were found spell-bound by the Rangers, at the impressiveness of the fire. After fighting it for several hours, however, its grandeur palled upon them, and at the present time they are considerably exercised inasmuch as it was ascertained that the fire was a result of their carelessness in leaving a camp-fire to burn unattended. It is extremely likely that the well-known humorist will find the penalty attendant to his carelessness, no "joking" matter. 

To which I take the liberty of adding the following:

SUBSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS

 From the _Nevada City Bulletin_, Sept. 6, 1912. 

 Samuel L. Clemens (popularly known as Mark Twain), together with Silas Snozzlebottom, of Columbus, Ohio, was to-day arraigned before Justice Brown, of the Superior Court, charged with having caused a destructive fire by leaving his campfire unattended. The eminent humorist and author was evidently unaware of the seriousness of his offense for he positively refused to engage an attorney to defend him. When called upon to plead he began to explain that while he confessed to lighting the fire, and leaving it unattended, he wished the Judge to realize that it was the act of God in sending the wind that spread the flames that caused the destructive fire which ensued. The Judge agreed with him, and then grimly said it was a similar act of God which impelled him to levy a fine of $500. 00 and one month in jail for leaving his campfire subject to the influence of the wind. The humorist began to smile "on the left, " and expressed an earnest desire to argue the matter out with the Judge, but with a curt "Next Case!" Mark was dismissed in charge of an officer and retired "smiling a sickly smile, " and though he did not "curl up on the floor, " it is evident that the subsequent proceedings interested him no more. 

CHAPTER C

THOMAS STARR KING AT LAKE TAHOE

In 1863 Thomas Starr King, perhaps the most noted and broadly honoreddivine ever known on the Pacific Coast, visited Lake Tahoe, and onhis return to San Francisco preached a sermon, entitled: "LivingWater from Lake Tahoe. " Its descriptions are so felicitous that I amgratified to be able to quote them from Dr. King's volume of Sermons_Christianity and Humanity_, with the kind permission of thepublishers, Houghton, Mifflin Company, Boston, Mass. 

 LIVING WATER FROM LAKE TAHOE

 When one is climbing from the west, by the smooth and excellent road, the last slope of the Sierra ridge, he expects, from the summit of the pass, which is more than seven thousand feet above the sea, higher than the famous pass of the Splugen, or the little St. Bernard, to look off and down upon an immense expanse. He expects, or, if he had not learned beforehand, he would anticipate with eagerness, that he should be able to see mountain summits beneath him, and beyond these, valleys and ridges alternating till the hills subside into the eastern plains. How different the facts that await the eye from the western summit, and what a surprise! We find, on gaining what seems to be the ridge, that the Sierra range for more than a hundred miles has a double line of jagged pinnacles, twelve or fifteen miles apart, with a trench or trough between, along a portion of the way, that is nearly fifteen hundred feet deep if we measure from the pass which the stages traverse, which is nearly three thousand feet deep if the plummet is dropped from the highest points of the snowy spires. Down into this trench we look, and opposite upon the eastern wall and crests, as we ride out to the eastern edge of the western summit. In a stretch of forty miles the chasm of it bursts into view at once, half of which is a plain sprinkled with groves of pine, and the other half an expanse of level blue that mocks the azure into which its guardian towers soar. This is Lake Tahoe, an Indian name which signifies "High Water. " We descend steadily by the winding mountain-road, more than three miles to the plain, by which we drive to the shore of the Lake; but it is truly Tahoe, "High Water. " For we stand more than a mile, I believe more than six thousand feet above the sea, when we have gone down from the pass to its sparkling beach. It has about the same altitude as the Lake of Mount Cenis (6280 feet) in Switzerland, and there is only one sheet of water in Europe that can claim a greater elevation (Lake Po de Vanasque, 7271 feet). There are several, however, that surpass it in the great mountain-chains of the Andes and of Hindustan. The Andes support a lake at 12, 000 feet above the sea, and one of the slopes of the Himalaya, in Thibet, encloses and upholds a cup of crystal water 15, 600 feet above the level of the Indian Ocean, covering an area, too, of 250 square miles. I had supposed, however, that within the immense limits of the American Republic, or north of us on the continent, there is no sheet of water that competes with Tahoe in altitude and interest. But in Mariposa County of our State there are two lakes, both small, --one 8300 feet, and the other 11, 000 feet, --on the Sierra above the line of the sea. 

 To a wearied frame and tired mind what refreshment there is in the neighborhood of this lake! The air is singularly searching and strengthening. The noble pines, not obstructed by underbrush, enrich the slightest breeze with aroma and music. Grand peaks rise around, on which the eye can admire the sternness of everlasting crags and the equal permanence of delicate and feathery snow. Then there is the sense of seclusion from the haunts and cares of men, of being upheld on the immense billow of the Sierra, at an elevation near the line of perpetual snow, yet finding the air genial, and the loneliness clothed with the charm of feeling the sense of the mystery of the mountain heights, the part of a chain that link the two polar seas, and of the mystery of the water poured into the granite bowl, whose rim is chased with the splendor of perpetual frost, and whose bounty, flowing into the Truckee stream, finds no outlet into the ocean, but sinks again into the land. 

 Everything is charming in the surroundings of the mountain Lake; but as soon as one walks to the beach of it, and surveys its expanse, it is the color, or rather the colors, spread out before the eye, which holds it with greatest fascination. I was able to stay eight days in all, amidst that calm and cheer, yet the hues of the water seemed to become more surprising with each hour. The Lake, according to recent measurement, is about twenty-one miles in length, by twelve or thirteen in breadth. There is no island visible to break its sweep, which seems to be much larger than the figures indicate. And the whole of the vast surface, the boundaries of which are taken in easily at once by the range of the eye, is a mass of pure splendor. When the day is calm, there is a ring of the Lake, extending more than a mile from shore, which is brilliantly green. Within this ring the vast center of the expanse is of a deep, yet soft and singularly tinted blue. Hues cannot be more sharply contrasted than are these permanent colors. They do not shade into each other; they lie as clearly defined as the course of glowing gems in the wall of the New Jerusalem. It is precisely as if we were looking upon an immense floor of lapis lazuli set within a ring of flaming emerald. 

 The cause of this contrast is the sudden change in the depth of the water at a certain distance from shore. For a mile or so the basin shelves gradually, and then suddenly plunges off into unknown depths. The center of the Lake must be a tremendous pit. A very short distance from where the water is green and so transparent that the clean stones can be seen on the bottom a hundred feet below, the blue water has been found to be fourteen hundred feet deep; and in other portions soundings cannot be obtained with a greater extent of line. 

 What a savage chasm the lake-bed must be! Empty the water from it and it is pure and unrelieved desolation. And the sovereign loveliness of the water that fills it is its color. The very savageness of the rent and fissure is made the condition of the purest charm. The Lake does not feed a permanent river. We cannot trace any issue of it to the ocean. It is not, that we know, a well-spring to supply any large district with water for ordinary use. It seems to exist for beauty. And its peculiar beauty has its root in the peculiar harshness and wildness of the deeps it hides. 

 Brethren, this question of color in nature, broadly studied, leads us quickly to contemplate and adore the love of God. If God were the Almighty chiefly, --if he desired to impress us most with his omnipotence and infinitude, and make us bow with dread before him, how easily the world could have been made more somber, how easily our senses could have been created to receive impressions of the bleak vastness of space, how easily the mountains might have been made to breathe terror from their cliffs and walls, how easily the general effect of extended landscapes might have been monotonous and gloomy! If religion is, as it has so often been conceived to be, hostile to the natural good and joy which the heart seeks instinctively, --if sadness, if melancholy, be the soul of its inspiration, and misery for myriads the burden of its prophecy, --I do not believe that the vast deeps of space above us would have been tinted with tender azure, hiding their awfulness; I do not believe that storms would break away into rainbows, and that the clouds of sunset would display the whole gamut of sensuous splendor; I do not believe that the ocean would wear such joy for the eye over its awful abysses; I do not believe that the mountains would crown the complete, the general loveliness of the globe. 

The eloquent preacher then continues to draw other lessons from theLake, but, unfortunately, our space is too limited to allow quotationin full. The following, however, are short excerpts which suggest therichness of the fuller expression:

 The color of the Lake is a word from this natural Gospel. It covers the chasms and wounds of the earth with splendor. It is what the name of the lovely New Hampshire lake, Winnepesaukee indicates, "The Smile of the Great Spirit. "

 And this color is connected with purity. The green ring of the Lake is so brilliant, the blue enclosed by it is so deep and tender, because there is no foulness in the water. The edge of the waves along all the beach is clean. The granite sand, too, often dotted with smooth-washed jaspers and garnets and opaline quartz, is especially bright and spotless. In fact, the Lake seems to be conscious, and to have an instinct against contamination. Several streams pour their burden from the mountains into it; but the impurities which they bring down seem to be thrown back from the lip of the larger bowl, and form bars of sediment just before they can reach its sacred hem. Dip from its white-edged ripples, or from its calm heart, or from the foam that breaks over its blue when the wind rouses it to frolic, and you dip what is fit for a baptismal font, --you dip purity itself. 

 * * * * *

 The purity of nature is the expression of joy, and it is a revelation to us that the Creator's holiness is not repellent and severe. God tries to win you by his Spirit, which clothes the world with beauty, to trust him, to give up your evil that you may find deeper communion with him, and to recognize the charm of goodness which alone is harmony with the cheer and the purity of the outward world. 

 I must speak of another lesson, connected with religion, that was suggested to me on the borders of Lake Tahoe. It is bordered by groves of noble pines. Two of the days that I was permitted to enjoy there were Sundays. On one of them I passed several hours of the afternoon in listening, alone, to the murmur of the pines, while the waves were gently beating the shore with their restlessness. If the beauty and purity of the Lake were in harmony with the deepest religion of the Bible, certainly the voice of the pines was also in chord with it. 

 * * * * *

 I read under the pines of Lake Tahoe, on that Sunday afternoon, some pages from a recent English work that raises the question of inspiration. Is the Bible the word of God, or the words of men? It is neither. It is the word of God breathed through the words of men, inextricably intertwined with them as the tone of the wind with the quality of the tree. We must go to the Bible as to a grove of evergreens, not asking for cold, clear truth, but for sacred influence, for revival to the devout sentiment, for the breath of the Holy Ghost, not as it wanders in pure space, but as it sweeps through cedars and pines. 

 * * * * *

 In my Sunday musing by the shore of our Lake, I raised the question, --Who were looking upon the waters of Tahoe when Jesus walked by the beach of Gennesareth? Did men look upon it then? And if so were they above the savage level, and could they appreciate its beauty? And before the time of Christ, before the date of Adam, however far back we may be obliged to place our ancestor, for what purpose was this luxuriance of color, this pomp of garniture? How few human eyes have yet rested upon it in calmness, to drink in its loveliness! There are spots near the point of the shore where the hotel stands, to which not more than a few score intelligent visitors have yet been introduced. Such a nook I was taken to by a cultivated friend. We sailed ten miles on the water to the mouth of a mountain stream that pours foaming into its green expanse. We left the boat, followed this stream by its downward leaps through uninvaded nature for more than a mile, and found that it flows from a smaller lake, not more than three miles in circuit, which lies directly at the base of two tremendous peaks of the Sierra, white with immense and perpetual snow-fields. The same ring of vivid green, the same center of soft deep blue, was visible in this smaller mountain bowl, and it is fed by a glorious cataract, supported by those snow-fields, which pours down in thundering foam, at one point, in a leap of a hundred feet to die in that brilliant color, guarded by those cold, dumb crags. 

 Never since the creation has a particle of that water turned a wheel, or fed a fountain for human thirst, or served any form of mortal use. Perhaps the eyes of not a hundred intelligent spirits on the earth have yet looked upon that scene. Has there been any waste of its wild and lonely beauty? Has Tahoe been wasted because so few appreciative souls have studied and enjoyed it? If not a human glance had yet fallen upon it, would its charms of color and surroundings be wasted charms?

 * * * * *

 Where we discern beauty and yet seclusion, loveliness and yet no human use, we can follow up the created charm to yet the mind of the Creator, and think of it as realizing a conception or a dream by him. He delights in his works. To the bounds of space their glory is present as one vision to his eye. And it is our sovereign privilege that we are called to the possibility of sympathy with his joy. The universe is the home of God. He has lined its walls with beauty. He has invited us into his palace. He offers to us the glory of sympathy with his mind. By love of nature, by joy in the communion with its beauty, by growing insight into the wonders of color, form, and purpose, we enter into fellowship with the Creative art. We go into harmony with God. By dullness of eye and deadness of heart to natural beauty, we keep away from sympathy with God, who is the fountain of loveliness as well as the fountain of love. But the inmost harmony with the Infinite we find only through love, and the reception of his love. Then we are prepared to see the world aright, to find the deepest joy in its pure beauty, and to wait for the hour of translation to the glories of the interior and deeper world. 

CHAPTER D

JOSEPH LECONTE AT LAKE TAHOE

Joseph LeConte, from whom LeConte Lake is named, the best-belovedprofessor of the University of California, and its most notedgeologist, in the year 1870 started out with a group of students ofhis geology classes, and made a series of _Ramblings in the HighSierras_. These were privately printed in 1875, and from a copygiven to me many years ago by the distinguished author, I make thefollowing extracts on Lake Tahoe:

 _August_ 20, (1870). I am cook to-day. I therefore got up at daybreak and prepared breakfast while the rest enjoyed their morning snooze. After breakfast we hired a sail-boat, partly to fish, but mainly to enjoy a sail on this beautiful Lake. 

 Oh! the exquisite beauty of this Lake--its clear waters, emerald-green, and the deepest ultramarine blue; its pure shores, rocky or cleanest gravel, so clean that the chafing of the waves does not stain in the least the bright clearness of the waters; the high granite mountains, with serried peaks, which stand close around its very shore to guard its crystal purity, --this Lake, not _among_, but _on_, the mountains, lifted six thousand feet towards the deep-blue overarching sky, whose image it reflects! We tried to fish for trout, but partly because the speed of the sail-boat could not be controlled, and partly because we enjoyed the scene far more than the fishing, we were unsuccessful, and soon gave it up. We sailed some six or eight miles, and landed in a beautiful cove on the Nevada side. Shall we go in swimming? Newspapers in San Francisco say there is something peculiar in the waters of this high mountain Lake. It is so light, they say, that logs of timber sink immediately, and bodies of drowned animals never rise; that it is impossible to swim in it; that, essaying to do so, many good swimmers have been drowned. These facts are well attested by newspaper scientists, and therefore not doubted by newspaper readers. Since leaving Oakland, I have been often asked by the young men the scientific explanation of so singular a fact. I have uniformly answered, "We will try scientific experiments when we arrive there. " That time had come. "Now then, boys, " I cried, "for the scientific experiment I promised you!" I immediately plunged in head-foremost and struck out boldly. I then threw myself on my back, and lay on the surface with ray limbs extended and motionless for ten minutes, breathing quietly the while. All the good swimmers quickly followed. It is as easy to swim and float in this as in any other water. Lightness from diminished atmospheric pressure? Nonsense! In an almost incompressible liquid like water, the diminished density produced by diminished pressure would be more than counterbalanced by increased density produced by cold. 

 After our swim, we again launched our boat, and sailed out into the very middle of the Lake. The wind had become very high, and the waves quite formidable. We shipped wave after wave, so that those of us who were sitting in the bows got drenched. It was very exciting. The wind became still higher; several of the party got very sick, and two of them _cascaded_. I was not in the least affected, but, on the contrary, enjoyed the sail very much. About 2 P. M. We concluded it was time to return, and therefore tacked about for camp. 

 The wind was now dead ahead, and blowing very hard. The boat was a very bad sailer, and so were _we_. We beat up against the wind a long time, and made but little headway. Finally, having concluded we would save time and patience by doing so, we ran ashore on the beach about a mile from camp and towed the boat home. The owner of the boat told us that _he_ would not have risked the boat or his life in the middle of the Lake on such a day. "Where ignorance is bliss, " etc. 

 After a hearty supper we gathered around the fire, and the young men sang in chorus until bedtime. "Now then, boys, " cried I, "for a huge camp-fire, for it will be cold tonight!" We all scattered in the woods, and every man returned with a log, and soon the leaping blaze seemed to overtop the pines. We all lay around, with our feet to the fire, and soon sank into deep sleep. 

 _August 21_. Sunday at Tahoe! I wish I could spend it in perfect quiet. But my underclothes must be changed. Cleanliness is a Sunday duty. Some washing is necessary. Some of the party went fishing to-day. The rest of us remained in camp and mended or washed clothes. 

 At 12 M. I went out alone, and sat on the shore of the Lake, with the waves breaking at my feet. How brightly emerald-green the waters near the shore, and how deeply and purely blue in the distance! The line of demarcation is very distinct, showing that the bottom drops off suddenly. How distinct the mountains and cliffs all around the Lake; only lightly tinged with blue on the farther side, though more than twenty miles distant!

 How greatly is one's sense of beauty affected by association! Lake Mono is surrounded by much grander and more varied mountain scenery than this; its waters are also very clear, and it has the advantage of several very picturesque islands; but the dead volcanoes, the wastes of volcanic sand and ashes covered only by interminable sagebrush, the bitter, alkaline, dead, slimy waters, in which nothing but worms live; the insects and flies which swarm on its surface, and which are thrown upon its shore in such quantities as to infect the air, --all these produce a sense of desolation and death which is painful; it destroys entirely the beauty of the lake itself; it unconsciously mingles with and alloys the pure enjoyment of the incomparable mountain scenery in its vicinity. On the contrary, the deep-blue, pure waters of Lake Tahoe, rivaling in purity and blueness the sky itself; its clear, bright emerald shore-waters, breaking snow-white on its clean rock and gravel shores; the Lake basin, not on a plain, with mountain scenery in the distance, but counter-sunk in the mountain's top itself, --these produce a never-ceasing and ever-increasing sense of joy, which naturally grows into love. There would seem to be no beauty except as associated with human life and connected with a sense of fitness for human happiness. Natural beauty is but the type of spiritual beauty. Enjoyed a very refreshing swim in the Lake this afternoon. The water is much less cold than that of Lake Tenaya or the Tuolumne River, or even the Nevada River. 

 The party which went out fishing returned with a very large trout. It was delicious. 

 I observe on the Lake ducks, gulls, terns, etc. , and about it many sandhill cranes--the white species, the clanging cry of these sounds pleasant to me by early association. 

 _August 22_. Nothing to do to-day. Would be glad to sail on the Lake or fish, but too expensive hiring boats. Our funds are nearly exhausted. Would be glad to start for home, but one of our party--Pomroy--has gone to Carson City, and we must wait for him. 

 I went down alone to the Lake, sat down on the shore and enjoyed the scene. Nothing to do, my thoughts to-day naturally went to the dear ones at home. Oh! how I wish they could be here and enjoy with me this lovely Lake! I could dream away my life here with those I love. How delicious a dream! Of all the places I have yet seen, this is the one I could longest enjoy and love the most. Reclining thus in the shade, on the clean white sand, the waves rippling at my feet, with thoughts of Lake Tahoe and of my loved ones mingling in my mind, I fell into a delicious doze. After my doze I returned to camp, to dinner. 

 About 5 P. M. Took another and last swim in the Lake. 

 Pomroy, who went to Carson, returned 7 P. M. After supper, again singing in chorus, and then the glorious campfire. 

CHAPTER E

JOHN VANCE CHENEY AT LAKE TAHOE

One of America's poets who long lived in California, and then, afteran honorable and useful sojourn as Director of one of the importantlibraries of the East, returned to spend the remainder of hisdays--John Vance Cheney--in 1882, made the trip to Lake Tahoe by stagefrom Truckee, and, among other fine pieces of description, wrote thefollowing which appeared in _Lippincott's_ for August, 1883:

 One more ascent has been made, one more turn rounded, and behold, from an open elevation, close upon its shore, Lake Tahoe in all its calm beauty bursts suddenly upon the sight. Nestled among the snowy summit-peaks of the Sierra Nevada, more than six thousand feet above sea-level, it lies in placid transparency. The surrounding heights are all the more pleasing to the eye because of their lingering winter-cover; and as we gaze upon the Lake, unruffled by the gentlest breeze, we marvel at the quiet, --almost supernatural, --radiancy of the scene. Lakes in other lands may present greater beauty of artificial setting, --beauty dependent largely upon picturesqueness, where vineyards and ivied ruins heighten the effect of natural environment, --but for nature pure and simple, for chaste beauty and native grandeur, one will hesitate before naming the rival of Lake Tahoe. This singularly impressive sheet of water, one of the highest in the world, gains an indescribable but easily-perceived charm by its remoteness, its high, serene, crystal isolation. Its lights and shades, its moods and passions, are changing, rapid, and free as the way of the wind. 

 A true child of nature, it varies ever, from hour to hour enchanting with new and strange fascination. The thousand voices of the lofty Sierra call to it, and it answers; all the colors of the rainbow gather upon it, receiving in their turn affectionate recognition. Man has meddled with it little more than with the sky; the primeval spell is upon it, the hush, the solitude of the old gods. The breath of powers invisible, awful, rouse it to the sublimity of untamable energy; again, hush it into deepest slumber. Night and day it is guarded, seemingly, by wonder-working forces known to man only through the uncertain medium of the imagination. The traveler who looks upon Lake Tahoe for a few hours only learns little of its rich variety. Like all things wild and shy, it must be approached slowly and with patience. 

 But our sketch must not include more than the hasty glimpses of a day. The stage conveyed us directly to the wharf, which we reached at ten o'clock, having accomplished our fourteen mile ride up the valley in about two and a half hours. As we boarded the little steamer awaiting us and looked over its side into the water below, the immediate shock of surprise cannot be well described. Every pebble at the bottom showed as distinctly as if held in the open hand. We had all seen clear water before, but, as a severe but unscholarly sufferer once said of his rheumatism, "never such as _these_. " The day being perfect, no breeze stirring, and the Lake without a ripple, the gravelly bottom continued visible when we had steamed out to a point where the water reached a depth of eighty feet. Two gentlemen on board who had made a leisurely trip round the world and were now on their way home to England, remarked that they had seen but one sheet of water (a lake in Japan) of anything like equal transparency. It is presumed that they had not visited Green Lake, Colorado. 

 Our course lay along the California shore, toward its southern extremity, the steamer stopping at several points for exchange of mail. These stopping places are all summer-resorts, where the guests, snugly housed at the base of the mountain-range, divide the time between lounging or rambling under the shadow of the tall pines and angling for the famous Tahoe trout in the brightness of the open Lake. All looked inviting, but we were not wholly enchanted until, gliding past many a snowy peak, we suddenly changed course and put into Emerald Bay. This little bay, or rather lake in itself, about three miles in length, is the gem of the Tahoe scenery. Through its narrow entrance, formed by perpendicular cliffs some two thousand feet high, we moved on toward an island of rock and a succession of flashing waterfalls beyond. 

 * * * * *

 For a time the dazzling mountain-crests and glistening gorges absorbed attention. So high, white, silent! We longed to be upon the loftiest one, from the top of which can be seen thirteen charming little mountain-lakes, midair jewels, varying in feature according to the situation. Two of these lakes, widely dissimilar in character, are but two miles distant from Tallac House, a comfortable resort at the base of the noble peak from which it takes its name. 

 But not even the crystal summit ridges delighted us as did the changing waters in the path of the steamer. Following immediately upon the transparency preserved to a depth of some eighty feet, a blur passed over the surface. This changed by imperceptible degrees to a light green. The green, again, speedily deepened, shading into a light blue; and finally, in deepest water (where the Lake is all but fathomless), the color becomes so densely blue that we could not believe our eyes. Indigo itself was outdone. Description fails; the blue deep of Tahoe must be seen to be appreciated. 

 * * * * *

 The ride from Glenwood back to Tahoe City was not so calm. The Lake was considerably agitated; less so, however, than on the following day, when, as we learned afterward, our little steamer lost its rudder. Owing to the gorges in the mountains upon either side, through which winds rush unexpectedly, Tahoe has her dangers. She is a wild, wayward child, but thoroughly lovable throughout all her frowns as well as smiles, equally captivating in her moments of unconquerable willfulness as in her seasons of perfect submission. Reaching Tahoe City at four o'clock, we found the stage standing in readiness, and, with a last, hasty look at the Lake, we were soon on our way by the banks of the Truckee, back to town. 

CHAPTER F

THE RESORTS OF LAKE TAHOE

In the body of this book I have given full account of some of theresorts of the Tahoe region, including Deer Park Springs, TahoeTavern, Fallen Leaf Lodge, Cathedral Park, Glen Alpine Springs, Al-Tahoe, Lakeside, Glenbrook and Carnelian Bay. 

But these are by no means all the resorts of the Bay, and each yearsees additions and changes. Hence I have deemed it well briefly todescribe those resorts that are in operation at the time this volumeis issued. 

It should be remembered that each resort issues its own descriptivefolder, copies of which may be obtained from the ticket offices of theSouthern Pacific Railway, the Lake Tahoe Railway and TransportationCompany, or the Peck-Judah Information Bureau, as well as from itsown office. All the resorts not already described in their respectivechapters are reached by steamer on its circuit around the Lake, asfollows:

HOMEWOOD

The first place for the steamer after leaving the Tavern is Homewood, a comparatively new resort, but already popular and successful, conducted by Mr. And Mrs. A. W. Jost. This is six miles from TahoeCity. The hotel was built in 1913 and has hot and cold water piped toall rooms. 

In addition there are cottages of two and three rooms, which, togetherwith single and double tents, provide for every taste and purse. Thetents are protected by flies, have solid boarded floors, are wellcarpeted, and afford the fullest opportunity for out-door sleeping. Homewood possesses a gently sloping and perfectly safe bathingbeach for adults and children. It also boasts a unique feature inan open-air dancing platform, with old-fashioned music. It ownsits power-boat for excursions on the Lake, and its fleet of row-andfishing-boats. A campfire is lighted nightly during the season, andsong and story cheer the merry hours along. 

For circulars address A. W. Jost, Homewood, Lake Tahoe, Calif. 

MCKINNEY'S

Three and a half to four miles beyond Homewood is McKinney's. Thisis one of the oldest and best-established resorts on the Lake, havingbeen founded and long conducted by that pioneer of Lake Tahoe, J. W. McKinney, as fully related elsewhere. It is now under the managementof Murphy Brothers and Morgan, and is essentially a place that ispopular with the crowd. The resort was built, as are all theolder places, to meet ever-increasing needs, the main hotel beingsupplemented by numerous cottages and tents. McKinney's has a fine newdancing-hall, dark-room for amateur photographers, iron and magnesiasprings, fleet of fishing- and motor-boats, free fishing-tackle, etc. , and during the season its accommodation for two hundred guests is morethan taxed to the limit. 

For circular address Murphy Brothers and Morgan, McKinney's, LakeTahoe, Calif. 

MOANA VILLA

The next steamer stopping-place, about two hundred yards fromMcKinney's is Moana Villa, the comfortable, unpretentious and homelikeresort conducted by Mr. And Mrs. R. Colwell, who are also the ownersof Rubicon Springs, reached by daily stage during the summer season, nine miles from McKinney's. 

Owning its own ranch in the mountains where milk, cream, butter, eggs, poultry and game are plentiful, the table at Moana Villa is providedwith all the substantials and luxuries, cooked and served in homestyle. 

One great advantage is offered to guests at Moana Villa, viz. : theymay divide their time between it and Rubicon Springs, as both areunder the same ownership and management. 

The new Scenic Automobile Boulevard passes through the 700 acres ofdelightful surroundings which belong to the place. The best fishinggrounds on Lake Tahoe are close by and numerous smaller mountain lakesand streams afford excellent fly fishing. Deer, bear, grouse, quail, ducks, geese and other game abound in the locality. 

Hunting, fishing, bathing, boating, dancing, launch trips, beautifulwalks and drives and numerous games give ample opportunity foramusement and recreation. The assembly hall and office is of logs. Sleeping accommodations in cottages and tents or out of doors ifdesired. Water is piped from a clear mountain spring, and an equipmentof up-to-date sanitary plumbing, bath and toilet appliances has beenlately installed. 

For circular address R. Colwell, Moana Villa, Lake Tahoe, Calif. 

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POMIN'S

A little beyond Moana Villa is Pomin's, the latest acquisition tothe resorts of the Lake, having been opened in 1914. The hotel is anattractive, well-equipped, up-to-date structure, located on a knoll150 feet from the Lake, and is surrounded by pines. Enclosed verandas, open fires in lobby and dining-rooms, electric lights, hot andcold water in all the rooms, tents and cottages are some of theconveniences and luxuries. 

There is an attractive club-house on the Lake Shore. For circularaddress Frank J. Pomin, Pomin's, Lake Tahoe, Calif. 

Emerald Bay Camp and Al-Tahoe have both been described in theirrespective chapters. 

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TALLAC

As explained in Chapter XVIII, Tallac House was built by E. J. (Lucky)Baldwin. For many years it was the principal hotel on the Lake, butwhat was a fine and superior hotel 25 years ago did not satisfy thedemands of modern patrons. Hence some years ago Mr. Baldwin planned toerect a new hotel near the site of the old one. Unfortunately the workwas not much more than begun when he died and nothing has been done toit since. 

The hotel is now under the management of a San Francisco firm. 

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PINE FOREST INN

Built, as its name implies, in a pine grove of trees, this is oneof the older resorts of the Lake. It is unique in that it keeps openthroughout the year. Like the rest of the resorts of its class ithas hotel and dining-room with cottages and tents. Under its newmanagement a new casino has been built, and every room and cottage, etc. , equipped with electric lights. Especial attention is given tocamping-, fishing-, and hunting-parties. It is on the State Highwaybetween Placerville and Carson City, Nevada, and therefore makes allprovision for automobilists. 

For circular address Lawrence & Comstock, Pine Forest Inn, TallacP. O. , Calif. 

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CAMP BELL

Located between Al Tahoe and Bijou is Camp Bell, conducted by RussellW. Bell. The camp consists of tents and an open-air dining-room. 

For circular address Russell W. Bell, 128 Edgewood Ave. , SanFrancisco, Calif. 

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BIJOU INN

This is another well-known Inn and Camp at the southeastern end ofthe Lake. It is on the Lake Shore Drive near to the State Highway andclose to Freel's and the other mountain peaks of this group. Thebeach in front of Bijou is of clean white sand, with a gentle slope, offering excellent facilities for bathing. 

For circular address W. F. Conolley, Bijou, Lake Tahoe, Calif. 

 * * * * *

Lakeside Park and Glenwood have each been described in theirrespective chapters. 

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BROCKWAYS

This old-established and popular hot-springs resort is on the northend of the Lake, beautifully situated on State-Line Point betweenCrystal and Agate Bays. The hot springs and mineral swimming-pool herehave a tested quality which thousands of guests can testify to, andthey are annually patronized by a large number. The resort and springsare under the management of the owner. 

For circular, address F. B. Alverson, Brockways, Lake Tahoe, Calif. 

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TAHOE VISTA

On the shores of Agate Bay a new resort was started two years ago, known as Tahoe Vista. It has a modern hotel, equipped for convenienceand comfort. 

Bathing, boating and fishing in Agate Bay at Tahoe Vista is at itsbest. The white sanded beach is broad and is safe to the smallestchild, the bay being shallow for a distance of five hundred feetfrom its edge and affording a temperature to the water that is morepleasant than to be found at any other part of the Lake. 

The fame of Lake Tahoe's trout fishing is world renowned, and inAgate Bay that sport is superior. One of the public fish hatcheriesis located near Tahoe Vista, insuring a constant supply of the mostfavored varieties of game fish. Twenty-five thousand Eastern brooktrout were recently placed in Griff Creek, a lively little stream thatdances through the glens of Tahoe Vista. 

To those who wish to own their own homes on the Lake Tahoe Vistaaffords excellent opportunities in that lots are for sale at moderaterates. A direct automobile road connects with Truckee, and also withTahoe Tavern. 

For circular address Manager Hotel, Tahoe Vista, Calif. 

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Carnelian Bay and its attractions are fully described in its ownchapter. 

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TAHOE CITY

This is the starting and the ending point of the steamer trip aroundthe Lake. It is a historic place, the first town founded on LakeTahoe, and destined ultimately to come into large importance. There isa small hotel, together with housekeeping cottages, and free campingfacilities. 

For full particulars address Tahoe Development Co. , Tahoe, Calif. 

INDEX

Titles of Books are in _Italics_. 

Book chapters are in SMALL CAPITALS. 

(q)=quoted. 

Agassiz PeakAgate BayAlleghanyAlphaAlpine SpruceAltaAL TAHOEAlverson, F. B. _American Journal of Science and Art_ River (see N. & S. Forks)Anderson PeakAngel, MyronAngora Range LakesANIMALS AND BIRDS OF T. REGIONAntelope ValleyArmstrong, Mrs. AuburnAudrian LakeAUTOMOBILE ROUTE, THE WISHBONE

Baldwin, E. J. Bannister, L. H. Barker's Peak, Pass. , etc. Basketry IndianBathBearBear Creek Lake River Divide ValleyBell, CampBigelow, R. L. P. Bigler, Lake Tahoe NamedBijouBIRDS AND ANIMALS OF T. REGIONBixby LakeBlackwood CreekBliss and YeringtonBloody Canyon GlacierBloomfield, NorthBlue CanyonBlue JaysBoatingBocaBonpland, AmadéBricknell & KingerBrockwaysBrown, SamBrowning, R. (q)Buck Island LakeBurton Creek

California DitchCaminoCamping, Free CAMPING OUT TRIPS IN T. REGIONCampoodie, IndiansCARNELIAN BAY AND T. COUNTRY CLUBCarson City Falls Kit Pass River SinkCascade Lake GlacierCastle PeakCathedral Peak ParkCave RockCedar, IncenseCeliosCentral Pacific Ry. Chandler, Miss KatherineCHAPARRAL OF T. REGIONChase, Smeaton (q)Cheney, John Vance (q)ChipmunkChips FlatChurch, J. E. , Jr. , (q) "Pap"CiscoClaravilleClement, EphraimCoburn Station (see Truckee)Cohn, A. Cold StreamCole, D. W. Coleman ValleyColfaxColgateColumbia RiverColwell, R. Comstock LodeConolley, W. F. _Conroy, Gabriel_Country Club, TahoeCrags, TheCreeks of Lake T. Crystal Bay Range

Dalles of Columbia RiverDamascusDat-so-la-leDeer Creek PARK SPRINGSDelano, L. P. Desolation ValleyDevil's Playground PulpitDe Young, M. H. Diamond SpringsDick, Capt. Digger PineDonner Creek George Jacob LAKE Glacier Road. DownievilleDubliss, Mt. Dutch Flat Swindle

Eagle Bird Creek Falls Lake PointEcho LakesEdgewoodsEdith PeakEdmonds, Mark W. El Dorado ForestElevationsEllis, Jock PeakEmerald Bay AND CAMP Freezes Glacier How Formed Island Legend ofEmigrant Gap RoadErosion, GlacialEsmeralda FallsEssex

Fallen Leaf Glacier LAKE LodgeFir, Red Shasta WhiteFire, How Indians GotFish, HatcheryFISHING IN TAHOE LAKESFive Lakes CreekFloristonFlower DisplayFLOWERS OF TAHOE REGIONFolsomForest _Conditions in Sierra Nevada_ (q) Hill Divide Rangers TAHOE NATIONALFreel's PeakFreeportFreezing of Lake TahoeFRÉMONT AND THE DISCOVERY OF TAHOE Discovers Pyramid Lake Truckee River Explorations HOWITZER AND LAKE T. FuldaFulton, R. L. 

Gardnerville, Legend ofGeneral Creek Electric Co. Genoa PeakGEOLOGY OF LAKE TAHOEGeorgetown Deltas Divide JunctionGhirardelli's Chocolate Gilmore Lake NathanGLACIAL HISTORY OF T. REGION Lake ValleyGlen Alpine Canyon Falls SPRINGSGLENBROOKGold RunGoodyear's BarGranite Chief PeakGranitevilleGrant's CrackersGrass ValleyGrecian BayGreek GeorgeGrizzly Gulch PeakGrove, The

Hale, FortHangtownHarte, BretHastings, Lansford W. Hay Press MeadowsHazlett, Mr. Heather LakeHell Hole LittleHellman, I. _Heroes of California_Hickey, Frances A. Highland PeakHISTORIC TAHOE TOWNSHobart MillsHolladay, BenHomewoodHoney LakeHope ValleyHopkins, Sarah W. Horlich's Tablets, &c. HOWITZER, Frémont AND TAHOEHumboldt RiverHunsaker Bros. Hydraulic Mines

Illinoistown (see Colfax)Incense CedarInclineIndependenceIndestructo TrunkINDIANS OF LAKE TAHOE How originated LEGENDS OF T. REGION_Innocents Abroad_ (q)Iowa Hill

Jackson, An IndianJepson, W. L. (q)Job's Peak Sister PeakJost, A. W. Juniper, Western

Kent Ranger StationKing, Killed THOS. STARR AT L. TAHOEKingsbury GradeKing's CanyonKlaraet LakeKnight, Wm. H. (q)KnoxKnoxvilleKohl, C. F. Kyburgs

Lake, Hank Richards' of the Sky, Why the of the Woods Pyramid (see Pyramid) Spaulding Tahoe (see Tahoe) Origin of Valley GlacierLAKES, LESSER OF T. REGIONLAKESIDE PARKLassen, Mt. Last ChanceLatham, Capt. W. W. LavasLawrence & ComstockLECONTE, JOHN, PHYSICAL STUDIES JOSEPH AND GLACIAL STUDIES AT TAHOE LakeLEGENDS, INDIAN, OF T. REGIONLeiberg, John B. (q)Lemmon, J. G. (q)Level of Tahoe, Variations inLewis RiverLick, JamesLily LakeLincoln, Mt. Lindgren (q)Lion Peak_Lippincott's_ (q)LoggingLola, Mt. Lonely GulchLoon LakeLos AngelesLover's LeapLucile LakeLumberingLyell, Mt. 

McConnell, MaryMcGlashan, C. F. Nonette V. McKinneyMcKinstry PeakMadden, Dick, CreekMaggie's PeaksMarkleevilleMarlette, Lake Peak S. H. Martis ValleyMary's LakeMarysville ButtesMeadow Lake MinesMeek's BayMer de GlaceMeteorMichigan BluffMildred, Mt. Miller Creek Joaquin (q)Mineral SpringsMINING EXCITEMENT, SQUAW VALLEYMoana VillaModjeska FallsMono Indians LakeMonona FlatMonument PeakMoody, Chas. A. (q) MorainesMountains of Calif, (q) of T. RegionMuir, JohnMurphy Bros, and MorganMurphy, Virginia ReedMyers' Station

NAMES, VARIOUS OF L. TAHOENapoleon's HatNevada City History ofNeveNewcastleNorth Bloomfield Fork Am. River

OBSERVATORY, MT. ROSE PointOgdenOmegaOverland Monthly (q)

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. HousePainti IndiansParsons, MissPhillipsPhipps CreekPeakPHYSICAL STUDIES OF L. TAHOEPine, Digger Finger Cove Forest Inn Jeffrey Sugar White YellowPino Grande (see The Grove)Placerville RoadPleasant LakePluto, Mt. Pomin, Capt. Wm. Pomin'sPray, Capt. A. W. Preuss, Companion of FrémontPrice, W. W. Mrs. W. W. Prosser CreekPuberty DancePUBLIC USE OF WATERS OF L. TAHOEPyramid Lake Discovered Named Peak

Quaker Hill

RAIL, TO LAKE TAHOERamsay, Mrs. John. L. Rangers Forest Station, KentRaymond PeakReclamation Service, U. S. Red PeakReed, James T. Reid, W. T. Reno Water & Electric Co. Richards', Hank, LakeRichardson's Auto Stage Richardson, Barton PeakRivers of TahoeRivertonRoads in Tahoe ForestRobinson, L. L. Rock Bound LakesRose, Mt. , Flowers of OBSERVATORY_Roughing It_ (q)Round Mound TopRowlandsRubicon Park Peaks Point River SPRINGS Road

Sacramento River Valley RailroadSalmon Trout RiverSallie, PrincessSalter, Nelson I. San Buenaventura RiverSand Mtn. San Francisco Joaquin ValleyScott Bros. _Seiches_ on Lake TahoeSequoia GiganteaShaffer's MillsShakspeare Rock, Shank's CoveShasta FirShasta Mtn. Shingle SpringsShooting the ChutesSierra Valley_Silva of Calif_. Silver Mtn. Smith, J. W. , on Frémont's Diary FlatSnow Shoe Thompson Valley PeakSnyder killedSoda SpringSouthern Pacific Ry. South Fork, American R. Spaulding, LakeSpider LakeSportsman's HallSpruce, AlpineSquaw Peak Valley MINING EXCITEMENTStanford, Gov. (Steamer)Starved CampState Line HouseSTEAMER AROUND L. TAHOEStrawberrySugar Loaf Pine PointSUMMER RESIDENCE, L. TAHOE FORSummit ValleySumpter, Fort_Sunset Mag_. Susan (Indian)Susie LakeSutter's FortSwimming at TahoeSwinging Bridges

Tahoe City Country Club and S. F. WaterworksTAHOE, LAKE, AND TRUCKEE RIVER AUTOMOBILE ROUTE, WISHBONE AS A SUMMER RESIDENCE BIRDS AND ANIMALS OF Boating at Boulevard BY STEAMER AROUND CAMPING OUT TRIPS CHAPARRAL OF T. REGION CHENEY, J. V. , AT Climate of Colors of Depth of Discovery of Drowned do not rise at Feeders of FISHING AT FLOWERS OF FRÉMONT AND THE DISCOVERY OF GEOLOGY OF GLACIAL HISTORY OF How FORMED HUNTING AT INDIANS OF INDIAN LEGENDS OF KING, THOS. STARR, AT LECONTE, JOSEPH, AT LECONTE'S PHYSICAL STUDIES OF Levels, Variations of MARK TWAIN AT Mountains of Names NATIONAL FOREST Never freezes Origin of Peculiarities of Physical Culture at PUBLIC USE OF WATERS OF RAIL TO Railway and Transp. Co. Restfulness of Rivers of Significance of name Size of Swimming in Temperature of Transparency of Trees of TRUCKEE RIVER AND Variations of Level VARIOUS NAMES OF WHY "LAKE OF THE SKY" WINTER AT TAVERN TOWNS, HISTORIC VistaTallac House Mt. Tevis, W. S. Thompson Peak Snow ShoeTinker KnobTlamath Lake (see Klamat)TobogganingTodd's ValleyTowleTOWNS, HISTORIC TAHOETRAIL TRIPS IN T. REGION Hell Hole Rubicon RiverTREES OF T. REGIONTrollingTrout, Varieties ofTruckee (Indian) (Town) Canyon Glacier Little RiverTwain, MarkTwelve Mile Creek

Van SickleVelma LakesVerdiVirginia CityVon Schmidt, A. W. 

WadsworthWard Creek Peak ValleyWashoe IndiansWATER, PUBLIC USES OF TAHOEWatson Canyo Lake Mtn. Robt. , DedicationWebber LakeWhisky CreekWhite PineWigwam InnWinnemucca SarahWisconsin HillWoods, Lake of theWright, Wm. 

Yankee JimYanksYerington & BlissYewYou BetYuba Forest Reserve