364 Ray, A Third Trip to the High Sierras. [^ 



(Phalcenoptilus nut t alii calif ornicus) . The nearly full-fledged young 

 were on the bare ground and only two feet from the road over 

 which much teaming is done. Between Folsom and Placerville 

 we found the Yellow-billed Magpie {Pica nuttalli) very abundant 

 and noticed many nests, all placed near the top of tall oak trees. 

 Eleven o'clock brought us to Placerville and ended the day's 

 travel. 



June g. — To-day we journeyed as far as Slippery Ford, on the 

 headwaters of the American River. The drive was through a con- 

 tinuous woodland, uniform in character and beauty, and quite 

 unlike the stern, rocky, precipitous country of the higher altitudes. 



June 10. — Our experience to-day will be long remembered. 

 Thinking that even if snow should cover the road, we could reach 

 Forni's, at the base of Pyramid Peak, we left the main highway at 

 Georgetown Junction at noon and began the ascent by a steep 

 road used only by dairymen in the late summer. Many fallen 

 trees, the work of winter storms, lay across the road, and much 

 accumulated brush impeded our progress, which even at the best 

 was slow. We felt rewarded for our efforts, however, when we 

 reached the summit, where the willows were only in bud and the 

 grass on the meadows just peeping out. Numberless Chickadees 

 were flitting about, besides various other species of bird life. Our 

 elation was short-lived, however, for a blinding rain-storm, ushered 

 in with terrific thunder and lightning, soon made dismal the merry 

 sun-lit woods. Indeed, what is more cheerless than a cold, drip- 

 ping forest ? After a while the rain ceased and we proceeded on our 

 way, but soon the deep snow made the road impassable, and we were 

 compelled to unharness the horses, packing only the necessities on 

 their backs, in order to continue. In places small streams had 

 undermined the snow, in which the horses would sink deep, shift- 

 ing the pack in their efforts to right themselves. Half a mile of 

 this disheartened us and we turned back ; but when we reached 

 our wagon we found we were unable to turn it on the narrow road- 

 bed. Not having eaten since breakfast, and being wet and cold, 

 we were indeed in a sorry plight. After unloading the wagon we 

 finally succeeded, inch by inch, in turning it around, and a mad 

 ride down the grade brought us again to Georgetown Junction ; 

 and a few miles further on we reached Echo, where we built a 



