80 THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFORNIA 



the west it is about two hundred feet. Another 

 marked difference between the eastern and western 

 portions of the passes is that the former begin at 

 the very foot of the range, while the latter can 

 hardly be said to begin lower than an elevation of 

 from seven to ten thousand feet. Approaching the 

 range from the gray levels of Mono and Owen's 

 Valley on the east, the traveler sees before him the 

 steep, short passes in full view, fenced in by rug 

 ged spurs that come plunging down from the shoul 

 ders of the peaks on either side, the courses of 

 the more direct being disclosed from top to bottom 

 without interruption. But from the west one sees 

 nothing of the way he may be seeking until near 

 the summit, after days have been spent in thread 

 ing the forests growing on the main dividing 

 ridges between the river canons. 



It is interesting to observe how surely the alp- 

 crossing animals of every kind fall into the same 

 trails. The more rugged and inaccessible the gen 

 eral character of the topography of any particular 

 region, the more surely will the trails of white 

 men, Indians, bears, wild sheep, etc., be found 

 converging into the best passes. The Indians of 

 the western slope venture cautiously over the 

 passes in settled weather to attend dances, and 

 obtain loads of pine-nuts and the larvae of a small 

 fly that breeds in Mono and Owen's lakes, which, 

 when dried, forms an important article of food; 

 while the Pah Utes cross over from the east to 

 hunt the deer and obtain supplies of acorns; and 

 it is truly astonishing to see what immense loads 

 the haggard old squaws make out to carry bare- 



