Breaking a Mountain Trail 



Wheels had to be taken off and caterpillar 

 treads substituted, and bridges had to be built 



By means of caterpillar-type wheels, a 

 portable bridge and a drum-andrope 

 device for crossing turbulent streams 

 the trail was covered in two days 



TIIIC OIK- annual sportini) event in 

 Southern California which is of 

 unusual interest is l)reaking the 

 trail into Big Bear Valle\', a fishing and 

 hunting resort on top of the San Bernar- 

 dino Mountains, at an elevation of seven 

 thousand feet. For years the automohile 

 men and enthusiasts have contested for 

 the honor of being the first to make the 

 trip after the o])ening of the new year. 

 The ri\alry between these men has been 

 made more keen since a s]iorting-goods 

 house offered a \early cui) to the auto- 

 mobile and crew which should be ilu' 

 first to cross the divide. 



Every winter the Big Bear X'alley 

 section is visited by severe rain, hail and 

 snowstorms. Cloudbursts arc numer- 

 ous and there are several months during 

 which the country around the tops of the 

 mouiUains is literally frozen-u]). Diu-- 

 ing these periods it is inipossibk' to 

 reach the top l)y machine, and it is 

 almost worth the life of a person to 

 tackle the trip on foot. Before tin- 

 winter is \-ery old the trails and roads 

 le.iding lo ihe summit are made |)racti- 

 call\' impassable b>' washouts, land- 

 slides and fallen Iret-s. 



The crew piloting the last successlul 

 car converted their wheels into the 



caterpillar type. Ihe aim ol the crew 

 was to proceed as far as possible on 

 the inflated tires and when the going 

 became too hard on the rubber to change 

 to the caterpillar wheels. When the 

 rubber tires were taken off they were 

 hung to tree branches to await the 

 party's return. 



A portable bridge was carried for 

 crossing streams, but there was one 

 place where the temporary briilge was 

 useless. This was a thirty-foot stre.im 

 of swifth' running water. The men cut 

 down a i>air of large trees on the nearby 

 bank, letting them fall across the stream 

 so that they reached from bank to bank. 

 They were then drawn together so that 

 the cateri)illar wheels came on either side 

 of them, the axles being the only parts of 

 the car which touched the logs. Strong 

 ro|ies were fastened lo trees on the 

 f.irlher side of the stream, the other ends 

 being turned sevi'r.il limes around drums 

 fasleni';l to the ri'ar whi'els. W hen the 

 motor was started the drimts turned ami 

 the machine simph' ilragged itself across 

 ihi' log upon its axles. Many times 

 ihis drum-and-rope idea was brought 

 into play when tlu' car bi-came stuck. 

 ()llier crews lh.it started on the trail 

 ilid not reach the half-wa\- house. 



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