212 Life in the Open 



world and look down upon its beauties. They built a 

 trail nearly to the summit, that others might enjoy the 

 mountains. 



Half-way up the caflon lived one Judge Brunk, who 

 held court where the trees formed a green arcade over 

 the trout stream ; and ten or twelve miles beyond you 

 would come to Commodore Switzer's, who kept a little 

 inn or camp where one could idle away the days in the 

 very heart of the mountains. 



This cafion was typical of nearly all in the range ; 

 mountain lovers being scattered up and down, fully 

 satisfied with the isolation. I remember asking one 

 if he never wearied of the life there, and his reply was 

 " No." He referred to the trout stream that ran by his 

 door, and the voices of the leaves that rustled music all 

 the day. He understood it and loved the life, and so 

 there are hundreds who like it all the time, and thou- 

 sands who like it at times. I once lived six or eight 

 months in the Sierra Madre, the location being a little 

 plateau which sloped down, forming a cape between three 

 deep and beautifully wooded cations ; there was no ap- 

 proach except by descending one of the caflons and cross- 

 ing the stream ; the locality being particularly isolated 

 during storms. The place had many charms. The 

 upper portion was at this time covered with chaparral, 

 Adenostoma always green and in many tints, banks of 

 sage, groups of wild lilac and ironwoods, while on 

 either side the deep, abysmal canon was filled with these 

 and many more, alders, live oaks, sycamores, cotton- 



