The High Mountain Route. 



7 



into Fish Creek somewhere far above the valley proper. 

 For a couple of miles we worked east along the brink of 

 the canon. Rough slopes forced us down the sides from 

 time to time, and with great difficulty we got the mules 

 down some rocky places covered with manzanita chap- 

 arral. After descending several bad places, it became 

 evident that return was practically impossible, so we 

 struck straight down that fearful slope through thick 

 manzanita every step of the way, and over all sorts and 

 sizes of boulders. It was unwise to risk our animals at 

 the very outset, but once started down there was no 

 help for it. By noon the bottom was reached, luckily 

 without accident, and we lunched by a small rivulet at 

 the edge of an aspen thicket. In the afternoon we forced 

 our animals through the aspens toward the creek, and 

 then cut the rest of the way to the stream with the ax. 

 Luckily, the creek was fordable, and on the west bank 

 we found an old sheep trail. This led directly up the 

 creek, and by 6 p. m. we were in camp at the beautiful 

 Peninsula IMeadow, a perfect gem of a place. 



Next morning we went on up the creek to the point 

 where the Lone Indian trail leaves the main Fish Creek 

 to climb out of the west side of the canon. Here we 

 unpacked, and taking a little lunch in the knapsack, 

 went on up the main stream to look for a pass at its 

 head. Evidences of an old sheep trail could be discerned 

 from time to time, though the way was very rough. 

 Several beautiful large meadows were passed, with steep 

 rocky gorges between, till finally the canon opened out 

 into a large basin at the timber line, lake dotted and sur- 

 rounded by towering peaks, among which were Red Slate 

 and Red-and-AMiite Peak. T\IcDuffie and I stopped at 

 the highest lake, and then returned, searching carefully 

 for the best route down the canon. 



Hutchinson went on over the shoulder of Red-and- 

 White Peak, still searching for a possible pass. On his 

 return to camp that night he reported signs of an old 

 sheep pass to the west of Red-and-White, but that it 



