The High Mountain Route. 



21 



At the break of day we were up, and soon started 

 across our newly made trail. We took it very slowly and 

 crossed without accident. Then up the loose stuif to the 

 snow. This was in fine condition and we experienced 

 no further trouble in getting to the top, some 11,700 feet 

 above sea level. Down the other side led off a branch 

 of Cartridge Creek. It was all easy traveling at first, 

 but got rougher and rougher. There was no backing 

 out now, however, and we simply tore our way down 

 that canon through brush and over rocks to the main 

 Cartridge Creek, which was reached without an acci- 

 dent, though our animals' feet were pretty badly cut up on 

 the slate talus. Now we struck a trail again, and hurried 

 up Cartridge Creek, reaching Lake Marion at 5 p. m. 



The trip the next day (July 24th) presented no serious 

 difficulties. We followed Cartridge Creek to its head 

 and crossed by a good sheep trail to the upper basin of 

 the South Fork of King's River. The pass was 11,700 

 feet elevation, and the first part of the trail down the 

 other side was a little rough, though it improved lower 

 down. The traveling up the canon of the South Fork 

 was not hard, but was disagreeal^le on account of brush 

 and swamps in the tamarack pines. At the confluence 

 of Pinchot Creek we stopped for noon, and then climbed 

 out of the cafion alongside this stream into a glorious 

 alpine pasture, where we camped amid flower gardens 

 at 10,600 feet. This was one of those rare spots in the 

 Sierra above the timber line where grass covers the hills 

 and valleys, like the Coast Range in spring. 



Next day it was up Pinchot Creek. Nowhere was the 

 way very rough, even up to the crest of the pass just 

 to the west of Mount Pinchot, 12,000 feet elevation. 

 This let us over into the watershed of Woods' Creek, and 

 the first drop-off was rough. At the lower end of the 

 basin we found the Sawmill trail, and hurried on down 

 the stream to the junction of the main forks for lunch. 

 In the afternoon we followed up the South Fork of 

 Woods' Creek, to the second lake of the chain, and 



