104 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



But herein, perhaps, lies one secret of the keen joy of 

 gypsy ways, — there is enough of this contact of common 

 things to make life sweet and wholesome. To walk with 

 one's eyes forever fixed upon the stars is just as narrow- 

 ing to the field of vision as never to lift them from the 

 ground. 



The next morning we met some twoscore Sierrans on 

 top of Goat Mountain (12,800 ft.), a peak without pre- 

 tensions either of great height or difficulty, but which 

 nevertheless commands a splendid outlook over the Sierra 

 from the Palisades to the Kaweahs. The climb was 

 remarkable only for the diversity of routes chosen by the 

 many separate parties. It is one of those mountains 

 whose highest point is not determinable from below, and 

 even some of those who escaped the lure of False Peak 

 found themselves separated from the real summit by an 

 insecure knife-edge and a treacherous bit of snow. But in 

 their many and various ways one and all finally reached 

 the top and in due time joyously coasted down the snow 

 and made their way back to camp by the Copper Creek 

 trail. 



This, as it happened, was the only mountain climb of 

 the Outing, for even while undergoing repairs the bridge 

 leading to the country about Bullfrog was swept down- 

 stream. We were greatly disappointed, for we had ex- 

 pected to have at least a week among the high mountains ; 

 but in lieu of this all those who wished to do so were 

 given the opportunity to visit Paradise Valley (with a 

 pack-train this time), where we made voyages of dis- 

 covery up the little-known canons of Wood's Creek and 

 the upper Paradise Fork. 



The plan had been to take the mules only into Paradise ; 

 but after spending two nights there many of us wished 

 to journey still farther into the unknown country. Even 

 the packer confessed to this longing; and while some 

 members of the party were satisfied to return to the 

 main camp, about twenty-five people, accompanied by 

 the four animals who succeeded in swimming the river, 



