1895 
Mount 
Orizaba 
Moving on up the trail that ms very steep along here, we left the 
firs at about 10,500 feet and entered a belt of large pines of two 
species both with heavy rugose, almost oarinated bark. Still up over 
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the slopes until, at about 11,000 £ eet, we entered the lower end of a 
draw which developed into the lower end of an ancient glacier bed as 
we advanced. Shore ms the terminal moraine carrying large boulders on 
its back and the sweep of the hills on either side showing where the 
ice had curved its way down from the lofty heights of the volcano that 
towered up and was lost in the clouds to our left. Is we continued the 
trees grew scattering and dwarfed and those in exposed places often 
leaned to the east as if to escape the fierce winds that must sweep 
across these high slopes. Here the hills raise smooth, grass covered 
slopes above the timber,* and the broad bluff-like end of a great lava 
stream hangs above as we wind around its base, fhe sight of a marsh 
hawk soaring along the juniper-clad face of this lava slope above timber 
line was rather surprising, 
A few small lizards scurrying over the warm faces of the lava blocks 
near the trail with scattered tracks of mice, rabbits, and a coyote were 
the only signs of life, The grass growing in scattered bunches with 
bare, sandy interspaces was the main vegetation,- only in occasional 
places were to be seen flowers of one or two species of , 
We passed the end of the lava bed and going on for some three miles 
beyond descended into the head o.f a small pine grown canon and camped 
at a rock shelter formerly used by the Indians who were employed to 
gather sulphur at the border of the crater. The small spring of water 
whioh comos out here was the source of attraction. The altitude was 
about 13,200 feet but being on the SE side of the mountain was a few 
hundred feet below timber line. Our animals were turned down into the 
canon to graze and we prepared camp. Same Arctic blue birds, robins, 
- 1S9 * 
