40 
MADELIN PASS. 
ascends a gently opening valley. It then leaves it, ascending a branch of Smoky creek to the 
southwest. The valley of the Madelin Pass at this point is half a mile in width; and a short 
distance above, it is a mile, hut afterwards becomes a narrow ravine, with rocky walls, often 
vertical. On the south side the wall at once rises to the level of the terrace extending to our 
camp, and a railroad could only ascend that side of the pass by being cut along it; hut on the 
north side, for seven miles above the gorge, there are no terrace walls, hut the hills which set 
down into the valley afford a favorable site for ascending the pass. Above this point the 
terrace wall is found on the north side of the little valley also, hut can easily he avoided in the 
construction of a road for which nature has already done much of the grading. 
June 22.—A cool, bright day, with a gentle breeze from the southwest. The general width 
of the pass above our morning camp varies from four to six miles, hut becomes more narrow 
as we approach its summit, where it does not exceed two hundred yards in width. But the 
hills and mountains rise gently and gradually in all parts above it, and advantage can he 
taken of them to increase the distance and diminish the grade of a road to a very considerable 
extent. It was 9.89 miles to the summit by the direct route we followed. It is broad and 
rocky at the summit for three-fourths of a mile, and then gradually descends for three or four 
miles to a broad open plain, too level for the eye to detect its inclination. Large mountain 
ridges and peaks rise above this plain in all directions, but are nowhere snowy. A single 
snowy peak and a snowy ridge, however, are seen to the northwest, considerably elevated above 
the intermediate range. The extensive level plain (at the head of this pass) is ten or twelve 
miles wide, north and south, by forty in length, east and west. The most remarkable feature 
in this part of the Sierra Nevada, and a conspicuous landmark, is an elevated conical peak, 
standing immediately on the eastern limit of this plain, and directly in the line of the Madelin 
Pass in ascending it from the east. The pass winds immediately around its northern base. 
Some of the gentlemen of the party ascended it, and were gratified with the magnificent view 
it afforded; of which the snowy Mount Shasta, to the west of the Sacramento, was the striking 
feature. Its elevation is from 2,500 to 3,000 feet above that of the summit of the pass. We 
encamped at the western base of this peak, at springs and meadows of grass. 
The grades indicated by our barometers for the ascent of this pass from the valley of Mud 
lake are as follows: To the head of the gorge, 3 miles, 41.60 feet per mile; and for the 
succeeding 3 miles, 61.30 feet per mile; and 59.20 feet per mile for the next 2.50 miles, fol¬ 
lowed for an equal distance by a grade of 74.80 feet to the mile. The ascent for 3.56 miles 
above this point is but 31 feet, followed by a grade averaging 76.10 feet to the mile for 1.55 
miles, and of 78.20 feet per mile for 1.56 miles; and for the succeeding 1.55 miles, 94.80 feet 
per mile; then for 1.56 miles, the grade is 50.60 feet per mile, followed by one of 100 feet to 
the mile for 1.32 miles, and of 30.30 feet per mile for 0.79 mile to the summit of the pass, the 
altitude of which above the sea is 5,667 feet, and the entire length of the ascent 22.89 miles ; 
and the total difference of level between the extreme points, 1,172 feet. From the summit 
of the pass westward, the descent in the first two miles averages 23.50 feet per mile, and 31.80 
feet per mile for the next 1.98 miles; and for 1.94 miles, 67 feet to the mile; and thence to 
camp, 3.85 miles, the descent averages 46 feet per mile. Day’s march, 19.66 miles. Latitude 
of camp, 40° 48' 46" north. 
June 23.—The train proceeded a little south of west, skirting the base of the mountains to 
avoid the miry banks of creeks descending into the plain, forming small grass-fields and miry 
marshes. Passing an isolated butte to the right, it crossed a small plain extending to the 
southeast and encamped, having travelled but 10.37 miles. I proceeded, at the same time, 
with Lieutenant Baker, Messrs. Egloffstein and Snyder, to the southeast from our morning 
camp to the plain just mentioned, which appeared to lead to a favorable descent to the valley 
of Mud lake, near its connection with Pyramid lake. Our altitude on the summit of the 
Sierra was 100 feet less than at the top of Madelin Pass ; and for several miles below, the 
descent was broad and unobstructed, except by surface.-rocks and stones; but the labor of riding 
