48 
HONEY LAKE VALLEY. 
point the descent is 13 feet to the mile; then ascends 3.60 feet to the mile for 42 miles, and 
*7.20 feet to the mile for the next 7.50 miles ; with a descending grade thence to our present 
camp on Honey Lake shore, 8.50 miles, of 22.40 feet per mile—where our altitude is 4,094 feet 
above the sea. 
In returning from their successful trip, Lieut. Baker and party halted a short time at 
warm springs, sixteen miles from camp; and at 10 o’clock at night, after a ride of 44 miles, 
encamped at a small spring of cold water, around which they found a little scattered grass. 
At 4 o’clock on the following morning they resumed their journey, and arrived at camp 
at 8 a. m. 
Honey Lake valley is forty miles in length, east and west, and twenty in width. The 
extent of the lake itself we could not well determine, from its low shores ; hut it is about 
fifteen miles long, by eight or ten broad. It is shallow, and surrounded by low, marshy 
meadows, and extensive fields of tulare flags; hut, outside of these marshes, the plain is firm 
and the travelling excellent. Its water has a disagreeable, alkaline taste. Towards the head 
of the valley a hold ridge rises from the plain, and extends hack to a high, timbered range, 
rising 3,000 feet above the lake, and entirely enclosing the valley on the south. Its altitude, 
for many miles, is very uniform, not having a conspicuous peak upon it, nor a single break for 
a water-course. A few hanks of snow still remain upon its summit. It extends to the east, 
falling off gradually to the canon leading to Pyramid lake, and to the west of the summit of the 
Sierra Nevada, forming the southern chain overlooking the broad depression of Noble’s Pass. 
To the north of Honey lake the mountains are broken, and destitute of timber ; and, although 
connected in the eastern part, by ridges or spurs, with the Sierra Nevada, there are large 
depressions behind them ; and the Noble’s Pass road, which ascends Smoky creek for a 
short distance above Mud lake, passes behind them for a few miles to obtain water and grass, 
entering this valley over a low, broad ridge, near our camp. But the valley on the north side, 
towards the west, is enclosed by the main trunk of the Sierra Nevada, which rises into high 
peaks on the prolongation of the northern line of the valley, leaving a gradually ascending 
and very broad depression at its head—the line of the pass for many miles—with a few peaks 
rising above the general elevation, and the high, snowy peak of Mount Saint Joseph standing 
a conspicuous landmark on the western line of the Sierra Nevada, and overlooking the valley 
of the Sacramento. 
Near our present camp there are fine boiling springs, in one of which a column of water, 
twenty inches in diameter, boils up a foot or more, at a temperature of 205° Fahrenheit; and, 
in the large stream which flows from it, the temperature is 170° fifty yards from the spring. 
Besides this, there are numerous hot springs, varying in temperature from 170° to 190°, from 
which gas escapes freely with the water. The rocks in the springs have a dark, volcanic 
character, hut the surrounding masses are gray. 
We had now examined every favorable indication for a pass which we could discover on the 
eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in the vicinity of Mud lake ; and I determined to turn my 
course westward again, and extend my examination of this pass to the valley of the Sacra¬ 
mento. It was supposed before commencing this survey, that any pass in this vicinity, leading 
to the summit of the Sierra Nevada, would necessarily bring us upon the waters of Feather 
river; hut, in our several passages across these mountains, it was conclusively established that 
no water does, or can, enter that stream from north of the fortieth degree of north latitude, and 
that no pass north of Pyramid lake approaches it. 
July 6.—Turning westward, we followed the valley of Honey lake, which was swarming 
with ducks and pelicans, and crossed Willow creek after travelling 11.36 miles—our barometers 
indicating, in this distance, a change of level of hut fourteen feet—with an ascending grade of 
11.70 feet per mile, for 8.64 miles, thence to the foot of the pass at Hoop’s farm, where we 
encamped, after a short march, on the seventh of July. 
July 8.—In reascending the Sierra Nevada to-day, I followed the course of Susan river, 
