[The Carson Valley Route — Continued, Sacramento Transcript, April 22, 1851]

 

The Carson Valley Route — Continued.

            From the upper part of Carson Valley (on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada) the trail enters Pass Creek Cañon, and follows up the creek five miles, crossing it three times, between two lofty, precipitous mountains, or rather mountainous ledges of rock, at least a thousand feet in height. The road through the Cañon, as to roughness, defies all powers of description. Huge rocks of all imaginable forms and dimensions, lay wedged in, in every conceivable position. The trail passes over and amongst them, and at the same time, for a great portion of the way, up hill. In many places the rocky ascent is very steep. It is difficult to conceive how a wagon was ever hauled over such a road. The passage of the cañon requires several hours—in fact it is sufficient for one day's travel. Pass Creek bounds through the defile; dashing and foaming among the rocks, in a manner perfectly corresponding with the wild, rugged and sublime scenery by which it is encompassed. The cañon opens into an elevated valley, at the entrance of which there is a small prairie on the opposite side of the creek, which affords good grass. The trail passes up the valley timbered with magnificent spruce pines, some ten miles, to a pond called Red Lake situated at the foot of the first dividing ridge. The passage of this ridge is no less difficult than that of the Cañon. The road is not quite so rocky, but steeper and full of short turns. The rocks also in many places, besides being much inclined, are quite smooth, rendering it extremely difficult for an animal to retain its foot-hold.— For the distance of nearly a mile, but little if any progress can be made without the aid of several men with shoulders at the wheels. The man who first attempted the passage of these mountains with a wagon, exhibited a degree of boldness well worthy of Napoleon at the passage of the Alps.

            Upon attaining the summit, the trail immediately descends into a valley on the other side, to a beautiful, clear lake at the foot of the second ridge, known by the name of Mountain Lake. Distance from Red Lake five miles. A fine, clear stream of water passes through this lake, probably a branch of the South Fork of the American river. The trail here crosses the stream and passes partly around on the upper side and to the left of the lake, then winds along the side of the second ridge some two or three miles to the summit.

            In July last this ridge was buried deep in snow, and the road passed over the surface far above the rocks and other impediments on the mountain side, thus rendering the passage of this ridge far less difficult than that of the first. The trail now lay over deep snows to Rock Valley, thirteen miles from Mountain Lake. Thence to Tragedy Spring five miles. Thence, by the way of Leek Spring, Camp Creek, Coffin's Ranch, and Pleasant Valley, to Weaver, a distance of about fifty miles.

            The road from Rock Valley lies over a mountainous country, but the mountains are generally not very difficult to pass. But little grass is found from Mountain Lake through. There are along the route many magnificent views of this wild, rugged and picturesque country. From the entrance of Pass Creek Cañon to the Sacramento Valley, the country is timbered with oak, pine, fir, cedar, and other evergreens. — Among the pines, cedars, &c., are found some of the noblest specimens of their species.