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AND PACIFIC

COAST GUIDE. 181

 

a very fine view of the railroad can be ob-
tained. Within sight are four tunnels and
several miles of snow-sheds, while behind
and seemingly ee the road, the
mountains—bald, bleak, bare, massive
piles of granite—tower far above their |
precipitous sides, seeming to bid defiance
to the ravages of time. A fine road has
been graded along the right-hand shore,
from the station, forming a splendid drive.
The “old emigrant road” skirts the foot of
the lake (where the Donner party per-
ished, see ANNEX No. 83), and following up
the stage road, climbs the “Summit” just
beyond the long tunnel. Originally, it
struck the Divide at Summit Valley; from
thence it followed the valley down for
several miles, then struck across the crest-
spur, and followed the Divide down from
Emigrant Gap.

The business of lumbering is carried on
quite extensively at the lower end of the
lake. The logs are slid down the moun-
tain sides in “shoots,” or troughs made
of large trees, into the lake, and then rafted
down tothe mill. On the west side of the
lake the timber has not been disturbed, but
sweeps down from the railroad to the
water's edge in one dense unbroken forest.
The lower end of the Jake is bordered with
green meadows, covering an extent of
several hundred acres of fine grazing land.

From the foot of the lake issues a
beautiful creek, which, after uniting with
Coldstream; forms the Little Truckee
River.

CoLpDsTREAM—is a clear, cold mountain
stream, about fifteen miles long. It rises
in the “Summit” Mountain, opposite
Summit Valley. Some excellent grazing
land borders the creek after it leaves the
mountain gorge.

Fisning anp Huntrne—In Donner and
Tahoe lakes is found the silver trout,
which atiains the weight of 20 pounds.
There are many varieties of fish in these
lakes, but this is most prized and most sought
after by the angler. lt is rare sport to
bring to the water’s edge one of these
sleck-hided, sharp-biting fellows—to handle
him delicately and daintily until he is safely
landed; and then, when fried, baked, or
broiled brown, the employment of the jaws
to masticate the crisp, juicy morsels—it’s
not bad jawing. The water near the lake
shore is fairly alive with white fish, dace,
rock-fish, and several other varieties—the
trout keeping in deeper water. There is
no more favorite resort for the angler and

hunter than these lakes and the surround-
ing mountains, where quail, grouse, deer,
and bear abound.

These lakes were once a favorite resort
for the “San Francisco schoolmarms,”
who annually visit this locality during the |
summer vacation. The Railroad Company |
generally passed them over the route, and |
they had a happy week—romping, scram- |
bling and wandering over the mountains,
and along the lake shore, giving new life |
and animation to the scene. The gray old
hills and mighty forests re-echo with their
merry laughter, as they stroll around the
lake, gathering flowers and mosses, or, per-
haps, essaying their skill as anglers, to
the great slaughter of the finny inhabitants
of the lake.

SrerRRA Va.uEy—lies about 30 miles
from Truckee City, among the Sierras, It ©
is about 40 miles long, with a width of
from five to seven miles. It is fertile, |
thickly settled, and taken in connection
with some other mountain valleys, might |
be termed the Orange county of California
—from the quantity and quality of butter
and cheese manufactured there. In the
mountain valleys and on the tablelands
the best butter and cheese found in the
State are manufactured—the low valleys
being too warm, and the grasses and water
not so good as found here. In Sierra, and
many other mountain valleys, good crops
of grain and vegetables are grown in
favorable seasons, but the surest and most
profitable business is. dairying. The
flourishing town of Royalton is situated in
this valley.

Hoxry Laxe—an almost circular sheet
of water, about ten miles in diameter, lies |
about 50 miles north of Truckee City.
Willow Creek and Susan Creek enter it at
the north, while Lone Valley Creek
empties its waters into the southern por- |
tion of the lake. Some fine meadow and
grazing land is found in the valleys
bordering these streams, which has been
occupied by settlers, and converted into |
flourishing farms.

Susanville, the principal town in the |
valley, is situated north of the lake. It is |
connected by stage with Reno, Nevada,
and Oroville, California.

We now take leave of Truckee City and
its surroundings, and prepare to cross the
“Summit of the Sierras,” 14 miles dis-
tant. With two locomotives leading, we’
cross the North Fork or Little Truckee on
a single-span Howe truss bridge,and make |