Chapter XVII: Lake Tahoe 358 (12)

Placerville has little to recall its old-time sobriquet of Hangtown, by which it figures in Bret Harte's stories. Here, indeed, was the very storm center of the early gold furor—but five miles to the north is Coloma, where Marshall picked up the nugget that turned the eyes of the world to California in '49. Over the very road which we were to pursue out of the town poured the living tide of gold seekers which spread out through all the surrounding country. To-day, however, Placerville depends little on mining; its narrow, crooked main street and a few ancient buildings are the only reminders of its old-time rough-and-tumble existence. It is a prosperous town of three thousand people, and handsome homes with well-kept lawns are not uncommon. We also noted a splendid new courthouse of Spanish colonial design wrought in white marble, a fine example of the public spirit that prevails in even the more retired California communities. The site of the town is its greatest drawback. Wedged as it is in the bottom of a vast canyon, there is little possibility of regularity in streets and much work has been necessary to prepare sites for home and public buildings. A certain picturesqueness and delightful informality compensates for all this and the visitor is sure to be pleased with the Placerville of to-day aside from its romantic history. Two fairly comfortable hotels invite the traveler to stop and make more intimate acquaintance with the town, which a recent writer declares is noted for its charming women—an attraction which it lacked in its romantic mining days.

Beyond Placerville the road climbs steadily, winding through the giant hills and finally crossing the American River, which we followed for many miles—now far above with the green stream gleaming through the pines and again coursing along its very banks. There are many deciduous trees among the evergreens on these hills and the autumn coloring lent a striking variation to the somber green of the pines. We had never before realized that there were so many species besides conifers on the California mountains. Maples and aspens were turning yellow and crimson and many species of vines and creepers lent brilliant color dashes to the scene. There was much indeed to compensate for the absence of the flowers which bloom in profusion earlier in the season.

Georgetown, some forty miles above Placerville, is the only town worthy of the name between the latter place and Tahoe. Beyond here we began the final ascent to the summit of the divide over a road that winds upward in long loops with grades as high as twenty-five per cent. There were many fine vistas of hill and valley, rich in autumn colorings that brightened the green of the pines and blended into the pale lavender haze that shrouded the distant hills. From the summit, at an altitude of seventy-four hundred feet, we had a vast panorama of lake, forest, and mountain—but I might be accused of monotonous repetition were I to endeavor to describe even a few of the scenes that enchanted us. Every hilltop, every bend in the road, and every opening through the forests that lined our way presented views which, taken alone, might well delight the beholder for hours—only their frequent recurrence tended to make them almost commonplace to us.

For a dozen miles after leaving Myers, our road ran alternately through forests and green meadows—the meadows about Tahoe remain green the summer through—finally coming to the lake shore, which we followed closely for the twenty miles to Glenbrook. Most of the way the road runs only a few feet above the water level and we had many glorious vistas differing from anything we had yet seen. In the low afternoon sun the color had largely vanished and we saw only a sheet of gleaming silver edged with clearest crystal, which made the pebbly bottom plainly visible for some distance from the shore. Here an emerald meadow with sleek-looking cattle—there are many cattle in the Tahoe region—lay between us and the shining water; again it gleamed through the trunks of stately pines. For a little while it was lost to view as we turned into the forest which crowded closely to the roadside, only to come back in a moment to a new view—each one different and seemingly more entrancing than the last, culminating in the wonderful spectacle from Cave Rock. This is a bold promontory, pierced beneath by the caves that give its name, rising perhaps one hundred feet above the water and affording a view of almost the entire lake and the encircling mountains. On the western side the mountains throw their serrated peaks against the sky, while to the far north they showed dimly through a thin blue haze. The lake seemed like a great sapphire shot with gold from the declining sun—altogether a different aspect in color, light and shadow from anything we had witnessed before. We paused awhile to admire the scene along with several other wayfarers—pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists who were alike attracted by the glorious spectacle.

Two or three miles farther brought us to Glenbrook, a quiet nook at the foot of mighty hills, pine-clad to the very summits. The hotel is a large but unpretentious structure directly by the roadside and fronting on the lake. In connection with the inn is a group of rustic cottages, one of which was assigned to us. It had a new bathroom adjoining and there was a little sheet-iron stove with fuel all laid for a fire—which almost proved a "life-saver" in the sharp, frosty air of the following morning. The cottage stood directly on the lake shore and afforded a magnificent view of the sunset, which I wish I were able to adequately describe. A sea of fire glowed before us as the sun went down behind the mountains, which were dimmed by the twilight shadows. Soon the shadows gave place to a thin amethyst haze which brought out sharply against the western sky the contour of every peak and pinnacle. The amethyst deepened to purple, followed by a crimson afterglow which, with momentary color variations, continued for nearly an hour; then the light gradually faded from the sky and the lake took on an almost ebony hue—a dark, splendid mirror for the starlit heavens.

The excellent dinner at the inn was a surprise; we hardly expected it in such a remote place. They told us that the inn maintains its own gardens and dairy, and the steamer brings supplies daily. The inn keeps open only during the season, which usually extends from May to October, but there is some one in charge the year round and no one who comes seeking accommodations is ever turned away. Though the inn is completely isolated by deep snows from all land communication, the steamer never fails, since the lake does not freeze, even in the periods of below-zero weather. We found the big lounging room, with its huge chimney and crackling log fire, a very comfortable and cheery place to pass the evening and could easily see how anyone seeking rest and quiet might elect to sojourn many days at Glenbrook. But Glenbrook was not always so delightfully quiet and rural! Years ago, back in the early eighties, it was a good-sized town with a huge saw mill that converted much of the forest about the lake into lumber. There are still hundreds of old piles that once supported the wharves, projecting out of the water of the little bay in front of the hotel—detracting much from the beauty of the scene.

We were early astir in the morning, wondering what the aspect of our changeful lake might be in the dawning light; and, sure enough, the change was there—a cold, steel-blue sheet of water, rippling into silver in places. Near the shore all was quiet, not a wave lapping the beach as on the previous night. The mountains beyond the lake were silhouetted with startling distinctness against a silvery sky, and on many of the summits were flecks of snow that had outlasted the summer.

We had thought to go on to Reno by the way of Carson City, but we could not bring ourselves to leave the lake and so we decided to go by the way of Truckee, even though we had previously covered much of the road. It proved a fortunate decision, for we saw another shifting of the wonderful Tahoe scenery—the morning coloring was different from that of the afternoon and evening. We had the good fortune to pick up an old inhabitant of Tahoe City whose car had broken down on one of the heavy grades and who told us much about the lake and the country around it. He had lived near Tahoe for more than thirty-five years and could remember the days of the prospectors and sawmills. Nearly all the timber about the lake is of new growth since the lumbering days. This accounts for the absence of large trees except in a few spots which escaped the lumberman's ax. Yellow pines, firs, and cedars prevail, with occasional sugar pines and some deciduous varieties. It is, indeed, a pity that Tahoe and the surrounding hills were not set aside as a national park before so much of the land passed into private hands.

The day was perfect, crystal clear except for a few white clouds drifting lazily across the sky or resting on the summits of the mountains beyond the lake. For a few miles out of Tallac we ran through a pine forest, catching fugitive glimpses of the blue water through the stately trunks. As we ascended the ridge overlooking Emerald Bay, exclamations of delight were frequent and enthusiastic as the magnificent panorama unfolded to our view. The climax was reached when we paused at the summit of the ridge, where the whole of Tahoe spread out before us. Just beneath on one hand lay Emerald Bay; on the other gleamed Cascade Lake—a perfect gem in glorious setting of rock and tree. And the glory of color that greeted our eyes! Exaggerated in description? No mortal language ever conveyed a tithe of its iridescent beauty and never will. One of the ladies exclaimed, "It is like a great black opal!" and knowing her passion for that gem, we recognized the sincerity of her tribute. And, indeed, the comparison was not inapt. There were the elusive, changeful greens and blues, the dark purples, and the strange, uncertain play of light and color that characterizes that mysterious gem. Near the shore line the greens predominated, reaching the deepest intensity in Emerald Bay, just below. Passing through many variations of color, the greens merged into the deep blues and farther out in the lake purple hues prevailed. Along the opposite shore ran the rugged mountain range, the summits touched by cloud-masses which held forth the threat of a summer shower—and it came just before we reached the tavern. Overhead the sky was of the deepest azure and clear save for a few tiny white clouds mirrored in the gloriously tinted water. Altogether, the scene was a combination of transcendent color with a setting of rugged yet beautiful country that we have never seen equaled elsewhere and which we have no words to fittingly describe. Even the master artist fails here, since he can but express one mood of the lake—while it has a thousand every day. We have seen the Scotch, Italian and English lakes; we followed the shores of Constance and Geneva; we sailed the length of George and Champlain; we admired the mountain glories of Yellowstone Lake; we viewed Klamath and Crater Lakes from mountain heights, but none of them matched the wonderful color variations of Tahoe.

But we are on our way again, descending and climbing long grades which pass through pine forests and come out on headlands from which we gain new and entrancing views of lake and mountains. The road was completed only recently, but it is good in the main, though there are steep pitches and some rough and dusty stretches. At times it takes us out of sight of the lake, but we are compensated by wild and rugged scenery—towering crags and massive walls of gray stone—rising above us on every hand. The road must have presented considerable engineering difficulties; our driver points out a place where a mighty rock of a thousand tons or more was blasted to fragments to clear the way. Far above us on the mountain crests we see gleaming patches of snow which the late summer sun has not been able to dispel. We cross clear mountain streams and wind through groves of pine and spruce. Often as we climb or descend the long grades we come upon new vistas of the lake and mountains and occasionally we ask for a moment's delay to admire some especially beautiful scene. Then we descend almost to the level of the water, which we see flashing through stately trunks or rippling upon clear, pebbly beaches. We pass various resorts, each surrounded by pines and commanding a beautiful view of the lake. As we approach the Tavern the summer shower that has been threatening begins and to the color glories of sky and lake are added the diamond-like brilliance of the big drops, for the sun is unobscured by the clouds. Beyond a stretch of smooth water, dimmed to dull silver by the blue-gray vapor hanging over it, a rainbow hovers in front of the faint outlines of the distant hills. It is a fitting climax to the most inspiring drive in the many thousands of miles covered by our wanderings.

A fairly good road has been constructed for nearly three-quarters of the distance around the lake and a very indifferent wagon road from Tahoe City to Glenbrook completes the circuit. The latter we did not cover, being assured that it was very difficult if not impassable for motors. Plans are under way for a new road around the northern end of the lake which will enable the motorist to encircle this wonderful body of water—a trip of about eighty miles—and will afford endless viewpoints covering scenes of unparalleled beauty. The whole of the road about the lake ought to be improved—widened and surfaced and some of the steeper grades and more dangerous turns eliminated. It might then be the "boulevard" that one enthusiastic writer characterizes it, even in its present condition, but in our own humble opinion it has a long way to go before it deserves such a title.

MAP OF
CALIFORNIA
SHOWING
STEAM AND ELECTRIC RAILROAD LINES
COUNTY SEATS
PRINCIPAL CITIES AND TOWNS]

INDEX

A

Alvarado, Gov., 232, 257.
American River, 366.
Angel's Camp, 356, 361.
Applegate, 360.
Arlington Hotel, 186.
Arrowhead Mountains, 44, 87.
Arroyo Grande, 211.
Auburn, 359-360.
Automobile Club of Southern California, 6-11, 110, 147, 343.
Avalon, 37-42.
Azusa, 83.

B

Bakersfield, 335, 338, 341.
Balboa Beach, 37.
Bear Lake, 90.
Benicia, 293.
Beverly Hills, 24.
Big Oak Flat, 344, 351.
Bodega, 311.
Bonsal, 104.
Bottle Glass Mountain, 288-289.
Buckler, Father, 203-207, 208.
Burbank, Luther, 281-282.
Busch Gardens, 59.

C

Cabrillo, Juan, 62, 63.
Calabasas, 53-54, 179.
Calexico, 141, 142.
Calistoga, 291.
Campo, 135.
Canejo Pass, 179-180.
Carmel-by-the-Sea, 237.
Carmel Mission, 235, 237-241.
Carnegie Solar Observatory, 47.
Carpinteria, 184-185.
Carson, Kit, 144, 230.
Casitas Pass, 183-184, 197.
Castaic, Lake, 341.
Catalina Island, 37-42.
Cazadero, 314.
Chinese Camp, 344, 355, 356, 359.
Claremont, 84.
Clear Lake Valley, 284-286.
Coalinga, 323-325.
Coachella, 133.
Colfax, 358-360.
Coloma, 365.
Colorado River, 127-129, 140.
Colton Hall, 232.
Colton, Walter, 232-233.
Corona Del Mar, 37.
Corona Del Monte, 246.
Coronado Hotel, 114-117, 121.
Coyote Wells, 137-138.
Crane Flat, 353.
Crystal Lake, 362.
Cypress Point, 244-245.

D

Dana, Richard Henry, 171, 194, 236-237.
Del Mar, 95, 109, 119, 144, 159-165.
Del Monte Hotel, 1, 95, 225-228, 246, 317-318.
Diabolus, Mount, 295.
Dixieland, 138.
Dolores Mission, 277, 330.
Donner Lake, 362.
Drake, Sir Francis, 63.
Dublin, 306.
Dutch Flat, 361.

E

El Cajon Pass, 90.
El Camino Real, 110, 150, 157, 158, 171, 174, 199, 210, 252,
272, 275, 330.
El Centro, 129, 133, 140-141.
El Pizmo, 211.
Elsinore, 99-102.
Elsinore Lake, 101.
El Toro, 35, 174.
Emigrant Gap, 358, 361.
Encinitas, 165.
Escondido, 107-108.
Estudillo Mansion, 119-120.

F

Folsom, 364.
Fontana Orchards, 85.
Fort Baker, 317.
Fort Barry, 317.
Fort McArthur, 28.
Fort Rosecrans, 122.
Fort Ross, 317.
"Franciscan Missions of California," 189.
Fremont, Gen. John C., 80, 118, 170, 246, 257, 259, 277, 280.
Fremont Peak, 246.
Fresno, 322-323, 341, 344.

G

Gaviota Pass, 198, 200, 202, 334.
Geyserville, 281.
Glenbrook, 367-369, 373.
Glendale, 48, 56.
Glenwood Mission Inn, 85, 91, 92, 94-98.
Gold Run, 361.
Gonzales, 223.
Grant Hotel, U. S., 110.
Grant National Park, Gen., 338, 341.
Griffith Park, 56-57.
Grosmont, 114, 120.

H

Half Moon Bay, 318-319.
Hamilton, Mount, 265-266, 274.
Harte, Bret, 290, 355, 361, 365.
Healdsburg, 282.
Highlands, 99.
Highland Springs, 284.
Hollywood, 24-25, 43.
Hollywood Mountain, 57.

I

Imperial Valley, 126-143, 376.

J

Jackson, Helen Hunt, 119, 181, 238, 240, 333.
Jacksonville, 355.
James, George Wharton, 80, 216, 277.
Jolon, 219, 327.

K

King City, 220, 325-327.
Kings River, 324.

L

La Crescenta, 55.
La Jolla, 108, 109, 158.
Lakeport, 284.
Lankershim, 54, 179.
La Purisima Concepcion Mission, 206, 220, 261, 323, 332.
Larkin, Thos., 231.
Lasuen, Father Francis, 80, 204, 211, 218, 223, 239, 256, 261,
270, 333.
Laurel Canyon, 43.
Lebec, 341.
Lick Observatory, 264-268, 274.
Lobos Point, 239-240, 247-249.
Loma, Point, 69, 120-125.
Lompoc, 220, 332.
Long Beach, 25-27, 261.
Longpre, Paul de, 24-25.
Lookout Mountain, 43-44.
Lopez, Francisco, 80-81.
Los Angeles, 1, 2, 11-15, 19, 82.
Los Gatos, 263.
Los Olivos, 201, 208.

M

McGroarty, John S., 67, 162, 195.
Madera, 344.
Malibu Rancho, 50.
Mariposa Grove, 258, 347.
Matilija Hot Springs, 335.
Mattei's Tavern, 209-210.
Merced, 321.
Mesa Grande, 146.
Mexicali, 141.
Miami Lodge, 344, 346.
Miller, Frank, 67, 97-98, 217.
Miller, Joaquin, 225.
Miramar, 108.
Miramar Hotel Colony, 193.
Mission San Jose, 264, 269-270.
Modesto, 321, 341.
Mohave Desert, 89.
Mokelumne, 356.
Monrovia, 82, 83.
Montecito, 196.
Monterey, 70, 79, 119, 163, 225-252, 281.
Monte Rio, 315.
Moran, Thos., 224.
Mountain Spring, 136.
Muir, John, 195.

N

Napa, 293.
Napa Valley, 282, 288.
Naples, (Los Angeles Co.), 27.
Naples (Santa Barbara Co.), 201.
National Soldiers' Home, 22-23.
Native Sons of the Golden West, 220, 230.
Newport Beach, 30, 31, 36-37.
New River, 128, 140.
Nilands, 142.
Nordhoff, 335.

O

Oakland, 305, 317.
Ocean Park, 20-21.
Oceanside, 165, 170.
O'Keefe, Father, 168-169, 191.
"Old Baldy," 82-83.
"Old Missions of California, The," 80-81.
Olema, 316.
Orange, 34.
O'Sullivan, Father St. John, 172-173, 176-177.
"Our Lady of the Solitude" Mission, 220-223, 261.
Owens River Aqueduct, 54, 79, 340.
Oxnard, 180.

P

Pala, 104-105, 148.
Pacific Grove, 243, 245.
Pala Mission, 105-107.
Palatingwa Indians, 107.
Palm Springs, 132-133.
Palo Alto, 273-275.
Palomar, Mount, 149, 162.
Pasadena, 59, 60.
Paso Robles, 214-215, 323, 331.
Pebble Beach, 245.
Petaluma, 278.
Pieta Station, 283.
Placerville, 358, 364-366.
Port Costa, 293.
Portola, 69.
Priest's, 355.

Q

"Quo Vadis," 35.

R

Ramona, 144-145.
"Ramona," 102, 119, 156, 181.
Rancho La Brae, 59.
Raymond, 344.
Redlands, 86, 91, 93, 99.
Red Mountain, 103.
Redondo, 30.
Riverside, 85, 91-98, 100, 146.
Roosevelt, Theodore, 129.
Rubidoux Mountain, 92-94.
Russian River, 282, 313, 315.

S

Sacramento, 126, 280, 308, 308, 358.
Saint Helena, Mt., 44, 290-293, 311.
Salinas, 224, 252.
Salinas River, 215, 218, 223.
Salton Sea, 128, 133, 140.
San Andreas, 356.
San Antonio Mission, 63, 97, 219-220, 257, 323, 329-331.
San Antonio, Mt., 82.
San Bernardino, 85, 86, 93, 132.
San Bernardino Mtns., 125, 162.
San Buenaventura Mission, 178, 180, 182.
San Carlos Borromeo, 68, 229.
San Carlos Church, 235-236, 242.
San Clemente, 162.
San Diego, 110-125, 150.
San Diego Back Country, 134, 142-149.
San Diego Mission, 110-113.
San Fernando, 64, 79-81, 180, 335.
San Fernando Mission, 74-80, 140, 178.
San Fernando Valley, 54-55, 178.
San Francisco, 1, 7, 62, 275-277, 293, 317.
San Francisco de Asis Mission, 178.
San Gabriel Archangel Mission, 64-74, 79, 86, 111, 330.
San Gabriel Mountains, 52.
San Gorgonio, Mt., 100.
San Jacinto, Mt., 100, 162.
San Joaquin Delta, 294, 297-305.
San Juan Bautista Mission, 97, 252-257.
San Juan Capistrano Mission, 73, 171-177, 222, 253-254.
San Jose, 260, 263-264.
San Jose, Mission, 264, 269-270.
San Luis Obispo Mission, 70, 211-214, 261.
San Luis Rey Mission, 105, 166-170, 190.
San Luis Rey River, 104, 148.
San Marcos Pass, 194, 199.
San Miguel Mission, 215-218, 255.
San Pasqual River, 144.
San Pedro, 27-28, 38, 62.
San Rafael Mission, 223, 261, 277-278.
Santa Ana, 33, 177.
Santa Ana River, 93.
Santa Barbara, 74, 178-198.
Santa Barbara Mission, 178-198, 261.
Santa Catalina Island, 27, 36, 37, 162.
Santa Clara, 271-273.
Santa Clara College, 271-272.
Santa Clara Mission, 271-272.
Santa Clara Valley, 179, 265.
Santa Cruz, 254, 257-258, 320.
Santa Cruz (Island), 195.
Santa Cruz Mission, 223, 260-261.
Santa Cruz Mountains, 262, 270.
Santa Lucias Mountains, 328.
Santa Maria, 210.
Santa Monica, 20-21.
Santa Monica Mountains, 21, 43, 51-52.
Santa Paula, 335.
Santa Rosa, 281-282.
Santa Rosa (Island) 195.
Santa Ynez, 200.
Santa Ynez Mission, 199, 202-208.
Santa Ynez Mountains, 196, 201.
Santa Ysabel, 145, 148.
Saugus, 181, 335, 339, 342.
Sausalito, 282, 286, 277, 312, 316.
Sebastopol, 311.
Sequoia Nat. Park, 338.
Serra, Father Junipero, 63, 70-74, 93, 111, 118, 119, 151, 176,
182, 190, 211, 229, 230, 236, 238-240, 256, 330.
Sevastopol, 281.
Shasta, Mt., 360.
Sherman, Gen., 231-232.
Sherman Institute, 91.
Ship Island, 39.
Sierra Madre, 61.
Silverado Canyon, 34.
Simonneau, Jules, 233.
Sloat, Commodore, 229, 242.
Smiley Heights, 98, 99.
Soledad, 220-223, 261.
Sonoma, 151, 178, 278-281.
Sonora, 356.
Southern Pacific R. R., 129, 131, 285.
Squirrel Inn, 88.
Stanford Jr. University, Leland, 273-274.
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 233-234, 244, 289, 290.
Stockton, 296-307, 341, 344, 357.
Stockton, Frank, 88.
Stratford Inn, 159.
Summerland, 185.
Superstition Mountains, 139.
Sutter, Gen. John H., 309, 312.
Sycamore Canyon, 196.

T

Tahoe City, 373.
Tahoe, Lake, 196, 343, 358-373.
Tejon Pass, 335, 338.
Temecula, 102, 103, 148.
Theosophical Institute, 121-125.
Tia Juana, 18, 117-118.
Tingley, Katherine, 124, 186.
Topango Canyon, 49.
Torrey, John, 158.
Torrey Pines, 158, 163.
Truckee, 362, 370.
Tujunga River, 56.
Tulare Lake, 336-337.
Tuolumne Grove, 353.
Tuttletown, 356.

U

Upland, 84.

V

Vallejo, Gen., 278-279, 280.
Vancouver, George, 241.
Van Nuys, 54, 179.
Van Orten, Lake, 362.
Venice, 19-20, 30, 31.
Ventura, 51, 178, 180, 181, 334.
Verdugo Mountains, 55, 56.
Viscaino, 63, 228, 230, 236.

W

Warner's Hot Springs, 145, 148.
Warren's Ranch, 135.
Watsonville, 257.
Wawona, 346-347.
White, Stewart Edward, 194.
Whitney, Mount, 337.
Whittier, 32.
Wilson, Mount, 44-48, 61, 82, 266.
Wright, Harold Bell, 130.

Y

Yosemite Valley, 343-352.
Yuba River, 361.

Z

Zalvidea, Fray Jose, 174-175.