In the mountains of San Gabriel, overlooking the lowland vines and fruit groves2, Mother Nature is most ruggedly4, thornily5 savage6. Not even in the Sierra have I ever made the acquaintance of mountains more rigidly7 inaccessible8. The slopes are exceptionally steep and insecure to the foot of the explorer, however great his strength or skill may be, but thorny9 chaparral constitutes their chief defense10. With the exception of little park and garden spots not visible in comprehensive views, the entire surface is covered with it, from the highest peaks to the plain. It swoops11 into every hollow and swells12 over every ridge13, gracefully14 complying with the varied15 topography, in shaggy, ungovernable exuberance16, fairly dwarfing17 the utmost efforts of human culture out of sight and mind.
But in the very heart of this thorny wilderness18, down in the dells, you may find gardens filled with the fairest flowers, that any child would love, and unapproachable linns lined with lilies and ferns, where the ousel builds its mossy hut and sings in chorus with the white falling water. Bears, also, and panthers, wolves, wildcats; wood rats, squirrels, foxes, snakes, and innumerable birds, all find grateful homes here, adding wildness to wildness in glorious profusion20 and variety.
Where the coast ranges and the Sierra Nevada come together we find a very complicated system of short ranges, the geology and topography of which is yet hidden, and many years of laborious21 study must be given for anything like a complete interpretation22 of them. The San Gabriel is one or more of these ranges, forty or fifty miles long, and half as broad, extending from the Cajon Pass on the east, to the Santa Monica and Santa Susanna ranges on the west. San Antonio, the dominating peak, rises towards the eastern extremity23 of the range to a height of about six thousand feet, forming a sure landmark24 throughout the valley and all the way down to the coast, without, however, possessing much striking individuality. The whole range, seen from the plain, with the hot sun beating upon its southern slopes, wears a terribly forbidding aspect. There is nothing of the grandeur25 of snow, or glaciers26, or deep forests, to excite curiosity or adventure; no trace of gardens or waterfalls. From base to summit all seems gray, barren, silent—dead, bleached27 bones of mountains, overgrown with scrubby bushes, like gray moss19. But all mountains are full of hidden beauty, and the next day after my arrival at Pasadena I supplied myself with bread and eagerly set out to give myself to their keeping.
On the first day of my excursion I went only as far as the mouth of Eaton Canyon28, because the heat was oppressive, and a pair of new shoes were chafing29 my feet to such an extent that walking began to be painful. While looking for a camping ground among the boulder30 beds of the canyon, I came upon a strange, dark man of doubtful parentage. He kindly31 invited me to camp with him, and led me to his little hut. All my conjectures32 as to his nationality failed, and no wonder, since his father was Irish and mother Spanish, a mixture not often met even in California. He happened to be out of candles, so we sat in the dark while he gave me a sketch33 of his life, which was exceedingly picturesque34. Then he showed me his plans for the future. He was going to settle among these canyon boulders35, and make money, and marry a Spanish woman. People mine for irrigating36 water along the foothills as for gold. He is now driving a prospecting38 tunnel into a spur of the mountains back of his cabin. "My prospect37 is good," he said, "and if I strike a strong flow, I shall soon be worth five or ten thousand dollars. That flat out there," he continued, referring to a small, irregular patch of gravelly detritus39 that had been sorted out and deposited by Eaton Creek40 during some flood season, "is large enough for a nice orange grove1, and, after watering my own trees, I can sell water down the valley; and then the hillside back of the cabin will do for vines, and I can keep bees, for the white sage41 and black sage up the mountains is full of honey. You see, I've got a good thing." All this prospective42 affluence43 in the sunken, boulder-choked flood-bed of Eaton Creek! Most home-seekers would as soon think of settling on the summit of San Antonio.
Half an hour's easy rambling44 up the canyon brought me to the foot of "The Fall," famous throughout the valley settlements as the finest yet discovered in the range. It is a charming little thing, with a voice sweet as a songbird's, leaping some thirty-five or forty feet into a round, mirror pool. The cliff back of it and on both sides is completely covered with thick, furry45 mosses46, and the white fall shines against the green like a silver instrument in a velvet47 case. Here come the Gabriel lads and lassies from the commonplace orange groves, to make love and gather ferns and dabble48 away their hot holidays in the cool pool. They are fortunate in finding so fresh a retreat so near their homes. It is the Yosemite of San Gabriel. The walls, though not of the true Yosemite type either in form or sculpture, rise to a height of nearly two thousand feet. Ferns are abundant on all the rocks within reach of the spray, and picturesque maples49 and sycamores spread a grateful shade over a rich profusion of wild flowers that grow among the boulders, from the edge of the pool a mile or more down the dell-like bottom of the valley, the whole forming a charming little poem of wildness—the vestibule of these shaggy mountain temples.
The foot of the fall is about a thousand feet above the level of the sea, and here climbing begins. I made my way out of the valley on the west side, followed the ridge that forms the western rim50 of the Eaton Basin to the summit of one of the principal peaks, thence crossed the middle of the basin, forcing a way over its many subordinate ridges51, and out over the eastern rim, and from first to last during three days spent in this excursion, I had to contend with the richest, most self-possessed and uncompromising chaparral I have ever enjoyed since first my mountaineering began.
For a hundred feet or so the ascent52 was practicable only by means of bosses of the club moss that clings to the rock. Above this the ridge is weathered away to a slender knife-edge for a distance of two or three hundred yards, and thence to the summit it is a bristly mane of chaparral. Here and there small openings occur, commanding grand views of the valley and beyond to the ocean. These are favorite outlooks and resting places for bears, wolves, and wildcats. In the densest53 places I came upon woodrat villages whose huts were from four to eight feet high, built in the same style of architecture as those of the muskrats54.
The day was nearly done. I reached the summit and I had time to make only a hasty survey of the topography of the wild basin now outspread maplike beneath, and to drink in the rare loveliness of the sunlight before hastening down in search of water. Pushing through another mile of chaparral, I emerged into one of the most beautiful parklike groves of live oak I ever saw. The ground beneath was planted only with aspidiums and brier roses. At the foot of the grove I came to the dry channel of one of the tributary55 streams, but, following it down a short distance, I descried56 a few specimens57 of the scarlet58 mimulus; and I was assured that water was near. I found about a bucketful in a granite59 bowl, but it was full of leaves and beetles60, making a sort of brown coffee that could be rendered available only by filtering it through sand and charcoal61. This I resolved to do in case the night came on before I found better. Following the channel a mile farther down to its confluence62 with another, larger tributary, I found a lot of boulder pools, clear as crystal, and brimming full, linked together by little glistening63 currents just strong enough to sing. Flowers in full bloom adorned64 the banks, lilies ten feet high, and luxuriant ferns arching over one another in lavish65 abundance, while a noble old live oak spread its rugged3 boughs66 over all, forming one of the most perfect and most secluded67 of Nature's gardens. Here I camped, making my bed on smooth cobblestones.
Next morning, pushing up the channel of a tributary that takes its rise on Mount San Antonio, I passed many lovely gardens watered by oozing68 currentlets, every one of which had lilies in them in the full pomp of bloom, and a rich growth of ferns, chiefly woodwardias and aspidiums and maidenhairs; but toward the base of the mountain the channel was dry, and the chaparral closed over from bank to bank, so that I was compelled to creep more than a mile on hands and knees.
In one spot I found an opening in the thorny sky where I could stand erect69, and on the further side of the opening discovered a small pool. "Now, HERE," I said, "I must be careful in creeping, for the birds of the neighborhood come here to drink, and the rattlesnakes come here to catch them." I then began to cast my eye along the channel, perhaps instinctively70 feeling a snaky atmosphere, and finally discovered one rattler between my feet. But there was a bashful look in his eye, and a withdrawing, deprecating kink in his neck that showed plainly as words could tell that he would not strike, and only wished to be let alone. I therefore passed on, lifting my foot a little higher than usual, and left him to enjoy his life in this his own home.
My next camp was near the heart of the basin, at the head of a grand system of cascades71 from ten to two hundred feet high, one following the other in close succession and making a total descent of nearly seventeen hundred feet. The rocks above me leaned over in a threatening way and were full of seams, making the camp a very unsafe one during an earthquake.
Next day the chaparral, in ascending72 the eastern rim of the basin, was, if possible, denser73 and more stubbornly bayoneted than ever. I followed bear trails, where in some places I found tufts of their hair that had been pulled out in squeezing a way through; but there was much of a very interesting character that far overpaid all my pains. Most of the plants are identical with those of the Sierra, but there are quite a number of Mexican species. One coniferous tree was all I found. This is a spruce of a species new to me, Douglasii macrocarpa. 14
My last camp was down at the narrow, notched74 bottom of a dry channel, the only open way for the life in the neighborhood. I therefore lay between two fires, built to fence out snakes and wolves.
From the summit of the eastern rim I had a glorious view of the valley out to the ocean, which would require a whole book for its description. My bread gave out a day before reaching the settlements, but I felt all the fresher and clearer for the fast.
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1
grove
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| n.林子，小树林，园林 | |
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groves
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| 树丛，小树林( grove的名词复数 ) | |
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rugged
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| adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的 | |
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ruggedly
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| 险峻地； 粗暴地； （面容）多皱纹地； 粗线条地 | |
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thornily
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| 棘手 | |
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savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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rigidly
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| adv.刻板地，僵化地 | |
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inaccessible
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| adj.达不到的，难接近的 | |
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thorny
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| adj.多刺的，棘手的 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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swoops
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| 猛扑，突然下降( swoop的名词复数 ) | |
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swells
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| 增强( swell的第三人称单数 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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ridge
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| n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭 | |
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gracefully
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| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
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varied
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| adj.多样的，多变化的 | |
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exuberance
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| n.丰富；繁荣 | |
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dwarfing
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| n.矮化病 | |
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wilderness
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| n.杳无人烟的一片陆地、水等，荒漠 | |
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moss
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| n.苔，藓，地衣 | |
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profusion
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| n.挥霍；丰富 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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interpretation
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| n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理 | |
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extremity
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| n.末端，尽头；尽力；终极；极度 | |
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landmark
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| n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标 | |
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grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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glaciers
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| 冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 ) | |
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bleached
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| 漂白的，晒白的，颜色变浅的 | |
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canyon
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| n.峡谷，溪谷 | |
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chafing
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| n.皮肤发炎v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的现在分词 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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boulder
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| n.巨砾；卵石，圆石 | |
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kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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conjectures
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| 推测，猜想( conjecture的名词复数 ) | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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boulders
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| n.卵石( boulder的名词复数 )；巨砾；（受水或天气侵蚀而成的）巨石；漂砾 | |
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irrigating
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| 灌溉( irrigate的现在分词 )； 冲洗（伤口） | |
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prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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prospecting
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| n.探矿 | |
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detritus
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| n.碎石 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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sage
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| n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的 | |
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prospective
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| adj.预期的，未来的，前瞻性的 | |
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affluence
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| n.充裕，富足 | |
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rambling
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| adj.[建]凌乱的，杂乱的 | |
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45
furry
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| adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的 | |
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46
mosses
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| n. 藓类, 苔藓植物 名词moss的复数形式 | |
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47
velvet
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| n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的 | |
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dabble
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| v.涉足，浅赏 | |
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49
maples
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| 槭树，枫树( maple的名词复数 )； 槭木 | |
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50
rim
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| n.(圆物的)边，轮缘；边界 | |
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51
ridges
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| n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊 | |
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52
ascent
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| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
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53
densest
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| 密集的( dense的最高级 )； 密度大的； 愚笨的； （信息量大得）难理解的 | |
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54
muskrats
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| n.麝鼠（产于北美，毛皮珍贵）( muskrat的名词复数 ) | |
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tributary
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| n.支流；纳贡国；adj.附庸的；辅助的；支流的 | |
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descried
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| adj.被注意到的，被发现的，被看到的 | |
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specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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granite
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| adj.花岗岩，花岗石 | |
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beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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charcoal
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| n.炭，木炭，生物炭 | |
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confluence
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| n.汇合，聚集 | |
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glistening
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| adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 ) | |
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adorned
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| [计]被修饰的 | |
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lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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boughs
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| 大树枝( bough的名词复数 ) | |
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secluded
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| adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词) | |
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oozing
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| v.（浓液等）慢慢地冒出，渗出( ooze的现在分词 )；使（液体）缓缓流出；（浓液）渗出，慢慢流出 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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cascades
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| 倾泻( cascade的名词复数 )； 小瀑布（尤指一连串瀑布中的一支）； 瀑布状物； 倾泻（或涌出）的东西 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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denser
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| adj. 不易看透的, 密集的, 浓厚的, 愚钝的 | |
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notched
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| a.有凹口的，有缺口的 | |
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