Out of Doors--California and Oregon | Page 2

are kept in an admirable
manner, considering all of the difficulties they labor under. The run
from Los Angeles to the springs is about 140 miles, and can be made
easily in a day. Once there, the choice of many interesting trips is open
to you.

Past Temecula.
After leaving Temecula, another road much frequented by the autoists
is the right hand road by the Red Mountain grade to Fallbrook, either to
Del Mar, by way of Oceanside, or into the Escondido Valley by way of
Bonsal, Vista and San Marcos. The third route, the center one between
those I have described, leads to Pala. With a party of five in a
six-cylinder Franklin car, I went over the latter route on April 20th,
1911. Every inch of the road was full of interest. We passed through
Pala, with its ancient mission of that name, and its horde of Indian
inhabitants. The children of the Indian school were having a recess, and
they carried on just about in the same manner that so many
"pale-faced" children would. Leaving Pala, we followed the main road
along the left bank of the San Luis Rey River--where the San Diego
Highway Commission is now doing work, which will, when finished,
bring one to Warner's ranch by an easy grade--until we had gotten a
few miles into the Pauma rancho. We crossed the Pauma Creek, and
some distance beyond it we left the river to our right, turned sharply to
the left, and ran up to the base of Smith's, or Palomar Mountain. Then
came the grade up the mountain.
If you are not stout-hearted, and haven't a powerful machine, avoid this
beautiful drive. If you are not driving an air-cooled car, carry extra
water with you. You will need it before you reach the top. The road is a
narrow zigzag, making an ascent of 4000 feet in a distance of from ten
to twelve miles of switch-backing around the face of a steep
rock-ribbed mountain. To add to its difficulties, the turns are so short
that a long car is compelled to back up to negotiate them. About an
hour and a quarter is required to make the trip up the mountain. We did
all of it on low gear. When the top is finally reached, the view of the
surrounding country is simply beyond description.
Belated Spring.
The mountain oaks of great size and broad of bough, were not yet fully
in leaf. Pines and cedars, and to my astonishment, many large
sycamores, were mingled with the oaks. A gladsome crop of luscious
grasses covered the earth. Shrubs and plants were bursting into bloom.
As we moved on we saw several wild pigeons in graceful flight among
the trees. After traveling the backbone of the mountain for some
distance we came to a dimly marked trail, leading to the left. The

"Major Domo" of our party said that this road led to Doane's Valley,
and that we must go down it. It was a straight up and down road, with
exceedingly abrupt pitches, in places damp and slippery, and covered
with fallen leaves. At the bottom of the descent, which it would have
been impossible to retrace, we came to a small stream. Directly in the
only place where we could have crossed it a log stuck up, which
rendered passage impossible. After a deal of prodding and hauling, we
dislodged it and safely made the ford.
Doane's Valley is one of those beauty spots which abound in the
mountains of California. Its floor is a beautiful meadow, in which are
innumerable springs. Surrounding this meadow is heavy timber, oaks,
pines and giant cedars. Pauma Creek flows out of this meadow through
a narrow gorge, which nature evidently intended should some day be
closed with a dam to make of the valley a reservoir to conserve the
winter waters. We followed a partially destroyed road through the
meadow to its upper end. Then as high and dry land was within sight
we attempted to cross a small, damp, but uncertain looking waterway.
Wheels Stuck.
The front wheels passed safely, but when the rear wheels struck it they
went into the mud until springs and axles rested on the ground. Two
full hours we labored before we left that mud hole. We gathered up
timbers and old bridge material, then jacked up one wheel a little way,
and got something under it to hold it there. The other side was treated
the same way. By repeating the operation many times we got the
wheels high enough to run some timbers crosswise beneath them. We
put other timbers in front and pulled out.
We soon reached Bailey's Hotel, a summer resort of considerable
popularity. We continued up the grade until we came onto the main