Page:Motoring Magazine and Motor Life October 1913.djvu/8

6 valve of the crank case.

At Adin we encountered the grade known as Adin Hill. This is reputedly a hard pull for the motor car. According to the speedometer, the grade pitched at 35 per cent. We passed five cars that were unable to make the climb; they at length gave up, and contented themselves with a twenty-five mile detour. We came upon Eagle Lake at sunset. This body of water is 25 miles long, and in the soft glow of evening, presented a very attractive and inviting front.

We headed for Lake Tahoe and arrived there two days later, stopping at McKinney's. The first night out from Eagle Lake was spent at Campbell's Hot Springs, some 131 miles from the lake. We passed through Susanville, Crescent Mills, Indian Falls, Quincy, Mohawk. Near Quincy we ran into a cloud burst that certainly made good its name. We were up about 6,400 feet, and therefore it seemed to hit us harder. The thunder rumbled unpleasantly close, to say nothing of most alarming flashes of lightning, which seemed to strike all about us. These flashes were actually blinding.

Turning back from McKinney's, we passed through Truckee, thence to Verdi, Reno, Carson City, Nevada. We found the roads slippery—dangerously so—and rain fell continually. Out of Carson City

we undertook the long climb up the Kingsbury Canyon, which is 16 miles long, a 23 per cent grade, and 7,400 feet above sea level. A strenuous climb, indeed. The return to Sacramento was uneventful, though very muddy and wet. Leaving Sacramento, we toured to Skaggs Springs, and from there to the Sausalito ferry. This last was a run of 84 miles, which was covered in three and one-half hours. This was really the first time on the trip that an effort was made at speed.

Summing up the trip, we were away 15 days; we traveled in that time 1,294.6 miles. The little car used for that distance 123 gallons of gasoline and 15 quarts of oil. We had five punctures, but no blowouts; the tires served us very finely indeed, as did the car.

Four people made up the party, including 100 pounds of baggage. Outside of extra tires, gas and oil, we carried nothing beside the water bag, which is indispensable. We crossed four mountain ranges between 6,300 and 6,500 feet high, with two of these over 7,400 feet. According to the gradometer, the grades climbed ranged from 20 to 35 per cent.

To properly praise the pleasures of this trip is impossible, but in concluding, let me suggest that the motor car enthusiast take this trip and observe its wonders, delights, opportunities for free thought, for himself. It would be hard indeed to single out and undertake a more complete one.