They knock down the forest-service placards, throw down matches, cigar and cigarette stumps, and often go off and leave a campfire burning.

The time is rapidly coming when severer and swifter penalties will be meted out to this class of culprits, for not only are their actions against the law, but they jeopardize all property in and near to the forests, as well as the lives, sometimes, of many innocent men, women and children, besides destroying the value of the mountain slopes as watersheds.
As our trail winds and ascends, the rotting stumps of trees cut years ago meet the eye on every hand, until at length, when at about 7000 feet altitude we see no more.

The indications are clear that, though the timber is abundant above this elevation, for some reason or other cutting ceased.

Careful observation reveals a possible reason for this.

From this point on up the soil is both thin and poor, and though the trees seem to have flourished they are, in reality, gnarled, twisted, stunted and unfit for a good quality of lumber.