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Title: The Mentor: The Yosemite Valley, Vol 4, Num. 16, Serial No. 116, October 2, 1916
Author: Elmendorf, Dwight L.
Language: English
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*** Start of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Mentor: The Yosemite Valley, Vol 4, Num. 16, Serial No. 116, October 2, 1916" ***
THE MENTOR 1916.10.02, No. 116,
The Yosemite Valley
LEARN ONE THING
EVERY DAY
OCTOBER 2 1916 SERIAL NO. 116
THE
MENTOR
THE YOSEMITE
VALLEY
By DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF
Lecturer and Traveler
DEPARTMENT OF VOLUME 4
TRAVEL NUMBER 16
FIFTEEN CENTS A COPY
The Incomparable Yosemite
No temple made with hands can compare with the Yosemite. Every rock in
its walls seems to glow with life. Some lean back in majestic repose;
others, absolutely sheer or nearly so for thousands of feet, advance
beyond their companions in thoughtful attitudes, giving welcome to
storms and calms alike, seemingly aware, yet heedless, of everything
going on about them.
* * * * *
Awful in stern, immovable majesty, how softly these rocks are adorned,
and how fine and reassuring the company they keep: their feet among
beautiful groves and meadows, their brows in the sky, a thousand
flowers leaning confidingly against their feet, bathed in floods of
water, floods of light, while the snow and waterfalls, the winds and
avalanches and clouds shine and sing and wreathe about them as the
years go by, and myriads of small winged creatures--birds, bees,
butterflies--give glad animation and help to make all the air into
music.
* * * * *
Down through the middle of the Valley flows the crystal Merced, River
of Mercy, reflecting lilies and trees and the onlooking rocks; things
frail and fleeting and types of endurance meeting here and blending
in countless forms, as if into this one mountain mansion Nature had
gathered her choicest treasures to draw her lovers into close and
confiding communion with her.
JOHN MUIR.
[Illustration: FROM A WATER COLOR PAINTING
CATHEDRAL SPIRES, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK]
_THE YOSEMITE VALLEY_
_The Story of the Valley_
ONE
It was once said that “a man has to be an awful liar to tell the
truth about California”; and this applies especially to the wonderful
Yosemite (yo-sem´-it-ee) Valley. The name Yosemite means “full grown
grizzly bear.” The Valley lies on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada
range, and is washed by the Merced River.
There is no record of the early Spanish settlers of California ever
having known the Yosemite. It was always a stronghold for the mountain
tribes of Indians, and descendants of the Yosemite Indians still live
there.
During the gold rush to California, in 1849, a prospector wandering
on a trail up the Merced River was the first white man to view this
beautiful region. Two years later a band of soldiers came upon the
Valley suddenly while pursuing marauding Indians. The discovery came
about in this way:
For some time previous to 1851 the Yosemite Indians, believing
themselves secure in their mountain stronghold, had given a great
deal of trouble to the military authorities of the United States by
their defiant plundering. Major Savage, in command of the Mariposa
Battalion of United States forces, at first tried to treat peaceably
with them. The Yosemites, however, suspicious that Major Savage was
merely attempting to get the tribe into his power, would not accept his
offers. Then Major Savage went out after them. This was in the winter,
and they had to break a trail through the snow. Suddenly they came in
sight of a most wonderful valley. They went into camp on the bank of
the Merced River, opposite the peak which is now known as El Capitan.
After the meal, in discussing this glorious spot which they had
discovered, it was suggested that a name be given it. One of the party,
Dr. Bunnell, proposed that it be called the “Yosemite Valley,” to
perpetuate the name of the tribe that had so long made its home there.
This name was unanimously adopted.
The expedition remained one day and two nights in the Valley, and then
were forced to hurry out at the approach of a storm. In three days they
had made the round trip through the Valley, exploring it in a general
way, and had named some of its principal features. The Indians whom
they had gone out to capture, however, were not seen. Later, in 1851,
another expedition was made to the Valley in pursuit of the Indians.
This was in charge of Capt. John Boling, and Dr. Bunnell accompanied
the party. Several Indians were captured, and additional explorations
were made.
Not many visits were made to the Valley before 1855. The first regular
tourists’ visit was made by J. M. Hutchings, who, having heard of its
wonderful scenery, collected a party and went there. The following year
regular tourist travel began. The first house built in the Yosemite
Valley was erected in 1855. This was afterwards known as Black’s Hotel.
It was situated directly opposite the Yosemite Fall. Years ago the
old Sentinel Hotel was built by the side of the Merced River, and as
patronage increased three cottage annexes to this simple hostelry were
erected--one immediately adjoining the hotel building and two across
the road. In time a small village grew up along the road and camps were
established in the meadows and woods near by. The old Sentinel has now
given way to the large new hotel across the river near the foot of the
falls. This opens in the beginning of 1917.
The first permanent settler in the Yosemite Valley was J. C. Lamon, who
built a cabin in the very end of it in 1860 and planted gardens and
orchards. Four years later an act of Congress granted the Valley itself
and the adjacent territory to the State of California on the condition
that it be held forever as a public park. In 1905, however, California
gave back the Valley to the United States, and it now forms part of the
Yosemite National Park, which was created in 1890.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4, No. 16, SERIAL No. 116
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Illustration: FROM A WATER COLOR PAINTING
YOSEMITE FALLS. YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK]
_THE YOSEMITE VALLEY_
_The Waterfalls_
TWO
The finest photograph is inadequate to convey to the mind a
satisfactory impression of the Yosemite Falls. The Yosemite Creek
descends to the valley floor in three leaps, with a total height of
about 2,500 feet. It is the highest known cataract in the world. The
upper fall has a vertical descent of 1,430 feet; the middle fall
consists of a series of cascades, with a total descent of 626 feet;
while the lower fall is 320 feet high. At the top the Yosemite Falls
is about 35 feet wide. As the season advances and the volume of water
decreases, the fall dwindles considerably. At its best, however, it is
one of the grandest features of the Valley. In winter a splendid ice
cone, 500 feet high, forms at the foot of the upper fall.
Near Cathedral Spires, the Bridal Veil Fall pours down. People love it
for its delicate, spirit-like beauty. It has a clear vertical fall of
about 630 feet, with a width of 50 to 70 feet. The name is derived from
the effect on it of the wind, which makes it flutter like a white veil.
The Bridal Veil shoots from the upper ledge of the cliff by the
velocity the stream has acquired in descending a long slope above the
head of the fall. Usually the fall strikes on flat topped slabs, which
form a kind of ledge about two-thirds of the way down. Between four and
five o’clock in the afternoon beautiful rainbows may be seen in this
fall.
The Nevada Falls, 594 feet high, is generally ranked next to the
Yosemite in interest. It is a heavy, turbulent cataract. Before
reaching the bottom of its plunge the fall is broken and scattered by a
sloping portion of the cliff about half-way down. It is the stormiest
and whitest of all the falls in the Valley.
The Vernal Falls has a vertical descent of 317 feet and varies in width
from 70 to 80 feet. This fall is an orderly, graceful, easy-going one.
It may be more closely approached than any other. Just above it is the
beautiful Emerald Pool.
The Illilouette Falls has a total height of about 370 feet. It is not
so impressive as the upper Yosemite, nor so symmetrical as the Vernal,
nor so graceful as Bridal Veil, nor so stormy a gush as Nevada; but, as
John Muir says, “In the exquisite fineness and richness of texture of
its flowing folds, it surpasses them all.”
There are many other small falls and cascades in the Yosemite Valley,
among them being the Yosemite Gorge Fall and Cascades, the Royal Arch
Falls, the Two Sentinel Cascades, and the falls of Cascade and Tamarack
Creeks. The Royal Arch Fall in time of high water is beautiful; and the
Two Sentinel Cascades, 3,000 feet high, are also wonderful spectacles.
By the middle of summer, however, these have diminished so greatly that
they are hardly noticeable.
The volume of water in the falls of the Valley varies greatly at
different times--and so do the accounts of the altitude of the
cataracts. You may have Illilouette Falls anywhere from 370 to 600
feet high, and the Upper Yosemite Falls anywhere from 1,400 to 1,600
feet high--just according to whom you ask. There is a like variation
in the statements of the altitude of summits, and the size and age of
the giant trees. Our figures are taken from the documents issued by the
Department of the Interior of the United States Government.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4, No. 16, SERIAL No. 116
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Illustration: FROM A WATER COLOR PAINTING
EL CAPITAN, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK]
_THE YOSEMITE VALLEY_
_The Summits_
THREE
First in impressiveness and second only to the waterfalls in beauty,
are the summits of the Yosemite Valley. Of all these summits El Capitan
stands preëminent, although it is not the highest; that honor belonging
to Cloud’s Rest.
El Capitan, probably the largest mass of single rock in the world,
stands on the north wall of the valley. It rises almost vertically
3,600 feet above the plain, and it is nearly rectangular in shape. Its
two vast faces measure about 160 acres each in area. You can judge of
its size by singling out what appears to be a green bush which took
root and is growing in a shallow niche far up on the face of the rock.
That green bush is called “The Lone Pine,” and _it is 150 feet high_.
El Capitan stands like a grand old veteran, and it is one of the most
imposing monuments that nature has left to show the terrific forces
which at one time worked their will with this planet. Its summit may be
reached by a long and arduous journey, which is seldom undertaken.
Half Dome, or South Dome, as it is sometimes called, rises at the head
of the Yosemite Valley to the height of 4,892 feet above the valley
floor. It forms the eastern terminus of the Valley. It is one of
the wonders of the natural world, and is a unique thing in mountain
scenery. Sweeping up 3,000 feet, its walls bear only a few pine trees.
Above this it ascends perpendicularly nearly 2,000 feet straight into
the sky, while its rounded summit falls steeply curved on the opposite
side. It has been described as “incomparably the most wonderful,
striking and impressive feature of the region. In strangeness of shape
this hemispherical mountain of solid granite is singular among the
world’s geological marvels, and its sublime height and firm soaring
outline impose it upon the imagination more than would be possible to
bulk alone. From every part of the upper half of the Valley the eye is
compelled, as if by force of physical attraction, to return to this
extraordinary mountain, which one can never tire of contemplating. One
looks upon it as one would gaze at some majestic fragment of statuary.”
Half Dome was first ascended in 1875 by George Anderson. He practically
pulled himself to the summit by means of a rope attached to iron pegs
driven in the rock. He inserted his bolts five or six feet apart, and
made his rope fast to each in succession, resting his feet on the last
bolt while he drilled a hole for the next above. He accomplished his
ascent in a few days; and he hoped to complete a stairway, so that
tourists might ascend the Dome. But while he was preparing timber for
his stairway he was taken sick, and died all alone in his little cabin.
To the east of El Capitan are the peaks named the Three Brothers, the
highest of which, known also as Eagle Peak, is a favorite viewpoint.
Glacier Point is another frequently visited peak. It is in many
respects the finest point of vantage from which to view the Valley.
Opposite is Washington Column, and immediately to the westward of this
are the Royal Arches, formed of curious curved layers of rock, firmly
recessed, where gigantic displacements have produced a strange vaulted
effect. Over these towers North Dome, polished and gray, rises in a
perfect curve 3,571 feet above the Valley. It is the best exhibition
of the round head rock formation that is so marked a feature of this
region.
Guarding the Bridal Veil Falls are the Three Graces. These look across
the Valley to their counterparts, the Three Brothers. Near them are
Cathedral Rock and Cathedral Spires. Cathedral Rock is not so high nor
so massive as El Capitan, nor are its sides quite so nearly vertical.
Its summit is 2,660 feet above the Valley. The graceful pinnacles of
rock called Cathedral Spires are isolated columns of granite. From one
point of view these spires rise above the edge of the cliff exactly
like two towers of a Gothic cathedral. They are said to have been given
their name because of a fancied resemblance to the Duomo at Florence,
in Italy.
Sentinel Rock is the most conspicuous rock on the south face of the
Valley. It stands about in the middle of the Valley, and resembles a
ruined tower 3,100 feet in height. Beneath Sentinel Rock is Yosemite,
the little village of the Valley. Right across the river opposite is
the Yosemite Falls.
Cloud’s Rest commands a splendid view of the High Sierra. Cloud’s Rest
is a long, bare, steep and extremely high granite ridge. It is higher
than Half Dome, being nearly 10,000 feet above sea level.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4, No. 16, SERIAL No. 116
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Illustration: FROM A WATER COLOR PAINTING
HALF DOME, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK]
_THE YOSEMITE VALLEY_
_The Trails_
FOUR
The supreme enjoyment of the Yosemite Valley is to be found by pursuing
its trails. There are many of these, some offering more points of
interest and beauty than others.
The climb to Glacier Point is of all the most popular. There are three
methods of making the ascent--on foot, on horseback, and by auto-car.
A great many prefer the horse or mule and the bridle path. This trail
leads from the valley floor along the banks of the Merced River and
past and above Vernal Falls and on to Nevada Falls. Then it follows
the picturesque Illilouette Creek to its fall. Then the trail ascends
the steep face of the cliff in zig zags. When the last height is won
and Glacier Point is reached, the view is worth all the struggle. From
Glacier Point may be seen the Tenaya Canyon, the Vernal and Nevada
Falls, the Cap of Liberty, Half Dome, the High Sierra, and most of
the Yosemite Valley. There is a comfortable little hotel and a camp
at Glacier Point. Many stay over night, and use the spot as a point
of departure on various trails--for Sentinel Dome, Taft Point, Dewey
Point, and the long trail tramp to Wawona.
The top of Sentinel Dome may be reached from Glacier Point by a short
journey, and the trail is in good condition. If possible, the view from
here exceeds in grandeur that from Glacier Point.
After reaching Glacier Point most visitors return by the short trail.
This zig zags down abruptly, making its descent in four and a half
miles. It is full of thrills. For those who are nervous there is just
one rule to remember: “Fix your faith on your mule--and hold tight.”
The trail passes Agassiz’s Column, a giant obelisk that rises 85 feet
in the air from the top of the cliff, leads by Sentinel Falls, and
emerges on the plain below at the foot of Sentinel Rock.
The ledge trail is the most difficult. It goes almost straight up from
Camp Curry at the base of Glacier Point. This ascent has been made in
a little over an hour. It is a trail that only strong climbers should
attempt.
Another wonderful climb is that to Eagle Peak and Yosemite Point. A
steep but well-made bridle path crosses the bridge over the creek
descending from Yosemite Falls. The trail goes to the right shortly
after, and, ascending some distance, finally reaches a spot near the
foot of the Upper Yosemite Fall. Then the trail leads to the top of the
Yosemite Fall and from there a path goes to Lake Tenaya. The view from
Eagle Peak extends further to the west than that of Glacier Point.
The trail to Vernal and Nevada Falls leads past Happy Isles and is full
of beauty and interest. It winds along the side of the rushing Merced
River. The trail leads over a bridge commanding one of the best views
of Vernal Falls, and shortly after passing Register Rock, it leads to
Vernal Falls. Behind this fall rises the picturesque Cap of Liberty.
This may be ascended by experts, but it is a difficult climb. The top
of Vernal Falls may be reached by an easy path protected by an iron
chain.
From Register Rock the trail, which now becomes narrower and steeper,
makes a wide sweep to the right before reaching the top of Vernal
Falls, where the flat rock permits an approach to the edge of the
water. Just above is the beautiful Emerald Pool. The trail recrosses
the river about half-way between the top of Vernal Falls and the bottom
of Nevada Falls. Above the bridge is the Diamond Cascade, and below
it is the Silver Apron, both beautiful waterfalls. From here may be
obtained a fine view of the superb Nevada Falls. A steep and zig-zag
trail leads to its top.
To reach Cloud’s Rest visitors follow the Vernal Falls Trail, diverging
from it before reaching the bridge above the falls. The trip to Cloud’s
Rest takes one day, and is a favorite among energetic tourists. From
the Cloud’s Rest trail climbers can turn east and ascend the round
summit of Half Dome. The extraordinary formation of this mountain
attracts climbers, who are curious to see what the top of it is like.
They find it to be just what they expect--a curved, smooth surface.
For anyone who has two or three days to spare for a single expedition,
the trip to Merced Lake is a choice one. The lake is reached in one day
by the trail that leads to Vernal and Nevada Falls. After the falls
have been left behind the trail is a rough, wild path, disclosing
scenes of great beauty on every hand. There is a comfortable lodge at
the Lake, and in its waters are more fish than you can catch--yes, you
and all your friends--in many a day.
Some of these trails lead on into the larger spaces of Yosemite
National Park. The great majority of visitors confine themselves to the
territory included in the Valley.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4, No. 16, SERIAL No. 116
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Illustration: FROM A WATER COLOR PAINTING
THE THREE BROTHERS, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK]
_THE YOSEMITE VALLEY_
_The Camps_
FIVE
The Valley is a camper’s paradise. Years ago travelers discovered
its many advantages. The combination of deep shaded woods and open
meadows, with a fine water supply close at hand, made its appeal to
all lovers of nature, and long ago the Valley became a favorite resort
for campers. Out of single parties, there soon developed an organized
camping system in the Valley. As a result, there are now a number of
little tent and bungalow communities, with populations varying from
two or three hundred up to nearly two thousand. At one time, during
1915, the population of Camp Curry exceeded two thousand. To the
lover of out-door life who wants to rest close to the earth, there is
nothing more delightful than tent and bungalow life. The United States
Government and the Park Service Company offer every convenience to
campers, so that no one need bring material nor any supplies into the
Valley. The camper may determine the conditions under which he will
live. He may bring his own tent, if he cares to. Then, after securing
a permit, he may pick out his own spot and raise his simple roof tree.
Aside from the established camps there are spaces of land set apart
and numbered, and these are for the use of those utterly care-free
pilgrims who prefer to settle on a spot of their own choosing and
lead the simple life. Upon arriving, the prospective camper can get a
full equipment on reasonable terms. A list will be supplied to him,
from which he can select every necessary thing for camp life--from
a can-opener and tin pan to tents and tables. He can purchase these
articles, or he can rent them by the week. If a vagrant life is
desired, the camper may secure a pack-mule, pull up stakes from time to
time, and move about as he chooses.
This is camp life in its most elementary aspect. From that the
conditions of tent and bungalow life in the Valley range up to the
finely equipped and organized camps, where the visitor may enjoy all
the advantages and luxuries of comfortable hotel life, while at the
same time living close to the ground. The established camps at present
are Awahnee, El Capitan, Yosemite Camp, Lost Arrow and Camp Curry.
The affairs of each camp are managed from its own central office, a
building where mail is received and the interests of the campers are
looked after. The daily life of these communities is full of incident.
Each camp has its entertainments and its gala performances. One has
a fine, large bathing pavilion and plunge; another, a festival hall.
Moving pictures are exhibited in the evenings; there are lectures and
concerts; and a large, well equipped dancing pavilion makes the hours
fly fast for young people. Communication between the camps is easy,
for there are auto-buses, “jitneys,” as well as ponies and burros, and
things are stirring actively among the camps most of the time. No one
need lack for entertainment. Between the single tent in a remote part
of the Valley and the populous camp community there is a wide range for
choice, and variety of conditions enough to make everyone happy.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4, No. 16, SERIAL No. 116
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Illustration: FROM A WATER COLOR PAINTING
VIEW FROM GLACIER POINT TRAIL, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK]
_THE YOSEMITE VALLEY_
_The Big Trees_
SIX
A most interesting feature of the Yosemite region is the Big Trees.
There are three groves of giant trees near the valley--the Tuolumne,
Merced, and Mariposa. The first two named are small groves. The
important grove is the Mariposa. This grove is so called from its
situation in Mariposa (Butterfly) County. It occupies a tract of land
about four square miles in area, and consists of two definite groups
of trees. Its elevation above the sea level varies from 5,000 to 8,000
feet.
The Big Tree, or _Sequoia gigantea_, is found only on the west slope
of the Sierra Range. The Redwood, or _Sequoia sempervirens_, its twin
brother, is strictly a seaboard tree, being confined to the coast
ranges. The Big Tree, however, is the giant of all, and it is of this
species that the Mariposa Grove is made up.
The first grove of Big Trees discovered by white men was the Calaveras
Grove of Big Trees in California. This was in the spring of 1852, and
the discoverer was A. T. Dowd. Soon the story of the Big Trees found
its way into the newspapers, and no other plant ever attracted so
much attention or gained such celebrity within so short a period. The
species was named in honor of Sequoyah, or Sequoia, to give it the
Latin spelling, a Cherokee Indian of mixed blood, who was also known
as George Guess. He invented an alphabet and written language for his
tribe.
The Big Trees are the oldest living things in the world. It is
impossible to appreciate their huge size from a mere description. They
must be seen; and even then a sense of futility strikes the beholder.
The Big Trees grow in groves, never forming groups by themselves, but
always scattered among a much larger number of trees of other kinds.
Says John Muir, the famous naturalist: “The whole tree for the first
century or two, or until it is a hundred or one hundred and fifty feet
high, is arrowhead in form, and, compared with the solemn rigidity of
age, seems as sensitive to the wind as a squirrel’s tail. As it grows
older, the lower branches are gradually dropped and the upper ones
thinned out, until comparatively few are left. The immensely strong,
stately shafts are free of limbs for one hundred and fifty feet or
so. The large limbs reach out with equal boldness in every direction,
showing no weather side, and no other tree has foliage so densely
massed, so finely molded in outline, and so perfectly subordinate to
an ideal type. A particularly knotty, angular, ungovernable-looking
branch, from five to seven or eight feet in diameter, and perhaps a
thousand years old, may occasionally be seen pushing out from the
trunk as if determined to break across the bounds of the regular
curve, but like all the others it dissolves in bosses of branchlets
and sprays as soon as the general outline is approached. Except in
picturesque old age, after being struck by lightning or broken by
thousands of snow-storms, the regularity of forms is one of their most
distinguishing characteristics. Another is the simple beauty of the
trunk, and its great thickness as compared with its height and the
width of the branches, which makes them look more like finely modeled
and sculptured architectural columns than the stems of trees, while the
great limbs look like rafters, supporting the magnificent dome-head.
But though so consummately beautiful, the Big Tree always seems
unfamiliar, with peculiar physiognomy, awfully solemn and earnest; yet
with all its strangeness it impresses us as being more at home than any
of its neighbors, holding the best right to the ground as the oldest,
strongest inhabitant.”
The Mariposa Grove--which was discovered in 1857 by Galen Clark--lies
in a little valley occupying a depression on the back of a ridge.
The Lower Grove contains 240 fine Big Trees. The Grizzly Giant is
the largest of all. It has a circumference of ninety-three feet and
a diameter of thirty and six-tenths feet. Its main limb is six and
one-half feet in diameter. This tree is very much injured, and its size
has been decreased by burning. It has long since passed its prime, and
has a battered and worn appearance.
In ascending to the Upper Grove the road goes through a tunnel cut
through the heart of the “Wawona,” a living Sequoia. This tunnel is ten
feet high and nine and one-half feet wide at the bottom.
The Upper Grove contains 360 Big Trees, averaging in age about 2,500
years. About ten of the trees exceed 250 feet in height. Three of these
have a circumference of over ninety feet.
The bark of the largest trees is from one to two feet thick. Toward the
end of winter the trees bloom, while the snow is still eight or ten
feet deep. The flowers are pale green and pale yellow. The seeds are
small and light. The cones remain on the tree for many years.
The Big Trees might live forever. There is no absolute limit to their
existence. Death is due only to an accident. The leaves alone die of
old age, and these are renewed.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 4, No. 16, SERIAL No. 116
COPYRIGHT, 1916, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
THE MENTOR · DEPARTMENT OF TRAVEL · OCT. 2, 1916
[Illustration: Photograph by J. T. Boysen
EL PORTAL
The terminal of the railroad. From here a run of 10 miles is made up
Merced Canyon to Yosemite Valley]
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY
By DWIGHT L. ELMENDORF
_Lecturer and Traveler_
_MENTOR COLOR PLATES_
CATHEDRAL SPIRES
YOSEMITE FALLS
EL CAPITAN
HALF DOME
THREE BROTHERS
VIEW FROM GLACIER POINT TRAIL
Entered as second-class matter March 10, 1913, at the postoffice at New
York, N. Y., under the act of March 3, 1879. Copyright, 1916, by The
Mentor Association, Inc.
Rest here for a time by the side of the Merced River while I tell you
something of this peaceful, lovely valley. Look over to that further
cliff and watch the silver stream of the Yosemite descend in three
gleaming white steps from the summit of rock 2,600 feet above us to the
meadow level where we stand. In its first flight of 1,430 feet it falls
a third of that distance in a snowy column, then turns to wreathing
smoke, through which many glistening darts shoot down to the rocky
basin below. Here the misty elements are resolved again into water, and
the stream tumbles frothing through rocks to its second flight, then on
to the lower fall of 320 feet, when it dashes on a bed of boulders and
hurries to join the Merced River.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
THE GATE TO THE VALLEY
Bridal Veil Falls at right of picture]
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
VIEW FROM INSPIRATION POINT
Bridal Veil Falls in the distance at right of picture]
It is an ever present sight in the heart of the Valley, and our eyes
turn to it frequently during the hours of daylight. And, all through
the night, we hear the hushing sound of its falling waters as it
whispers to us of the many beautiful things that Nature has given us in
this valley of enchantment.
So you see Yosemite in midsummer. Then its fall is almost as fairy-like
as that of Bridal Veil. But in April and May, when it pours down the
accumulation of the winter snows, it is a foaming torrent, and its tone
is deep and strong.
The Yosemite has been gradually disclosing its features to us since
early morning. The first impression that we experience as we leave the
town of Merced is one of steady ascent into a narrow gorge, through
which a busy, turbulent stream--the Merced River--pursues its course.
The train labors sturdily up until it reaches El Portal, where there is
a pause at the hotel for lunch. Then the trip is resumed in auto buses
that take us on up through a valley, winding and narrowing into a notch
that seems at times as if it would end in sheer walls of rock. But,
in the course of an hour or more the way broadens, and we find wider
stretches, wooded with tall pines and stately sequoias.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
MERCED CANYON
The approach to the Valley]
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
MIRROR LAKE
As seen in the early morning]
Then we catch a glimpse of Elephant Rock, of Cathedral Spires, of
the delicate lacery of Bridal Veil Falls, and, opposite, the massive
bulk of El Capitan. Soon the slender, swanlike neck of Yosemite Falls
appears, and we roll through Camp Awahnee and out into the wide, level
vale where Yosemite Village rests. Here we draw a long breath, and
a sense of peace and contentment takes possession of us--a feeling
of complete isolation from the world of care and trouble. There is
something so intimate and friendly--so “homey”--about the wide, green
meadow that stretches before us from the banks of the fast flowing
Merced to the wood at the foot of Yosemite Falls. Around this level
mead the camps cluster; Yosemite, El Capitan, and Lost Arrow camps
close to the base of the falls, quiet Camp Awahnee by the roadside
across the river, and busy Camp Curry a mile east of the village and
just below Glacier Point.
_Yosemite National Park_
We are now in the very center of Yosemite Valley--though not of
Yosemite National Park. Do not mistake the part for the whole. The
Yosemite National Park--created a park October 1, 1890--is a huge
tract of land, 1,124 square miles in area. It contains many valleys,
mountains, streams, lakes, and waterfalls. Its vast territory has been
explored by countless travelers, and it is the favorite playground
of the Sierra Club--a body of hardy and adventurous men and women
trampers, campers, and mountain climbers.
The particular gem of the Yosemite National Park is our dearly
treasured Yosemite Valley, seven miles in length--and that is what we
have come to visit. When we arrive there we reach a high elevation. The
floor of the Valley is 4,000 feet above sea level, and on all sides the
mountains rise to heights varying from 3,000 to 6,000 feet more. The
highest point in the Valley is the summit of Cloud’s Rest, which is
nearly 10,000 feet above sea level.
[Illustration: Photograph by J. T. Boysen
FORMER DAYS
Four-horse stage in front of the old Sentinel Hotel. Yosemite Falls in
the background]
[Illustration: Photograph by J. T. Boysen
THE PRESENT DAY
Automobiles everywhere. There is even a “jitney” service in the Valley]
And, now that we are here, you ask: “What is this valley, and how
did it come to be?” There are several geological explanations of it,
varying in character. Prof. J. D. Whitney, the first scientist to study
the Sierra, thought that the Yosemite was “the result of the sinking
of a local block of the earth’s crust having the exact outlines of the
Valley,” and he denied that glacial action had anything to do with it.
But the generally accepted explanation is that the Valley was once a
tortuous river canyon cut by the Merced River, and that the cutting
work of this stream was done so fast that the “tributary valleys soon
remained hanging high on either side.” Then the canyon became the bed
of great glaciers which, in moving, “scooped” the Valley into its
present form. This, of course, was a matter of hundreds of thousands of
years.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
EVENING PRIMROSES
Half Dome at the back]
Accepting that explanation as correct, many of the natural conditions
that we find in the Valley are easy to understand--such as the smooth
polished surfaces of El Capitan and Half Dome.
And now you ask: “What is there to do and see?” It is a valley of
varied diversions. There are many things to do and many beautiful
spots to visit, and you may choose according to your tastes and your
physical ability. Are you a sturdy tramper? You may take your pack
and staff and assail the mountain citadels that challenge you on every
side. Do you love the saddle? You can find bridle paths that will
lead you through the cool, dense woods, by lakesides, to the foot of
waterfalls, and up to the summits. Are you unequal to the exertion of
tramping or riding? The joys of the Yosemite are yours none the less,
for high powered auto cars will carry you in comfort to the points of
greatest interest in the Valley, out to the groves of giant trees, and
even up to the supreme commanding spot of all--Glacier Point.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
WINTER SCENE
Half Dome in white]
You may take in the Yosemite as a visiting tourist, in which five or
six days may suffice you for sightseeing, or you may settle down as a
camper or hotel guest, in which case days and weeks slip by, and you
soon lose all sense of time in the sweet repose of the Valley. For the
greater number a touring visit is all that is possible. You tell me
that you are here for a few days. How may you best occupy them? It is
not necessary for me to answer your question in detail, for the affairs
of the Valley have been systematized in a most businesslike fashion,
and all such information is ready to hand. You can obtain schedules of
trips for two, three, four, and on up to nine and ten days. The United
States Government has done and is doing a good work in developing
this great natural recreation park, and all the Government asks of us
is that we will take advantage of it. The attitude of Uncle Sam is
expressed in the legends posted on trees throughout the Valley, all
of which mean in substance: “This beautiful park is yours. Help us to
preserve it and make it attractive.”
_Evening in the Valley_
We have come up from Merced in the morning, and we have arrived in
the Valley at three o’clock. Let us make the most of the remainder of
this fair summer afternoon. We walk out across the green meadow for a
closer view of Yosemite Falls. The shadows of El Capitan and the Three
Brothers are already creeping over the valley, and the air has a touch
of evening cool as we enter the woods. The walk is longer than we
thought. The tall, sheer cliffs make the falls seem nearer than they
are. At length, after pursuing the path for some distance through the
woods, we come upon an open spot from which we can gaze up and drink
in the beauty of the three white leaps of water. This is the favorite
spot--the choice viewpoint of artists and photographers. A short climb
brings us to the foot of the lower falls, and there we rest and watch
the seething basin while the soft mist plays upon our faces. The woods
about us are in deep shadow and odorous of pine. Above us goes the
trail that leads up through a narrow gorge to a point at the summit of
the falls. We are seated in the very sanctuary of the Yosemite. It is
an hour to remember.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
THE ZIG ZAG
On the Glacier Point Trail]
On returning, we pause a moment by the roadside on the meadow at the
concrete bench placed there in memory of Galen Clark, a lover and
student of the Yosemite, and discoverer of the giant trees of the
Mariposa Grove. Galen Clark apparently drew vitality from his aged tree
friends, for he lived to be 96 years old. He is buried in the Valley,
and the concrete bench is placed on the spot where he frequently
sat to gaze on the falls. Though it is now evening and the sun has
disappeared, the Valley is suffused with soft reflected light from the
huge flat, mirror-like face of Half Dome. In the course of an hour the
golden glow on that great oval surface of rock far above us turns to
shimmering silver, and then to a ghostly gray that finally gives way to
night.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
GLACIER POINT HOTEL AND CAMP
3,254 feet above the Valley and 7,250 feet above sea level]
_Mirror Lake and Happy Isles_
In the early morning let us go to Mirror Lake. This beautiful little
sheet of water lies not far from the village and in a natural bowl at
the foot of Half Dome and Mount Watkins. The mirror effects are best
seen in the early hours shortly after sunrise.
[Illustration: Photograph by J. T. Boysen
A FOREST FRIEND
He prefers sweets, but he will accept eagerly any form of
nourishment--and he does not scorn tobacco]
On the way back stop for a half hour at Happy Isles. That brief visit
will not suffice you, for you will find time, even in a short stay in
the Yosemite, to slip away for several half hours to the quiet shades
and laughing waters of Happy Isles. The Merced has woven a necklace of
sparkling waves about these little wooded islands, and made of them
an ideal retreat for a sunny afternoon. If you rest there late in the
day look for the dainty little water bird that John Muir calls the
“water-ouzel.” I watched one for an hour on the lower island. He has
his nest close to the surface of the stream, and he plays joyously,
half in and half out of the water, part time flitting over the spray,
and part time dipping under, until his sleek gray-black coat shines
like satin.
There are trails and roads in all directions. What will you choose?
Since you have now seen Happy Isles, go on to the foot of Vernal
Falls. You have simply to follow the path past Happy Isles, and go on
up the Merced River. It will repay you, for Vernal Falls is a beautiful
down-pour of water, 317 feet in height. And, while you are following
this trail, go on still further till you reach Nevada Falls, the most
impressive of all the cataracts in the Park. Its height is 594 feet,
and the volume of water that it pours exceeds that of any of the
others. If you would get an adequate impression of its power, climb to
the top of Nevada Falls and look down. You will not forget the sight.
If you love fishing, you would do well to take your rod on such a trip,
for trout can be found in the pools of the Merced. If fishing is your
main object, follow the trail on up to Merced Lake, where you may be
assured of finding a full day’s sport.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
“WINKEY” AT GLACIER POINT]
If, however, tramping and climbing are your choice, you can continue
from Nevada Falls and go on one or the other of two splendidly
adventurous trails--either turning up to the left to climb the summit
of Cloud’s Rest or Half Dome, or winding to the right to reach
far-famed Glacier Point. If you take the latter trail you will catch
a fine view of Illilouette Falls, a beautiful cataract 370 feet in
height, seen only by hardy climbers.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
CAMP CURRY]
_Glacier Point_
You may not be equal to such a climb. If so, save Glacier Point for a
special trip--on muleback if you can stand it; if not, then go up the
road in an auto car. There are a number of ways of scaling Glacier
Point. I have mentioned one trail. The bridle trail goes up the long
way and comes down the short--all done in one day if one chooses.
This trail offers many scenic beauties and some real thrills for
those unaccustomed to dizzy heights. The shortest way of all is what
is called the “ledge trail,” which starts near Camp Curry, directly
underneath Glacier Point, and goes pretty nearly straight up. This
calls for the sturdiest kind of climbing--and some nerve.
“All very well,” exclaims the timorous, “but for me, the auto car.”
And, indeed, the auto car trip offers many advantages besides comfort
and ease. The road for part of the way is the one that you take to
Wawona and the big trees. You pass Artists’ Point and Inspiration
Point, both of them affording lovely views. Then you turn off and
pursue a course along the mountain ridge for miles. There, 7,000
feet in altitude, you wind through magnificent woods of pine and
sequoia that line out majestic cathedral naves before you. The somber
shadows that envelop you are shot through with golden beams of light.
Occasionally you come upon rich green, natural open meadows, where wild
flowers abound. A black or brown bear may cross your path. He is a
well-behaved citizen, and he will accept appreciatively any nourishment
that you offer him.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
WINTER AT GLACIER POINT]
You may go to Glacier Point and back by auto car in one day, but I
advise staying over night. By all means see the sunset and sunrise from
Glacier Point--and then you will feel that you really know the Valley.
It lies there like a map below you. Opposite you rise the great heights
of El Capitan, Three Brothers, Yosemite Point, North Dome, Basket Dome,
and Watkins. The Tenaya Canyon stretches off to the northeast. To your
right rise the peak of Cloud’s Rest and the bald head of Half Dome, and
below them, still further to the right, is the Little Yosemite Valley,
down which pour the torrents of Nevada and Vernal Falls. Both cataracts
are in sight from where you stand, and you can plainly hear the sound
of their waters. And beyond all these, and stretching far away to the
horizon, are the snow-capped summits of the High Sierra. Beneath you,
3,200 feet down, lies the floor of the Valley. And, as the shadows of
night gather, the lights of the village and the camps twinkle there
like reflected stars.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
SKATING ON THE MERCED]
_The Giant Trees_
There are three groves of giant sequoias in the Yosemite region--the
Tuolomne, the Merced, and the Mariposa--and they are visited by almost
everyone who goes to the Yosemite Valley. The Tuolomne and Merced
groves may be seen in a single day’s trip, for they are not far apart
and neither of them is large. The Merced Grove contains forty giants,
the Tuolomne twenty, the chief of which is the Dead Giant. Cars drive
through this monster just as they do through the Wawona tree in the
Mariposa Grove. The ride to the Tuolomne Grove is very picturesque and
thrilling, offering one special point of advantage--New Inspiration
Point, from which, in the afternoon, Bridal Veil Falls may be seen
playing through constantly shifting rainbows.
Mariposa Grove was discovered in 1857, and is the largest grove of its
kind in the world. It contains more than five hundred monster sequoias,
the largest of which is the famous Grizzly Giant, 204 feet in height
and about 30 feet in diameter at the base. You may be told that this
is the largest tree in the world. That is not true. There are several
larger sequoias. The General Grant tree in General Grant Park is 264
feet in height and nearly 35 feet in diameter. The largest known tree
is the General Sherman in the Sequoia National Park, which measures 280
feet high and is 36 feet and 5 inches in diameter at the base.
You may be told also that these great trees are seven and even eight
thousand years old. Take that statement with consideration. The
sequoias are very hardy vegetables, and are undoubtedly the oldest
things living, but the scientists tell us that the veteran trees run
in age from 1,500 to 2,500 years, and that the oldest tree, of whose
age record there is no question, is somewhat over 3,000 years old. John
Muir states that he has found one tree for which he claims an age of
4,000 years.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
ILLILOUETTE FALLS
370 feet in height]
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
VERNAL FALLS
317 feet in height]
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
NEVADA FALLS
594 feet in height]
But a matter of a thousand years or so does not detract from the
dignity of these majestic forest Sons of Anak. Their age and size are
enough to command our reverence, and no one should visit the Yosemite
without going to the groves to pay respect to these ancient monarchs.
[Illustration: Photograph by J. T. Boysen
THE WAWONA TREE, MARIPOSA GROVE
In front of the tree stands Galen Clark, who discovered the Mariposa
Grove of Big Trees in 1857]
You must visit the Mariposa Grove at least, and I urge you to give it a
special day. You can ride over and return to Yosemite in one day, but I
would advise you, in case your visit is a brief one, to save the grove
for the last day. Ride to Wawona the afternoon before and stay at that
restful little spot overnight. Then visit the grove in the morning, and
after that go on to Miami Lodge, and down through the mountains, and
across the rich San Joaquin Valley to Fresno, where you can end your
trip and reach the main railroad lines.
But let me not usher you out of the Valley in this manner. Let me
rather urge you to remain. A taste of camp life will surely convince
you if my words do not. Camp life is one of the most delightful
features of the Yosemite. Camp facilities and conveniences have been
arranged to suit every person and every purse. You may enter one of the
regularly organized camps, or you may obtain a permit and pitch your
own tent in a specially selected spot.
To those who plan to settle for a time in the Park the camps make a
strong appeal. Camp life is a refreshing change from conventional
things, and the heart grows younger under it.
The peculiar charm of the Yosemite is the “nearness and dearness”
of its features, and it is through camp life that we come to feel
this charm. It is not long before El Capitan, the Bridal Veil, the
Three Brothers, the Three Graces and Half Dome become objects of
fond affection, and the whole Valley appears to be a vast playground
especially prepared by Nature to delight the hearts of her children.
_SUPPLEMENTARY READING_
GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING YOSEMITE PARK _Issued by the
U. S. Government_
SKETCH OF YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK _By F. E. Matthes_
DISCOVERY OF THE YOSEMITE _By H. L. Bunnell_
YOSEMITE TRAILS _By J. S. Chase_
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY _By Galen Clark_
YOSEMITE SOUVENIR AND GUIDE _By D. J. Foley_
OUR NATIONAL PARKS _By John Muir_
THE YOSEMITE _By John Muir_
⁂ Information concerning the above books may be had on application to
the Editor of The Mentor.
THE OPEN LETTER
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
THE LAUGHING WATERS OF HAPPY ISLES]
In some scenery there is an element of awe--a grimness that makes
us shudder. The charm of the Yosemite is that, with all its scenic
splendor it is so serenely beautiful, so restful in character, and so
endearing. There is no lack of majesty. Lofty summits surround us--some
of them stern in aspect. El Capitan is a vast, beetling cliff, the
Three Brothers are grim granite companions, and the peak of Cloud’s
Rest is remote and austere. But, down in the valley, all is gentle and
lovely.
* * * * *
I have visited the valley more than once, and I know its spell. Its
soothing influence dulls the edge of decision. However energetic and
purposeful we may be on arrival, we find, after a few days, that we
have, quite unconsciously, eaten of the lotus of forgetfulness. Plans
for various strenuous activities are modified; things that at first
seemed urgent are postponed; and the day of departure drops into the
list of life’s little uncertainties. Events take their own course; we
yield to the current. Yesterday we followed the mountain trail, and we
were full of the stir and thrill of it. Today we find other and quieter
joys. So we let the climbers now call us indolent. We let them take to
the summits while we hold to the valley. We are content. The flowers
that offer themselves at our feet are as fair as those that they find
on the heights. The air about us is soft and fragrant, and “sweet is
the whisper of the pine trees by the river.” Our hearts are in unison
with the pastoral poet, and we ask for nothing better today than to
rest here and dream in the Happy Isles.
* * * * *
The valley is undergoing changes and improvements. The conditions there
have always been very simple. Within recent years the government,
realizing that the Yosemite was a wonderful natural playground, has
done much to develop it. If a visitor of former years should go to
the Yosemite today, he would rub his eyes and exclaim at the changes.
He would find the old Sentinel Hotel and cottages superseded by the
luxurious new hotel, and the village largely transplanted to the other
side of the Merced. In place of the old-fashioned stages, he would
find the ever-present auto-car. He would find the Glacier Point Hotel
renewed and enlarged, and many improvements in the valley camps. He
would find well-equipped lodges and chalets scattered through the
Park for the comfort of those who take the long, arduous trails. The
Yosemite is now an all-year-round resort, where winter as well as
summer sport may be enjoyed. Uncle Sam’s invitation is: “Come to your
pleasure Park, forget your cares for a while, and rest and play.”
[Illustration: W. D. Moffat
EDITOR]
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complete your set.
THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
52 EAST NINETEENTH STREET--NEW YORK, N. Y.
MAKE THE SPARE MOMENT COUNT
*** End of this LibraryBlog Digital Book "The Mentor: The Yosemite Valley, Vol 4, Num. 16, Serial No. 116, October 2, 1916" ***
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