St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-09-02

| experience for himself. You leave
the valley by the Conway trail, and
pay your one dollar toll without
grumbling, in anticipation of what is
before you. 1t is a well made trail, up
which Bierstadt climbed to get his out
look over the valley and DOmes, and
winds back and forth to the top of the
Yosemite Falls. After a little while
you cross the creek whose water is to
go plunging 2600 feet down into the
valley below so soon, and then strike
off into the forest. 1t is a grand old
forest of pines, 1000 feet higher than
the top of Mt. Washington. Our way
was marked by blazes on the trees, but
Calvin had little need to watch them.
His mountain instinct was seldom at
fault. Sheep trails were as plain to
him as a macadamized road. Twenty
two miles through the forest, over
snow banks, here and there, under the
crags of Mt. Hoffman, brought us to
our first nights camping ground, on
the shore of Lake Tenaya. 1t was
cold that night, up there so high, and
we learned the lesson that we recited
every night thereafter, not to undress
on going to bed, but to put on extra
fiannels and coat and ulster, before
rolling up in the blankets. But one
does not take cold out in that clear
pure air, however much he may shiver
before morning comes. He may be
sure of that, and of waking up refresh
ed.
All along our journey we saw abun-
dant marks of ancient glacial action.
There were meraines piled up here and
there, and in many places the granite
was polished smooth as glass. No gla
ciers are now to be found in the
Sierras, with possibly one exception,
but their record is unmistakable.
In our second day we passed the
TuOlumne meadows, the Paradise of
sheep-herders in summer time, where
we forded the broad river of the same
name, which brings down the melted
SHOWS from the high mountains be-
yond. Brigham took this opportunity
to swim the river where it was deep
and soak the pack.
The mountains near by are sugar
loaves, of solid granite, many of them
so smooth and steep that | suppose nc
human foot has ever rested on theil
SUBMITS. At a height of nearly 10,OOC
feet, our second night was spent with
Mt. Dana towering still above us. Al
immense snow bank was a few yards
away from the place where we spread
our blankets, but we slept as soundly
as in our beds at home.
The name of the great New Haver
geolOgist will not be remembered
simply for his researches, his lectures
and his text books. He has lasting
monument out in the Sierras that is !
! worthy honor to a worthy man. Mt
Dana stands ,227 feet above sea level
and is the highest in the region. Mt
Lyell is only ten feet lower. Dan;
rises in the form of a cone, and is com
posed of friable reddish slate. ON
climb was not difficult one, though
the last part of the way was over snow
and pretty steep. From the top tn,
view is very extensive. One look
down 1000 feet into Mano Lake, whicl
seems just underneath, and a gOo'
sized pond. 1t is seventytive mile
in circumference. 1t is the centre of
great mining district, and around it TIN
} country looked parched and dry lik
} Africa. Far away eastward stretcl
, ranges of mountains in Nevada ant
! Utah, and north, south and west a
, well, the Sierras were piled up, peal
f behind peak, rough, Jagged, snow GOV
cred. 1t was a sight well worth com
ing to see. With becoming reverenc
, Mr.. Q. proposed that we sing, ''Prais'
God from whom all blessings flow,
ucloIC SolhS uo"h anu iOhiiy y"
seemed nearer God, up there so higl
, than ever before.
3 The descent over the snOw-field
? was an easy matter. One had but
lean back on his alpenstOck, and slid
, down hundreds of feet at time, in
: way that revived in the heart of q
E least one New England boy, the memo
p ry of joys long forgotten.
J. 1t will be impossible to take yO
: with us all the way, to make you drin
- at natures delicious sOda-fountain, be
o side which we spent night, and sc
d the Cathedral peaks, with their needl
= spires, the Unicorn, the snow field
;, over which we tramped for houl
e down the Cathedral Valley. Nor b
It simple description can you enjoy
V night among the bOulders on the spI
is of Clouds Rest, after taking han
,e and foot bath in snow bank, just |
d your saddle pillow. 1t is only in in
Is imagination that you can climb Cloud
e Rest with us on the following da
II where from height of 10000 feet yC
Is look down again into the beautif
+. valley which has come to seem iii
IF home. 1t is a grand panorama tn
NJ spreads out before one from this obse
10 vation point but such a wilderne
L i r