Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-22
THE HETCH.HETCHY.
A Valley Rivalling the Yosemite In
beauty.

The Hetch-Hetchy valley is situated on the
main Tuolumne river about twenty-five miles
west Of the crest of the Sierras. and sixteen in
an air line northwest Of Yosemite. Like that
valley, it Is but widening of the bottom
of the river canon from the common "v"
shape to that Of "U," and the substitution Of
nearly vertical solid granite cliffs for the ordi
nary slanting earth-covered sides Of the Califor-
MIA canon. These two valleys are the only ex-
amples of this rock formation to be- found In the
sierras. and, in fact. exceed in height Of walls,
size, natural wonders and effect upon the OBJ
server any similar formation yet discovered In
either hemisphere Volumes have been written
descriptive OF Yosemite. but of her sister valley
equally beautiful, and I'm some respects even
more remarkable, our public prints. our books
of travel, and, with one exception, even our
guide books are silent.
small hotel at the toll-gate on the Big Oak Flat
road to Yosemite. thirteen miles east of Garrote
This Is wild spot, being the junction Of the
middle and south forks of the Tuoumne with
the main river. Halt a mile west of the hotel
the road winds along the canon 2.00O feet above
the river, and in view of cascades on the south
fork. and vertical fall on the middle fork 200
feet in height. Further east I crept down O
bluff at the junction of the two forks, and from
a perpendicular precipice 200 feet in height
rectly opposite. The stream here falls fully 200
feet in half mile.
From a rocky bluff a half mile down the canon
Hetch-Hetchy comes first into open view. 1t is
bracing in one vast amphitheater all the most
notable objects of interest of the valley. Yo-
semitic cannot produce it's equal. 1t is as if Ell
Captain, the South Dome Sentinel Rock, and
the Yosemite and Nevada falls were brought
together in one picture. And then we must
ch.Ho ohvss
to equal the panorama presented from the
rock on which l now sit. The meadows. level
as floor, traversed by the river, now swollen
by melted SHOWS. but smooth and placid, and
iringed by noble trees, form the foreground of
the picture. Now, imagine this scene enclosed
on three sides by nearly vertical walls of solid
granite. rising from 1000 feet, on the extreme
left and right, to grand eliminating dome in
the center of the picture, springing $500 feet
above the level Of the valley. Paint these cliffs
velvety gray, relieved bv patches of white,
red, yellow, brown, and vertical bands of jet
black. Then throw over the foreground of
these cliffs two of Yosemites best falls. Add
California sunlight and sky and the remem-
brance that you are miles away from the princi-
pal objects which form this gigantic amphi-
theater of nature, and you have in your minds
eye the first view Of Hetch-Hetchy. The valley
is about four miles in length, and varies in
width from $50 yards in the center to about half
mile midway of either end. 1t ia much smaller
attractions are 80 grouped that nearly all may
be seen in one panorama.
The majestic cliffs Of the upper valley are the
highest yet less remarkable than those of the
lower, being more slanting and less peculiar
in shape. The highest 1 have named the
Great Eastern" owing to it's remarkable re-
semblance to mammoth ocean steamship in
full sail. It's height above the valley is up
ward of 4, 600 feet. Just below is another cliff
Of nearly equal height. known as CHIMNEY
" To lie fhor n1if Of fully
equal height.
We have now approached the central and mar
row portion of the valley. Here, with bases but
$50 yards apart, and heads separated by scarcely
more than quarter Of a mile of air, tower two
cliffs. On the south, and pushing its almost
vertical front boldly out into the valley. rises
monument Of solid granite 2 400 feet in height.
1t springs directly from the valley, without de-
bris worthy the name, and impresses the be-
holder as does no other cliff about the valley.
This is known by the Indians as Ko-lo-nah
Rock. and is the most prominent and wonder
full feature of Hetch-Hetchy. 1t slightly re-
sembles, in position and contour, Sentinel
Rock in Yosemite. but is far more wonder
full formation. Opposite KOlonah a sloping cliff
rises 1900 feet. from the summit of which
springs upward smooth granite dome, lifting
tts laaEy bead 8 200 feet above the meadow and
river below .1rf...4.:
It's waterfalls are three in number, besides
numerous ephemeral torrents which slide and
heavy showers. At the upper end of the valley
the canon divides, as In Yosemite. the Tuo-
lumne coming down the right fork. Here en-
tiers what is known as Rancherec creek. Both
river and creek are crossed by narrow sheep
bridges and we set out on half-mile scramble
up the rocks overlooking the Rancheree Cas-
cades. Any one wishing to gain clear and
perfect idea OF pandemonium should visit these
falls. The Rancheree creek, stream forty
feet in width, enters "a narrow gorge with YER
ia1 Ia frnn fO1 rQnf ir,h hair
this gorge it plunges for nearly half mile
making five distinct falls, it's entire descent
being nearly GEO feet. In this passage the
stream everywhere fills its narrow canon
which, with it's straight-cut, smooth granite
walls, would appear to have been rent asunder
by some terrific action of nature. Such another
battle of the waters against rock can, perhaps,
be nowhere witnessed from SO good vantage
ground. The cliff sides being perfectly upright,
with clean-cut edges allow one to walk with
safety along the very verge, and look down into
the fnam-lashed waters which fill the gorge be-
low and roar like a lion in maddening pain.
At the foot of every fall clouds of smOke-ke
spray fill the gorge, I'm which form miniature
rainbOws wherever the sunlight finds an en-
trance to the scene. The wild beauty of these
walled cascades have never seen equalled any
where in the Sierra, and the ease with which
they may be viewed, even by ladies unused to
fatigue, is not the least of their attractions.
Below the gorge the creek spreads out upon
uTodu taUle Vi granite, anu taxes us HnaI spring
into the valley in a broad. fanlke cascade. in
which may be seen spray effects of great beauty.
From the summit Of Gardiner Rock, about
midway of the north side of the valley leaps
Tu7ee-u-la-lah, one Oft the most beautiful water
falls to be found in the entire range of the Sier
ras It is at tue lip about thirty feet in width,
and makes a clear jump of from 500 to 900 feet.
Here it strikes the cliff, and, dividing into
smaller streams, finds it's way down the sloping
debris pile to the valley below. As it leaves the
cliff it is clean Cut and darts downward few
hundred feet completely intact-a saow-white
ribbon of foam. Then it separates into watery
rockets, which run mad race, as if in haste to
dash against the rocks below. These in turn
are resolved into beautiful, lace-like drapery
of mist and spray-the buffet of every passing
breeze. In a fresh wind it sways back and forth
a hundred feet across the face of the cliff
Tn-ee-u-la-lah is higher than Bridal Veil pos
sesscs more than the beauty of that fall. and
far more Of grandeur. Just east of Gardi-
ner Rock, aud but half mile east of
Tu-ee-u-la-lah is Hetch-Hetchy, or Wapama
fall, both being in plain view from all parts of
the central portion of the valley. Hetch-
Hetchy can scarcely be called waterfall, being
little more than grand cascade or water chute
But as cascade it exceeds anything of the kind
ever saw. Its height has been variously esti-
mated at from 600 to 1.SO0 feet. Its position