Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-03-02
into the Canon Of the Tenaya Fork of the

On our left AMI opposite Bridal Veil W
should note, in passing, "virgin's Tea
Creek, which in its season makes gran,
fall Of one thousand feet and is thought b,
many to excel in beauty the celebrate,
Staubbach of Switzerland.
A mile more and we meet mighty plla
OF stone staring at us from the right with
height of two thousand five hundred feet ant
is Cathedral Rock.
Here the MERGED river lies in front ant
beyond are frs and pines which seem quit,
small but which are in reality about 100 fec
in height
Above this rock are the spircs-twin pima
cles OF exquisite grace-about 200 feet il
diameter and Using above the cliff 800 feet
like two towers OF Gothic cathedral
There must have been three OF these towers
originally, for here are tons Of broken granite
which give evidence of mighty couvulsor
OF nature and mark the fallen tower.
Still further on the right point of rocks
project into the Valley terminating In slen.
der mass Of granite something like an ubelisk
and is called Sentinel Rock.
Its entire height is over 5000 feet and the
obelisk form continues down thousand feet
or more from its summit
A short distance up the Valley is Glacier
Point and from which may be had the
finest view OF the Yosemite In all that re.
gion.
Back of Sentinel Rock is Sentinel Dome,
which is over four thousand feet above the
| Valley.
Opposite Sentinel Rock are the Three
Brothers, the highest Of which is three
thousand eight hundred and thirty feet.
AS seen from below these resemble three
frogs sitting with their heads turned in one
direction and this fact is supposed to have
given them their name Of Pompompasus
(Leapng Frog Rocks.
Above the Three Brothers and on the same
side is the Yosemite Fall and the principal
one of the Valley and is formed by creek
of the same name
The vertical height of the lip of the Fall is
about 1900 feet
There is fist a vertical descent of 1900 feet
and then the water strikes shelf of rock
and breaking into cascades falls over 600
feet perpendicular aud then plupgcs 400 feet
to the base and is dashed to spray by the
wind and stones.
The finest view of this FALL" says Prof.
Whitney, sis in group of oaks near the
lower hotel, from which point the various
parts seem most thoroughly to-, be blended
into one whole of surprising attractive
ness"
The stream at Its summit at medium
stage of water is about twenty feet in width
and two feet in average depth with velocity
OF a mile an hour 1t its vertical height this
Fall is believed TO exceed any waterfall in
The world with like volume Of water. The
Yosemite creek, which forms the Fall, heads
on the west side OF the Mount Hoffman
group, about ten miles northeast of the
Valley, aud is fei almost exclusively by
melting SHOWS and runs its whole course over
bare granite rocks.
Of This cataract IA writer hoe e.il CT,
stand before that mighty Fall, secthing,
foamins with its grand power and its beauty,
and the half of the rainbow, like IA brigh,
crown laid at its feet by the Almighty, beau
tifyng it and illuminating it, the tears
came quick TO my eyes and felt that |
walked with God. When came away it
seemed as though | could never go again
lest the effect might be lessencd, but those
with me said it grew upon them upon each
visit then | answered, not with human
power could endure more"
Here we are at Cooks hotel, which is di-
rectly opposite the Yosemite Fall, and after
meal which was like the hidago's dinner,
very little meat and great deal of table
cloth" we take walk of half mile to the
base of the Fall and spend the greater part
OF the afternoon at that delightful spot.
There are two hotels near by but we were
informed that 1t was no IN after at which
we stopped, for we would W ish that we had
gone to the other, for they seemed to Lave
learned the art described in the following
lines:
m,,Change jes for change, is ike them big hotels,
Where they shift plates, an' let ye i've on smellsr
The next morning we rise at $50 and are
OIL tor Mirror Lake, reaching there at Z, to
witness the sunrise.
p,n al nd
been seen on that momentous morning,
standing on the hotel steps, with the horses
in waiting. and all respectfully yet anxiously
watching the motion Of the aforesaid female
who was struggling with the third finger of
her Kids, when all at once her youthful
brother, more practical than poetlcal, in.
CURED which seat she intended to occupy.
hut she still wrestling with her glove and
Obvious OF all that was passing replied
gently ana tenderly 81 do not know" aud
he then suggested mildly that it would be
necessary for her to decid, the question in.
side OF two weeks, whereupon she took
seat in italics.
This same Miss made the trip through the
valley with her head clo,ely yelled aud so
far as seeing any of the wonders of the
Yosemite she might as well have remained
at home in her mothers parlor.
We, however, have our doubts whether
she could have appreciated the grand sights
II she had actually seen them.
She was one of those ''lovely creatures who
try to ma Ike people think that they "dine
upon the beauty Of lily" and are 'perpct.
ually striving to live up to blue tea pot"
and we have no doubt if she were asked for
an opinion of the Yosemite Valley she would
pronounce it ''sweetly pretty" saccharine
adverb and an adjective too soft TO provoke
an echo.
These are the times that try mems souls"
Mirror Lake covers several acres, having its
edge fringed with trees, while in the back.
bround rise mighty domes Of rock.
All surrounding objects, trees and hills are
wonderfully reflected in this lake-lookinr.
glass OF Nature-and it IS difficult to tell
where land and water meet. We return to
the hotel and at 0 are in the saddle and max.
ing Tor SHOWS, seven miles distant
Our course leads us for mile through n
valley and along the MERGED, which PUSHES
and dashes wildly over boulders and rocky
walls, forming many beautiful and grand
cascades and falls, and the trip wears away
quickly and pleasantly.
soon we were climbing to the top of the
world, it would seem, for we kept going IN
and stlll getting UPPER" turning first right
higher "N'
We at last reached the top and then de.
scending short distance were brongb, N
Vernal Fall, which has a height of three
hundred and fifty feet and is very inter.
esting.
A short trip further and we arc at Shows
our point of destination for the day
After dinner, which by the way, i, on the
Vermont plan, for the landlord is brother
oil our valiant Capt. Snow who, sails the
ocean blue that is runs slip on Lake
Champlaln-we stroll out to the foot of Ma
vada Fail, only short distance from The bn-
tel and then and there drink IN the subIimtv
born of the occasion.
The Nevada Fall is about seven hundred
feet in height and in its vertical height The