The Penn's Grove record., 1885-04-25
Valley of Hetch-Hetchy.

The grandeur of the approach to this
wonderful valley it is impossible to de-
scribe. The formation of the rock and
its fracture and cleavage are precisely
similar to Yosemite, but it is much
richer in color, nature having been
more lavish with her mineral stains
upon these walls. There is evidence
also that a far greater number OF small
water-courses pour their tribute over
the walls INTO the Tuolumne than over
the MERGED walls. Gradually, as we
crept along our narrow trail, the rock
began to assume a more broken charac-
ter, and we could not help thinking
that the formation had IN older look.
Certainly nature must have worked
upon a more gigantic scale in the pro-
duction of this region than over to.
wards the watershed Of the MERGED, for
the whole country had a~convulsed and
ragged aspect, w~lldernesSes OF rock sue
| ceeding each other.
Among the number of trips underta-
ken in the Sierra, we all declared that
none could approach this for wildness
of character; in fact, for grandeur Of
impression, Hetch-H etchy's approach
10 ldI ia duNdlGC VI OoChlALSs @AaSNA
descending some two hours more we be-
came aware from previous descriptions
that the famed valley was shortly TO
come in sight. Passing around a mo-
rass that has been the tomb Of many
adventurous cattle in their endeavor to
reach the rich grasses that appear above
its surface so treacherously green, we
came to a wall of rounded granite some
ten feet high, up which a rude corduroy
way was made, about four feet wide.
CoaxIng our inexperienced and unwil-
ling horses over this frall bridge we
stoed upon Surprise point and 1000
feet below lay the lower valley of Hetch-
Hetchy.
Comparison was impossible in point
of impression. The first impression
made by Yosemite is one Of wonderful
sublimity; Hetch-H etchy's of supreme
beauty. Occupying the same place rel
atively in this valley was an Ell Captain,
over which swung like a pendulum the
gauZy folds of the beautiful Tu-ee-u'la-la
fall, swinging its graceful ribbon oyera
wall of LOCO feet sheer to strike upon
the debris slope in a shatter of foam
and smoke and find its way to the bot.
tom, another 1000 feet down, as best it
could. Owing to the lateneSs of the
season it was a wonder there was any
water at all. but some ~providential
shower had filled up its bed and a very
respectable showing it made in point of
size.
Close to the upper right-hand corner
of this Ell Captain was a vivid space of
brilliantly pale orange red. The re-
mainder of the rock is of the prevailing
yellow, or buff white, of the granite re-
gion. The similarly of form and
place of this rock mass to FL Captain of
Yosemite is remarkable and IN most OF
its extent this wall seemed absolutely
vertical. 1t is estimated at from 1000
TO 2,200 feet in height. Two succeed
ing points continue the valley around
apparently to what is known as the
Bell Tower, a sugar loaf shaped noun
tain, which stands at the right-hand
side OF this valley, in the place occupied
IN Yosemite by the Cathedral rocks
aud Bridal Veil fall. This grand mass
of rock is estimated at 5000 feet
above the river. From this point the
valley is completely shut In and is
the most beautiful spot of green mea-
dow, fenced or walled with rock, that
one can conceive.