The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-06-02
TRIP TO THE
YOSEMITE VALLEY
F. H. HUMPHREYS.


valley deeper; in fact, everything mag
nifed except the rOadway-that keeps
narrow enough to satisfy the most
nervous person. Then the road itself
is not as good as one would prefer,
and humping along, the stage giving a
slight tilt just where the road is mar
rowest, or at turning a sharp corner
just adds piquancy to the drive. Nine
| miles up hill we go, the country Wild
err, the valleys deeper, till the big
river has become like rivulet. Noun
tains covered with pines and frs every
where, miles and miles of them; the
valleys the same till one wonders
whether there be not wood enough IN
these hills to supply all the world.
On and on we go, stopping here and
there to change horses, up hill and
down hill, through these denser and
more dense woods, craning ones neck
to estimate the height of the trees
looking down into the valley beneath
and at the grand mountains beyond,
enjoying the fine air, perfumed by the
pine trees. Life is worth living. -
We hear that amongst these mountains
are still to be found Mountain
Lions no mountain lions barred our
animals we had visible evidence OF.
The coyotes put in an appearance and
a very fine specimen quietly crossed our
road, smaller than a wolf, but not
much, he was of a fawn color, and
had fine bushy tail. The grey SPUR
rel abounded and bounded, too, from
tree to tree, from rock to rock. Some
of these are very fine fellows.
Now we are beginning to look into
the actual valley of the Yosemite and
most grand it is, till we descend a lit
tie and come to what is called Gin
SEPARATION Point There the valley
lies stretched out below US. The floor
of the valley is dotted with pine
trees, about the apparent size of those
in "Noah's Ark box. Away be-
yond runs the MERGED river, coming to-
ward us, winding down the valley. To
the right, standing in mighty strength
and grandeur. is the Gel Captain
rock, rising perpendicularly from the
floor of the valley $500 feet-guess
what this great rock is like, when 1
tell you that its face presents to view
a space of 400 acres. Almost opposite
are some irregularlvs shaped towering
rocks, which with Ell Captain may be
said to form the grand gateway of the
valley; these are 2700 feet high. L
should tell you that the floor of the
valley is 1000 feet above sea level, so
you may estimate the total height of
these great rocks. Coming down in
front of the last named is the falls
know as The Bridal Veil,' falling
sheer down $50 feet. Then on and be-
about 1900 feet above the valley
away on are rocks after rocks, all tow
ering to the skies, while the extreme
distance is bordered by snow-capped
mountains. We see here and as we
pass along the great Cathedral Rocks,
and strange to say, growing on one of
these natural towers, is a tree IN the
form of cross, high up and away from
reach of man; then, almost adjoining,
and as it We're part of the gigantic
building, are two pointed gables that
give effect to the idea of a magnificent
building, whose builder and
architect is God.
Once look upon the Yosemite Valley
from Inspiration Point the pretty
floor of the valley, guarded on either
side by the Ell Captain and by the
great rocks on the opposite side, back
ed by the "Half Dome' and other
towering rocks as far as one can see,
with snow mountains at the far end
for background, one feels overpower-
ed with the beauty and grandeur of the
'cene-peaceful, grand and beautiful,
calm in its quiet beauty, magnificent
n its mighty strength, fascinating be-
vond description.
We sweep down the mountain road,
turning this way and that till we are
'unning dong at the foot of the val
ey passing the ''Bridal Veil Falls
IN past the Yosemite Falls on the OPP
'osite side with a fall of 1924 feet,
seeing more and more of these giant
ocks of granite, the ''Three Broth
rs, EThe Sentinel Rock,'' "'The
North Dome,' almost as perfect
lone as that of the Capitol at Wash
ngton, st. Peters at Rome or st.
'aul's, but rising 5000 feet above us,
md many others, till overwhelmed .
With the majesty of the whole scene
ne is almost glad to arrive at the
'retty hotel and its adjacent build
ngs, so puny compared to all that one
as passed through.
We arrived at '.The Sentinel
otel at l p. m, lunched, washed and
efreshed, we took carriage and t
rove to see the Cascade Falls, which [
hough only fall of 500 feet, small
y comparison with the others. is still