Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-03
in California may know

NNER ONE IN CdllIOTuId may hHOW
III something of the glory of her
- mountains if he will. Nowhere
else will the average man find so much
that is pleasing to him. The noun
tains are a constant joy. They give
variety of scene and of experience not
to be found elsewhere and that is per-
fectly satisfying to human nature.
Their great masses break up into
thousands of details that present the
countless charms of nature to anyone
who will enter into thier Businesses.
The story of the mountains cannot
be told by anyone. Outlines and hints
may be given, but the story must be
read at first hand from the pages or
it's own book-the mountains them
selves.
One great difficulty which hinders
the city man from fully enjoying the
mountains is his proneness to go to
advertised places, where everything is
prepared for him after the manner of
resorts and with reference to the rev.
enues to be derived by the entertain
ers. In this way many more people
are going to the Yosemite valley than
formerly. but possibly fewer are see
ing the beauty and the majesty OF
that matchleSs region. / met one man
who went into the valley in the morn
ing, had dinner at the hotel, took the
dusty stage back to Ell Portal the
same udy anu WnO SILL really USLSNSo
that he had seen Yosemite. He had
seen nothing. 1t is easy even to take
all the established trips and to miss
the one thing of value-that is the
glory and joy of the mountains them
selves.
Another difficulty for city folk to
avoid is the tendency to take too much
at once. The finest mountain regi-
mentals with leggings and Alpine
stock, will not secure one from utter
WEAKNESS. These rather add to it.
One trail from Yosemite, leisurely and
well done, is far better than half
dozen forced marches over the usual
routes. The guide books are usually
gotten up by mas1 interested in taking
toll of tourists. The result is that
these documents put emphasis upon
those things that increase the reVe-
nues of the very enterprising business
men who cater to the tourists. You
will wonder often why you are hurried
to so many points and such great dis
tances to disappointing scenes. 1t is
only because every trip you make
means money to guides and livery
keepers and purveyors of entertain
ment. You can get thoroughly tired
out and disgusted among the noun
tains and yet see very little of them.
The great need is to get clear from
the entertainers and into touch with
the mountains. Then save your
strength and use it to go among the
ridges and canyons on your own feet
and look at them with your own eyes.
You will find that others have been
before you and it will be delight to
follow their trails from stream to
stream and lake to lake and summit
to summit.
The Yosemite valley is a splendid
starting point for exploring trips into
the high Sierras. A month in and
about the valley itself can well be
spent in growing pleasure so that the
last days are richer and happier than
the first. The conventional touring
arrangements for revenue only are
yearly robbing more people of the joy
of the Yosemite. But it is possible
to remain free from this influence if
one have a little courage. The genial
guardian of the valley will help you to
find a lovely camping ground. The
Yosemite store will outfit you with
everything desirable for a thoroughly
comfortable life. The writer and his
family found such a charming place
that the family greatly regretted to
leave it when it had to return to the
city, even though they were honored by
a call from "great big black bear"
We also found that camp Curry was
a place one could inhabit and not lose
much of the charm of the valley, be-
cause this camp is very happily located
and has been kept free from the more
blighting conventionalities by the sem
sible giant who is its host. What
yeritable haven this camp proved to be
to lis the evening we returned from