Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-06-18
HIKERS SEE GREAT SIGHTS
Nebraska Boys walk Through Scenic
Parts of California.
AwED BIZ lla MAeNIF1CENCE
william Parker, secretary of Hast-
inEs Y. VI. c. A., Whites of the
Hike OF Himself and Com
panions from Hastings.

NllhAl EhThef, secretary OF Nue t1asN-
ings Young Mems CHRISTIAN association,
has written to The Bee OF experience over
the first 800 miles OF the hike he and three
other Hastings boys are making in Cali
fornia. He writes:
We have walked 200 miles along roads,
trails and mountain rivers that will rival
any scenery In the world. We get this
statement from many tourists that we meet
during our trips Our first hike was from
Truckee. Cal, along the Truckee river for
fifteen miles, TO Lake Tahoe. We made
this EARLY the fret day. We slid down
the mountain sides on the snow, whioa was
frosen hard, and enjoyed thls sport for
about an hour This was the record
breaking year for snowfall. twenty-nine
feet having fallen during the winter. At
one time there was nine feet OF snow on
the level
The big Loeb Leven and Rainbow trout
can be caught In abundance at Lake Ta-
hoe now. Lake Tahoe Is a beautiful lake
ESQ feet above sea level. thirteen miles
wide and twsnty-six miles long, surrounded
by high mountains covered with snow, and
the tops OF these same mountains hidden
in the great masses OF white clouds that
hang about lazily all the time.
on Memorial day l was roaming around
through the great yellow pine and red
cedar forests. in which many trees are from
four to six feet in diameter and 900 feet
high. and unexpectedly found ten neglected
graves few had headstones. some were
marked with boards and some had no
marks The first body was that OF an old
gentleman buried in 1869, the last was that
Of a young man buried In 1855.
gathered some wild flowers and deco
rated each grave with these and some
beautiful branches OF cedar. One little
grave had a little board at the head on
which was just one word. Baby" / could
not help comparing this quiet, secluded
spot with beautiful. well kept Forest Lawn.
Two Days az the Lake.
We spent two days at the lake and then
walked back to Truckee.
The Truckee river is simply beautiful
with it's clear deep water and its steep
mountain banks covered with the great
tall pine and fir trees OF dark rich green
and the ground covered with mantle
of pure white snow. Each hlker has a
heavy wooden blanket and piece OF
twenty ounce canvas seven feet long and
six feet wide, which Is water proof and
will not let the wind through At night
we wear wooden stocking caps and sleep
any old place, You ought to see these
fellows eat Fish and bacon and in fact most
anything thatwe can get.
We next went through Sacramento TO
MERGED on the Southern Pacific and then
took the Yosemite Valley railroad for
seventy EIGHT miles along the Meroed
river to FL Portel Then we hiked fifteen
miles to Camp Awahanee in the Yosemite
valley along this same tumbling, rushing,
roaring turbulent river. On the way we
walked under a great rock that hangs over
the road called the Hound, or the Watch
Dog of the Yosemite trail. Next we went
under the Arched rocks, two great granite
rocks forty feet high that had fallen to-
gether and still left room enough for a
stage coach to pass through. And then
came the Elephants Head, a large
promontory OF stone 1000 feet above the
river.
Ell Captain another mighty promontory
$500 feet high stands on the left with the
Ribbon falls falling from one of it's
shoulders; and then Bridal Veil falls to the
right $40 feet high and at their right the
Three Graces and Cathedral Spires, great
sharp mountains and pinnacles OF stone,
| and then that matches water fall 1900
feet high to the left, old Yosemite Falls.
top of this fall but the sight from
Yosemite point was worth It. Next day we
enjoyed the great eleven-mile climb to see
Vernal falls, Nevada falls, Panorama
point, Illnlouette falls and Gacier point,
1924 feet above the floor OF the valley,
which is 400 feet above sea level. We
came down by the short steep trail OF six
miles.
We also enjoyed our trips TO the Mirror
lake, Sierra point, from which we can see
four OF the high water falls.
/ lectured at Camp Lost Arrow and had
about 800 present, but two nights later
Iectured at Camp Curry and 400 were
present.
Just before I began to speak the usual
big firebrands were thrown from Glacier
point to the valley below. 1t was a great
sight to see that fire fall over a 3,0so-foot
precipice.
Long Days Walk.
We walked thirty-four miles to visit the
forest of Big Trees When we reached
Wawona we learned that we would have
to walk eight miles farther by the road
or ak and q half miles by the trail We
hit the trail and walked all the next day
among these giants OF the forest.
The Fallen Monarch" was the first great
! sight II was necessary to take fourteen
steps In order to climb to the top Of II
as It lay on the ground This is the tree
J on which the four-horse stage coach loaded
| with passengers can drive.
| The next big tree was California"
through which an opening is cut large
enough for a stage coach and six horses TO
pass through. "Wawona" also has an
opening through which a coach can pass.
Old "Haverford' is a hollow tree in which
seventeen horses can stand at the same
time. Massachusetts contains enough
lumber to build a box large enough TO
hold the Lusitania steamship or ocean
grey hound. But the Oldest and largest of
al ltrees in the world is the Grizzly
Giant" II is "a feet high l04 feet in cir
conference and contains 100000 feet OF
lumber. II is said to be 5000 years old and
is valued at 100000 One limb 100 feet
above the ground is six and one-half feet
in diameter. / stood In admiration OF this
grand old tree for long time and its im-
mensity grew upon me. 1 then lay down
under it's protecting branches and slept.
Many other great trees are found here.
They are named after famous generals.
great men and the states. The hike back
TO Yosemite valley wac great one be-
! al Twa r,nFp