Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-08-31

ed, flannel hirted, with hobnailed boots
to the knee and shocking bad hate" we
are as easy in our own clothing and as
regardless of wind or weather as the men
1t was rather hard for US to nerve our
selves to meet the stares and queries OF
the tourists We met along the valley trail
over which our trip must begin. All the
way up to Little Yosemite we were beset
with questions-Where were we going?
Didn't we find it very hard work?
Wouldn't we get lost? Weren't we
afraid of getting sunburned? We had an
TO stink shamefacedly by
these proper. looking folk.
In Little Yosemite We made camp
beside the smoothly flowing MERGED, and
after lunch set out oil ramble up toward
the base of Half Dome. UP the Clouds
Rest trail we climbed, and then pushed
through the forest to the brink of Tenaya
Canyon, a gorge almost as deep as Yose-
mite Valley itself, inaccessible to all but
the hardest mountaineers. The great
chasm, more than 1000 feet deep, lay al
our feet. Half Dome lowered majestic
ally against the sky, and still farther we
could see the Swallowed cliffs of FL Cap.
itan and the Cathedral Rocks.
A BUCK IN VELVET.
My companion on his ramble elected
10 climb Clouds Rest before returning to
camp, 80 made my way back to Little
Yosemite alone. Near the foot of the
trail, in a glorious little mountain mead
ow, | surprised a beautiful buck, the
largest | ever saw in the Sierra. His
horns were in velvet, and he stood &c
near me that l could see the quick, nerv
Gus movement of his DOstrils as be
watched me. For two or three minutes
We stood there regarding one another
Then, with nonchalant wag Of his funny
little tail, he turned and made off through
he woods, as hurriedly and indifferently
as if |, too, had been woodland creature
Perhaps | looked 1t. After his departure
| examined the meadow more closely
1t was little gem of it's kind, slipping
from ledge of granite that was covered
with gnarled and crooked jumpers. Al
the first glimpse l thought 1t an un'
broken sheet of the tiniest blossoms Of
yellow mimulus, but, on kneeling down.
IL species of flowers revealed themselves
all the daintiest and most delicate OF
their kind-yellow violets, white forget
me-nots, gilias, white saxifrage, and the
smallest pink pea have ever seen.
A knapsacker's camp Is simple af
fair-a bed of pine needles, few stones
rolled together to make fireplace, pile
of firewood gathered together; and there
is home. By o'clock next morning We
we're astir. IA our energetic leader bust
ed himself with the breakfast fire, a doe
came out of the woods and stood moi ion
less for long minute watching him be-
fore she quietly stole away.
Where ones possessions are so few,
washing dishes and packing ia a matter
of scant ceremony. In less than an hour
we were ready for the trail, or for the
march, rather, as We expected to leave
trails behind US and strike across country
to the base of Mount Clark.
HOT ROCKS TO WARM COLD BEDS.
We held 1t to be but tribute to ouI
skill as mountaineers, however, when We
found an old sheep trail following the
rolling forest east of Mount Starr King.
through Starr King Meadow, and Out
near the crest of a granite ridge neal
Clark Fork. Here we left 1t behind and
struck across the open country, over
ridge after ridge, across stream after
stream, until we came to the northerly
fork of Gray Creek, where we made q
camp. We had reached the altitude OF
$500 feet, and snowdrifts lay deep all
about US. But frewood was abundant
and our little nook among the tall frs
promised every comfort that knapsack
or ueed expect.
In default of extra bedding we took
hot rocks to bed with US.
The night passed comfortably and we
were up at dawn ready for the assault or
Mount Clark. confident also of success.
As We climbed the snow lay even deeper
about US. The forest of 6r and noun
tain pine gave way to the harder white.
bark pine, the tree of timber line. Up
to the top of the ridge it crept, at the
top mere shrub, bent and twisted be-
meath the winters weight of snow.
As we elm bed, our horizon to the south
and west widened. We were looking
across the valley OF the Illilouette toward
the snowy divide separating US from the
South Fork of the MERGED where lies
Wawona and the SPLENDID Mariposs grove
Of sequoias. Yosemite Valley was but a
blue rift in the forest with only its great
domes. Half Dome, Sentinel Dome, and
Starr King, rising into any prominence.
Far different was our view to eastward
from the crest. Our ridge ended on the
east in an abrupt precipice. Through
q broken chimney" or windowlike
aperture in the rocks, we looked down
500 feet into great snow field filling all
the eastern basin, and beyond this lay the
cleft Of the MERGED Canyon, and, still
hey ond, the magnificent snowy peaks OF
the summit crest, Lyell, McLure, Ritter,
Dana, a host OF others, all above $4,000
feet, all shining and cleaning In the bril-
liant sunshine with q radiance that
hardly seemed to belong to this world.
COMPENSATED DISAPPOINTMENT.
Well for Us that this glorious vision
was compensation for all the many miles
we had climbed, for We got no farther
that day-and Clark still remains uncon.
quered. For we had anticipated the
season for mountain climbing by q fort
night or more, and the slope that should
have offered an easy rock climb to the
summit was now q precipitous wall of
treacherous snow. We had NO rope, no
ice axe, not even knife with which we
might have cut steps, and the Icy edge
where rock and snow met proved an In
vincible barrier to the summit.
Up and down the ridge We prowled,
over every ledge, into every chimney,
only to admit ourselves defeated In the
end.
For an hour or more We remained mp.
on the ridge feasting our eyes on the
panorama hundred miles
Of snowy range, q magnificent alpine
region, the greater part Of which 10 now
almost inaccessible, soon to be opened to
travel by the construction OF the John
Muir Trail.
After luncheon In camp . 15-mile walk
back still lay ahead of us. Our defeat
Icy lightly upon Us, for many mountain
SUBMITS have been ours In the past, and
va had had after all thA inaniration and