The Republican journal., 1916-01-06
iniscences of
Western Travels.
To Wawnona and the Big Trees.
BY HELEN M. TODD.


The next day being bright and sunny,
with not cloud in sight, we ventured to
take one of the eight O'Clock stages for
New Inspiration Point. via the Big Oak
Flat Road. Our way led northward
through the valley, past the foot of Yo-
serite Fall, around the base of Ell Capt.
tan, where we got fine kodak view OF
Elephants Head, then up over a steep
grade to Inspiration Point, where the
wonderful panorama of the valley was
spread out before US. With the aid of
our field glasses we could discern the
corkscrew trail on which we had our ad-
ventures in the descent from Glacier
Point. and far off in the distance we
could see the eternal SHOWS of Cloud s
Rest and the High Sierras. Around us
the slopes of the valley were covered
with live-oak trees, which were of par
ticular interest to US as their branches
were full of punches of mistletoe, so full,
indeed, that it seemed wonder the
trees could live. One of our companions
on this drive was a lady who usually
spent her summers at Kennebunkport,
Maine, and as one of her sons was a
graduate of the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, we felt acquainted at
once.
Back at the hotel in time for dinner,
we were somewhat disturbed to find that
by some mistake our baggage had been
sent on the early stage to Wawona, so
we perforce had to follow it on the noon
trip. We therefore babe a ree,retful
goodbye to Yosemite and left at twelve
o'clock with six other people on four
horse stage. We found that being small
sometimes has its advantages Sin this
case it gave US the seats of honor on the
drivers box, much to the delight of the
camera fiend.
The distance from Yosemite to Wa
wona is about 26 mies-the elevation of
both places is about 4, 900 feet, but the
road from the one to the other crosses
the Chinquapin range to the altitude of
nearly 1000 feet.
The first part of the drive was through
the valley along the south wall, parallel
to our morning drive, but on the other
side OF the MERGED River. On the way
we got some splendid snapshots of the
Three Graces, Cathedral Spire, Sentinel
Rock, and, ty no means least, the beautl-
full Bridal Veil Fall, called by the Indi-
ans Pohono, or Spirit Of the Evil Wind.
the best, for the windtossed spray of the
fall dashng over the 600 foot precipice
gives a beautiful lacy effect quite like
bridal veil.
Leaving the fall our road wound up a
steep grade, past Artists Point, where
we had wonderful view back over the
valley, and then higher still to Old In
SEPARATION Point, 1900 feet above our
standing point. By this time our adjec-
tives had been exhausted and there were
none left for the succession of magnif-
cent views that appeared as we drove on
over the range. AT one point, where
the road was mere narrow shelf on the
face of the cliff, we met the returning
four horse Wawona stage, and we pas
sengers held our breath while the two
skllful drivers somehow managed to pass
each other. We were thankful that our
stage hi the right of way on the noun
tain side Of the ROAD, for the precipice
on the other looked distinctly un-invit-
ing. We saw no house on the 26-mile
journey save the stage house at Chinqua-
pin, where we changed horses, and two
abandoned stage stations used before
the days of the railroad to II Portal. The
roads We're in terrible condition from the
heavy rains and the horses plodded along
IN a walk tor the entire distance, through
mud almost to their knees, while the
stage sank often the hubs of it's wheels.
We saw many deer in the woods, some
OF them bold enough to cross the road in
front of US, so near that we managed to
shoot them-with the camera To me,
the most interesting and beautiful thing
in the way of vegetation was the many
specimens of the snow plant, so called,
because it grows only in the high Sierras
at an elevation of from 5000 to 5000
feet. ] Ionged to pick specimen, but
as the Government has attached fine
of twenty five dollars to such a INSIDE
meanor | refrained from doing so. This
singular plant is brilliant blood-red in
color. its panicled flower growing from
Z to l6 inches above ground from bull
bous root The complete specimen as |
saw ard examined it at the WaWona
hotel, looked in shape like nothing so
much as hyacinth stalk growing from
a small pineapple. There is absolutely
70 color about it save the brilliant red,
and its extreme beauty must be seen to
be appreciated. The great sugar pines
Of the Sierra forests are second only to
the Sequoias in size and beauty. Many
Of them measure four feet in diameter
and are of great height.
Wawona Hotel was reached at about
7,3O p. IN. after an extremely fatiguing
Journey. We found there many of the
acquaintance we had recently made at