The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-03-09
NO. SO
In The LAND OF SUNSHINE
.(C.ntirued from last week. \

v Scientists consider these trees 10
be survivors of the glacial age and to
have escaped those great rivers of ice
by the topography of the mountains.
Measure a distance of 36 feet and
consider this to be the diameter of a
tree. Then measure distance of 300
feet and take this as the height. I'm
ag1ne this mammoth to be lying upon
the ground and you standing beside
1t. You indeed would be a small
specimen, in comparison. We saw
but one that had fallen and that long
hefore man knew of them. 1t is
known as the "Fallen Monarch. -
The wood shows practically no signs
of decay. There are about 1000 of
these trees in the grove we visited.
and the Sequoia grove farther south
contains several thousands of them.
These trees are all included in ma
tional reservations. The trees all
show markings of fire, where, no one
knows. The fire was not sufficient to
Kill them, only to mark them. H.
two instances, holes had been burned
through the base of the monarchs, and
these had been enlarged so that the
roadway ran through them. We
drove through them with the auto.
Leaving the big tree grove, we turn
ed the machine toward the famous
Yosemite valley. That night we
camped under great sugar pines near
Wawona.
TO those interested, we will say that
there are several roads leading into
the Yosemite valley. A train can be
taken at Merced, the terminal being
Ell Portal, fourteen miles from Yose-
NIT village in the valley. A stage
line bridges the gap. A wagon road
comes In from the east by way of the
Lake Tahoe country, over the Tioga
road. Wagon roads lead in from
Fresno, MADEIRA, Merced and Nodes
ia, these towns being located on the
Southern Pacific Railway.
Wawona has an elevation of 4.O96
feet, and Fort Monroe, near the rim
OF the valley, has an elevation of
5y54O feet. So you see our climbing
experiences were to be continued. But
thls climbing was not, spread evenly >,
over the twenty miles. The greater
portion of it was within half that dis
tance, and this was much multiplied
by the many ups and downs. We
would climb steep ridge only to
find at the top steep descent and a
more formidable climb beyond. But
on each succeeding ridge we were
gradually getting higher and higher.
L wish we could describe the beau
ties OF this morning drive. Nearly all
OF it was in the shade of towering
pines, cedars and oaks. The road
could be seen but a short distance
ahead in the most favorable places
and very often not over four or five
rods. When not going over some
ridge, we were winding in and out
along some wooded mountain side.
getting grand views of distant noun
tain ridges and peaks, or looking
iown into some great valley. Some
of the curves were so sharp on the
side that we were obliged
% back up the machine in order to
make the turn. The mountain sides
4ong our roadway were sometimes
'foping, and again precipitous de-
scent, the roadway being hewn out
If the solid rock. The descent into
he Yosemite valley began at Fort
Monroe and in the neat three and
'ne-half miles we descended 1.76C
'eet THE piece of roadway is es-
'eclally guarded owing to its being
teep, narrow andi is possible dam
yers. You are cautioned to look
veil to your brakes, your tires, and
making the ascent, to your water
upply. United States officials are
tationed at either end to check YOU
n and out. You can start down the
.rade on the odd hours and up on
he even hours. If for any reason
'ou cannot make the grade within
our time, you must get the machine
nto some corner, and await the neat
did or even hour, as the case may be.
he view in making this descent is
ne never to be forgotten. The glor-
es of the Yosemite are spread out
efore you. Its river, its waterfalls.
IS domes and spires form one unde-
cribable panorama.
Upon reaching Yosemite village. a
overnment official assigned us to
amp II, about one-half mile distant.
here among the spreading pines, for
he next four days, we pitched our
ents, cooked out eatables, and made
ur home. Cold spring water was
iped to our camp and wood was near
{ hand. Only little distance the
lerced river pursued its way and was
D clear that every pebble in its
epths was plainly seen. All this was
rec, no charge being made by the
overnment. Supplies were nearly
he same in price as we paid in the
.contiuu'd on page eighth