The Coolidge examiner., 1932-05-27

laws could possibly protect them.
In magnificent color, in delicacy of
texture OF petal, the cactus flowers
are perhaps the most wonderful of
the California desert blossoms. But
no one ever came home from the
| desert with a handful of cholla flow
ers or bouquet of prickly pears.
Look and leave EN-" is the safest
motto, for the cactus has fiendish
| defense against all comers.
California mothers no scenic SYM
| phony more marvellous than the Yo-
semitic National park. with its
mighty peaks, rugged canyons, giant
trees, waterfalls tumultously spread
in. a protecting veil over the rocky
outlines of naked clefts rising from
the floor OF the valley sheer a thou
sand feet or more.
In the giant sequoia, the sugar
pine. the western yellow pine, the
red and white frs, and the incense
cedar, we have in this Yosemite re-
gion one of the most remarkable
groups of conifers in the world. 1t
serves to give the park an interest
and charm which gratifies the es-
thetic sense and stirs deeply the i'm
agination.
A View of Contrasts.
From Artists Point there is a fine
view of the valley and its contrasts
in height and depth. In verdure and
flora. Near the foot of Yosemite
falls. the largest and most spectacu-
lar in the valley. the blueblossom,
commonly called blue lilac." grows
in profusion, the soft coloring
blending with the rainbow of the
torrent, broken in its descent TO the
floor of the valley.
The Yosemite National park,
which embraces 1,10O square miles
of valley incompatible" and scenic
mountains, offers a rich field for
the botanist. So great is the range
of natural conditions between foot
hills and mountain glaciers that one
authority estimates that 1.20O
species and varieties of flowers,
plants and ferns are native TO this
area. Though most of these are
typical of the entire Sierra Nevada,
many are exceptionally rare.
The fragrance of the western
L. ~ oh
bloom. The delicate canchalagua,
with its snowy clusters of bright.
, thick flowers; the taller collomia,
with it's dense heads of dainty, fun
nel-formed blossoms, almost salmon
in color; the golden mimulus, or
monkey-hower countless blue flow-
ers. such as the light-blue pent-
stemon. with its whorls in tall
stems; tall blue forget-me-nots; tiny
dark-blue collinsia; the red Indian
paintbrush; the brilliant scarlet
pent-stemon, withlance-shapedleaves
/ and funnel-formed cOrolla, about
one inch long; golden buttercups-
all go to form the brilliant mosaic
of large sheets and pools of color
on the valley levels.
The wide variety of conditions,
ranging from the hot and dry slopes
of the brush-clad foothills to the
bleak SUBMITS above timberline, the
abode of glaciers and perpetual
snow, gives to the fora an exceed
ingly diverse and interesting char
acter. Innumerable springs. creeks,
rivers, ponds and lakes provide suit
able habitats for moisture-loving
plants. Rocky outcroppings, enor-
nous cliffs, and gravelly ridges ac-
commodate species adapted to such
situations.
The irregular topography yields
southward-facing slopes, which re
ceive the full effect of the suns
rays, as we'll as northward slopes.
cool. moist and shady, where they
are little felt. The altitude ranges
from $500 feet in the foothill belt
to more than 1900 feet along the
crest of the Sierra Nevada.
II is probable that the first white
men to look upon Yosemite valley
were members of the Joseph r
Walker expedition of 1888, which
descended the western slope of the
Sierras. This expedition apparently
did not go down into the valley, and
the effective discovery was not
made until 1851 by members of the
Mariposa battalion while in pur-
suit of hostile Indians.
The first white men who frequent
ed this Yosemite hinterland were
miners, sheep herders. and cattle
men. Then came surveyors and sol
diers to guard the mountain mead
ows and forests. And. lastly. the
tourist. at first a little group at long
intervals, but now in throngs to see
the giories of the mountains. The
first systematic reconnaissance of
the region was made by the Cali
| fornia geological survey, between
1868 and 1867.