[Week 2]

8th       Last night we had a good long sleep and after cleaning up the breakfast things three of us did some washing while the Prof. & Joe took a walk up the valley.  We spent nearly the whole morning in washing and mending and I for my part enjoyed it very much.  The Prof reports very many evidences of glacial action in the valley.  The rounded shoulders of the cliffs; the parallel striation of the same; the glistening surfaces on portions of the rocks and the prescence [sic] of glacial lakes and hollows as well as the situation of boulders in places where only glaciers could have placed them; all show that at no very remote period the valley was well nigh filled with a mass of ice.

          In the P.M. Ross and I went to look after the horses which had strayed away to the land in the valley.  We found them on a sandspit in the river from which they could only retreat by swimming.  In driving them off they went across the river and I striped [sic], waded across and chased after them for about 20 minutes clothed principally in mosquitos.  At last I got into my clothes again and vowed I would be more careful how I took them off in a damp meadow, another time.  The camp we have chosen is not very satisfactory so we have decided to move up into the upper valley as that seems to be much better adapted to our needs.  Tonight we have a rousing big campfire, the first good one we have had.

9th       Ross had so much trouble in getting up the horses which had crossd the river again that we did not get under way to move camp until 11: A.M.  To add to the difficulty I was feeling weak and miserable owing to an attack of stomach trouble which has passed away by this evening.  The uper [sic] and lower portions of the valley are separated by quite a high ridge of rock in the midst of which is a little lake.  After passing this ridge and on through a narrow gorge at the foot of Sugar Loaf the valley widens again and reaches up the river nearly 2 miles.  This meadow is dotted with oaks and pines and is very picturesque though the cliffs surrounding it are not as striking as they were below. 

          We camped on the side of this meadow right on the river bank in a beautiful grove of pines and cedars and are delighted with our choice. 

          I asked theh Prof about the formation of granitic rocks and the stages in their decomposition and he gave quite a discourse on the topic. 

          "When large masses of rock substance are fused under great pressure and slowly cooled while buried deep in the earth, granitoid rocks are always formed.  These will vary in quality with  variations of the proportions of the various elements which compose them and with the rapidity to [of?] the cooling.  But the actual granite and its allied forms are those cooled most slowly and at the greatest depth.  Therefore the granite masses which compose this portion of the Sierras since they are too massive to have been forced up by eruption from the depths in which they were formed must have been exposed by the removal of all the superficial sedimentary matter to the depth of maybe thousands of feet.  This was undoubtedly accomplished by the action of water and the matter now composing the coast range and the Sierra foothills is chiefly that which was thus removed.  The granite thus left bare and ground down by glaciers until the very soundest of the rock was exposed was but little affected by the action of the weathering and thus in such valleys as this and Yosemite the evidences of glaciation are still very plain.  But the advent of vegetation either as trees or grass and shrubs and its consequent decay which is accompanied by the detention of the mositure which would otherwise quickly dissapate [sic] and by the formation of various corrosive acids especially carbonic and nitric greatly assists the action of air and water in breaking up the granite masses and when once the decay of the rock is begun it furnishes itself the agents for its own decomposition.  The fact that all about us wherever trees have gained a foothold the cliffs show an immensely greater decomposition than those where there is as yet no vegatable growth exhibit[ed?] is a good proof of this statement."

          In the evening I went up the valley and shot half a dozen doves.  This is almost the only game in the valley at this season tho' I have seen one or two ducks but not to shoot at them.

10th Had a fine ride with Joe down the valley after 2 of the horses which had strayed away.  Enjoyed the gallop in the fresh morning air immensely.  About 9: Prof, Joes & I walked up the river to see the falls of the Tuolumne.  Found them very fine but not a great fall.  Joe & I went on up the river a couple of miles enjoying the wild scenery.  The mountains rise on both sides 2000 or 3000 ft. and are very rough and sparsely clad with pines.  Saw an immense rattlesnake but was unable to kill it.  Morgan and Merrill went off early to Lake Eleanor, the trail leading up the north side of the valley to the Lake about 6 miles away.  They report a very hard but fine trip.  In the P.M. while Joe and Prof were in swimming I took a walk to the foot of the Hetch-Hetchy Falls.  The way lead [sic] over a mass of loose boulders and was very steep but the scene was well worth the trouble.  The falls are a series of cascades and the last at whose foot I stood was the longest leap the water makes, about 100 ft. I should think.  The water is dashed into a fine spray which as it falls is drifted by the wind into fantastic shapes and gives an effect entirely new to me.  I lay at its foot charmed by the sight though the spray fell like a fine rain and wet my coat through.  Growing on the rocks was the Syringa and the Love Grass while many little ferns filled the crevices.  I got into camp late and had a somewhat colder dinner than usual in consequence.

11th Joe and I started early this morning to climb Sugar Loaf.  As there was no trail we took the shortest way up the cliff towards a gulch at the back of the peak and thence easily gained the top.  Back of the peak was a little lake and a delicious mt. stream on the banks of which were growing wild raspberries both black and red and other berries, in the midst of alder trees while the five finger ferns grew in the deep moss near the water. 

          The view of the valley from the summit was very extensive and gave one a good idea of its various cliffs and peaks but neighboring forest fires obscured the distant view with smoke.  The descent was very disagreeable and my hands were a mass of scratches and bruises from the sliding on the boulders and the swinging down by trees.  We got back to camp before 3 PM and a swim refreshed us.

          In the evening Prof gave us his theory of the formation of such valleys as Hetch-Hetchy and Yosemite.

          He does not [hold] with the extremests [sic] who claim on the one hand that they were formed by a subsidence of a huge block of rock, and on the other that they were gouged out entirely by glaciers.  He considers that probably a deep rift determined the direction of the river and that the erosive action of the stream and of weathering enlarged it almost to its present size.  Thus far the formation of the valley was normal.  But the rock probably had a perpendicular cleaveage [sic] which gave the cañon its vertical sides.  After the valley was thus formed a glacier passed through it, cleaned away the debris, ground and smoothed the sides and left it in the condition in which we now find it.  

12th This morning at 7:30 we left Hetch-Hetchy and retraced our road to Hog Ranch reaching that place at 12 N.  The ride in the morning, especially after we left the steep trail was very enjoyable.  We spent the P.M. resting at Hog Ranch and busied ourselves with washing up the pack-saddle-bags and food sacks, preparatory to a new stock of provisions to be purchased tomorrow at Crane's Flat.  In a short walk in the meadow at this place I picked 50 distinct varieties of flowers and flowering shrubs, the greatest variety of beautiful flowers it was ever my lot to gather at once.

          Had some doves for dinner tonight shot by Ross, which tasted very good.  9 miles

13th Off this morning at 6:30 the earliest yet.  Prof. & Joe who led the pack missed the trail and did not get up to Morgan & self until about 10: oclock [sic].  Ross went ahead to get some mail on the stage and I lead [sic] the rest into a blind trail by which we lost 2 miles by misunderstanding directions.  Reached Hodgedoris [?] at 3: P.M. where we found Ross who had been waiting since 12: and was somewhat weary.  Had some mutton chops which Ross and I had procured at a ranch on the way and as we had had no meat for 2 weeks they were well appreciated.  On again in the P.M. up a grade of 7 1/2 miles through Crane's Flat to the summit of the road to Yo Semite.  Camped at a widow's place and in spite of the cold enjoyed our sleep owing to a bed of freshly cut spruce boughs.  All day long we travelled through the most superb forests of Sugar & Yellow Pine, Red Cedar, Douglas Spruce and Silver Firs that I have ever seen or even imagined.  Passed through the Tuolumne Big Trees which make a poor showing.  Hog Ranch to Heartings [?] 17 miles.

14th     Sunday, but we had to go on as provisions are low, camp poor and Yo Semite only 14 miles away.  Continued in fine forests and now met the Tamarack Pine for the first time at Tamarack Flat.  All the remaining distance to Yo Semite was down grade.  Met a party on the home track whose names we had seen in Hetch-Hetchy, Wright, Koshland [?] and other youths to the number of 6 who register themselves—U.C. '93-'94-'95! according to age.  Got fairly down into the valley by 11. A.M. and enjoyed the ride up the valley and the sight of the much-talked-of and longed-for wonders which ever unfolded before us.  Reached Barnard's Hotel and hastened to get the mail which awaited us.  News from home and all the dear ones there was the best thing we had yet found in Yo Semite.  After much delay we made camp at a pretty spot right on the bank of the Merced where Prof. had camped before.  It is right beneath Glacier Point, opposite Royal Arches and gives a fine view of South Dome. 

          Got some lunch at 3: PM and spent the P.M. resting, writing and drinking in some of the beauties of our surroundings.  Rode back to the town in the evening to post a letter and express a package.  15 miles.