delport FIELD TRIPS AT FALLEN LEAF LAKE 167 



Out in California during the vacation season of 1919, the 

 California Fish and Game Commission, in answer to a popular 

 demand, outlined a schedule of fields trips from a number of 

 resorts situated around Lake Tahoe, the object being to interest 

 the summer vacationist in California's wild life resources. The 

 region chosen was a most fitting ground upon which to stage 

 this novel program, and so successful was the attempt, that the 

 National Government has seen fit to duplicate the work under 

 the same leadership, during the 1920 and 1921 seasons in the 

 Yosemite Valley. Enthusiasm runs high over the results obtained 

 at the latter place and we have every reason to believe that the 

 program is with us to stay and will be repeated in the Yosemite 

 and other national parks throughout the state during subsequent 

 seasons. 



The trips at Lake Tahoe started at Brockway on July 2. Five 

 days were devoted to this resort with an average daily attendance 

 of fifteen. The work progressed day by day until five resorts 

 were visited and at the close of four weeks, three hundred and 

 sixty-two adults and one hundred and fifty-seven children were 

 recorded as having participated. During the 1920 season in 

 Yosemite the number rose to 27,047; the results obtained during 

 the 1921 season at this same place are still higher. Each day's 

 trip was supplemented by an evening's talk and a discussion of 

 some interesting topic relating to wild life and its conservation. 



The concluding trips of the Tahoe program took place at Fallen 

 Leaf Lake, some two hundred feet higher than Tahoe, — a spot 

 unsurpassed in rugged beauty and serving as a convenient en- 

 trance to a region abounding in mountain lakes, high peaks, 

 lovely glens and glades of fancy's own making, and offering at 

 the same time, unusual examples of the wild life of the Sierra. 

 So memorable were these first days that I have since glanced over 

 my field-trip notes more than once and from them been tempted to 

 run off the following account of a typical day spent in this 

 fascinating combination of educational and pleasurable pastime. 



We had left Tallac late one afternoon and dusk had overtaken 

 us before we arrived at Fallen Leaf Lodge, but the end of the 

 trail revealed a bit of Sierran magic enveloped in the shades 

 of an opal. Out of the east the pink-purple alpenglow spread 



