THE HETCH-HETCHY VALLEY 



265 



Hetch-Hetchy Valley, the 

 Grand Canyon of the 

 Tuolumne, and the Tuo- 

 lumne Meadows are in 

 Tuolumne Basin. Ex- 

 cepting only the Yosemite 

 Valley, the Tuolumne 

 Basin is the finer and 

 larger half of the park. 

 Practically all of the 

 Tuolumne Basin drains di- 

 rectly into Hetch-Hetchy 

 Valley, which is a won- 

 derfully exact counter- 

 part of the great Yosem- 

 ite, not only in its crystal 

 river, sublime clififs and 

 waterfalls, but in the gar- 

 dens, groves, and mead- 

 ows of its flowery park- 

 like floor. This park-like 

 floor is especially adapted 

 for pleasure camping, and 

 is the focus of all the 

 trails from both the north 

 and the south which lead 

 into and through this 

 magnificent campground. 



The floor of the Hetch- 

 Hetchy Valley is about 

 three and one-half miles 

 long and from one-fourth 

 to one-half mile wide. 

 The lower portion is 

 mostly a level meadow 

 about a mile long, with 

 the trees restricted to the 

 sides and partially sep- 

 arated from the upper 

 forested portion by a low 

 bar of glacier - polished 

 granite, across which the 

 river breaks in rapids. 



Standing boldly out from the south 

 wall is a strikingly picturesque rock 

 called "Kolana" by the Indians, the 

 outermost of a group 2,300 feet high 

 corresponding with the Cathedral Rocks 

 of Yosemite, both in relative position 

 and form. On the opposite side of the 

 valley facing Kolana there is a counter- 

 part of the El Capitan of Yosemite 

 rising sheer and plain to a height of 

 1,800 feet, and over its massive brow- 

 flows a stream which makes the most 

 graceful fall I have ever seen. From 



Photo by Rodney L. Gliiaii 

 Rancheria Falls, Hetch'Hetchy Valley 



the edge of the cliff it is perfectly free 

 in the air for a thousand feet, then 

 breaks up into a ragged sheet of cas- 

 cades among the boulders of an earth- 

 quake talus. It is in all its glory in 

 June, when the snow is melting fast, 

 but fades and vanishes toward the end 

 of summer. The only fall I know with 

 wdiich it may fairly be compared is the 

 Yosemite Bridal Veil ; but it excels even 

 that favorite fall both in height and 

 fineness of fairy, airy beauty and be- 

 havior. 



