68 THE MOUNTAINS OF CALIFOKNIA 



the massive Inyo Range, rivaling even the Sierra 

 in height ; these are spread, map-like, beneath you, 

 with countless ranges beyond, passing and over 

 lapping one another and fading on the glowing 

 horizon. 



At a distance of less than 3,000 feet below the 

 summit of Mount Ritter you may find tributaries 

 of the San Joaquin and Owen's rivers, bursting 

 forth from the ice and snow of the glaciers that 

 load its flanks ; while a little to the north of here 

 are found the highest affluents of the Tuolumne 

 and Merced. Thus, the fountains of four of the 

 principal rivers of California are within a radius 

 of four or five miles. 



Lakes are seen gleaming in all sorts of places, 

 round, or oval, or square, like very mirrors ; others 

 narrow and sinuous, drawn close around the peaks 

 like silver zones, the highest reflecting only rocks, 

 snow, and the sky. But neither these nor the gla 

 ciers, nor the bits of brown meadow and moorland 

 that occur here and there, are large enough to 

 make any marked impression upon the mighty 

 wilderness of mountains. The eye, rejoicing in its 

 freedom, roves about the vast expanse, yet returns 

 again and again to the fountain peaks. Perhaps 

 some one of the multitude excites special attention, 

 some gigantic castle with turret and battlement, 

 or some Gothic cathedral more abundantly spired 

 than Milan's. But, generally, when looking for the 

 first time from an all-embracing standpoint like 

 this, the inexperienced observer is oppressed by 

 the incomprehensible grandeur, variety, and abun 

 dance of the mountains rising shoulder to shoulder 



