MOUNTAINEERING ON THE PACIFIC COAST 

 This famous spot, a starting point for exploration of 

 the higher portions of the range, well deserves sev- 

 eral days of climbing about its rim. To reach the 

 head-waters of the Merced and Tuolumne rivers, 

 which drain the summit peaks, saddle and pack 

 horses must be hired, usually a packer too, and a 

 regular camping trip undertaken, since, except for 

 the Sierra Club camp in the Tuolumne Meadows, no 

 public stopping places of any kind, nor even shelter 

 huts, will be found. Horses and guides can some- 

 times be found in Yosemite Valley itself, or better 

 at Sequoia post-office, 23 miles to the northwest, on 

 the Big Oak Flat road, or at Wawona, 30 miles south. 



Starting from Yosemite the usual route is by trail 

 to the Tuolumne Meadows (8500 feet). Here a cen- 

 tral camp can be made, and higher points in the 

 vicinity visited. Directly east is Mount Dana (12,- 

 990 feet), very easily climbed from the southwest. 

 North of the meadow is Mount Conness (12,550 

 feet), commanding a splendid view over the north- 

 ern portion of the Tuolumne watershed. By fol- 

 lowing the main Tuolumne River to its source, ten 

 miles southward, Mount Lyell is reached. Its ascent 

 is preferably made the day following. Mount Lyell 

 (13,090 feet), the highest point on the Tuolumne 

 watershed, is altogether the roughest and most in- 

 teresting climb in this district. The ascent is di- 

 rectlv across the small residual glacier on the north- 

 ern face. 



From the Tuolumne Meadows one can "knap- 

 sack" (but not take pack animals) down the canon 

 of the Tuolumne River 22 miles to Hetch Hetchy 

 Valley. This rough scramble generally requires 

 two or three days, so the mountaineer should go 

 prepared. The canon, one of the finest in the Sierra, 

 in some places is over 5000 feet deep. Hetch Hetchy 

 Valley, the "Yosemite" of the Tuolumne River, is 

 well worth visiting. It can be easily reached by 

 road and trail from Sequoia. 



The most magnificent portion of the Sierra Ne- 

 vada is south of the Yosemite in the wild region 

 drained by the San Joaquin, Kings, Kern, and 

 Kaweah rivers. This region is practically devoid 

 of wagon roads, and the higher portions even of 

 trails, so it can not be visited without a complete 

 camping equipment, and generally a guide, or at 

 least a packer familiar with the country. The only 

 access is by mountain trails. The range here 

 reaches its greatest elevation, and the river canons 

 cut to their greatest depths. 



The first stream south of Yosemite is the San 

 Joaquin River, which breaks through the foothills 



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