Los Angeles last year 42 days were rainy, at San Diego 60, at Santa Barbara 

 51, at Santa Cruz 50, and at San Jose 56 days. There is no lack of sun- 

 shine, and in some portions of the State almost too much. 



Again, the climate is so diversified within short distances that one 

 might almost call it adjustable. There is such a range of temperature, 

 such variation in rainfall and difference in wind, between places only a 

 short distance apart, that one can almost pick and choose his climate ac- 

 cording to his taste and need. For example, it frequently happens that on 

 winter mornings tule fogs are unpleasantly persistent in the Great Valley. 

 Yet the dweller in the lowland has it always within his power to reach bright 

 sunshine and balmy air by climbing the foothills a few hundred feet. 

 So, too, in summer in the coast cities when the sea fog hangs low. It is a 

 common experience in San Francisco for the business man living in the 

 suburbs to pass from clear skies, genial warmth and light, to dull, overcast 

 conditions as he comes to his office, and on his return leave the city, with 

 Its gray sky, and in less than one hour be again in sunshine and warmth. 



The circulation of the lower air in California is very irregular because 

 of the many mountain ranges and their various angles of inclination to pre- 

 vailing winds. There are localities where, throughout the year, excepting 

 for perhaps ten or twelve days, the air movement is sluggish, cloudiness rare 

 and temperature changes slight. In such districts one may dream exist- 

 ence away, so uniformly quiet are the days. Yet a few miles distant one 

 can find a climate where the inrush of the wind, the strong surge of the sea 

 and the invading fog so stimulates human activities, that life is translated 

 into action. 



A Typical Sierra Club Tramp. 



HELEN aOnPERTZ LB CONTB. 



TO explore, enjoy and render accessible the mountain regions of the 

 Pacific Coast, to publish authentic information concerning them; 

 to enlist the support and co-operation of the people and government 

 in preserving the forests and other natural features of the Sierra 

 Nevada Mountains" — this is the serious object of the Sierra Club, 

 but besides this it has another side to its existence, namely the out- 

 ing feature which tends to strengthen a feeling of comradeship among 

 the individual members, and to develop a certain esprit du corps without 

 which no society of this kind can keep its membership up to the mark 

 both as regards numbers and qualification. 



From amongst a membership of 800 about 200 usually join the out- 

 ing, and a sounder, merrier crew it would be hard to find the world over. 

 The party secures a special train and starts about July 1st, for then not 

 only the weather, but school holidays and court vacations are all in har- 

 mony for a frolic. 



Accordingly one pleasant July evening finds us on our "special" 

 headed for Yosemite Valley, whence we start on our real mountain trip 

 to Tuolumne Meadows and the High Sierra. 



Behold us later, after having paid due homage to the beloved valley, 

 "hiking" along the Yosemite Falls trail bound for our first night's camp 

 at Porcupine Flat. The women, booted to the knee, and clad in loose 

 waists and short skirts reaching their boot-tops tramp along with as 

 much ease as their club brothers, and if they do not rush quite as much it 

 is because they linger to enjoy the passing pageant. We stay to note th© 

 shafts of light aslant a dusky forest aisle whose lofty pillars reach up into 

 the golden sunshine, or again a vista through the giant trees discloses 

 a snow-clad summit, or a graceful granite dome against the dark blue 

 sky. The Outing Committee has announced the character and length of 

 each day's walk, hence we plan simply to get into camp by night in time 



