THE SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK 



17 



lent to the amount of timber that is cut from 

 about forty acres of average Minnesota timberland, 

 some conception, at least, of the cubic contents of 

 this tree can be secured. 



If an early start is made by saddle animal and pack 

 train, the distance from Giant Forest to Redwood Mea- 

 dows may be comfortably traversed in one day, and 

 along the route an ever-changing view of the great can- 

 yon of the Middle Fork of the Kaweah presents itself, 

 first on one hand and then the other, as the trail swings 

 around points 

 down into small 

 ravines and up 

 over projected 

 plateaus. 



At Redwood 

 Meadow there is a 

 grove of Sequoias 

 which would seem 

 to have been placed 

 for the special de- 

 lectation of the 

 night camper. 

 They encircle an 

 open space in 

 which has been 

 constructed a crude 

 table and fireplace 

 so situated that one 

 may still make his 

 bed within the 

 charmed circle 

 without being too 

 close to the kitch- 

 en. The energetic 

 attentions of the 

 forest rangers (for 

 this is outside the 

 Park and in the 

 National Forest) 

 keeps removed to a 

 reasonable distance 

 the earmarks of 

 former occupants, 

 which, in spite of 

 the requests of 

 posted signs, are 

 ever evident in the 

 form of empty 

 cans which mark 

 the wake of the 

 tenderfoot. To lie 

 beneath the open 

 sky in this enchant- 

 ed circle and gaze 

 up at the stars, 

 which seem to be 

 seen as from the 



THE GRAND SENTINEL 



This impressive peak is aptly named. It watches over the river that washes its base in moods 



varying from the placid stream of autumn to the raging torrent of early spring. 



bottom of a well, is a privalege that is granted only 

 to those who eschew the beaten paths of tourist 

 travel, but it is one the attainment of which justifies 

 great sacrifice. 



From Redwood Meadow there are two routes which 

 may be followed to reach the Great Canyon of the Kern; 

 one trail follows Cliff Creek over the Great Western 

 Divide by Columbine Lake into Lost Canyon, and thence 

 down the Big Arroyo over the end of the Chagoopa 

 Plateau and down the canyon walls to the Kern River; 



the other continues 

 along Deer Creek 

 over Timber Gap 

 to Mineral King, 

 from which two 

 other routes are 

 available, one 

 crossing Farewell 

 Gap and leading to 

 Soda Spring on the 

 Kern River, the 

 other crossing the 

 great western di- 

 vide near Franklin 

 Lake over Frank- 

 lin Pass just north 

 of Florence Peak 

 and down the Rat- 

 tlesnake to the 

 Kern River. Per- 

 haps the most in- 

 teresting route of 

 any is the one 

 which zigzags back 

 and forth, crossing 

 the great western 

 divide at Coyote 

 Pass, entering the 

 lower end of the 

 Kern Canyon at 

 Soda Springs. This 

 route develops 

 eighteen miles of 

 trail on the floor 

 of the Kern Can- 

 yon and takes in 

 practically the en- 

 tire length of that 

 portion which is 

 confined between 

 precipitous walls. 

 It is not, however, 

 so picturesque as 

 the route over 

 Franklin Pass and 

 cuts out the fas- 

 cinating trail down 

 Rattlesnake Creek, 



