AUTO TOUR 



77 



V 

 33 



VIEW OF THE THREE BROTH- 

 ERS. Read full description under 

 V-10, page 69. 



Y CATHEDRAL SPIRES. N a m e d 

 n m for an obvious likeness, these two 

 * giant shafts of granite are far 

 larger than any real cathedral spires. 

 The right hand spire is some 2,100 feet, 

 the other about 1,900 feet above the val- 

 ley floor. Both spires have been climbed 

 by expert rock climbers but the ascent 

 is very difficult. Cathedral Spires were 

 named by James M. Hutchings in Sep- 

 tember 1862. 



Y MERCED RIVER. There are fine 

 ^C views of the Merced River as you 

 drive between Cathedral Spires and 

 Bridalveil Fall. Starting among the 

 snowfields in the High Sierra, the Mer- 

 ced River drops 11,000 feet in its run 

 to the sea. The name Merced has been 



shortened from its original — El Rio 

 de Nuestra Senora de la Merced — 

 River of Our Lady of Mercy. It was 

 named by Gabriel Moraga in September 

 1806 during his expedition in the San 

 Joaquin Valley because of its refreshing 

 water after seeing only muddy streams 

 during his journey. 



El Capitan 



Bridalveil Fall 



BRIDALVEIL MORAINE — As you 



approach the widened part of the 

 highway in front of Bridalveil Fall, 

 the road cut through a bank on 

 your left reveals a section of Bridalveil 

 Moraine, a pile of coarse and fine-ground 

 rock left by Yosemite Valley glaciers. 



Y BRIDALVEIL FALL. Bridalveil 

 ~ g Fall, a drop of 620 feet, runs all 

 < "' year diminishing in late summer. In 

 the afternoon rainbows in the spray may 

 be seen from the base of the fall and 

 from the parking area at the east en- 

 trance of the Wawona Tunnel. The In- 

 dians called the fall Pohono which 

 means "puffing wind.." It is this same 



