106 



YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



tele, through .1 change of ownership in 



June 185 5 it became the Mariposa 

 Gazette. The paper has been in contin- 

 uous publication. 



(7 miles) 



SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST — 



Beyond the sign "Entering Sierra Na- 

 tional Forest" is part of 1 j/3 million 

 acres of land administered as one of the 

 areas under the National Forest Service 

 of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 These forested lands are managed for 

 lumbering, grazing, hunting, mining and 

 the like under such regulations as to as- 

 sure as far as possible continuing renew- 

 able natural resources. 



(3.6 miles to top of hill) 



BRICEBURG GRADE — In approxi- 

 mately 2V2 miles this grade has a drop 

 of 1,200 feet. Bear Creek Canyon is on 

 the south side of the road. The original 

 road from the top of the Briceburg 

 Grade to El Portal was built by convict 

 labor. 



(2.4 miles) 



MERCED RIVER — From the foot 

 of Briccbcrg Grade to the park you will 

 follow the Merced River. For descrip- 

 tion read V-3 5, page 77. 

 (6.1 miles) 



RICHARDSONS — An old lime- 

 stone quarry was operated here by the 

 Yosemite Portland Cement Company. It 

 was purchased in 1944 by the Kaiser in- 

 terests which closed the quarry and re- 

 moved the machinery. 



YOSEMITE VALLEY RAILROAD 



— Across the river you will see what re- 

 mains of the railroad bed of the Yosem- 

 ite Valley Railroad, constructed from 

 190 5 to 1907 at an estimated cost of 

 $10,000,000. Running 78 miles from 

 Merced to El Portal it was forced out 

 of business in 1945 after the Yosemite 

 Lumber Company and the Portland Ce- 

 ment Company ceased operations and 

 private automobile travel over the new 

 Merced highway diminished passenger 

 train travel. 



Ancient folded rocks neor geologic exhibit on Merced Road with railroad tracks above. 



