’ 
Photographing “Red Snow 
In Natural Colors* 
BY FORD A. CARPENTER 
On July 13th, 1911, as we were encamped on the shores of Lake 
Merced in the Little Yosemite Valley, the advance party of the Sierra 
Club returned with the news that ‘‘red snow’’ was visible for many 
miles over the Vogelsang pass. At the campfire that evening, Dr. C. A. 
Kofoid, professor of zoology at the University of California, gave an 
informal talk on frofococcus nivalis, or, according to the new nomen- 
‘red snow’’. He called 
elature, sphaerella nivalis, popularly known as 
attention to the fact that this phenomenon was unusual even in the 
mountains of the Sierra Nevada, and that the members of the Sierra 
Club were fortunate in having the privilege of viewing this interesting 
species of algae. Dr. Kofoid’s talk aroused the anticipation of the 
members so that it, was discussed in many of the detached groups as 
they clambered over the Vogelsang trail early the next morning on their 
20-mile jaunt to the Tuolumne Meadows. 
It was not at all remarkable, however, that with the magnificence 
of the panorama spread before them on approaching the rugged Vogel- 
sang Pass, that the phenomenon of colored snow was almost forgotten. 
In fact, our party first noticed it while following in the trail broken 
by the pack animals. The trail led through several miles of deep snow 
into which the pack train plunged heavily at every step. Several of 
the hoof-prints were splotched with red as if the snow erust had cut 
the mule’s feet and dyed the snow with drops of blood. Then it dawned 
upon us that we were witnessing that alpine curiosity, sphaerella 
nivalzs. The place where the first sphaerella nivalis was observed was 
in the nearly perpetual snowfields on the saddle of the Vogelsang 
Pass. This Pass has an altitude exceeding 10,000 feet and the sur- 
rounding peaks and crests are rugged and forbidding. Owing to the 
length of the day’s march the party could not linger on the trail, but 
tramped steadily forward to that night’s camp at the Tuolumne 
Meadows. 
*See frontispiece. 
