CHAPTER IV 



THE FORESTS OF THE YOSEMITE PARK 



The coniferous forests of the Yosemite Park, 

 and of the Sierra in general, surpass all others 

 of their kind in America or indeed in the world, 

 not only in the size and beauty of the trees, but 

 in the number of species assembled together, and 

 the grandeur of the mountains they are growing 

 on. Leaving the workaday lowlands, and wan- 

 dering into the heart of the mountains, we find 

 a new world, and stand beside the majestic pines 

 and firs and sequoias silent and awestricken, as 

 if in the presence of superior beings new arrived 

 from some other star, so calm and bright and 

 godlike they are. 



Going to the woods is going home ; for I sup- 

 pose we came from the woods originally. But 

 in some of nature's forests the adventurous trav- 

 eler seems a feeble, unwelcome creature ; wild 

 beasts and the weather trying to kill him, the 

 rank, tangled vegetation, armed with spears and 

 stinging needles, barring his way and making 

 life a hard struggle. Here everything is hospi- 

 table and kind, as if planned for your pleasure, 



