﻿356 
  

  

  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  GEOGRAPHIC 
  MAGAZINE 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  Herbert 
  W. 
  Gleason 
  

  

  TUOLUMNE 
  MEADOWS, 
  FROM 
  JUNIPER 
  CREST, 
  YOSEMITE 
  NATIONAL 
  PARK 
  

  

  f 
  The 
  widest, 
  smoothest, 
  most 
  serenely 
  spacious, 
  and 
  in 
  every 
  way 
  the 
  most 
  delightful 
  summer 
  

   pleasure 
  park 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  High 
  Sierra." 
  — 
  John 
  Muir. 
  

  

  level 
  3,000 
  to 
  4,000 
  feet, 
  the 
  highest 
  top 
  

   (in 
  North 
  Carolina) 
  rising 
  to 
  6,711 
  feet 
  

   (see 
  page 
  358). 
  

  

  The 
  valleys 
  between 
  them 
  are 
  usually 
  

   some 
  miles 
  wide 
  and 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  bot- 
  

   toms, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  slopes 
  that 
  are 
  not 
  

   under 
  cultivation 
  or 
  pasture, 
  are 
  covered 
  

   with 
  dense 
  wood. 
  Here 
  and 
  there 
  a 
  long 
  

   line 
  of 
  limestone 
  crags 
  runs 
  along 
  the 
  

   mountain 
  side 
  for 
  miles, 
  its 
  gray 
  or 
  bluish 
  

   hue 
  showing 
  well 
  against 
  the 
  rich 
  woods 
  

   above 
  or 
  below. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  not 
  many 
  outstanding 
  sum- 
  

   mits, 
  for 
  the 
  ridges 
  usually 
  maintain 
  the 
  

   same 
  level 
  for 
  many 
  miles, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  

   wayfarer 
  might, 
  if 
  trails 
  were 
  cut 
  along 
  

   the 
  ridge 
  tops 
  where 
  the 
  ridges 
  are 
  not 
  

   above 
  the 
  timber-line, 
  walk 
  or 
  ride 
  for 
  

   long 
  distances 
  with 
  little 
  ascent 
  or 
  de- 
  

   scent, 
  looking 
  down 
  upon 
  the 
  country 
  on 
  

   each 
  side. 
  

  

  The 
  lines 
  are 
  soft, 
  and 
  the 
  scenery 
  

   might 
  be 
  called 
  monotonous 
  were 
  it 
  not 
  

  

  for 
  the 
  beauty 
  of 
  the 
  forests, 
  in 
  which 
  

   there 
  is 
  much 
  variety, 
  for 
  in 
  some 
  places 
  

   evergreen 
  conifers 
  clothe 
  the 
  higher 
  

   slopes, 
  while 
  deciduous 
  trees 
  predominate 
  

   below, 
  prominent 
  among 
  them 
  the 
  tulip 
  

   tree, 
  with 
  its 
  tall, 
  straight 
  trunk 
  rising 
  

   like 
  a 
  stately 
  column, 
  sometimes 
  for 
  60 
  

   or 
  80 
  feet 
  to 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  it 
  begins 
  to 
  

   throw 
  out 
  branches. 
  

  

  The 
  superb 
  colors 
  which 
  these 
  woods 
  

   take 
  in 
  October 
  are 
  chiefly 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  

   scarlet 
  maples, 
  mingled 
  with 
  the 
  yellow 
  

   tulips. 
  In 
  June 
  the 
  rhododendrons, 
  abun- 
  

   dant 
  in 
  many 
  districts 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  slopes, 
  

   provide 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  pink 
  and 
  purple 
  glow 
  

   comparable 
  to 
  that 
  which 
  their 
  Hima- 
  

   layan 
  sisters 
  give 
  to 
  the 
  traveler 
  in 
  Sik- 
  

   kim 
  or 
  Nepal. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  no 
  lakes 
  and 
  the 
  streams, 
  

   rippling 
  or 
  murmuring 
  along 
  channels 
  

   mostly 
  embowered 
  in 
  wood, 
  play 
  no 
  great 
  

   part 
  in 
  the 
  landscape, 
  though 
  now 
  and 
  

   then, 
  as 
  along 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  

  

  