136 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



in volume I of the reports of the Geological Survey of Califor- 

 nia, published in 1865, 



To J. D. Whitney, therefore, and his associates, William H. 

 Brewer, Clarence King, J. T. Gardner, and Charles F. Hoff- 

 mann, belong the credit of first exploring, describing, and map- 

 ping in outline this great area of difficult country. 



In 1868 John Muir came to California and immediately made 

 his way into the Yosemite Valley, which by this time was re- 

 nowned throughout the world. He at once began his travels 

 and studies in the high Sierra, and his first contribution to the 

 Hterature of this subject was pubUshed in 1871. From then on 

 to the time of his death, his writings, more than any one thing, 

 have directed the attention of the public to the wonders of the 

 Sierra. 



Beginning about 1870, expeditions were formed by enthusi- 

 astic mountain-lovers simply for the purpose of exploring and 

 enjoying the high Sierra. But these also were but pioneers, 

 and each party was obliged to work its own way through inde- 

 pendently, making use of the trails of the sheepmen who at a 

 very early date began using the rich pasturage of the alpine 

 meadows. Practically no detailed information was to be ob- 

 tained then in any published accounts. All descriptions so far 

 were of a general nature and lacked that accuracy of detail of 

 route and trail so necessary to the traveler. 



It finally became evident that some organization was needed 

 whereby the experiences and practical results of travel might 

 be brought together and preserved for the use of others to fol- 

 low. This idea in a general way may have been in the minds of 

 some of the very earliest explorers in this field, but if so no 

 record of such has been found. The first definite move in this 

 direction seems to have been made by Professor J. H. Senger, 

 of the University of California, in 1886, and the beginnings are 

 shown in a short correspondence between himself and Mr. Den- 

 nison, then State Guardian of the Yosemite Valley. Professor 

 Senger's first idea was to estabhsh a library of mountaineering 

 literature in the Yosemite Valley, bringing together not only all 

 books relating to the California mountains, but collecting all 

 published maps, as well as sketch-maps and notes and itinera- 

 ries made by travelers. His idea was evidently that Yosemite 



