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Sierra Club Bulletin 



tion of Chief Forester Henry S. Graves. There were also similar de- 

 mands from individuals. Mr. Graves fully realized the need of this 

 construction, and, although the funds at his disposal for such work are 

 very limited, he made a special allotment of $1200, to which the Board 

 of Supervisors of Fresno County added $400. With the money thus made 

 available, a trail crew, under Supervisor M. A. Benedict, of the Sierra 

 National Forest, repaired the existing trail on the north side of the river 

 from Tehipite Valley to the ford, constructed an entirely new trail from 

 the ford to Simpson Meadows, and at the latter point constructed a sub- 

 stantial suspension bridge across the Middle Fork of Kings River. The 

 ford, which was formerly the only means of crossing the river, and 

 which was at certain seasons dangerous, is now eliminated. The new 

 location, entirely on the north side of the river, also avoids some rough 

 trail across the mouths of several creeks which enter from the south 

 wall of the caiion. This piece of trail work is certainly a welcome ad- 

 dition to the system of trails which is now being rapidly constructed to 

 make the wonderful scenery of the basins of the Middle Fork of Kings 

 River and of the South Fork of San Joaquin River accessible. 



Estimate of Cost of New Work to Complete a Trail from Giant 

 Forest to Moraine Lake 

 District Forester: October 4, 1916. 



Dear Sir : Referring to your letter of August 12 and Mr. Ruber's let- 

 ter of August II : 



We looked over the prospective route from Bearpaw Meadow to Mo- 

 raine Lake and found that this is a practicable route, except that the 

 trail will have to swing onto the divide south of Deer Creek, then fol- 

 low up Bear Creek. Following is Ranger Redstone's report on the piece 

 from Bearpaw Meadow to the head of Big Arroyo : 



I found that the route down Deer Creek is impractical, owing 

 to the precipitous drop of the narrow rocky creek bed. However. 

 I found a very good route a few miles south of Deer Creek over 

 the ridge between Deer Creek and North Fork or Bear Creek. 

 This route would start at Bear Creek, cross the main Kaweah 

 River, and ascend on a fifteen-per-cent grade around the ridge and 

 up Bear Creek, crossing the divide near the head of Deer Creek 

 and connecting with the trail up the Big Arroyo in the Nine 

 Lakes basin. The country is exceedingly rough and a good trail 

 will be costly. Two-thirds of the trail over the lower end will be 

 fairly easy construction, composed of earth, heavily brush-covered, 

 and of loose rock. The upper third will be very expensive, as it 

 runs into heavy blasting and wall-building, especially near the 

 crossing of the divide. 



