346 Sierra Club Bulletin 



of building a trail up the river from them would be prohibitive. A site 

 was selected a short distance above the ford, well out of the path of 

 snowslides. A good foundation of solid rock, well above high water, 

 was obtained on the north side. On the south side a reef of rock came 

 down to the river, but had to be supplemented by a rock crib eight feet 

 high. Cement was used to chink between the rocks on the side facing 

 the river, and about four feet on each side. The span measured 68 feet 

 and the stringers five by eight, with an average length of 40 feet, were 

 hewed out, tent posts, caps, and mud sills were framed in extra lengths, 

 the hangers were cut and flooring was split out, and everything was 

 piled so that it would not warp. 



From the lower bridge site to the upper one, a distance of 68 chains, 

 the old trail ran through a meadow, and some very soft places had to be 

 crossed that would have to be corduroyed, so a new route was surveyed 

 around the meadow on the south side on an average grade of three per 

 cent, which will always be high and dry. 



The upper bridge site is a short span of 32 feet. It is about one-quar- 

 ter mile above the mouth of Evolution, and as Evolution Creek carries 

 about as much water as does the South Fork above it, there is much less 

 water to cross than at the lower bridge. On the south side of the river 

 we have a good foundation of solid rock well above high water. On the 

 north side a bent 32 inches high, set on solid rock, can be used. All 

 timbers for this bridge are framed and properly piled, with the excep- 

 tion of some flooring. No timber is available here that can be split, and 

 poles will have to be used. 



Some trouble was experienced in keeping men. A spirit of unrest 

 seemed to be in the air, and four men quit. They claimed that there was 

 no sense in working in so isolated a region when better wages and con- 

 ditions could be had for the asking in places nearer to civilization. 



A different system of packing was used this year; the pack train was 

 kept with the crew and not allowed to stay over in Cascada any longer 

 than was necessary to load the pack animals. The main part of the sup- 

 plies were packed in during June and in the early part of July, and 

 stored at Aspen Meadow. Extra stock had to be hired for this, and two 

 men sent with the pack train, as the streams were too high for one man 

 to safely handle the stock. 



On August 10 this piece of work was completed, no very difficult places 

 were encountered, and most of the blasting was done around two points, 

 one below and one above Aspen Meadow. An average tread of 30 inches 

 was maintained on this piece of trail. 



On August 10, the camp was moved to the Muir Pass, and a camp es- 

 tablished four miles below the top of the Pass at the last lake below 

 Lake Helen; on the Kings River side work was commenced at Barrier 

 Rock by the drillers, and the graders worked towards the Pass. 



Notes were taken in the Pass of soft spots and places where the snow 

 was lying, and a preliminary route was marked out. Below the pass. 



