On the Trail with the Sierra Club. 51 



tumes, the camp-fire comradeship, and the splendid 

 pageant of scenes and events which thenceforward 

 trailed its sylvan length through five weeks of matchless 

 summer days. In the nature of the case, this article can- 

 not aim to be even a measurably complete record of the 

 outing, but must confine itself to the more saHent features 

 of a great complex of events and activities interpreted 

 through the personal impressions of the writer. 



From an eagle's outlook, on Friday morning, June 

 26th, might have been seen a stretch of country-road, 

 forty-five miles in length, winding across the comparative- 

 ly level floor of the San Joaquin Valley from Visalia to 

 the foot-hills of the Sierra Nevada and up through them, 

 twenty miles more, to Mineral King; Broder and Hop- 

 ping's four- and six-horse stages, chased by clouds of 

 dust, passing at regular intervals — ^the convoy of the ad- 

 vance party of the Sierra Club and its outfit; billowy 

 fields of golden grain seeking the horizon, and along the 

 edges, drawn by processions of thirty or forty mules 

 and horses, great combination machines that threw off 

 sacks instead of sheaves ; and in the purple distance still 

 more purple spots that marked flourishing acres of citrus 

 culture. In passing through them the cheering stage- 

 occupants were gleefully pelted from the orchards with 

 the golden fruit. The itinerary lunch at Three Rivers 

 was made especially enjoyable through the generosity of 

 the Visalia Board of Trade and Britten Brothers, who 

 had there provided an abundance of delicious fruit and 

 lemonade. 



The first night out from Visalia we camped in the 

 foot-hills of the Sierra. My companion, a man with 

 large knowledge of Californian wilderness ways, super- 



