54 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



tain pine shimmer through the haze. Four miles above 

 us eastward, between Mt. Florence and Mt. Vandever, 

 loomed the snowy pass of Farewell Gap. It is the gate- 

 way to the southern Sierra. On the morrow at break of 

 dawn we and our pack-animals, in single file, took the 

 winding trail that leads to the saddle of the pass, — 10,400 

 feet above the level of the Pacific. Since the altitude of 

 Mineral King is about 7,700, this involved a cHmb of 

 nearly three thousand feet. All our days in the High 

 Sierra were " strung on sunbeam threads," but this morn- 

 ing of our ascent to Farewell Gap was first among peers, 

 so beautiful that the most generous adjective would only 

 belittle it. Sunday morning, too! — and we stood at the 

 portals of one of the grandest natural cathedrals on the 

 Pacific Slope. From the richly carved granite choir- 

 galleries came the joyous music of many waters, and the 

 deep organ-tones of full-throated waterfalls pealed forth 

 ever and anon as we threaded its aisles on subsequent 

 days. It was past midday when the last of our party 

 of one hundred and ten reached the top of the pass, 

 and every one felt that the ascent was an achievement, 

 whatever else might be in store. Our pack-train, though 

 composed mostly of sure-footed mules accustomed to 

 mountain-climbing, had experienced some difiiculty in 

 getting over the snow-fields. By 9 o'clock the snow had 

 softened, making the footing very insecure. One of the 

 animals, overcome by exhaustion and the effects of the 

 altitude, fell dead in his tracks. Once or twice unwary 

 riders were thrown headlong from their plunging horses 

 and had to be extricated from the snow-banks into which 

 they dived head first. These as well as some other inci- 

 dents of the ascent furnished a deal of good-natured 



