First Ascent: Mt. Humphreys. 155 



South Fork of the San Joaquin River." It heads at the 

 main crest of the Sierra very near Piute Pass, just south 

 of yit. Humphreys. From there, after flowing north- 

 westerly for about six miles, it turns abruptly southwest- 

 erly and flows five miles into the South Fork. As the 

 name by which this stream is known to the sheepmen is 

 so unsatisfactory, Mr. Le Conte, on his map which is 

 published in this number of the Bulletin, has changed 

 the name to " Piute Branch," and I shall refer to it here- 

 after by this new name. Noble and I explored almost 

 to the source of the Piute Branch to determine if our 

 " jacks " could be taken to the base of Mt, Humphreys. 

 We found that it would be possible to do so by traveling 

 on a terribly rough sheep-trail which starts out eastward 

 from Lost Valley, climbs the ridge bounding the South 

 Fork on the east, and follows this ridge southward until 

 it plunges down into the canon of the Piute Branch ; from 

 there on it follows first the north and then the northeast 

 side of the stream to Piute Pass. 



On the third day after reaching Lost Valley we 

 moved our camp across the river, fording at a place 

 where the stream was widest and least rocky; but even 

 here the water came high up on the sides of the packs 

 and the animals had great difficulty in keeping their 

 footing on the rough bottom. By the use of long ropes a 

 crossing was made in safety. Here we camped in a grove 

 of cottonwoods, in the midst of a luxuriant garden of 

 lupines, columbines, and alpine lilies. In the middle of the 

 afternoon we were surprised and delighted to have Mr. 

 Le Conte drop into our camp. He and Dr. G. K. Gilbert, 

 with their packer, Osceola Kanawyer, had arrived in the 

 valley the night before, on their way southward from 



