174 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



By 4 130 the next morning we were retracing our steps 

 toward our Snow-Tongue Pass. In an hour or so we 

 reached Cirque Lake. Near here, in the snow, we fol- 

 lowed for quite a distance some fresh bear-tracks going 

 toward our pass. An hour later we were at the pass, and 

 from there took a last, long, lingering look at Humphreys. 

 On the other side of the pass we saw more bear-tracks 

 going downward in the direction of our Lake Frances 

 camp. What if the jacks and bears had been in mortal 

 conflict ! It was with a warm thrill that we came upon the 

 lake, and there, on the opposite shore, saw our four jacks. 

 They actually seemed glad to welcome us back home. 

 The deep emerald waters of the lake were irresistible. 

 In we plunged, only to swim to the shore with teeth 

 chattering, knees shaking, and toes tingling, but again 

 what a resurrection of hopes, joys, and ambitions came 

 from the icy tonic ! 



On our return trip from Snow-Tongue Pass to Lake 

 Frances, we passed many patches of red snow. A cup 

 of this was melted and filtered through a paper, leaving 

 a decidedly reddish deposit of very fine particles. After 

 returning from our camping trip an examination of these 

 particles under the microscope showed them to be little 

 globules resembling fishes' eggs. Each globule appeared 

 translucent and seemed luminous, as though shining with 

 a light coming from the interior. 



After lunch we descended to Evolution Creek. Here 

 at the junction of the trails we found a monument of 

 twelve stones, Le Conte's prearranged message, meaning 

 that he had already descended the cafion. We followed, 

 and the next day joined his party at the Mt. Goddard 

 camp. 



