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Sierra Club Bulletin. 



but when, with too much confidence, one trusted his weight 

 upon them, they would shde from their positions and go 

 crashing down the mountain-side or shoot over a sheer 

 precipice perhaps two thousand feet in depth. We were 

 obhged to exercise the utmost care^ testing nearly every 

 rock with foot or hand before daring to rely upon it. 

 We often came to a standstill, and had to explore in 

 various directions before finding a crevice or a ledge 

 that would permit us to continue safely our downward 

 course. When at last we reached the snow, — which had 

 been considerably softened by the sun, — we tobogganed, 

 ran, and rolled down the steep slope until we were once 

 more at the edge of our pretty glacial lake. 



We arrived at our base camp at Thousand Island Lake 

 at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and, hastily packing 

 our knapsacks, continued on our way for about five miles, 

 camping by the waters of Rush Creek at the eastern foot 

 of Donohue Pass. We were hungry and tired, but 

 good-natured and happy. 



For dinner we cooked the remnant of our provisions, 

 except coffee and mush, and soon were enjoying a sleep 

 that dynamite alone could interrupt. The next morning, 

 after a light breakfast and a two hours' tramp, we arrived 

 at the Lyell base camp, cooked a second breakfast out of 

 provisions left there for that purpose, and not long after- 

 wards arrived in the main camp at Tuolumne Meadows 

 fresh and hearty, ready for luncheon and another 

 mountain. 



The altitude of Mr. Ritter, as given on the map of J. N. Le Conte, is 

 13,186 feet. The register-can of the Sierra Club was deposited on the sum- 

 mit July 10, 1897. It contains, in addition to the official register of the 

 club (No. 2oa), some interesting memoranda of previous ascents. As 

 these papers are badly weather-worn and faded and the writing is partially 



