The Evolution Group of Peaks. 231 



together as far as possible. Accordingly, on the morning 

 of the 15th we started up the canon of the South Fork, and 

 about four miles above reached the north branch of the 

 river, which drains the Humphreys country, and carries 

 nearly half the total volume of the stream. It comes 

 booming across the boulder-strewn flat at the mouth of its 

 cafion, and at first sight appears to be an almost unsur- 

 mountable obstacle to further advance. Fortunately there 

 are fragments of a log jam a short distance above, and on 

 this we were enabled to get across. Then a rope was 

 thrown over, and we succeeded in leading our animals 

 through the rough channels. 



From this point to the base of Mt. Goddard the San 

 Joaquin Canon is truly magnificent. It is not as deep 

 as many other of our great river canons, but it has the 

 peculiarity of lying wholly within the metamorphic rock. 

 The sides are almost perfectly bare, and the many beau- 

 tiful cascades which pour over them contrast most strik- 

 ingly with the black walls. The trail from the Blaney 

 Meadows to a point four or five miles above the north 

 branch lies on the eastern side of the stream, and then 

 crosses to the west side by a good ford. At the crossing 

 we stopped for lunch, and then pushed on up the river. 

 A short distance above the ford Evolution Creek enters 

 the canon by a magnificent fall. There is no well-marked 

 point at which the trail up its canon branches from the 

 main trail, but by recrossing the South Fork above the 

 junction, and searching along the base of the chflfs, we 

 soon found it starting up at the very base of the fall. 



The trail at first is rocky and steep. It has been but 

 little used of late years, and so many trees have fallen 

 across it that traveling is rather slow. As we rose the 



