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Sierra Club Bulletin. 



above 10,000 feet was under snow. I myself had exam- 

 ined the gap when free of snow in 1904, and at that 

 time considered it impassable to pack animals on the 

 south side. It was clear, therefore, that the success of 

 our trip depended on the next day's work. 



The view from our camp was magnificent, especially 

 in the evening, when the rosy glow of sunset spread over 

 the noble peaks of the Evolution Group, themselves 

 reflected in the still waters of the lake. I went to bed 

 early, but woke several times to look out upon the same 

 scene, bathed in the silvery light of the moon. 



On the morning of the i8th we were stirring by ear- 

 liest dawn, and long before the sun rose over the battle- 

 ments of Mount Darwin were on the way. We passed 

 around the east side of Evolution Lake, and at its 

 head crossed to the west side of the creek. The traveling 

 was easy up Evolution Creek nearly all the way to the 

 Goddard Divide. We passed around the base of majes- 

 tic Mount Huxley, and at the outlet of the Crystal 

 Lakes crossed the creek again, and kept around the 

 north side of the lakes. The gap was clearly in view, 

 and we took our pack train straight up to it. One bad, 

 roclcy place was encountered, and soft snow bogged one 

 animal, but the top of the divide was reached by about 

 9 A. M. We were 12,000 feet above sea level. Down 

 the other side was an awful looking gorge in the black 

 metamorphic rock, partly choked with snow. But there 

 was no time to consider the prospect. We went straight 

 at it, and took our mules right over the talus piles. They 

 did splendidly, and we had cause to be thankful that 

 they were so well used to the roughest of mountain 

 work. We passed down into the rocky amphitheatre 

 and around the south side of a little black lake, the 

 extreme source of the Middle Fork of King's River. The 

 walls and the slopes of the large talus then began to 

 close in, and we were forced to take our animals down 

 the bed of the creek between them. It was a critical 

 place, for a fall six feet high in the stream might at this 



