Down the Kern-Kaweah. 



37 



After building a cairn at the top of the pass we com- 

 menced our descent and coasted down. The half mile 

 of snow vanished astern with marvelous and not always 

 comforting rapidity, for the laws of gravitation prosper 

 mightily under such circumstances, and forthwith we 

 found ourselves upon the valley floor. What particular- 

 ly impressed us with the greatness of our descent was 

 that the valley, apparently a level field as viewed from 

 the top, was in reality extremely broken up and, if 

 properly mapped, worthy of many contour lines. 



All exploration of country unfamiliar to the wayfarer 

 has its fascination, but there is something particularly 

 attractive in gaining acquaintance with an unknown 

 stream at its source, and thence proceeding with it to 

 its outlet. That is what we did with the Kern-Kaweah. 

 To be sure, a river should be followed from source to 

 sea, but in this instance we saw our stream only from 

 its birth in the mountain snow-banks to its adoption by 

 the larger Kern. First it meandered through the cold 

 rock wastes, delving into snow-fields and emerged rein- 

 forced on the far side ; then it gained strength and rushed 

 down a rocky gorge, finally coming to the land of vege- 

 tation; now it rested in quiet pools, or flowed peacefully 

 beneath the overshadowing tamarack ; now it leaped over 

 a fall, or plunged through encompassing canon walls. It 

 is a wonderfully versatile stream, this Kern-Kaweah, and 

 in miniature possesses all the scenic features attainable by 

 flowing water. Moreover, its surroundings are truly 

 magnificent. Indeed, we were agreed that for rough 

 grandeur and general charm this seldom-mentioned canon 

 far surpassed anything we had encountered on the trip. 

 It has its pleasant meadows, its stately tamaracks; its 

 walls are massive, steep rising, ofttimes as impressive 

 as are those of Hetch-Hetchy, to the author's mind, and 

 down from them come occasional waterfalls and cascades 

 of rare beauty. With all, a cafion well worthy of ex- 

 ploration by visitors to the Upper Kern country. 



