40 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



Lost Valley does not appear on the latest U. S. geo- 

 logical map. Neither did the Yosemite Indian guide 

 who piloted me and my goods to the top of the ridge 

 overlooking Merced Canon, nor two guides whom I found 

 equipped with Professor Le Conte's map of the region 

 and camping with their clients at Merced Lake, have any 

 knowledge of the location of this valley. In the canon 

 at the outlet of Echo Creek, about three miles west of 

 Merced Lake, there is one of those combinations charac- 

 teristic of the Merced Canon and consisting of meadows 

 filled with pine trees. This valley extends for half a 

 mile or so toward Merced Lake, but I do not think this 

 is Lost Valley. About four miles west of Echo Creek 

 there is a bit of a valley at the foot of a beautiful "silver 

 apron" about two hundred feet long by thirty feet wide, 

 preceded by a six-foot waterfall and followed by an 

 "emerald pool" about one hundred feet across. This 

 valley has what could be technically called an island at 

 its lower or river side, as part of the river goes around 

 one side and a much less part goes around the other side. 

 It has meadows and forest also and just precedes the 

 gorge into Little Yosemite. This I guessed was Lost 

 Valley, but it might as well be settled by reference to 

 whomever first applied the name. 



As to the difficulty of getting from Merced Lake to 

 Little Yosemite Valley, I would state that it took me 

 about five hours of actual walking along fair going to 

 make the trip between these two points, making the dis- 

 tance the equivalent of about ten miles. The way from 

 Merced Lake to Echo Creek on the north side of the 

 river and up 2,500 feet to the sunrise trail is as easy and 

 plain as a wagon-road now, as a good, well-patronized 

 trail exists between these places. It appears on the late 

 Lyell U. S. geological quadrangle and has existed, ac- 

 cording to my Indian guide, for "four or five years." 

 From Echo Creek it is useless to proceed down the canon 

 on the north side of the river, as the way is practical 

 for but a short distance; it is not pleasantly so that 



