up from ''The Land of Little Rain." 109 



exposed altitude. A wonderful old tree! The stream 

 sounds in the steep depression below like wind in the 

 pines. The landscape is wintry. The gentler slopes of 

 the mountain are laden with snow. Dull greens cover 

 the steeply rising bed of the canon, with sentinel pines 

 far up the face of the cliffs. One old tree, dead above, 

 plume-shaped below, stands against the palisade behind 

 us — an artistic creation. Part of it towers visually above 

 the gray rock face. Large granite boulders are around 

 us, bedded in chinquapin brush. The apex of the canon 

 wall on the south we have named Mount Marsh. The 

 noble crag now near at hand we have named Crag Alex- 

 ander Winchell in memory of a noble scientist and 

 teacher. 



On the Trail. 

 Crust hard above 8000 feet ! Yes, in the northern Sierra 

 or on northern exposures. Here solid only in the early 

 morning. Such is winter mountaineering in the sub- 

 tropics. My Canadian snowshoes would be welcome. 



Saturday Evening, Lone Pine Camp, 9800 Feet. 



We have gained the terrace of Lone Pine Lake, and are 

 camping in a thick grove of tamaracks. The lake is only 

 partially frozen over. Marsh has insisted on shoveling 

 a neat little suite of holes in the snow for bed and living 

 rooms. The snow here is only eighteen inches deep. 



Mr. Bonnett's thermometer shelter is sitting on a rock 

 near by, peeping from its hood of snow. Poor fellow, so 

 this was his Waterloo in early October! The old peak 

 frowned upon his effort to place his instruments upon her 

 summit. But then, he went all unprepared for sudden 

 storms. May she be more gracious unto us. 



We have advanced our camp from 9200 feet altitude 

 to 9800 feet, but we were compelled to make so many 

 return trips that our total was nearer 1500 feet. 



What beautiful views! Mount Marsh wore a cloud 

 cap yesterday, and to-day we are in storm. Crag Alex- 

 ander Winchell, which now bends over us, is almost a 



