Notes and Correspondence. 



253 



The head o£ Gardner Creek and five different lakes, in area 

 from twenty to fifty acres each, were stocked with the trout. 

 These waters are about five miles northwest of Rae Lake, Gardner 

 Creek being tributary to the South Fork of Kings River and 

 emptying into the river over precipitous cliffs. 



Mr. Bell accompanied the other half of the fish by rail from 

 Mt. Whitney station, five miles from Lone Pine, to Laws, sixty- 

 five miles up the Valley. At Laws he was met with a four-horse 

 stage and driven to the South Fork of Bishop Creek, a distance 

 of twenty-eight miles, and an ascent of 6,000 feet. 



Mr. Bell was joined at South Fork by A. A. Forbes, photo- 

 grapher, and Ira Hume, both of Bishop. The party started on 

 the morning of the 23d for the summit and the Middle Fork 

 of Kings River, the fish being packed on mules which, together 

 with the packer, were in waiting. 



The ascent to the summit was perilous to the men, the animals 

 and the fish. After traveling about two miles, the trail became 

 almost obliterated, in places the only guide being markings made 

 by Rambeau Bros., sheepmen, over twenty years ago. They real- 

 ized the difiiculty of blazing the trail in the usual way by placing 

 small stones on a larger one, as the snow slides often deposited 

 stones of a similar size, and laid willow sticks pointing in the 

 direction of the trail between the small stones. Credit for the 

 safety of the outfit over this part of the trail is due to Mr. H. J. 

 Bell who, as Forest Ranger, had crossed the summit every sum- 

 mer for the past eight years. 



The first serious difiiculty was encountered when the outfit was 

 forced out of the trail on account of the snow and obliged to 

 make its way among stones ranging in size from a man's head 

 to boulders as large as a house. This snow field was so pre- 

 cipitous that it was necessary to build a trail through these stones 

 for half a mile before a place could be found where the animals 

 could climb upon it. 



The party traveled over this snow field, which was practically 

 a sheet of ice, for a quarter of a mile before reaching the sum- 

 mit, the animals not being allowed to halt for fear of losing their 

 footing. 



After crossing this pass, the summit, an altitude of over 12,000 

 feet, and which consisted of a small mesa, was reached at noon. 



The first planting of thirty fish was made in North Palisade 

 Lake, about half way down the caiion. The trail from this lake 

 followed the left side of Dusy Creek to the first falls, crossed at 

 a little fiat, and continued on the right bank around the second 

 falls. 



Danger was again encountered in descending this canon, the 

 trail between the rocks being so narrow that there was barely 



