Notes and Correspondence. 



259 



much walking and climbing may be accomplished in the moun- 

 tains by persons accustomed to indoor living when at home. 

 When the feet get hardened, and the muscles recover from their 

 first unwonted strain and fatigue, there is commonly a speedy 

 gain in strength and endurance. 



In the dry summers of California tents are not required for 

 sleeping out of doors, even in the high mountain regions, where 

 the nights and early mornings are chilly. A snug sleeping-bag, 

 or a pair of heavy blankets, affords all the warmth and covering 

 needed. Possible showers may be avoided by the shelter of 

 trees, or by providing a rubber blanket or sheet of oilcloth for a 

 covering in such contingencies. 



The beneficial effects of sleeping in the open air cannot well 

 be overrated, especially in the mountains, where mosquitoes and 

 other insect pests are ordinarily escaped. But near mountain 

 meadows, even in the high Sierra, mosquitoes are sometimes 

 troublesome, and it is well for campers to be provided with suit- 

 able netting. 



The campers and trampers are those who get most profit and 

 delight from a stay in the mountains of California. Theirs is the 

 simple life, under the most favorable conditions for health, recre- 

 ation, and enjoyment, provided the company be congenial and 

 suitable provision be made for the comfort of all. 



This leads up to the suggestion that there should be numerous 

 clubs in this State to promote and facilitate mountaineering, and 

 to conserve, as well as make more accessible, the chief beauty 

 spots and greatest natural attractions of the mountains. One 

 such organization exists under the name of the Sierra Club, with 

 headquarters in San Francisco, which has upwards of 1,250 mem- 

 bers, representing all parts of the State. Its primary object was 

 the conservation of forests, streams, and other charms of the 

 mountains, but for years past an Outing section of the Club, 

 limited to about 150 men and women, has enjoyed an annual 

 camping trip in California or elsewhere on the Pacific Coast. 

 Last year the camp was in the Yosemite and the Tuolumne 

 Meadows, and this season the King's River region, south of the 

 Yosemite, is the chosen field. 



The manner in which these Outings are held illustrates the 

 advantage of forming a club for such purposes. Not only are the 

 expenses in this way much lessened, but there is also a great 

 gain in comfort and convenience, compared with camping in a 

 small way, by a family or a few persons only. Good cooks are 

 employed by the Sierra Club, who are experienced in camp needs, 

 and a club committee, familiar with all the requirements, pro- 

 vides the food, arranges for special excursion rates by rail or 

 stage, hires a pack-train for use in the mountains, selects camp- 



