With the Sierra Club in iQii. 



153 



While the main party crossed the divide into the 

 Tuolumne basin and made camp in the Tuolumne Mead- 

 ows, a party of five knapsacked to Mt. Ritter by way 

 of Lake Washburn, the amphitheater at the head of 

 Merced Canon, Foerster Peak and Bench Canon, and 

 successfully made the ascent, but an approaching thun- 

 der-storm drove them down before they had had full 

 opportunity to enjoy the magnificent view from the 

 "King of the Middle Sierra." The crossing of the Mer- 

 ced's roaring torrent on a submerged log; the camp in 

 the snow at Foerster Peak; the majestic view across the 

 canon of the San Joaquin of Ritter, and the Minarets in 

 rehef against the white snow-fields and glaciers; the 

 snow bridges in Bench Canon; the thunder- and hail- 

 storm at the timber-line camp at the base of the peak; 

 the ice-covered lakes; the exhilarating slide down the 

 glacier; the gorgeous sunset and the white peaks gleam- 

 ing in the moonlight seen from Rush Creek camp; the 

 three days of weary trudging in the heavy snow and the 

 uncomplaining good comradeship among the members 

 of this small party, — were scenes and incidents of the 

 trip never to be forgotten. 



In the Tuolumne J\Ieadows frequent and unprecedented 

 thunder-storms occasioned some discomfort, especially to 

 the large party that ascended Mt. Lyell, but the dreaded 

 rain in an untented and unsheltered camp, like most of the 

 threatened ills of life, proved more formidable in expec- 

 tation than in reality, and with the break of dawn each 

 day, the clouds in the sky and the drooping spirits in 

 camp had invariably disappeared. 



From the permanent camp at the foot of Lambert 

 Dome many delightful and invigorating excursions were 

 made— to Mt. Lyell and its glaciers, to Mt. Dana and 

 Bloody Canon with their superb views of Mono Lake, to 

 Cathedral and Unicorn peaks, and to the innumerable 

 lakes and meadows in the vicinity. Who would not like 

 to repeat them all? 



