The Demi's Postpile. 



171 



branches of the San Joaquin. The crest itself is not so 

 high, and shoots off to the east from a point a mile or so 

 north of Ritter. It then turns southeasterly and breaks 

 down into a rolling mass of mountains whose lowest point 

 is at the Mammoth Pass. The Middle Fork of the San 

 Joaquin heads in Thousand Island Lake at the base of 

 Banner Peak, flows easterly and then southeasterly, fol- 

 lowing the depression between the main crest and the Rit- 

 ter group. The elevation of the lake at its source is 9,8cx) 

 feet. Mt. Ritter rises sheer 3,500 feet above it and com- 

 poses one of the most stupendous mountain pictures 

 which the Sierra affords. The lake itself is very nearly 

 at the timber-line, and furnishes fair camping for those 

 who wish to ascend the mountain by way of its pre- 

 cipitous northern face. 



At the outlet of the lake trails will be found following 

 down the river canon, but the main route is by way of 

 the Agnew Trail, which follows along the mountain-slope 

 to the east of the stream and about one thousand feet 

 above it. Shortly after leaving the lake the volcanic 

 rock is encountered, which covers the whole basin of 

 the upper Middle Fork as far as the Fish Creek Divide. 

 The route down the canon is said to be very beautiful. I 

 have not traversed the canon myself, but a very complete 

 description of it is given by Mr. T. S. Solomons in one 

 of the early publications of the Sierra Club.* The upper 

 trail, however, is well traveled and easily followed. It 

 furnishes a magnificent view of the precipitous eastern 

 face of the Ritter group. From its snowfields several 

 large streams — Badger, Shadow and Minaret creeks — 

 and a number of smaller ones plunge in cascades over the 

 opposite cHffs into the canon below. 



Passing still southward through Agnew Meadow and 

 through beautifully forested country, the trail reaches the 

 river again at Pumice Flats. All this region, as well as 

 that about Mammoth Pass, is covered with pumice and 



* "Among the Sources of the San Joaquin," T. S. Solomons, Sierra Club 

 Bulletin, Vol. I, No. 3, Jan. 1894, PP- 7^-74- 



