252 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



We were now not more than ten minutes distant from 

 the observatory. The guide laid a straight course up the 

 slope toward it, but did not find it. In fact, he discovered 

 that he was descending rapidly from pinnacle to pinnacle, 

 and a long, rising slope could not be found. He was 

 playing at blind-man's buff and was being beaten at the 

 game. The only distinguishable features were precipitous 

 rocks on the one side of the crest and a gentler slope on 

 the other. But these were reversed in direction. The 

 botanist was called into consultation, while the Califor- 

 nian asked us if we knew at all where wx were. We 

 figured that we must be going east along the mountain 

 crest when we should have gone west. But my brain 

 had not turned with my feet. I was, to my best convic- 

 tion, still going west, though my judgment said east. So, 

 figuratively speaking, I took my head and turned it 

 forcibly around. ''Now, sir, this is south and that is 

 north. Yonder, before you is west." Up again, pinnacle 

 over pinnacle, we went, over mounds of snow, keeping 

 close to the broken crest line of the mountain until, at 

 the top of one last cloud-like peak a small black cube 

 appeared. It was our destination, and cheerier place 

 never furnished more welcome retreat. When the lamp 

 was lit our personal appearance roused roars of merri- 

 ment. In our struggle with the gale we had become 

 covered with hoar frost until hair, eyebrows, cap — in fact, 

 every available object on our persons — were festooned 

 with white. The frost in fingers and ears left only a 

 lingering soreness. We had risen to the highest part of 

 our journey, — 10,800 feet above the sea, — and now we 

 could rest until quite ready to speed down over the slopes 

 to Lake Tahoe, the second objective of our trip. 



Next morning the fog still lay heavy around us and 

 extended for at least a thousand feet down the moun- 

 tain. The barometer was rising and the temperature was 

 falling. A forecast of fairer weather for the next day 

 was made and a unanimous agreement was reached to 

 spend this day in rest and sport and to await the morrow. 



