256 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



but to sweep in mighty impulse across it, as when the 

 hand of the musician sweeps across the keyboard in one 

 crescendo of sound. Mighty masses of clouds capped the 

 mountains on the western shore and indicated the source 

 of the impulses. In the center of the vast rhythmic sweep, 

 low down to the west, stretched out the sinuous point 

 which we were seeking. The wind was now sweeping the 

 crest where we stood, and the clouds were gathering rap- 

 idly into mountain fog around us. But the Californian and 

 the botanist both declared with one voice that they would 

 take the highland route along the rim. The enthusiast's 

 proposal to camp as on the preceding night was voted 

 down. ''Too much wind and too little bedding," said the 

 botanist. So all was made snug for a midnight trip. 



The Californian was sent ahead as sentinel to keep the 

 sledding party from plunging over the lofty cornice which 

 here reaches extreme proportions, on account of the unob- 

 structed sweep of the gale from the west. All progress 

 was now dependent upon feeling and the occasional 

 glimpse of ghostly spectres of trees and castellated rocks 

 which from time to time marked our progress. 



When clumps of trees afforded sufficient shelter, com- 

 pass and map were studied under the flickering light that 

 shone through protecting fingers. But unfortunately we 

 had no log to reel off the distance covered and to indicate 

 when we should swing southward to the point. Once a 

 sudden change in the apparent direction of the wind 

 warned the sentinel that he had lost his sense of direction 

 and the party drew together to consult. We were at the 

 time endeavoring to pass an enormous rock that crowded 

 us off the mountain crest. W^e tried again, but again 

 were baffled. We could not round that rock, which con- 

 tinued to loom above us through the fog. The botanist 

 declared that the compass could not lie, even though we 

 thought it did, and finally won his point. 



The original route was abandoned in favor of a direct 

 descent to the lake. Down we went, following the impulse 

 of gravity into a gigantic funnel whose mouth narrowed 



