Sierra Club Bulletin. 



needed money is already arranged for, and the scheme of financial co- 

 operation is the most interesting part of the whole plan. Although 

 the Tamalpais region is privately owned it is, nevertheless, in the nature 

 of a vast public recreation ground. For this reason it is fitting that a 

 part of the expense for protection should be defrayed by the pubHc en- 

 joying the use of the lands and a part by the property owners within 

 the district concerned. Nearly half the necessary funds, therefore, will 

 come from membership dues in the Association, the remainder being 

 drawn from the property owners, from various of the towns in the 

 danger zone at the foot of the mountain and, perhaps, from the county. 

 Incidentally, one or two public spirited citizens have made substantial 

 voluntary contributions. 



The work of the Association is unique, not so much in the protective 

 methods to be used as in the remarkable co-operation between the many 

 different interests through which the protection is made possible. It is 

 the first practical example in the United States of the application of in- 

 tensive methods of fire protection to a soHd block of country privately 

 owned and pubHcly used, the actual landholders representing extremely 

 varied interests. The form of management which may ultimately super- 

 cede the Association is, of course, a matter of conjecture. It is quite 

 possible, for instance, that the organization may later on become of a 

 public or semi-public nature, a state of affairs which could be brought 

 about through proper legislation and decided changes in other directions. 

 In the meantime the Association aims thoroughly to establish the pro- 

 tective system as planned and to maintain it at a high point of 

 efficiency. This done, and a visible example afforded of what sys- 

 tematic effort can acomplish, the future of the work is secure re- 

 gardless of what particular agency may carry it on. 



First Ascent of the Devil's Crags — Chas. W. Michael 



On July 21, 1913, I left my camp on the headwaters of Rambaud 

 Creek to try for the summit of the Devil's Crags, and after scanning 

 the north wall of the mountain carefully, concluded that it was not 

 feasible. I went on across the pass west of the peak, turned east and 

 climbed a peak just south of the main peak, where I obtained a good 

 view of the south wall. This seemed to be the only possible route,, so 

 I decided to make a try. I reached the summit at twelve o'clock after 

 a difficult climb up a very narrow chimney. I came out on the knife- 

 edge about 100 yards east of the highest point. 



The whole summit is nothing more than a very sharp knife-edge. I 

 stayed on the summit till one p. m., and returned by the same route, 

 arriving at the base camp at four p. m. 



I discovered an old trail leaving Grouse Meadow going up Rambaud 

 Creek, and crossing the Black Divide about a half mile east of the 

 Devil's Crags. 



