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Sierra Club Bulletin 



and lunch up the main branch of the stream. Both forks aflford 

 inviting fields for exploration, but on this trip my work lay up 

 the main branch. The trail soon passes two fine cascades at 

 the upper of which the creek drops about seventy-five feet 

 quite precipitously. 



At an elevation of 10,000 feet we came to the end of the trail 

 and the lowest of the lakes on Big Pine Creek — a fine rock- 

 bound lake. Directly across it is one of the grandest cliffs I 

 have seen anywhere in the Sierra, rising 2,000 feet almost 

 vertically. This cliff is the face of a peak whose elevation is 

 13,016 feet. It has since been named Temple Crag (See Sierra 

 Club Bulletin, Vol. IX, No. i). None of the lakes on Big 

 Pine Creek have been named, although a very small log-crib 

 dam has been built at the outlet of the lower one to store water 

 for irrigation. From a little distance the waters of this lake 

 appear milky, probably due to detritus from the glaciers above 

 it. Upon close examination of these same waters I found that 

 they contained myriads of very small insects. 



A short climb brought us to another lake on a rocky shelf 

 just above the first lake, and here ended our duties. I had for 

 several years been anxious to explore the region about the 

 North Palisade which lies on the crest of the Sierra just at the 

 head of Big Pine Creek. On this occasion I was not prepared 

 for a trip to the region, but was unwilling to return without 

 at least a look at this giant and at the great glacier which has 

 such a pronounced effect upon the stream-flow of the creek. To 

 gain this view I proposed a hurried climb up the rocky north 

 wall of the cafion to some point from which we could see over 

 the intervening cliffs. Then I started down with hopes that 

 I should again visit this region and that the next trip would 

 be made earlier in the season and with pack animals and equip- 

 ment suited for going farther. A strenuous tramp brought us 

 to the team at dark. The drive across the desert in the night 

 completed an interesting day. 



August 10, 191 2, almost two years after my first visit, found 

 me again at the lake below Temple Crag, this time with four 

 companions and provided with pack train and ample camp 

 equipment. The next morning the duties of one of my com- 

 panions took him down to the valley. The remainder of the 



