i6 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



return was made, skirting Cathedral Peak on its south side, 

 past Budd Lake, across canons and hogbacks, a diversified 

 route, selected, some thought, with a view to trying out the nu- 

 merous aspirants for the longer trip that was to begin the fol- 

 lowing day. Below the shoulder of Unicorn Peak we passed 

 unusually fine masses of cassiope, the exquisite Sierra heather, 

 which was to greet us at so many high points in the days ahead. 

 At the evening camp-fire, Mr. Mather, Federal Director of the 

 National Park Service, addressed the club on plans that were 

 maturing to save, for park purposes, some of the superb red- 

 woods of Humboldt County. 



The following day, July i8th, about ninety club members, 

 with pack-train and commissary, started up Lyell Fork for the 

 big side-trip. The weather was kind to us during this, as during 

 all the other excursions of this season's outing. The only con- 

 siderable storm of the month occurred during this week; but 

 its area was considerately restricted to the Meadows, where the 

 unprotected could, if necessary, seek shelter in Parsons Lodge. 

 The first night was spent at the Lyell base-camp, below Dono- 

 hue Pass. Those of the party who had hoped to climb Mount 

 Lyell from this point were obliged to forego that pleasure in 

 order that the return to Soda Springs might, without crowd- 

 ing, be made in six days, in time to welcome there Mr. Mather 

 and a party of distinguished men whom he was interesting in 

 the needs of the Park Service. 



The second leg of our journey took us over Donohue Pass 

 and across Rush Creek to a stunning camp on the north shore 

 of Thousand Island Lake, immediately under the towering 

 mass of Banner, with a glorious outlook over the beautiful 

 lake toward the impressive Volcanic Ridge at the south. Here 

 the selected few who were to climb Ritter the next day fore- 

 gathered at the council-seat and openly arrived at the cove- 

 nants which should control the morrow's ascent. The remainder 

 made selection from the various possible routes leading to our 

 next camp in Agnew Meadows, and formed groups according- 

 ly for the departure in the morning. The group which the 

 writer joined chose the route leading down Shadow Creek. We 

 crossed the ridges, first into the Garnet Lake, then into the 

 Shadow Creek basin, keeping high up. As we skirted the east 



