Progress in the National Parks 



9 



tical scheme, and if put into effect will make it possible to keep 

 open the Glacier Point Hotel all the year round and give in- 

 comparable opportunities for snow sports. 



Of special interest to the Sierra Club is the trail development 

 throughout the parks. I have been greatly aided by the valuable 

 suggestions of members of the club in planning trail routes. 

 Anticipating a much greater use of the trails each season, we 

 began this year the development of the Grand Cafion of the Tu- 

 olumne River. A trail is now being built from Harden Lake to 

 Pate Valley, and it is proposed to continue this next year, if 

 funds are available, up Piute Creek to join the Pleasant Valley 

 Trail on the north side of the cafion. Also it is proposed to 

 continue to Pate Valley the trail which now reaches the Water- 

 wheel Falls from Tuolumne Meadows. 



Fishing is one of the attractions of Yosemite National Park, 

 and a greater number enjoyed this sport last season than ever 

 before. Foreseeing the need of planting young fish in order to 

 provide for the continuance of this sport, and for the purpose 

 of propagating fish for the general use of the State, an agree- 

 ment was entered into between the National Park Service and 

 the State of California for the construction of a fish hatchery 

 at Happy Isles, at an expenditure of about $17,000. Water was 

 to be furnished from the intake of the old power plant, and all 

 plans had been completed by the State Architect and the State 

 Fish and Game Commission, when the matter was held up by 

 the State Board of Control and the Governor. A temporary 

 hatchery was in operation last summer and met with marked 

 success; but even that has now been dismantled by orders of 

 the Governor, and the entire plan has been subjected to a de- 

 lay that will for the present curtail the sport of fishing in the 

 park. 



A very useful contribution to the park was made this year by 

 the donation, through the Sierra Club, of a protection for the 

 trail to the top of Half Dome. This was installed early in July 

 and was used by many climbers, who appreciated the opportu- 

 nity of seeing in safety the wonderful view, with its sheer drop 

 of practically five thousand feet to the valley below. 



A notable event in the educational use of the parks was the 

 series of Le Conte Memorial Lectures delivered in Yosemite 



