Notes and Correspondence 



lOI 



to work out a co-ordination of cattle-grazing with the recreation feat- 

 ures of the forests in a way to really meet the situation. 



It is my desire to co-operate in every way possible with the Sierra 

 Club, and we shall undoubtedly have occasion to seek your co-operation, 

 not only in the matter of recreation in the California forests, but also 

 in questions pertaining to the bringing about of better protection and 

 handling of private forests in the State. 



Very sincerely yours, H. S. Graves, Forester 



The Half Dome Trail and Stairway 



Some time ago Mr, M. Hall McAllister, of San Francisco, a member 

 and good friend of the Sierra Club, offered to erect under the Club's 

 auspices a stairway to the summit of Half Dome. This generous offer 

 was accepted by the directors of the club. Permission was granted by 

 the National Park Service and the work was completed last spring. 

 Many visitors to the valley last summer keenly appreciated the oppor- 

 tunity to scale Half Dome in safety, and to see the wonderful views 

 which the summit affords. We are glad to publish the following descrip- 

 tion of this cable stairway: 



"It consists of two sections. The first is on the small dome, or saddle, 

 and consists of a zigzag trail and stone steps covering about six hundred 

 feet. The second section leads up the big incline on the large dome. 

 This slope is of polished granite, about eight hundred feet in length. 

 On this incline, which varies from forty-five to sixty degrees, is placed 

 a double hand-rail of steel cables set into a double line of steel posts 

 thirty inches apart, like those of a steamer's gangplank. These steel 

 posts are set into sockets drilled in the granite every ten feet and at 

 intervals of one hundred feet heavy chains bolted in the rock will help 

 to strengthen the cables or take up any strain on them. When the 

 season is over the caps on the top of each post will be unscrewed, the 

 cables, which are anchored permanently at the top and bottom of the 

 rock, will be lifted out of the posts, and the posts taken from their 

 sockets and stowed away off the rock until spring. It is not thought 

 that the cables lying flat on the rock, and being also held by the safety 

 chains, will be at all disturbed by the spring ice-avalanches. 



"The trip can be made as follows : About three hours from the foot 

 of the Vernal Falls Trail on mule-back to the foot of the zigzag trail 

 or 'Rock Stairway' ; this ride is up the regular Yosemite Trail to Cloud's 

 Rest, and you rise about thirty-four hundred feet above the valley. 

 Leaving the mules at this point, a walk of about three hundred yards and 

 a rise of six hundred or seven hundred feet take you to the foot of the 

 cable stairway, where a climb of another eight hundred feet, holding 

 to the wire cables, will land you on the summit of Half Dome. 



"It is best to wear rubber-soled tennis shoes, as the granite is so 

 smooth and slippery that spiked soles are dangerous. For those who 



