138 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



of the Sierra and followed it all the way to Simpson Meadow. Up 

 to the junction of Piute Creek with the San Joaquin the river valley 

 is broad, splendidly wooded, and in spite of its rugged walls at times 

 almost pastoral in aspect. But at Piute Creek grim cliffs press down 

 to the river's edge and the trail rounds picturesque rocky points 

 almost bare of vegetation. Farther up the San Joaquin Canon, 

 near its junction with Evolution Creek, groves and meadows again 

 appear, the latter now fringed with the pitiful remnant of flowers 

 that has survived the sheep-grazing of recent summers. 



Above 9000 feet the real High Sierra begins. The climb into 

 Evolution Basin next morning took us into this magic country. The 

 main canon of the San Joaquin, bounded on the west by the beau- 

 tifully colored peaks of the Le Conte Divide, now opened out at our 

 feet. Evolution Creek, shattered into a white storm of cascades, 

 tumbled down beside us. The upper meadows had the indescribable 

 springlike freshness of High Sierra mornings — the sun striking fire 

 from every dewy blade of grass and glinting gold on every ripple in 

 the river. Fording Evolution Creek, either knee-deep in its icy cold 

 or riding double on the woodcutter's horse, was the comedy event of 

 that morning. 



The basin of Evolution Creek is headed by the giants of the Evo- 

 lution Group — Wallace, Darwin, Haeckel, Spencer, and Huxley. 

 Close under these superb mountains, beside the gray Hermit,* we 

 made camp for three nights. Had time permitted we would gladly 

 have spent a week there in Colby Meadow, exploring the McGee 

 Lake Basin and climbing in the Evolution Group. As it was, the 

 only successful climbs from this base were made by the two parties 

 who on the same day conquered Mount Haeckel; to Mr. Walter L. 

 Huber belongs the honor of leading the first ascent. Darwin, at- 

 tempted the same day by three different parties, while adding noth- 

 ing to summit records, proved appropriately rich in incidents relative 

 to the descent of man. 



Twenty of us deserted Colby Meadow the first night for a knap- 

 sackers' camp at Evolution Lake. The climb up from the meadows 

 through the golden sunset ; the mysterious entrance into the obscurity 

 of the lake basin at dusk ; the firelight illumination of twisted albi- 



* The Hermit was the name originally applied to the peak of i2,3S2-foot altitude that 

 rose just across the creek from our camp. The map is in error here, and subsequent edi- 

 tions should have this corrected, as the name is far more appropriate to the peak first 

 designated. 



