EXPLORATION OF MOUNT DARWIN 



By Robert M. Price 



OR several years the members of our small party had discussed 



X and keenly anticipated a time when we could leisurely stroll 

 through the roughest and finest part of the High Sierra somewhat 

 later in the season than the time of the Sierra Club's annual outing, 

 subject to no fixed itinerary, and free at our option to criticize the 

 management or vilify the cook. On reaching Lone Pine from Reno, 

 via Bishop, on August ist, the first stage in the dream appeared to 

 be realized, for, in striking contrast to the usual experience and con- 

 trary to our expectations, we found our live-stock, two strong pack- 

 mules and a saddle animal for emergencies, already rounded up, the 

 pack outfits repaired and ready, and our supplies awaiting us at the 

 railroad station. These favorable omens, combined with an early 

 start on the second and the certainty that we were all in fairly good 

 physical trim, raised our spirits to a pitch of youthful enthusiasm. 

 But five miles of dusty road, five more of hot trail to Carroll Creek, 

 and fifteen or more miles up a steep, heavy trail, without water for 

 ten of them, with the desert sun seemingly concentrated upon us, 

 rather dampened that enthusiasm and suggested that there were 

 some compensations in traveling in the automobile that we had so 

 recently left. 



We had planned no record-breaking climbs, no thrilling ascents, 

 but rather an easy, leisurely trip, with fatigue reduced to a mini- 

 mum. In a substantial degree we carried out our plans. Most of our 

 camps were reached by noon or early in the afternoon, and seldom 

 were we more than comfortably tired. The mountains were unusu- 

 ally free of snow and the streams much reduced, but, while this 

 made traveling less difficult, it detracted from the alpine character 

 of the mountains and diminished the freshness of the meadows and 

 the beauty of the watercourses. 



Army Pass had been selected as our probable route over the sum- 

 mit, with the possible alternative of Whitney Pass, which appeared 

 so distinctly and enticingly delineated upon our topographic sheet; 

 but we learned that the trail over the former had been impassable 



