Exploration of Mount Darwin 



289 



the afternoon they appeared, wet, hungry, and tired, but enthusiastic 

 over the day's adventure. They related a unique experience of being 

 caught on the summit in a lively hail-storm, and of seeing three 

 other storms approaching from different directions, and of finding 

 the mountain charged with static electricity. One of them said, "The 

 rocks were buzzing with the static discharge from the clouds and my 

 camera sang a vicious tune as I focused it upon Mount Haeckel." 



Our route from Evolution Basin led down Evolution Creek and 

 the South Fork of the San Joaquin to Piute Creek, up the latter, 

 through French Canon to Piute Pass, and thence to Bishop. Piute 

 Creek afforded some fine canon scenery, and Glacier Divide as seen 

 from the upper waters of Piute Creek showed a succession of spec- 

 tacular snow- and ice-fields more alpine-like than anything else we 

 had seen. From our camp well up on Piute Creek we reached 

 Bishop in one day and took up again the burdens of civilization. 



