166 
THE CONDOR 
Vol. XIV 
marily to take the eggs of the Gray-crowned Rosy Finch, that of 1911 had one 
principal object in view, to take those of the California Pine Grosbeak. 
During the winter and spring of 1911 it was reported that there was more 
snow in the High Sierras than the white man had ever seen before, and as I 
found on reaching Lake Tahoe, on May 13, that the truth had not been exagger- 
ated, Carriger and Littlejohn, who were to join me, delayed coming until June 4, 
and even then it was not deemed advisable to start to the Pyramid Peak region 
until six days later. As all over the summit country we found deep snow, we 
naturally expected to find it still deeper up around Pyramid Peak, but we were 
scarcely prepared for the sight that met our gaze at the top of the Echo-Forni 
trail the following afternoon, June 11. 
Under the lofty pines and firs, stretching unbroken in every direction, were 
great snowy drifts, so high in places that the smaller trees were almost hidden, 
while meadows, roads and brooks, all lost to view, made once familiar locality ^ 
now hard to recognize. In places the larger streams had cut their way through 
the snow, leaving high steep banks rising on each side, to cross over which was 
both difficult and dangerous. In other places the soft condition of the snow an l 
hidden water beneath made travelling even more perilous. Notwithstanding the 
deep snow considerable birdlife was in evidence, although not, it seemed, in its 
usual abundance. At 7500 feet altitude, where snow on the ground was over 
ten feet in depth, Carriger excavated the nest of a Mountain Chickadee holding- 
eight almost fresh eggs ; and, as another nest of this bird had been foiuid in the 
morning near Phillips’ Station with seven eggs, it was evident that while the 
severe climatic conditions had somewhat delayed, they had not prevented, these 
lairds from nesting. 
Although we had left Phillips’ Station at 6:45 a. m., it was 2:35 P. M. 
before we came to the lower end of the Forni Meadow. From here we were 
glad to see that some of the old dairy houses were still standing after the storms 
of a winter that had destroyed so many homes at much lower altitudes. As we 
neared the cabins Carriger and Littlejohn, weary of the heavy pack and the hard 
climb, could not refrain from hurrying on ; but I stopped for a time in order 
to take the photograph herewith shown (fig. 63). 
The following morning we arose by candle light and by 5 :50 .\. m. we were 
plodding up over the snow, which was now hard, to still higher elevations. The 
extent of these drifts at 8500 feet is shown in the accompanying picture (fig. 65). 
The weather continued sultry and the heat, due to the reflection from the snow 
and to the lack of a breeze in the narrow snow-canons, was very oppressive. 
Although we worked the entire day, scarcely pausing for a rest, we did not find 
a single Pine Grosbeak, notwithstanding, too, that we listed twenty-four species 
of birds and worked from 7,500 to 10,020 feet altitude. The only nests found 
during the day were one of the Mountain Chickadee with six fresh eggs, one 
of the Sierra Creeper with two eggs, also unincubated, a newly drilled home of 
the Williamson Sapsucker, and a just completed nest of the Blue-fronted Jay. 
There was considerable difference of opinion among the members of our 
party as to why we had failed to find any representatives of the sought for Gros- 
beaks. Personally I was in favor of further field work, but as no one echoed 
this sentiment and as our scanty supply of provisions precluded more than another 
day’s stay, we finally decided to leave the following morning. A different and 
longer return route was selected, however, which would allow us to make con- 
siderably further search between 7000 and 7500 feet elevation. 
