Two miles beyond Cascade Creek is ~Tamarack Flat~ (Alt. 6390), named from the "tamarack" or lodgepole pine here so abundant. This is a splendid camping place, but somewhat cold. Fishing is fair and horse feed may be found upstream. A trail branching to the right leads to ~Aspen Valley~, six miles distant. It is extremely brushy, poorly marked and almost impassable. Three miles westward is ~Gin Flat~, the summit of the Big Oak Flat Road. The meadow, bordered by red and white fir and Jeffrey and lodgepole pine, offers an attractive but cold campsite. There is a tradition that a barrel of gin was once buried here by one of the old-time whiskey peddlers, who was shortly afterwards killed. A more or less desultory search on the part of not a few "old-timers" failed to discover the prize, so after a few decades the matter became almost legendary. But in 1909, as a battalion of negro cavalry were marching to Yosemite for patrol duty, the tradition was in some way "picked up" in Groveland by one of the troopers. The commanding officer could hardly understand why his troops pushed on so readily the next day until, when camp was pitched at Gin Flat, they started to dig. Not a stone in the vicinity was left unturned--but the gin was never found. At ~Crane Flat~ (Alt. 6311) two miles further west are many excellent camp sites. This camping ground is the one nearest to the ~Tuolumne Grove of Big Trees~. Water is conveniently piped from a spring to the vicinity of the ranger cabin. It is a good plan, if camp is to be made at Crane Flat, to gather firewood _en route_, for it is scarce in the immediate region. Motorists should register at the log cabin of the Park Ranger, and all east-bound cars should take water. A road branching southwestward leads to ~Hazel Green~, about five miles distant on the Coulterville Road, and to the ~Merced Grove of Big Trees~, seven and a half miles away. It is narrow and steep, but in fair condition. About a quarter of a mile from Crane Flat the ~Davis~ (private) ~Road~ turns to the left from the Hazel Green cut-off and leads to ~Big Meadows~ (4.5 miles) and ~El Portal~ (11.5 miles). The main road bears to the north a short distance after leaving Crane Flat and, after one mile of steep descent, enters the ~Tuolumne Grove of Sequoias~. Most of the thirty trees in the small grove are advantageously seen from the road, but a short side trip to the tunnelled ~Dead Giant~ (above and to the right) is well worth while. This subsidiary road is steep and narrow and most people prefer to walk to the giant.