The particular gem of the Yosemite National Park is our dearly treasured Yosemite Valley, seven miles in length--and that is what we have come to visit. When we arrive there we reach a high elevation. The floor of the Valley is 4,000 feet above sea level, and on all sides the mountains rise to heights varying from 3,000 to 6,000 feet more. The highest point in the Valley is the summit of Cloud’s Rest, which is nearly 10,000 feet above sea level. [Illustration: Photograph by J. T. Boysen FORMER DAYS Four-horse stage in front of the old Sentinel Hotel. Yosemite Falls in the background] [Illustration: Photograph by J. T. Boysen THE PRESENT DAY Automobiles everywhere. There is even a “jitney” service in the Valley] And, now that we are here, you ask: “What is this valley, and how did it come to be?” There are several geological explanations of it, varying in character. Prof. J. D. Whitney, the first scientist to study the Sierra, thought that the Yosemite was “the result of the sinking of a local block of the earth’s crust having the exact outlines of the Valley,” and he denied that glacial action had anything to do with it. But the generally accepted explanation is that the Valley was once a tortuous river canyon cut by the Merced River, and that the cutting work of this stream was done so fast that the “tributary valleys soon remained hanging high on either side.” Then the canyon became the bed of great glaciers which, in moving, “scooped” the Valley into its present form. This, of course, was a matter of hundreds of thousands of years. [Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury EVENING PRIMROSES Half Dome at the back] Accepting that explanation as correct, many of the natural conditions that we find in the Valley are easy to understand--such as the smooth polished surfaces of El Capitan and Half Dome. And now you ask: “What is there to do and see?” It is a valley of varied diversions. There are many things to do and many beautiful spots to visit, and you may choose according to your tastes and your physical ability. Are you a sturdy tramper? You may take your pack and staff and assail the mountain citadels that challenge you on every side. Do you love the saddle? You can find bridle paths that will lead you through the cool, dense woods, by lakesides, to the foot of waterfalls, and up to the summits. Are you unequal to the exertion of tramping or riding? The joys of the Yosemite are yours none the less, for high powered auto cars will carry you in comfort to the points of greatest interest in the Valley, out to the groves of giant trees, and even up to the supreme commanding spot of all--Glacier Point. [Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury WINTER SCENE Half Dome in white]