The Mentor: The Yosemite Valley, Vol 4, Num. 16, Serial No. 116, October 2, 1916Elmendorf, Dwight L. (Dwight Lathrop)
History
The Mentor: The Yosemite Valley, Vol 4, Num. 16, Serial No. 116, October 2, 1916
Elmendorf, Dwight L. (Dwight Lathrop)
Yosemite Valley (Calif.)
You may take in the Yosemite as a visiting tourist, in which five or
six days may suffice you for sightseeing, or you may settle down as a
camper or hotel guest, in which case days and weeks slip by, and you
soon lose all sense of time in the sweet repose of the Valley. For the
greater number a touring visit is all that is possible. You tell me
that you are here for a few days. How may you best occupy them? It is
not necessary for me to answer your question in detail, for the affairs
of the Valley have been systematized in a most businesslike fashion,
and all such information is ready to hand. You can obtain schedules of
trips for two, three, four, and on up to nine and ten days. The United
States Government has done and is doing a good work in developing
this great natural recreation park, and all the Government asks of us
is that we will take advantage of it. The attitude of Uncle Sam is
expressed in the legends posted on trees throughout the Valley, all
of which mean in substance: “This beautiful park is yours. Help us to
preserve it and make it attractive.”
_Evening in the Valley_
We have come up from Merced in the morning, and we have arrived in
the Valley at three o’clock. Let us make the most of the remainder of
this fair summer afternoon. We walk out across the green meadow for a
closer view of Yosemite Falls. The shadows of El Capitan and the Three
Brothers are already creeping over the valley, and the air has a touch
of evening cool as we enter the woods. The walk is longer than we
thought. The tall, sheer cliffs make the falls seem nearer than they
are. At length, after pursuing the path for some distance through the
woods, we come upon an open spot from which we can gaze up and drink
in the beauty of the three white leaps of water. This is the favorite
spot--the choice viewpoint of artists and photographers. A short climb
brings us to the foot of the lower falls, and there we rest and watch
the seething basin while the soft mist plays upon our faces. The woods
about us are in deep shadow and odorous of pine. Above us goes the
trail that leads up through a narrow gorge to a point at the summit of
the falls. We are seated in the very sanctuary of the Yosemite. It is
an hour to remember.
[Illustration: Photograph by A. C. Pillsbury
THE ZIG ZAG
On the Glacier Point Trail]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account