Old Wawona Road (El Capitan)
(long, lat)
Description:
Starts
at the Wawona Covered Bridge. Crosses the road around the campground.
Around Misquito Creek, it drops below 41 and parallels or crosses it
several times. Dr. John Taylor McLean created the road. Once only one
of two ways into the valley. remarkable achievements of these
pioneers using picks, shovels, black powder and sweat to achieve
their goals. Their only monetary reward was a wage of $40s a month,
food, and lodging.
Soon
after enthusiast James Hutchings began escorting sightseers to view
Yosemite Valley in 1855, Andrew, Milton and Houston Mann built a
45-mile toll horse trail from Mariposa to the already-famous Valley
via the South Fork. Mainly, they followed the old Indian trails. It
was opened August 1, 1856, and operated as a toll route until 1862
when Mariposa County purchased it, declaring it a “Public Highway.”
Until then, tolls were: [“]Man and horse each way, $2.00; pack mule
or horse, each way, $2.00; Footman, $1.00.” 31
In 1869, Galen Clark organized a stock company of eight men to build a wagon and stage road from Mariposa as far as Clark’s 22 (Wawona) which was used as a toll road from 1870 until 1917. As early as 1870, Clark had a survey made for a wagon road from his lodging at Wawona to Yosemite Valley. This road was begun by Chinese laborers, under the direction of John Conway and Edwin Moore and finished by Washburn, Chapman & Company in July, 1875. 32 Most of the 16-foot-wide road was constructed during severe winter weather. The era of the stagecoach, which was to continue, in jolting, dusty fashion for forty years, began for Yosemite-bound visitors.
By mid-April, 1875, the rough road was passable for stagecoaches except for a narrow, 300-yard section still under construction near the old Inspiration Point. To the passengers’ temporary inconvenience and amusement, they walked the unfinished stretch while their quickly-dismantled stage was carried in pieces by hand, then reassembled, harnessed up, reboarded and driven off with considerable aplomb. 32
The Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company (Washburn brothers), ran stages from Merced to Wawona via Mariposa where they had a livery stable.
The road from Raymond to Wawona generally followed the route of present State Highway 41, while the stage route from Mariposa, called the Chowchilla Mountain Road, exists today, rutty, dusty and little-changed from its 1870 route.
The Wawona Hotel was a logical and popular overnight stop for stage travelers, and the Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company, operating two stage schedules and 700 horses, saw to it that their passengers traveled speedily and safely, though dustily.
In 1865, 369 hardy, saddle-sore travelers visited Yosemite. In 1875, mostly in stagecoaches, the Park had 2,423 visitors; 2,590 in 1885; 8,023 in 1902; and in 1914, when automobiles were allowed on the Wawona Road, 15,154. Travel doubled in 1915 when 31,546 visitors chugged in; 209,166 came in 1925 and 498,289 in 1932, 33 the last year of Washburn ownership.
The Wawona Road accounted for a number of Yosemite “firsts.” The first automobile to enter the Valley traveled it in 1900, and 32 miles of it had the honor of being the first paved road in the Yosemite region in June, 1902 34 Mud and dust were tamed!
Soon increased automobile traffic made oiled roads a necessity and, in 1932, the new, modern Wawona Road was completed from the South (Fresno) Entrance to Yosemite Valley.
In 1869, Galen Clark organized a stock company of eight men to build a wagon and stage road from Mariposa as far as Clark’s 22 (Wawona) which was used as a toll road from 1870 until 1917. As early as 1870, Clark had a survey made for a wagon road from his lodging at Wawona to Yosemite Valley. This road was begun by Chinese laborers, under the direction of John Conway and Edwin Moore and finished by Washburn, Chapman & Company in July, 1875. 32 Most of the 16-foot-wide road was constructed during severe winter weather. The era of the stagecoach, which was to continue, in jolting, dusty fashion for forty years, began for Yosemite-bound visitors.
By mid-April, 1875, the rough road was passable for stagecoaches except for a narrow, 300-yard section still under construction near the old Inspiration Point. To the passengers’ temporary inconvenience and amusement, they walked the unfinished stretch while their quickly-dismantled stage was carried in pieces by hand, then reassembled, harnessed up, reboarded and driven off with considerable aplomb. 32
The Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company (Washburn brothers), ran stages from Merced to Wawona via Mariposa where they had a livery stable.
The road from Raymond to Wawona generally followed the route of present State Highway 41, while the stage route from Mariposa, called the Chowchilla Mountain Road, exists today, rutty, dusty and little-changed from its 1870 route.
The Wawona Hotel was a logical and popular overnight stop for stage travelers, and the Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company, operating two stage schedules and 700 horses, saw to it that their passengers traveled speedily and safely, though dustily.
In 1865, 369 hardy, saddle-sore travelers visited Yosemite. In 1875, mostly in stagecoaches, the Park had 2,423 visitors; 2,590 in 1885; 8,023 in 1902; and in 1914, when automobiles were allowed on the Wawona Road, 15,154. Travel doubled in 1915 when 31,546 visitors chugged in; 209,166 came in 1925 and 498,289 in 1932, 33 the last year of Washburn ownership.
The Wawona Road accounted for a number of Yosemite “firsts.” The first automobile to enter the Valley traveled it in 1900, and 32 miles of it had the honor of being the first paved road in the Yosemite region in June, 1902 34 Mud and dust were tamed!
Soon increased automobile traffic made oiled roads a necessity and, in 1932, the new, modern Wawona Road was completed from the South (Fresno) Entrance to Yosemite Valley.
Place: CA-CA-Bridalveil
Bridalveil Falls-4,436' (El Capitan) (37.7165936,
-119.6468332)
Bridalveil Meadow-3,894' (El Capitan) (37.7171491, -119.6598896)
Bridalveil Moraine-3,930 (El Capitan) (37.7171491, -119.6568338)
Bridalveil Creek-3,904' (El Capitan) (37.7188157, -119.6532226-Mouth)
Bridalveil Campground-6,968' (Half Dome) (37.6621519, -119.6207175)
Description:
====
Hutchings claimed that he suggested the name on his first visit to Yosemite in 1855. 'Is it not as graceful , and as beautiful, as the veil of a bride?' to which I propose that we now baptize it, and call it, 'The Bridal Veil Fall', as one that is both characteristic and euthonious.' (Hutchings, In the Heart, 89) Another who claimed the honor of naming the fall wrote: We make bold to call it Bridal Veil; and those who may have the felicity to witness the stream floating in the embrace of the morning breeze, will acknowledge the resemblance, and perhaps pardon the liberty we have taken in attempting to apply so poetical a name to this Queen of the Valley. (Warren Baer, editor, Mariposa Democrat, Aug 5, 1856)
There were some who didn't like the name at all. ... in 1856, it was christened 'Falls of Louise' in honor of the first lady of our party who entered the valley. Thank Heaven, the cataract wouldn't stand this nonsense, and it seemed to me to be pleading with us to have the 'Bridal Veil' fully thrown aside; that it might be known forever by its Indian baptism, 'Pohono' (Boston Transcript, Jan 26, 1861) Other early names were Queen of the Valley and Cascade of the Rainbow.
The Indians did indeed call the fall "Pohono", the name was still in use in 1863 when the Whitney Survey was there (Brewer, Up and Down, 404. See Pohono Trail for the differing explanations of the word's meaning.)
The names of the meadow and the moraine appear only on the 1:24,000 map. (YNP)
From Brownings Places Names of the Sierra Nevada
====
Póhono. The Bridal Veil Fall; explained to signify a blast of wind, or the night wind, perhaps from the chillness of the air occasioned by coming under the high cliff and near the falling water, or possibly with reference to the constant swaying of the sheet of water from one side to the other under the influence of the wind. Mr. Hutchings, more poetically, says that “Pohono” is “an evil spirit, whose breath is a blighting and fatal wind, and consequently to be dreaded and shunned.”
From THE YOSEMITE BOOK by Josiah D. Whitney (1869)
According to GNIS:
Bridalveil Meadow-3,894' (El Capitan) (37.7171491, -119.6598896)
Bridalveil Moraine-3,930 (El Capitan) (37.7171491, -119.6568338)
Bridalveil Creek-3,904' (El Capitan) (37.7188157, -119.6532226-Mouth)
Bridalveil Campground-6,968' (Half Dome) (37.6621519, -119.6207175)
Description:
====
Hutchings claimed that he suggested the name on his first visit to Yosemite in 1855. 'Is it not as graceful , and as beautiful, as the veil of a bride?' to which I propose that we now baptize it, and call it, 'The Bridal Veil Fall', as one that is both characteristic and euthonious.' (Hutchings, In the Heart, 89) Another who claimed the honor of naming the fall wrote: We make bold to call it Bridal Veil; and those who may have the felicity to witness the stream floating in the embrace of the morning breeze, will acknowledge the resemblance, and perhaps pardon the liberty we have taken in attempting to apply so poetical a name to this Queen of the Valley. (Warren Baer, editor, Mariposa Democrat, Aug 5, 1856)
There were some who didn't like the name at all. ... in 1856, it was christened 'Falls of Louise' in honor of the first lady of our party who entered the valley. Thank Heaven, the cataract wouldn't stand this nonsense, and it seemed to me to be pleading with us to have the 'Bridal Veil' fully thrown aside; that it might be known forever by its Indian baptism, 'Pohono' (Boston Transcript, Jan 26, 1861) Other early names were Queen of the Valley and Cascade of the Rainbow.
The Indians did indeed call the fall "Pohono", the name was still in use in 1863 when the Whitney Survey was there (Brewer, Up and Down, 404. See Pohono Trail for the differing explanations of the word's meaning.)
The names of the meadow and the moraine appear only on the 1:24,000 map. (YNP)
From Brownings Places Names of the Sierra Nevada
====
Póhono. The Bridal Veil Fall; explained to signify a blast of wind, or the night wind, perhaps from the chillness of the air occasioned by coming under the high cliff and near the falling water, or possibly with reference to the constant swaying of the sheet of water from one side to the other under the influence of the wind. Mr. Hutchings, more poetically, says that “Pohono” is “an evil spirit, whose breath is a blighting and fatal wind, and consequently to be dreaded and shunned.”
From THE YOSEMITE BOOK by Josiah D. Whitney (1869)
According to GNIS:
- Bridalveil Campground is also called Bridalveil Creek Campground: The Official Map of Mariposa County and Communities. Modesto, California: Compass Maps, 1990
- Bridalveil Creek: In Yosemite National Park, heads at Ostrander Lake and trends northwest to the Merced River just south of mile marker 122 at Bridalveil Moraine in southwestern Yosemite Valley
- Bridalveil Falls: :In Yosemite National Park, 620 ft plunge over the south wall of Yosemite Valley on Bridalveil Creek between the north slope of Leaning Tower and the southwest slope of Cathedral Rocks. Also called:
- Bridal Veil Falls: Browning, Peter. Yosemite Place Names. Lafayette, California: Great West Books, 1988. p16
- Pohono: U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Phase I data compilation (1976-1981). 31-Dec-1981. Primarily from U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000-scale topographic maps (or 1:25K, Puerto Rico 1:20K) and from U.S. Board on Geographic Names files. In some instances, from 1:62,500 scale or 1:250,000 scale maps.
- Falls of Louise: Browning, Peter. Yosemite Place Names. Lafayette, California: Great West Books, 1988. p16
- Cascade of the Rainbow: Browning, Peter. Yosemite Place Names. Lafayette, California: Great West Books, 1988. p16
- Bridalvail Meadows: In Yosemite National Park, at the base of the south wall of Yosemite Valley, 0.8 km (0.5 mi) west of Bridalveil Fall on the south bank of Merced River near between mile marker 121 and 122.
- Bridalveil Moraine: In Yosemite National Park, on the south wall of Yosemite Valley, 0.96 km (0.6 mi) west of Bridalveil Falls and 6.2 km (3.9 mi) southwest of Yosemite Village.
- 1988 Letter from N King Huber discussing the naming of this moraine and why he felt it should not be named
- 1987 Form from Martuch showing where the moraine is
- 1989 Form from James Schubert saying the old location of Bridalveil Moraine is inaccurate
- I do not know how the name Bridalveil Moraine got applied to the published
location; probably another confused fieldman or editor. There really is a
small, hard to find moraine at that location. .... As the USGS field checker of
this information, I concur that the moraine at this described location is
the most prominent and noteworthy of the several in the Yosemite Valley. It
seems perfectly acceptable to officially tame it Bridalveil Moraine.
- 1991 Form showing the approval of this name
- 1930 map showing location of the moraine
- 1972 map showing the wrong location of the moraine
- This moraine marks the westward progress of the Tioga
glacier
El
Capitan-7,569' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37°44′03″N
119°38′16″W)
El Capitan Meadow-3,953' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37.7238155, -119.6354441)
El Capitan Bridge-3,953' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37.7238155, -119.6312772)
El Capitan Moriane-7,713' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37.7415924, -119.6585020)
El Capitan Gully-4,675' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37.7411111, -119.6372222)
Description:
The name was given by the Mariposa Battialian in 1851... "The native Indian name ... is To-to-konoo-lah, from To-to-kon, the Sandhill Crane, a chief of the First People, (C. Hart Merriam in SCB 10, no.2. Jan 1917, 206)
"The famous cliff, El Capitan, the Captain, is a Spanish interpretation of the Indian name To-tock-ah-noo-lah, meaning the "Rock Chief'" (Bunnel, Report, 1889-90, 9) "Upon one occasion I asked [Tenaya], 'Why do you call the cliff To-to-konoo-lah? The Indian's reply was, "Because he looks like one...Come with me and see...As the Indian reached a point a little above and some distance from the cliff, he triumphantly pointed to the perfect image of a man's head and face, with side whiskers, and with an expression of the sturdy English type and asked, 'Does he not look like To-to-konoo-lah? The 'Rock Chief' or 'Captain', was again Sandino's [the interpreter's] interpretation of the word while viewing the likeness." (Bernell, Discovery, 1911, 214-15)
There is also a legend type of explanation that is repeated throughout Yosemite literature. Galen Clark says that To-to-konoo-lah is from the measuring worm (tul-tok-a-na) which crawled up the face of the rock to rescue two small boys who were beyond being saved by any other creatures of the valley (Clark, 92-95)
According to one source, the original English name was "Crane Mountain," not for the reason given above, but for the sandhill cranes that entered the valley by flying over the top of El Capitan. (YNN 34, no 1, Jan 1955:6) And finally, Hutchings' California Magazine 1, no 1, July 1856: 3, called it "Giant's Tower". (YNP)
From GNIS:
El Capitan Meadow-3,953' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37.7238155, -119.6354441)
El Capitan Bridge-3,953' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37.7238155, -119.6312772)
El Capitan Moriane-7,713' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37.7415924, -119.6585020)
El Capitan Gully-4,675' (Yosemite Quad, El Capitan) (37.7411111, -119.6372222)
Description:
The name was given by the Mariposa Battialian in 1851... "The native Indian name ... is To-to-konoo-lah, from To-to-kon, the Sandhill Crane, a chief of the First People, (C. Hart Merriam in SCB 10, no.2. Jan 1917, 206)
"The famous cliff, El Capitan, the Captain, is a Spanish interpretation of the Indian name To-tock-ah-noo-lah, meaning the "Rock Chief'" (Bunnel, Report, 1889-90, 9) "Upon one occasion I asked [Tenaya], 'Why do you call the cliff To-to-konoo-lah? The Indian's reply was, "Because he looks like one...Come with me and see...As the Indian reached a point a little above and some distance from the cliff, he triumphantly pointed to the perfect image of a man's head and face, with side whiskers, and with an expression of the sturdy English type and asked, 'Does he not look like To-to-konoo-lah? The 'Rock Chief' or 'Captain', was again Sandino's [the interpreter's] interpretation of the word while viewing the likeness." (Bernell, Discovery, 1911, 214-15)
There is also a legend type of explanation that is repeated throughout Yosemite literature. Galen Clark says that To-to-konoo-lah is from the measuring worm (tul-tok-a-na) which crawled up the face of the rock to rescue two small boys who were beyond being saved by any other creatures of the valley (Clark, 92-95)
According to one source, the original English name was "Crane Mountain," not for the reason given above, but for the sandhill cranes that entered the valley by flying over the top of El Capitan. (YNN 34, no 1, Jan 1955:6) And finally, Hutchings' California Magazine 1, no 1, July 1856: 3, called it "Giant's Tower". (YNP)
From GNIS:
- El Capitan: In Yosemite National Park, on the north wall of Yosemte Valley and directly above Yosemite Meadow. (US-T121) Also called:
- El Capitan Moraine: A glacial deposit
in Yosemite National Park, in Yosemite Valley between El Capitan
and Cathedral Rocks. (US-T121)
Place: CA-Artist Point
Artist Point-4,701' (El Capitan) (37.7121494, -119.6748902)
Artist Creek-3,855' (El Capitan) (37.7174269, -119.6729459)
Description:
See Chapter 24 in Sharon Giacomazzi's Trails and Tales of Yosemite and the Central Sierra. Thomas Hill painted the 10'x6' painting Great Canyon of the Sierras from Artist Point. Many other paintings can be found by Googling artist point yosemite painting.
Thomas
Hill is the most noted artist who worked at this point. From
sketches he made here, he painted the Great
Canyon of the Sierras in
1871. Also he painted Yosemite
Valley.
This painting gathered top honors in the 1876 Philadelphia
Centennial Exposition. He eventually worked out of Wawona at what is
now the Ranger Station there. For paintings of his, look at the
Yosemite Museum, Oakland Museum and Sacramento's Crocker
Museum.
Many hiking blogs and trail descriptions say that Thomas Ayers painted his famous picture here. But I am not so sure. Giacomazzi's account seems a lot more authoritative. Also the perspective of the picture is wrong for Artist Point.
There is a benchmark at the 4,701' level. denoting Artist point.
Many hiking blogs and trail descriptions say that Thomas Ayers painted his famous picture here. But I am not so sure. Giacomazzi's account seems a lot more authoritative. Also the perspective of the picture is wrong for Artist Point.
There is a benchmark at the 4,701' level. denoting Artist point.
From GNIS:
- Artist Creek: In Yosemite National Park, heads just south of Old Inspiration Point, flows north past Artist Point on the west to the Merced River.
- Artist Point: In Yosemite National Park on the south
wall of Yosemite Valley, and 0.8 km (0.5 mi) south of the mouth of
Artist Creek.
Trips:
- September 2, 2014-Day trip with Kevin and Connor from McGurk Meadow to Bridalveil Parking lot
- November 12, 1014-Day hike up Old Wawona Road
- November 22, 2014 -Day hike leading meetup from to Ft Monroe
References:
- Yosemite Hikes
- Anne's Travel
- The Redwoods Cottage
- Yosemite Hikes-Short description of hiking from Tunnel View
- Hikes with Tykes blog
- NorCal hiker blog
- Thomas Kincade painting
- Thomas Hill's painting Grand Canyon of the Sierra's. Another view of the painting can be found here.
Places: CA-Pohono
Pohono Bridge-3,868' (El Capitan)
(37.7165937, -119.6660010)
Pohono Meadow-7,211' (Half Dome) (37.6582632, -119.5843261)
Pohono Trail-6,857' (Half Dome) (37.7049275, -119.6123862)
Description:
"Pohono. The Bridal Veil Fall , explained to signify a blast of wind, or the night-wind ... or possibly with reference to the constant swaying of the sheet of water from one side to the other under the influence of the wind. Mr. Hutchings, more poetically, says that 'Pohono' is an evil spirit whose breath is a blighting and fatal wind, and consequently to be dreaded and shunned." (Whitney, Yosemite Guide-Book, 1870, 16)
"The whole basin drained, as well as the meadows adjacent, was known to us of the battalion, as the Pohono branch and meadows... I Have recently learned the Po-ho-no means a daily puffing wind, and when applied to fall, stream or meadow, means a simply the fall, stream, or meadow of the puffing wind, and when applied to the tribe of Po-ho-no-chess, who occupied the meadows in summer, indicated that they dwell on the meadows of that stream.... Mr. Hutchings' interpretation is entirely fanciful, as are most of his Indian translations." (Bunnell, Discovery, 1911, 212-213.) (YNP)
From GNIS:
Pohono Meadow-7,211' (Half Dome) (37.6582632, -119.5843261)
Pohono Trail-6,857' (Half Dome) (37.7049275, -119.6123862)
Description:
"Pohono. The Bridal Veil Fall , explained to signify a blast of wind, or the night-wind ... or possibly with reference to the constant swaying of the sheet of water from one side to the other under the influence of the wind. Mr. Hutchings, more poetically, says that 'Pohono' is an evil spirit whose breath is a blighting and fatal wind, and consequently to be dreaded and shunned." (Whitney, Yosemite Guide-Book, 1870, 16)
"The whole basin drained, as well as the meadows adjacent, was known to us of the battalion, as the Pohono branch and meadows... I Have recently learned the Po-ho-no means a daily puffing wind, and when applied to fall, stream or meadow, means a simply the fall, stream, or meadow of the puffing wind, and when applied to the tribe of Po-ho-no-chess, who occupied the meadows in summer, indicated that they dwell on the meadows of that stream.... Mr. Hutchings' interpretation is entirely fanciful, as are most of his Indian translations." (Bunnell, Discovery, 1911, 212-213.) (YNP)
From GNIS:
- Pohono Meadow: In Yosemite National Park, 2.2 km (1.4 mi) northwest of Horizon Ridge and 2.2 km (1.4 mi) south of Mono Meadow.
- Also called Bridalveil Meadow, but a different one
than on Yosemite Valley floor: U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Geographic Names Post Phase I Board/Staff Revisions. 01-Jan-2000.
Board decisions referenced after Phase I data compilation or staff
researched non-controversial names.
- Also called Bridalveil Meadow, but a different one
than on Yosemite Valley floor: U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Geographic Names Post Phase I Board/Staff Revisions. 01-Jan-2000.
Board decisions referenced after Phase I data compilation or staff
researched non-controversial names.
At
the elevation around 5,600 feet we arrived at Fort Monroe. These
structures were removed when the Wawona Tunnel was completed in July
of 1933.
Fort
Monroe was named for George F. Monroe, a stage driver for the
Yosemite Stage Line. The "fort" was a stage team relay
station, and a place where stage line customers and other travelers
camped.
Monroe came to California with his
uncle from his native Georgia in 1856 to meet his parents who had
recently moved to Mariposa
as part of the gold rush. George was 12 at the time. George's father
Louis became a successful barber in Mariposa,[citation
needed] and eventually
bought and lived on a prosperous ranch south east of town.
In 1866 Monroe started working for the Wabash brothers, who ran the Yosemite Stage Line, and eventually got promoted to driver. He was said to excel at taking the team over the treacherous road, which included many sharp drop offs at the side of the road and numerous tight switch backs. He never had an accident that cost the company money nor injury to his passengers.[1] It is thought that an accident precipitated his own death at the age of 42. According to one account, he was riding as a passenger in the stage when a horse got away from the driver, and George clambered to the front horse to stop the team, in the course of which he injured himself. A few days later, after complaining of feeling ill, he died at his parents ranch. He was their only child.[2]
Monroe was said to be well known to travelers from Europe, as well as throughout the United States. Among his passengers over the years were presidents Grant, Garfield and Hayes
In 1866 Monroe started working for the Wabash brothers, who ran the Yosemite Stage Line, and eventually got promoted to driver. He was said to excel at taking the team over the treacherous road, which included many sharp drop offs at the side of the road and numerous tight switch backs. He never had an accident that cost the company money nor injury to his passengers.[1] It is thought that an accident precipitated his own death at the age of 42. According to one account, he was riding as a passenger in the stage when a horse got away from the driver, and George clambered to the front horse to stop the team, in the course of which he injured himself. A few days later, after complaining of feeling ill, he died at his parents ranch. He was their only child.[2]
Monroe was said to be well known to travelers from Europe, as well as throughout the United States. Among his passengers over the years were presidents Grant, Garfield and Hayes
The
location retained Monroe's name after his death. It was always a
site of significance, from the stage and horse era of the late 19th
century, well into the automobile era when for a time it was an
entrance station, and was said to have a fine automobile camp.[3]
When the Wawona
Tunnel was built, the upper road was converted into part of the
Pohono Trail, whose starting point is now located at the Tunnel
View parking
lot.
J
Smeaton Chase: Yosemite Trails
We camped at Fort
Monroe, and ate our supper between exclamations at the sunset color
on the pines and cedars on the opposite hillside. The level light
illuminated the forest with a radiance that was indescribably royal
and august, and the great trees stood thoughtful and reverent,
ripening their harvest in the golden air.
From
just beyond our camp there opened a wonderful outlook to the west.
The land here falls away almost precipitously two thousand feet to
the cañon of the Merced, where it forms a sweeping amphitheatre at
the point where Tamarack Creek enters from the north. Opposite, the
unbroken forest rises to the high ridge that is held by the Merced
Grove of Sequoias, and which here forms the watershed between the
Merced and Tuolumne systems.
In
the gathering dusk the myriad pinnacles of the forest rose into a
pale, clear sky, down which the new moon passed musingly to sink
behind the western mountains.
Place: CA-Inspiration Point (Yosemite)
Inspiration Point-5,381' (El Capitan) (37.7138160, -119.6879465)
Old Inspiration Point-6,532' (El Capitan) (long, lat)
Description:
Old Inspiration Point is where Major Savage first saw Yosemite Valley. Hutchings came in later and saw Yosemite first from here as well.
From GNIS:
- Inspiration Point: In Yosemite National Park, north of the Merced River at mile marker 120 and on the southwest wall of Yosemite Valley, 1.4 km (0.9 mi) east of Turtleback Dome and 1.4 km (0.9 mi) northwest of Old Inspiration Point.
- Old Inspiration Point: In Yosemite National Park, on the far southwest wall of Yosemite Valley , above the Mereced River at mile marker 120. Also called:
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