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of camps throughout the park, will have a camp nearby which will be available.

The regular Club Outing in July, 1916, will be as previously announced a trip into the famous Kern River Cañon, affording an easy chance to climb Mt. Whitney and other peaks over 14,000 feet in elevation, and the party will then enter the upper basin of the South Fork of the Kings River, which is another region of wonderful surprises, with its splendid peaks, beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and some of the very best of "pure Sierra wildness." More can be seen on this trip, with greater comfort and less expense, than would be possible under any other circumstances. Those planning to take this trip should enroll now as the list is rapidly filling and the number will be strictly limited. Members of any mountain club and their relatives are welcome. An announcement giving complete details will be issued during the spring.

WM. E. COLBY, Chairman,
J. N. LE CONTE,
CLAIR S. TAPPAAN,

Outing Committee

REPORT ON LE CONTE MEMORIAL LODGE

The Le Conte Memorial Lodge, in Yosemite, was officially open this year from May 18th to August 26th. On account of the Panama-Pacific Exposition at San Francisco the majority of visitors were from the Eastern States. The number registering was 1800, and, although there must have been at least twice that number of visitors, there were fewer this year than usual. This, I think, was due partly to the fact that the majority did not know of the Lodge. It seems, therefore, that something should be done to inform the public of its existence. Several times people did not come in until their last day in the Valley, and expressed their regret at not knowing of the Lodge earlier.

A number of improvements were made early in the season under the direction of Professor Le Conte. The roof was repaired and the old and warped floor in front of the fireplace was replaced. The work of piping water to the Lodge was finished.

Perhaps the greatest addition this year was a set of the birds of the Yosemite lent by the "Museum of Vertebrate Zoology" of the University of California. Many visitors expressed their appreciation of this. Mr. Romeyn B. Hough donated a transparency of "Specimen Pages from American Woods." Two or three books were donated to the library.

The Lodge is in need of two or three small tables on which to place the photograph albums, etc., as those in use at present are old and dilapidated. The end walls of the wing storerooms have spread from the roof and need repairing.

Besides serving as a reading room and place of information for the

tourists of the Valley, this year the Lodge was used as the headquarters in the Yosemite Valley for the Sierra Club's Camp in the Tuolumne Meadows. Visitors to this camp could secure information at the Lodge concerning it and leave their baggage there.

The sale of maps amounted to.... .$16.50
The sale of BULLETINS amounted to...... 2.50

Total...

.$19.00

BAYARD BUCKHAM, Custodian,
MARION RANDALL PARSONS, Chairman,
J. N. LE CONTE,

R. M. PRICE,

Committee

REPORT ON PARSONS MEMORIAL LODGE

During the 1914 outing in the Yosemite National Park the suggestion was made that there should be some sort of enduring memorial to the late Edward Taylor Parsons, whose untimely death had so recently deprived the Club of the companionship and services of one of its most loyal members. Towards the close of the outing the suggestion took definite shape, when Mr. Russ Avery proposed at a camp-fire in Hetch Hetchy that a memorial lodge be built on the property in Tuolumne Meadows controlled by the Club. This location seemed particularly appropriate to those who knew of Mr. Parsons' enthusiasm for that particular spot and his interest in having it brought within the control of the Sierra Club. The proposition was universally approved, and during the next few months steps were taken to raise the necessary funds and to prepare for the construction of the building. Mr. Mark White rendered invaluable assistance in designing the lodge and personally supervising during the early part of its construction, and Mr. Walter L. Huber made plans covering the structural engineering. As soon as the trails were open in the summer of 1915 the materials were sent forward, and early in July the work of grading and construction was begun.

As far as possible the material was obtained from the immediate neighborhood. An abundance of just the right kind of rock for the walls was found close at hand, and logs for the roof and supports had to be hauled but a short distance. The hardware and cement, however, had to be packed in on animals by way of Yosemite, and the galvanized iron for the roof was brought in by motor truck after the opening of the Tioga Road. This roofing will later be covered with some better appearing material. A very substantial form of construction was sought in order to render it proof against the severities of winter. The walls are of rough granite, bound by a core of cement mortar. They are nearly three feet thick at the base, tapering to two feet at the top. The roof is of

hewn logs, laid side by side and covered with galvanized iron sheeting. The rafters are bolted to the walls with large iron bolts and held secure with heavy straps of iron designed for the purpose. The front door is of four-inch planks bound with special straps and hinges. The windows are fitted with heavy shutters which can be securely fastened when the lodge is closed for the season, so that equipment can be stored with more than ordinary safety. The interior is a single room, 40 by 26 feet, with two windows on each side and two smaller ones in the front wall, and a handsome fireplace at the end opposite the door. The external appearance harmonizes well with the surroundings. As a prominent architect, who has seen it, expresses it, "The building seems to grow out of the ground naturally and to belong there just as much as the neighboring trees and rocks."

This lodge will be used as a headquarters for members of the Club and probably will be in charge of a custodian during the summer months, making the Soda Springs property controlled by the Club a desirable center to visit and from which to make side excursions.

The cost of construction considerably exceeds the amount of the fund that has so far been raised for the purpose. Many of the members who contributed to this fund originally have expressed their intention of adding a further contribution, and there are doubtless many other members who will be glad to be identified with this pioneer effort towards establishing a permanent headquarters in the High Sierra. Any contributions in excess of the amount needed to make up the deficit will be applied to improvements to the lodge.

A brief summary of the cost of construction and the condition of the fund is appended:

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The deficit has been temporarily advanced by one of the committee in

charge of the building.

WM. E. COLBY, Chairman,

J. N. LE CONTE,

WM. F. BADÈ,

Committee

NOTES AND CORRESPONDENCE

Edited by WILLIAM E. COLBY

THE JOHN MUIR TRAIL

During the 1914 outing of the Sierra Club, a suggestion was made by Mr. Meyer Lissner of Los Angeles that a State appropriation should be secured for building trails with which to make the High Sierra more accessible. After Mr. Muir's death, the happy idea occurred of making this appropriation a State recognition of his inestimable service in bringing the wonderful mountains of California to the attention of the world. Accordingly a bill was drafted by the Sierra Club making an appropriation of $10,000 (to be paid in two equal annual installments) with which to construct a trail from Yosemite to Mount Whitney, to be known as the John Muir Trail. In spite of adverse financial conditions, the State Legislature was persuaded by earnest work of the members of the Sierra Club, aided by several civic organizations, to pass the bill. Governor Johnson's final approval made the construction of the trail possible. It is, indeed, a most appropriate memorial to John Muir, who spent many of the best years of his life exploring the region which it will make accessible. This trail will afford a route for traveling with saddle and pack animals north and south along and near the crest of the entire High Sierra. It will begin the work of making accessible one of the grandest mountain regions on the American continent.

State Engineer Wilbur F. McClure was charged with the selection of the final route and the actual construction of the trail. Mr. McClure, after considering suggestions from the Sierra Club, from federal officials and others, made two trips over the lower part of the trail before determining its final location as follows:

Beginning at a point on the north floor of the Yosemite Valley and running from thence by the most practicable route northeasterly to a junction with the Tioga Road at a point near Tenaya Lake; thence northeasterly and easterly along and upon said Tioga Road to a point near the Soda Springs in the Tuolumne Meadows; thence in a general southeasterly direction up Lyell Cañon to the headwaters of said cañon, to and over Donohue Pass; thence in a general southeasterly direction across Rush Creek and Island Pass to Thousand Island Lake; thence easterly and southeasterly through Agnew Meadows, Pumice Flat, past Devil Post Pile, Reds Meadows, Fish Creek Valley, over Silver Pass, and thence by the most feasible route to the north fork of Mono Creek. Thence in a general southerly direction down the north fork of Mono Creek Valley, and Mono Creek

Valley to Vermilion Valley; thence by the way of the present traveled trail southeasterly and southerly to Marie Lake and to and over Seldon Pass; thence continuing southerly and southeasterly along the valley of the south fork of the San Joaquin River to the mouth of Evolution Creek; thence continuing in a general southeasterly direction up Evolution Creek Valley, past Evolution Lake, Wanda Lake, over Muir Pass, down Le Conte Cañon to Grouse Meadow and the mouth of Palisade Creek; thence easterly up Palisade Creek Valley and over the pass between the waters of Palisade Creek and the drainage of the south fork of Kings River; thence through the Sequoia National Forest, Upper Basin, and traversing headwaters of the south fork of Kings River to the pass about one and one-half miles southwest of Mount Pinchot; thence southerly and southwesterly along Woods Creek and the south fork of same; thence by the way of Rae Lake, Glenn Pass, Bullfrog Lake and Bubbs Creek to and over an unnamed pass near Junction Peak; thence into the watershed of Tyndall Creek, and over and along the high sandy plateau and to Crabtree Meadows; thence in a general easterly direction to Mount Whitney.

For carrying on construction work, Mr. McClure wisely availed himself of the splendid organization which the Forest Service had available for supervising the work. Thus neither time nor money was spent in exploration by those unfamiliar with the region. In short, every dollar spent bought the greatest possible value. In addition considerable valuable supervision was given by forest supervisors and rangers without cost from the fund available for the John Muir Trail. The plans for cooperation between the State Department of Engineering and the Forest Service were agreed upon at a meeting held in the rooms of the Sierra Club, June 4, 1915, at which were present Mr. W. F. McClure, State engineer; Mr. Coert Du Bois, district forester; Mr. Roy Headley, assistant district forester; Mr. Paul G. Redington, supervisor of the Sierra National Forest; Mr. A. B. Patterson, superintendent of the Sequoia National Forest; Mr. W. E. Colby, secretary of the Sierra Club, and Mr. Walter L. Huber of the Sierra Club's trail committee.

The appropriation did not become available until August 8, leaving a short field season for work. However, in this short season much work was accomplished. Progress within the Sierra National Forest is well shown by Supervisor Redington's report to the State Engineer, much of which is here quoted:

REPORT ON JOHN MUIR TRAIL WORK, FOR SEASON OF 1915, SIERRA

NATIONAL FOREST

Route. The route which this trail will follow was outlined in a memorandum transmitted with the State Engineer's letter of August 12, 1915, to the District Forester. As a result of the field investigation made this year, it is believed that for the sake of economy, variety and ease

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