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THE YOSEMITE BOOK by Josiah D. Whitney (1869)

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY.

Object of the present volume—its origin—the Congressional grant of the Yosemite Valley and the Big Trees to the State of California, 9; action of the Governor—appointment and names of Commissioners—surveys to establish the boundaries of the grants—acceptance of the grants by the State, 10; action of the Legislature—authority given the State Geologist to prepare a guide-book of the Valley and Grove—action of the Commissioners and the State Geologist in carrying out the directions of the Legislature, 11; photographic illustrations, how and from whom obtained, 12; Surveys made for the Commissioners—report of the Commissioners, 13; their plans and wishes—history of the settlement of the Yosemite Valley—Indian war, 14; aboriginal names of the prominent points in and around the Yosemite, 16; these names not current at present—system adopted by the Geological Survey in giving names, 18; history of the discovery and settlement of the Yosemite, 19 first visits by tourists—public houses built there, 19; settlers in the Valley—their attempt to get possession of it—action of the Legislature and Congress, 20; reason for not yielding to their demands, 21; the promises and the duties of the State of California 22.

CHAPTER II.
GENERAL.

Sketch of the topographical features of the United States, 23, 24; the mountain system west of the 105th meridian, 25; the name suggested for it as a whole, 26; history of its exploration, 26, 27; need of good maps—sanitary value of mountain travel, 27; mountains of California, 28; the Coast Ranges and the Sierra Nevada, 29; topography and botany of the Coast Ranges, 30, 32; interesting points to be visited, 32, 33; ascent of Monte Diablo, 33; character of Coast Range scenery, 34; views from points about San Francisco, 34, 35; the Sierra Nevada, 36-44; its extent, 36; elevation, 37; heights of passes and dominating peaks, 36, 37; its geology, 38; forest vegetation, 39; climate, 41; rain and snow on the Sierra, 42, 43; former existence of glaciers, 43; former greater precipitation, 44.

CHAPTER III.
THE YOSEMITE VALLEY.

The Yosemite Valley, its position, 45; routes to, 46; advantages of each, 47; advice in regard to getting to and from the Valley, 48; the route by Coulterville, 49; the Bover Cave—Pilot Peak, view from, 50; route by Bear Valley and Mariposa, 52; White and Hatch’s—Clark’s Ranch, 53; Westfall’s—position of the Yosemite—maps referred to, 54; principal features of the Valley, 55; El Capitan—Bridal Veil Fall, 56; Virgin’s Tears Fall—Cathedral Rock, 57; the Three Brothers—Sentinel Rock, 58; the Yosemite Fall, 58-60; Royal Arches—North Dome, 61; Half Dome, 62; Mirror Lake—Cloud’s Rest—the Vernal Fall, 63; Nevada Fall—the Illilouette cañon, 65; botany, topography, and geology of the Yosemite, 66-79; its shape and elevation, 66; vegetation, 67-69; the walls—exit from, 70; its waterfalls, 71; changes in the waterfalls at different seasons, 72; comparison of celebrated falls with those of the Yosemite, 73; appearance of the Valley in the winter—peculiar type of scenery in the Yosemite, 74; how originated—not by aqueous erosion, 75; nor by glaciers—general remarks on the formation of valleys, 76; theory suggested for the origin of the Yosemite, 77; reasons for adopting this theory, 77, 78.

CHAPTER IV.
THE HIGH SIERRA.

Visitors to the Yosemite advised to extend their journey to the higher regions of the Sierra Nevada—advantages of the climate for such excursions, 80; comparison of Swiss and Californian scenery, 81; tour around the Yosemite, 82; route to be followed, 83; visit to the top of the Three Brothers—to summit of Mount Hoffmann, 84; view of Castle Peak, 85; Lake Tenaya—Cathedral Peak, 86; Tuolumme Valley, and Soda Springs, 87; view from Soda Springs—glaciers once existing here—description of the scenery, 88; the Tuolumme Cañon probably containing grand waterfalls—the Hetch—Hetchy Valley, 89; ascent of Mount Dana, 90; topography of the crest of the Sierra, 90; passes near Mount Dana—view from its summit, 91; geology—glaciers—moraine-lakes, 92; ascent of Mount Lyell, 93; return route—the Little Yosemite—Mount Starr King, 94; Sentinel Dome, 95; photographic views from the Dome, 95, 96; view from Glacier Point, 96; the Merced Group—the Obelisk, 97; Mount Ritter—the Minarets, 98; the Hetch-Hetchy Valley, 98, 99,

CHAPTER IV.
THE HIGH SIERRA.
[additional material from The Yosemite Guide-Book (1870)].

High Sierra at head of King’s and Kern rivers, 112, 138; party for its exploration in 1864, 112; their route— ascent of Bald Mountain, 113; scenery of the region—Dyke Ridge— Big Meadows, 114; Dome Mountains, 115; structure of the granite, 116; the Kettle, 117, 118; the divide beyond the Kettle, 119; Sugar Loaf Rock—Mount Brewer, 120; view from Mount Brewer, 121, 122; topography of the region, 122; magnificence of the scenery, and character of the country about the head of King’s River, 123; Mr King’s ascent of Mount Tyndall, 124; view from its summit, 126; attempt to ascend Mount Whitney, 127, 128; route followed— topography of the region— elevation reached, 128; cañon of south fork of King’s River, 129; stupendous scenery, 129, 130; pass out from the cañon— attempts to reach Mount Goddard, 130; Mount King, 130; the Palisades, 131; the party descends into Owen’s Valley, 132; return across the Sierra at head of west branch of Owen’s River—grandeur of the scenery—Red Slate Peaks, 134; depression at forks of King’s River— region loved by the Diggers, 135; ascent of Mount Goddard—north fork of the San Joaquin, 136; dome of granite,—getting out of the cañon— scenery— Mount Ritter, 137; ascent of Black Mountain, return to Clark’s Ranch, 138.

CHAPTER V.
THE BIG TREES.

First discovery of the Big Trees, 101; history of their scientific nomenclature, 102, 103; wide distributions of the cultivated trees, 103; name of the genus, whence derived, 103, 104; geographical range and habitat of the redwood and Big Tree, 104; size of the redwood, 105; grandeur of the redwood forests, 106; distribution of the Big Trees, 106, 107; the Calaveras Grove, 107, 109; measurements of the trees in the grove, 108; age of the Big Trees, 109; height of—the Beaver Creek Grove—the Crane Flat Grove, 110; the Mariposa Grove, 111, 113; measurements of trees in this grove, 112; vegetation of the meadows and grove—the Lower Grove, 113; the Grizzly Giant—the Fresno Grove, 114; the King’s River belt of Big Trees, 1[1]4, 1[1]5; the Tule River Groves, 115; comparison of the Big Trees with other trees, 116.

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