beautiful woods, via Wawona to the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, where
the stage passes through the living gateways that have been cut through
several of these monsters. So much has been written and said of the Big
Trees that I can add nothing. I think they are the most impressive
sight, except perhaps one or two spots in the Far East, to be found in
the world to-day, and while these fine old monuments of Europe are the
dead ruins of a dead people, these great trees are the living monuments
of a world that was old before Europe was born.
THE HETCH-HETCHY VALLEY
The Hetch-Hetchy Valley is now being dammed below Kolana Rock, to supply
water to the city of San Francisco. Many persons will recall the efforts
which were made by public-spirited citizens to prevent this, and many
are still mourning the loss of this beautiful canyon as a playground,
but Robert Sterling Yard tells us, for our comfort, that in prehistoric
times the valley was once a great lake, and that the remains of Nature’s
dam are not far from the site of the dam which man is building to-day.
He adds that, with care, this restoration may not work out so
inappropriately as once we feared.
To the north of the Hetch-Hetchy Valley is the Tuolumne Canyon, famous
for its waterfalls, through which the Tuolumne River flows to the lovely
meadows of the same name. These meadows in the springtime are like
stretches of marvellous stained glass, or a freshly laid brilliant
mosaic, embedded in a surface of jade, there is such a riot of colours
from the wild flowers growing here. The river winding its way through
the meadows descends in a torrent to the Hetch-Hetchy Valley almost
5,000 feet below.
THE SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
“This park is the gateway to one of the grandest scenic areas in this or
any other land.
“Of the 1,156,000 sequoias, young and old, which form these groves,
12,000 exceed 10 feet in diameter, ‘General Sherman,’ the largest known
tree, being 36.5 feet in diameter and 279.9 ft. in height. Its exact age
cannot be determined without counting the rings, but it is probably in
excess of 3,500 years. There are many thousand trees in this park which
were growing thriftily when Christ was born, hundreds which were
flourishing while Babylon was in its prime, several which antedate the
pyramids on the Egyptian Desert.
“Well outside the park boundaries and overlooking it from the east, the
amazing craggy Sierras give birth in glacial chambers to two noble
rivers, the Kings River and the Kern. The canyons of these rivers are
practically matchless for the wild quality of their beauty and the
majesty of their setting.
“Unlike many areas of extreme rocky character, this is not especially
difficult to travel, it curiously adapts itself to trails. It is an
ideal land for the camper, but one must go well equipped. There must be
good guides, good horses, and plenty of warm clothing.”[2]
MOUNT WHITNEY
“The Sierra reaches its mightiest climax a few miles east of the present
Sequoia National Park, in Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in the
United States. Its altitude is 14,501 feet. The journey to Whitney’s
summit is a progress of inspiration and climax.
“From Visalia automobiles carry one under the very shadow of the Big
Trees. Over the park boundaries, into the magic of the mountains; up to
the headwaters of the Kaweah; across the splendours of the great Western
Divide; into the Kern Valley, then up winding passes, skirting
precipices, edging glaciers to the top.”[3]
Mount Whitney lies some 90 miles south of the Yosemite Valley. It is in
this region that Congress is considering setting apart another large
area, 1,600 square miles, to be known as “Roosevelt National Park,”
which will embrace both the General Grant and the Sequoia National Park.
The General Grant Park is only 4 square miles in area. It was created to
protect what is believed to be the second largest tree in the world,
“General Grant,” with a diameter of 35 feet and a height of 264 feet.
Were it not for a narrow strip of land which is privately owned, and
which separates this park from the Sequoia National Park, they would be
one.
ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK PROPOSED SITE
The section of California lying east and south of the above chain of
parks, the Yosemite, the General Grant, and the Sequoia, were it in any
other state than California, so full of scenic attractions, would be the
show place of the entire region, but so far, to the average American
traveller, it is almost unknown. This great Valley, so rich in beautiful
rivers, lakes, and canyons, is the proposed site of the Roosevelt
National Park.
In shape it is a long oval, lying north and south, bounded on the east
by the Sierras, with such great peaks as Mount Humphreys, 13,972 feet;
Mount Darwin, 13,841 feet; Mount Winchell, 13,749 feet; Split Mountain,
14,051 feet; Striped Mountain, 13,160 feet; Mount Buxton, 13,118 feet;
Junction Peak, 13,902 feet; Mount Tyndall, 14,025 feet; Mount Whitney,
14,501 feet; and Mount Langley, 14,042 feet. It is difficult to picture
such a wall, nine great mountains all connected by jagged peaks of
almost equal height. In this valley are rivers of inconceivable beauty,
such as the Kings River, the Kern River, and the Kaweah, each of which
has carved superb canyons and, forming lesser rivers with their forks,
has again carved lesser canyons with them.
The Kings River, rising in the Sierras and flowing southward, crosses
the valley from east to west almost at its centre, sending tributaries
in all directions. The Kings River Canyon was called by Mr. Muir a
second Yosemite; one should have that great naturalist’s gift of
expression to describe this region. The walls of the Kings River Canyon
are not as precipitous as those of the Yosemite and there are not the
great falls, but the floor of the canyon is wider and it is more
extensive, and the mountains are higher.
The Kings River has many branches, such as the Roaring River, Arrow
Creek, Woods Creek, Bubbs Creek, Boulder Creek, etc., etc., streams to
gladden the heart of any fisherman, and bordered by such meadows as only
mountain streams can produce.
The main river consists of three forks and it is hard to say which is
the most lovely. The canyon of the middle fork, “The Tehipite,” is not
as easily reached as is the south, but, judging by what Mr. Yard says of
it, it is worth going through a good deal to see it. This enthusiastic
nature lover, author of “The Book of National Parks,” says: “Time will
not dim my memory of Tehipite Dome, the august valley and the leaping,
singing river which it overlooks. Well short of the Yosemite in the kind
of beauty that plunges the observer into silence, the Tehipite Valley
far excels it in bigness, power, and majesty.
“Lookout Point on the north rim, a couple of miles south of the Dome,
gave us our first sensation. Three thousand feet above the river, it
offered by far the grandest valley view I have looked upon, for the rim
view into Yosemite by comparison is not so grand, as it is beautiful.”
The Tehipite Dome, the same writer tells us, compares favourably with El
Capitan in height and prominence, and it occupies a similar position at
the valley’s western gate.
To the south fork of the Kings River the traveller is taken to Sanger by
the Southern Pacific Railroad, and from there automobiles run daily.
An electric line runs from Visalia to Lemon Cove and there again one is
met by automobiles and driven to Juanita Meadows, where camping
accommodations have been arranged and from whence innumerable trails may
be taken. If you have gone via Hume and stopped in the camp overnight,
you may leave by pack train early the next morning and make the trip
eastward, beside the river, to Horse Corral, where you camp again, and
the third day, from Lookout Point, the descent is made to the canyon.
Passing down a three-mile zigzag trail you make a drop of more than
three thousand feet, while one beautiful view after another opens out
before you. At Cedar Creek the floor is reached and the river crossed,
then comes the six-mile ride up the canyon to Camp Kaweah, a most
beautiful trip. At this camp you may stop a day, a week, or
indefinitely. There are numberless lovely spots to be visited, the
rivers come tumbling down the gorges in cascades, or in filmy, lace-like
falls, and five or six miles farther on lies the picturesque Paradise
Valley. The trail to Bubbs Creek is one of the finest, leading eastward
and giving the view of the great Sierras. A chain of glacial lakes lies
below the trail and back of them the Kearsarge Pinnacles, University
Peak, etc. Look at your map of California and see what a marvellous
region this is. It may be reached in various ways, either by the “John
Muir Trail” from the north, or across the Kearsarge Pass, down to
Independence and Lone Pine; or again by going back to Horse Corral,
camping there and leaving the next day for Alta Meadows, across to
Mineral King, over Franklin Pass, and so down into the Kern Canyon.
The Kearsarge Pass is one of the highest of all the Sierra passes,
12,056 feet. It is literally on the sharp edge of the mountain range, so
narrow that we are told the horse strides it, standing on both sides of
the range at once; here may be seen the contrasting sides of this
wonderful range, the long, green slope of the west, and the steep, bare,
rocky descent of the east.
This great region (Roosevelt Park as we hope it is to be), 1,600 square
miles, will include both the General Grant and the Sequoia National
Parks; a trail leads from here to the Yosemite, California’s memorial to
Mr. Muir; nothing could have been more appropriate, as the trail was the
one way by which Mr. Muir felt a man could know this part of the world,
either afoot, or on horse or mule back. The southwestern area is
beautified by the Kaweah River and its five forks, and rising between
the Kaweah and the Kern rivers is the Western Divide. The Kern Valley is
said by some to exceed the Kings River Valley in beauty.
The southern portion of the whole great interior basin of California is
commonly known as the San Joaquin Valley. It comprises the San Joaquin,
the Tulare, and the Kern valleys. Its greatest length is 260 miles and
its width from 30 to 40 miles.
The Coast Range on the west of the valley has an average height of 1,700
feet, and the base averages 65 miles in width. The Sierra Nevada Range
on the east rises, as we have seen, to a much greater height. Between
these two ranges lies as well as the San Joaquin, the Sacramento Valley.
The ranges are connected in the southern part of the state at Tehachipi,
and in the northern at Mount Shasta. The length of the combined valleys
is about 450 miles and the width is 55 miles. The Coast Range is
composed of a multitude of ridges, and is intersected by numerous long,
narrow, fertile valleys, Los Angeles, Salinas, Santa Clara, Sonoma,
etc., etc.
CHAPTER THREE
SAN FRANCISCO AND ENVIRONS
SAN FRANCISCO
One must understand a little of the topography of San Francisco to
appreciate its unusual advantages. The city is built upon a peninsula,
which juts northward from the mainland, bounded on the south by San
Mateo, on the east by the San Francisco Bay, and on the west by the
Pacific Ocean.
Sausalito is situated upon a peninsula jutting southward from the
mainland to the north, and bounded on the east and west as San Francisco
is. The opening between these two points, one mile wide, is the Golden
Gate, the world-famous entrance to the beautiful San Francisco Bay.
Those entering by steamer get the best view of this great gateway. The
bay is 50 miles long and five to ten miles wide, and provides San
Francisco with one of the finest harbours in the world.
SAN FRANCISCO BAY
The bay is magnificently fortified. Points Lobos and Bonita are the two
points reaching out into the Pacific Ocean, the former at the outer
point of the crescent, which forms Bonita Cove to the north, and the
latter at the outer point of the crescent, which forms South Bay to the
south. These peninsulas extend like great arms into the Pacific Ocean,
forming the outer bay. At the inner ends are Point Diablo and Fort
Point, both fortified and impressive looking. Those who are unable to
see the bay from the water should not fail to take the Presidio Drive,
the drive to the U. S. Military Reservation, where the most wonderful
view may be had far out over the ocean.
The islands which lie in San Francisco Bay and are the most noticeable
from this city are known as Alcatras, Angel, and Yerba Buena Islands.
They are the property of the United States Government.
On Alcatras is the U. S. Military Prison. A permit is necessary to visit
the island; permission may also be had to visit Angel Island, where
there is a recruiting station, Fort McDowell. On Yerba Buena, known as
Goat Island, there is a Government Naval Training School.
The U. S. Military Reservation, known as The Presidio, comprises 1,500
acres, and lies along the bay for four or five miles. This stretch is
strongly fortified. Here may be seen Fort Winfield Scott, Fort McDowell,
Fort Baker, Fort Miley, and Fort Barry.
THE GOLDEN GATE PARK
The Golden Gate Park, of more than 1,000 acres, may be reached by
almost any of the trolley lines; laid out on sand hills and reclaimed
ground, with one end fronting on the Pacific Ocean, it is beautifully
planted with many unusual trees and plants, shrubs and flowers, and has
some 20 miles of the finest driveways. Points of special interest are
many: The Japanese Tea Garden, which really looks like a bit of old
Japan. Here two dainty little Japanese ladies serve tea. Admission to
the garden is free, but of course one pays a small sum for the tea and
rice cakes. A military band plays in the park on Sundays and holiday
afternoons. There are some good statues in the grounds: “The Wine Press”
by Thomas S. Clarke, near the front of the museum, is unusually fine. In
the Memorial Museum there is an especially good collection of Japanese
ivories, Indian basketry, and ceramics. The Academy of Sciences Museum
has very fine groups of animals and birds of the Pacific Coast. The Fern
Glen must not be overlooked; here may be seen, growing in the open,
lovely specimens of the tree fern.
On a small hill near Stone Lake stands Prayer-book Cross, erected by Mr.
George William Childs, of Philadelphia, in commemoration of the first
English church service held on this continent in 1579.
OCEAN BEACH
Ocean Beach is a favourite resort, sea bathing goes on here the year
round, but by strong and expert swimmers only, the currents being
dangerous. From the beach or the terrace in front of the Cliff House the
famous Seal Rocks are easily seen. Here one is at times fortunate enough
to he able to watch the antics of scores of sea lions.
A little north of this are the Sutro Baths and Sutro Gardens. The
picturesque Dutch windmills in the Golden Gate Park were presented by a
private citizen; they furnish water for the lakes etc., in the park.
There are several very pretty artificial lakes.
Of animals, there are about what the usual park has, buffalo, deer, elk,
etc.
PANAMA-PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION
The great Exposition which in 1915 celebrated the opening of the Panama
Canal and which has now become a part of the history of San Francisco,
was held upon the site now known as the Marina. This site comprised a
tract of approximately 625 acres, with almost three miles of waterfront.
So much has been written of the beauty of the buildings, the grounds,
the statuary, etc., that it need not be repeated here; those who saw it
will not forget it and those who were less fortunate will never know
just what they missed. Through the efforts of the San Francisco Arts
Association the Fine Arts building has been saved for a time; the state
of California has taken over the California building for a normal
school. The Exposition Preservation League has plans for a fine
boulevard which is to extend from Fort Mason to the Presidio, connecting
with the present boulevard in the Presidio.
MOUNT TAMALPAIS
From San Francisco the trip to Mount Tamalpais must be made, crossing
the bay to Sausalito and from there taking the electric car to Mill
Valley, where one passes some charming homes. From here the ascent is
made (about eight miles) by what we are told is the “crookedest”
railroad in the world. Superb views are had during this climb, one
moment looking out across the blue waters of the bay, and the next
piercing the black depths of the forest, only to turn again to the
sparkling sunshine in another moment. The view from the summit fully
repays one for the trip, the Pacific Ocean stretching as far as the eye
can reach on the one side, with the ships coming and going, and the San
Francisco Bay, with its fascinating shore lines, on the other side.
MUIR WOODS
From a station part way up Mount Tamalpais a branch line runs to Muir
Woods, one of the most beautiful bits of redwood forest to be seen
anywhere. I cannot worthily describe it, one must see it. Possibly the
greatest charm of the place lies in the fact that these trees rise tall
and erect above what to us in the East would be in itself a fine forest
of oak, beech, maple, etc., the rich, variegated foliage of the
deciduous trees making a most charming contrast to the deep, dark green
of the redwood. The trees grow in circular clusters, which are explained
by the theory that the present trees are all off-shoots from giant trees
which had stood there at some time past. What giants they must have
been! These circles are from 30 to 60 feet in diameter, the trees
themselves are about 10 feet in diameter.
An exquisite stream flows through the woods and there is a fine
driveway, but to enjoy it to the full one should walk through. It is
said that the redwood does not thrive where the salt fog does not reach
it; here the soft, misty veil, which floats over and filters into the
woods from time to time, is another of its charms.
It is to Mr. William Kent, one of California’s most worthy citizens,
that we owe this National Monument. He bought it, paying $80,000 for it,
that it might not be destroyed, and presented it to the United States;
having discovered an old law enabling the United States to accept gifts
of “American Antiquities,” this collection was presented and accepted as
such. The wish of the people was to call the woods, Kent Woods, but the
modest donor insisted that it be named for Mr. John Muir, and so it is
that it appears upon the map to-day as Muir Woods.
BELVEDERE
Another delightful short trip from San Francisco is to cross the bay to
Belvedere. This little mountain of a peninsula rises up out of the water
in the most picturesque way, and is one of the loveliest spots anywhere
in this region. Beautiful homes, built up and down the sides of the
hills, each with a garden more alluring than the last, makes the whole
seem a veritable Eden. The planting goes down to the water’s edge—a riot
of colour, making the whole seem one great garden, entwined about and
laced together by the exquisite green tendrils of the soft mosses. Here
are trees of all sorts, and it seemed to me birds of all sorts. A merry,
happy, singing little spot.
MOUNT DIABLO
Mount Diablo is the peak which can be seen in the distance due east from
San Francisco; it rises 3,850 feet above sea level. A good automobile
road leads to the summit, and makes a favourite week-end drive. The view
from the summit is particularly fine, because it is so extensive. On a
clear day a nickel-plated monument is visible, through a telescope, on
the summit of Mount Shasta, 193 miles to the north, while to the south
one sees as far as Mount Whitney, over the great Sacramento and San
Joaquin valleys.
SONOMA
Sonoma, some 40 miles north of San Francisco, reached by ferry and
railway, is interesting as being one of the chief centres of the famous
vine-growing district. In this region is Santa Rosa, the home of Luther
Burbank, where he has large experimental gardens. Extensive work is also
done on his farm eight miles west of Santa Rosa, near Sebastopol, called
the Gold Ridge Proving Grounds. The farm is, I believe, open to
visitors. While at Santa Rosa it is interesting to see the church which
is built of the wood of one redwood tree.
OAKLAND
Oakland, five miles from San Francisco, is reached by ferry, and from
there we go to Berkeley, the seat of the University of California. There
are several entrances to the university grounds, and visitors are
admitted by any of them. The university is delightfully situated on the
lower slopes of the Berkeley Hills. The site comprises about 530 acres
of land, which rises gradually from 200 feet above sea level to 1,300
feet. The university is well endowed, tuition is free to residents of
California. There is to be in time a very fine collection of buildings,
many of which have already been put up. The chief sight-seeing features
of the university are the Greek Theatre, which seats 10,000 people, and
the Campanile. There are in these grounds wonderful old oaks said to be
thousands of years old; extremes in the tree family meet when one
compares these bent, gnarled gray oaks with the tall, straight dignity
of the eucalyptus trees growing round the theatre. There are several
statues in the grounds, but one in bronze, by Douglas Tilden, who is
deaf and dumb, which is known as the Football Player, is especially
virile.
LELAND STANFORD UNIVERSITY
A fine automobile road leads from San Francisco through San Mateo and
Palo Alto, to the Leland Stanford University, California’s other great
centre of learning, which, it is well known, was built by Mr. and Mrs.
Leland Stanford as a memorial to their only child.
The driveway, of about one mile from the entrance to the main buildings,
is charmingly planted with palms; the grounds are beautifully kept, and
the cactus garden is most interesting. The group of buildings is
probably as fine as any in this country. The architecture is an
adaptation of the old Spanish Mission architecture, with long
colonnades, graceful arches, and picturesque red tile roofing. The inner
quadrangle consists of twelve one-story buildings and the Memorial
Church, connected by a continuous open arcade. The decorations of the
church are very ornate; they were terribly damaged by the earthquake in
1906, but are now entirely restored.
SANTA CLARA AND MOUNT HAMILTON
Journeying southward from here we come to Santa Clara, where there is an
old mission. From there to San José (Ho-sai) one gets interesting
glimpses of the famous prune-growing district in the lovely, fertile
Santa Clara Valley where they claim to have the largest fruit-packing
house in the world. San José, a little farther south, is one of the old
historic towns; from here there are a number of trips to be made, the
most important being to Mount Hamilton, to see the Lick Observatory;
stages leave San José daily, the trip is very lovely and full of
interest. For those who can spare the time, Saturday is the day to go
up, as that night visitors are allowed to use the telescope. There is a
little inn not far from the observatory where the traveller is taken
care of. This observatory was built and endowed by a Californian, James
Lick, whose body is buried under the great telescope. The observatory
now belongs to the University of California, and possesses the second
most powerful refracting telescope in existence.
SANTA CRUZ
Santa Cruz is delightfully situated at the north end of the Monterey
Bay. All of these places can be reached nowadays by automobile as well
as by the Southern Pacific Coast Line; there are many companies that run
excursions down the coast, using large, comfortable cars and arranging
for a certain amount of small baggage; at any of the hotels this
information is given. Of course the automobile is the ideal mode of
travel these days, but it is especially so in the West, where there is
something to see on all sides, and up and down the coast, from Vancouver
to San Diego.
Going to the California State Redwood Park, we leave the main line at
Felton and take a branch road to Boulder Creek, where the stage line
starts; this is a reservation of 7,000 acres, and as beautiful a bit of
woodland as one could ask to see, covered with trees larger than those
of the Muir Woods. Here, as elsewhere, camps are provided, and the
traveller is made most comfortable for a day, a week, or a month, as he
chooses.