October 1932

October, 1932 Volume XI Number 10

THE PUBLICATION OF THE YOSEMITE EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT AND THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION

Published Monthly Volume XI October 1932 Number 10 Autumn in Yosemite By M. E. BEATTY Assistant Park Naturalist Summer has come and gone, slopes and canyons. Black oaks are have the large crowds of visitors changing to yellows and browns, so Yosemite has enjoyed this year. we have a constantly shifting pat- Now all is quiet, even the water- tern of color that makes autumn in falls, for they are either very small Yosemite especially attractive. or else completely dry. Yet the The tang in the air serves as a majestic cliffs and domes remain reminder to birds, mammals and unchanged, silent guardians of the man that winter is near. Practical peaceful meadows and woods. It ly all the summer visitants among is the time to come and enjoy the the birds have already migrated, silent wonders. Our forests seem while our blue-fronted jays and at their best. Great cones hang woodpeckers are busy storing from the tips of sugar pine acorns for winter use. Bears are branches; it is the season of fruit foraging for every available source and seed. The predominating green of food supply, busily engaged in of our great conifer forests is all building up excess layers of fat the more striking, as splotches of color begin to dot the woods. The deciduous trees are donning autumn autumn robes as their leaves are Those of our Indians who still changing from green to yellow, follow the old customs are busy changing from green to yellow, gathering their supply of acorns brown or red. The golden yellows And so our Indian summer here are best represented in the quaking in Yosemite is one of great interest aspens and maples. Creek dogand industry, with the wonders of wood with its brilliant red leaves nature dramatized both in color and and stems line the valley slopes action.

Bridal Veil Gorge : A Miniature Wilderness By C. C. PRESNALL, Junior Park Naturalist An answer to the contention that uniform 15 per cent grade in the Yosemite National Park is sufferway up the canyon, but the hiker ing from too much development and who climbs through it develops a civilization was recently disclosed confirmed doubt as to the veracity by a trip through Bridal Veil Gorge, of all maps and map-makers. What above the famous waterfall. This happens to the 15 per cent grade is trip, made in company with Naturthat Bridal Veil creek forgets to be alists Beatty and Borell, September a creek and tries to transform itself 11, showed that anyone who "wants into a gigantic fish ladder. It sucto get away from it all" can easily` ceeds remarkably well, but the fish gratify his desire for mountain sol- don't think so. They cannot climb sweet and unspoiled grandeur withthe 30-foot steps between the deep out going far beyond the rim of pools and are doomed to remain Yosemite Valley Above Bridal Veil in whatever pool the spring floods Fall, and extending back these may happen to take them to, until miles to the Pohono Trail crossing, some infrequent fisherman lifts we found as free and untamed a bit them out into his frying pan. In of wilderness as any man could the lower pools are loch leven trout, wish for. No man-made trails are many over a foot long, and the up- there, and the dim game trails zig- per pools hold both loch leven and sag through the dense chaparral rainbow It is a fisherman's parain a most confusing manner, so that dise provided he can stand the the only feasible route through the nervous strain of climbing over the canyon is along the stream that water-polished precipices that set rushes and tumbles in its depths separate one deep pool from the next. Feasible is an inadequate word, The stream consists of dark pools however. The true state of affairs and sheer waterfalls, like a series is better described by one of our of cups stacked one above the other, party who after struggling through so that water can spill down through the gorge for 12 hours, labeled it the entire series. the toughest fishing trip I've ever

GLACIAL STUDIES

taken" The canyon is also a paradise for The topographical maps show a the geologist. It is perhaps the best

preserved of all the pre-glacial on either side are pines and firs, gulches that fed the ancient seeming like sentinels guarding the V-shaped Merced canyon from wild splendor of the canyon from which Yosemite Valley was carved. the contaminating influence of the Master joints dipping to the east trails, roads and camps, which and west at approximately the same press so closely about it. angle have guided the stream to ANIMAL LIFE produce a very symmetrical trough. In spite of its proximity to hotels The subsequent glacial action and and gasoline stations, it remains post-glacial stream erosion have free and untouched, in a place made but little impression upon the where the wild things still hold unseven kinds of granitic rocks which disputed sway. Golden eagles rule occur there. The region is noted the air, soaring above the crags for its complex assemblage of that hem in the canyon below, rocks that were intruded at differ- where black bears are the monar- ent times. Many of these differ so archs. Bears are imperfectly known markedly from each other as to be to the millions who visit zoos, and the thousands who annually see the easily noted by even a casual ob bears feed at garbage dumps in the server, but others, notably the gab- National Parks have some slight bros and diorites, present so many acquaintance with bruin, but to be variations as to challenge the atcome intimately acquainted with tention of a petrologist. The ordi- Ursus arctos americanus is an experi- nary hiker will, however, be more ence reserved for the few who pene- interested in such features as the trate such wilderness spots as the numerous potholes, some very large, Bridal Veil gorge. On this drowsy which are especially noteworthy Sunday in mid-September I along the upper part of the canyon. watched a bear on Bridal Veil

RICH IN FLORA

creek for 15 minutes and then Wherever a little soil has collectedtracked him for 45 minutes. In ed between the rocks there has apthat hour I learned more about a bear's way of life than I had peared an abundant and varied dislearned in a month's observation of play of flowers and foliage. All along the gorge are refreshing scores of bears living unnaturally banks of cool green five-finger in Yosemite Valley. No. Yosemite is not yet spoiled ferns, the finest I have ever seen : by too much development; not and late in the summer whole canyon sides are gorgeous with the when a man can find primeval scarlet of California fuschias, the wilderness within two hours of the deeper red of mountain ash berries, valley; so near that he can stand and the yellow of ripening dogbane. on the edge of this wilderness and look down over Bridal Veil Fall The monotony of manzanita and live oak along the upper slopes is opposite way toward a sublime vista broken by quaking aspens growing of crags, forests and waterfalls that in long strips where springs come beckon him on the adventure and trickling down to the creek. High exploration.

Nature Garden a New Feature of Yosemite Museum Ranger-Naturalist Enid Michael Throughout the spring and summer months visitors to Yosemite have expressed surprise and pleasure at the change in the area directly back of the Yosemite Museum of Natural History. This area is a part of the alluvial fan spread at the mouth of Indian Canyon. It is in the warmest section of the valley and there are present here, in the native flora, many plants from the Sonoran Zone, or foothill section. The planting of this garden was begun last April. The wild bloom, at first feeble, has become stronger day by day. About the first of August it was most charming. And now, although several of the showy species have gone to seed, the garden presents a fresh and cheerful face. Most pleasing now is the area is a part of the alluvial fan now, although several of the showy spread at the mouth of Indian species have gone to seed, the Canyon. It is in the warmest sec- garden presents a fresh and cheer- tion of the valley and there are ful face. Most pleasing now is the present here, in the native flora, wide spread bloom of native cover. many plants from the Sonoran

LESSINGIA ATTRACTS

Zone, or foothill section. such as Every day many visitors ask buckthorn (Ceanothus divaricatus), what the feathery lavender flowsquaw bush (Rhus trilobata) and Mariposa manzanita (Arctostaerect plant is that spreads an airy phylos mariposa). It was a hot veil over the garden. They ask for dusty area, previous to this year, seed and say that the feathery where the native herbs were trodden sprays would be charming in bou- to chaff under the foot of summer quets. Lessingia is the name of mer tourist travel. this plant, given in honor of Les- Now, in early September, there is sing, a German scientist. Accomabundant wild flower bloom in ponying lessingia are decorative an this area. The section, comprising sprays of blooming Eriogonums or two acres, has been fenced, flagBuckwheats. And at the feet of stone walks have been laid and an these plants the creeping lotus ancient spring has been brought to (Hosackia decumbens) spreads life. The overflow. from this cold carpet of grey-green flowered with clear spring supplies the area with gold. a running stream and pools. Added Among the showy flowers are the to this, many faucets with hose atfarewell-to-spring (Godetia viminea tachment have been installed. and C. Viminea var. incerta). The These improvements fitted the area variety "incerta" is Yosemite Val-

ley's own godetia. The godetias visitor to Yosemite may find the sleep at night and only when the wild flowering plants of the valley sun becomes warm do they open floor and the wild flowers from their cups of flame. trailside and roadside and meadow

NIGHT BLOOMERS

of middle altitudes and on to the The evening primrose (Oenothera higher sections of the park. Hookeri) belong to the same plant A WOMANS' FINE GIFT family as godetia, yet they do not This museum garden was put on open their great golden flowers till its feet and maintained through its the sun hides his face behind the first season, that will end with the cliff. These lovely flowers remain coming of next winter's snows, by open during the night and close in the generous gift of $4000 of Miss the morning at the first touch of Marjorie Montgomery Ward. Dun the sun. These plants bloom up ing the season many others have their tall stalks and leave a trail of kindly contributed in one way and jar-like seed pods behind. Many of another. One presented a cloud the plants in the garden have sprinkler, another attractive plant opened their last bud. By cutting labels. Today a flower lover is off these seeded stalks I have stimu- about to present a bench of native lated the evening primroses to new granite. Resting here In the shade, effort. Clusters of eager new the visitor may admire the bright flower buds crowd the leaf axils, flowers as he breathes the perand in a few days the second evefumed air. And the wild birds, ning primrose bloom will be in full that each day now appear in greatswing. Drop round in the evening er numbers in the garden, will keep to see the golden flowers open. him company. Other attractive flowers are the orange red cardinal mimulus, the pink mimulus (M. Jewisii), Yosemite aster, goldenrod, Indian paint brush (Castilleja montana), golden yarrow (Eriophyllum confertiflorum), blue bugle (Pentstemon laetus). The greatest show is put on by the native sunflowers. Their open smiling faces attract bird and butterfly. This wild flower garden is less than five months old. Nevertheless within its confines over a hundred native flowering plants have bloomed. The Department of the Interior hopes to maintain the garden through the years, each year assembling more native species and striving for a more pleasing display. It is our aim to naturalize a representative group of plants from Yosemite National Park, so that the

FISHING FOR BIRDS

By Cope Jensen, Ranger-Naturalist. Last July the auto caravan party I was guiding observed a jay caught in a strange way at Valley View. I was pointing out the white alders that grow so rankly there and mentioning the hazard they present to trout fishermen who frequently entangle leaders and hooks in 'the branches. While look ing downstream I was much sur prised to see a blue-fronted jay hanging in midair apparently with out support. Upon investigation we found a very queer substantiation of my story concerning fisher men. Someone had been fishing along the bank of the river and had

caught a six-foot leader in the tempted to catch him, but after branches of a tall alder. The lower maneuvering for several minutes hook, baited with an angleworm, the jay emerged from a thicket was dangling in the air and had freed of the leader by his own efa live jay firmly hooked in this forts. mouth. As I approached with the Many ornithologists infer that party from the caravan, the jay cosmopolitan birds appear to have tempted to fly; then folding his the most "sense," and the crow wings at rest he swung as a penfamily, which includes the jays, dulum. I found a long pole, suc- belongs in such a group. Man's ceeded in loosening the leader from attempt to fool a fish with a gut the tree, and the bird flew down- leader seems to work as well for stream with the leader and hooks even the wiser birds. Considering still attached. Hoping to free him the supposed good sense of cosmo from his strange burden we atpolitan birds, who was the "poor fish" in this case? A Song of the Blue-Front By FRANK J. FAHA Field School, 1932 While standing in front of the apparent effort, that one Yosemite Museum I heard a very scarcely see the throbbing of the soft, musical song coming from throat. The jay continued to hop within the foliage of a large black oak and search around for several minutes and during this interval he and endeavored to locate its source. After a careful search only a bluefronted jay was to be seen. -A bit of speculation, however, told me that this beautiful song could not come from the throat of a jay. We are all accustomed to hearing a coarse blatant squawking or a series of harsh staccato notes issuing from this bird. The name itself suggests to us a noisy, saucy, individual and one is not disappointed in this variety. However, as I saw this bluefront hopping about with great agility in the tree, I continued to hear these soft notes. Finally, the jay came out of the tree and foraged on the ground. Then only did I know that the noisy jay was the author of his whisper song. It was given so very low, and without was always in song. Apparently this soft vocal expression is a message of some sort, possibly a love song to the mate.

SKYLAND

By C. C. PRESNALL, Junior Park Naturalist (Editor's Note : This article is a plot that I have called Skyland sup- sugar-coated introduction to the ports a surprising variety of plant ecology of the top of Half Dome. Let the reader be warned and proand animal life, ceed at his own risk.) The area consists of gently rollHigh on the eastern rim of Yoing granite, in places thinly covered semite Valley is a little sky-girt with sandy soil, and at an elevation land, a scant 13 acres of rocks and of 8856 feet above sea level. It thin soil bounded on all sides by a rises high above the surrounding sheer abyss that at one point is terrain, from which it is separated nearly a mile deep. Men call it the by very steep and vertical cliffs top of Half Dome, but to one of ranging from 1000 to 4700 feet high. those who often scale its heights Snow usually covers it for six or it is Skyland. It is undeniably a seven months, and it is subjected to very solid portion of the earth's great extremes of temperature dursurface, but so situated as to create ing the remainder of the year. the illusion of an island floating Scant shelter from sun and storms with the clouds in the upper atmosis afforded by a few boulders of phere. exfoliated and eroded granite, and The tops of most mountains com- in the hollows of these same boul- mand a view of slopes that extend ders is found the only summer sup- to the hills below, forming a visual ply of surface water, which collects link with the nearby country, but it after infrequent thunder showers. is not so with Half Dome. From its Despite this unfavorable environcomparatively flat summit distant ment a considerable community of mountains may be seen, but the living things has become estabprecipitous sides of the Dome drop lished there. from sight so quickly that it seems

VARIED FLORA

to have no connection with its During July and early August the neighboring peaks. Hence the illutop of the Dome is a veritable sion of Skyland, an illusion greatly flower garden. No complete list of enhanced by occasional clouds the herbaceous plants found on the drifting rapidly by, causing the ob- Dome has as yet been made, but in server to think that the solid gran- August of 1930, C. E. Graves, a stu- ite beneath him is traveling in the dent in the Yosemite School of opposite direction. Field Natural History, listed 12 spe-

AN ETHEREAL ISLAND

cies, as follows: Skyland is not merely a pleasant 1. Carex sp., a small sedge present fantasy induced by an overdose of in considerable quantities. high altitude and romantic vision. 2. Eriogonum lobbii, butterballs. The top of Half Dome is actually 3. Eriogonum marifolium. an island. Scientists say so. It is 4. Eriogonum ovalfolium. a biotic unit having its own charac5. Eriogonum wrightii. teristic fauna and flora, separated 6. Eriogonum nudum. from adjoining areas by the barren 7. Sedum Yosemitense, Yosemite cliffs that surround it, This 13-acre stonecrop.

8. Stellariopsis santolinides, crumbs and other luncheon scraps. mouse-tail. Two other mammals have been not9. Gilia pungens, prickly gilia. ed, but their presence is unsuspect 10. Pentstemon menziesii, Pride of ed by most Half Dome climbers. On the Mountains. July 15, 1932, Lawrence Hosbrook 11. Achillea millifolium var. another field school student, saw a lanulosa, yarrow. cony (ochotona schisticeps muiri) 12. Hieracium horridum, yellow gathering hay on the summit, but hawkweed. no search for hay piles has been At least four species of shrubs made, so it is not known whether grow on top of the dome : the conies are living permanently 1—Castanea sempervirens (bush there. On August 30 the author and chinquapin)—a very thrifty shrub a party of 13 hikers had a fine view with abundant seed crop. of a bushy-tailed woodrat (neotoma 2—Spiraea densiflora (pink spirea cinerea) that ventured forth from raea). a rock crevice to eat crumbs of 3—Holodiscus discolor var. dubread and cheese. mosa (ocean spray)—very abund- No birds have been observed nest ant. ing on Half Dome, but Sierra Ne 4—Macronema discoidea (somevada rosy finches and Clark crows times called rabbit brush) most have been seen to alight on the top. abundant shrub. A large fence lizard (sceloporous Trees are naturally at a minimum on such a place as Half Dome, only sp.) seems to be the only reptile that inhabits the area. six individuals having been found Insects have not as yet been stud by the author. There are four specs ied, although undetermined specie mens of lodgepole pine (P. contorta of flies, bees, grasshoppers and butvar. murrayana), the largest being terflies are fairly abundant. Spiders about 15 feet high and a foot in are also present. diameter at the base. Jeffrey pine With the preliminary data thus (P. ponderosa var. jeffreyi) and far collected it will be possible in white-barked pine (P. albicaulus) the future to make an intensive are each represented by one very study of the ecology of the top of scraggly individual. Half Dome, which, because of its

ANIMAL LIFE

isolation and small area, is ideally Everyone who scales Half Dome adapted to such work. In the meancannot fail to have noticed the golden- time it will continue to give unique mantled ground squirrels (cal- enjoyment and inspiration to the lospermophilus chrysodeirus) that earth-bound mortals who ascend often come out in search of bread the granite steeps to visit Skyland

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