August 1950

YOSEMITE

Nature Notes

VOL. XXIX AUGUST, 1950 NO. 8

Photo by N. B. Herkenham Indian Canyon, Yosemite Valley Cover Photo: El Capitan. Yosemite Valley. By Ansel Adams from "Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada," text by John Muir, 64 photographs by Ansel Adams. Reproduction by kind permission of Houghton Mifflin Company.

THE MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE YOSEMITE NATURALIST DIVISION AND THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION, INC.

C. P. Russell, Superintendent D. S. McHenry, Park Naturalist H. C. Parker, Assoc. Park Naturalist N. B. Herkenham, Acting Asst. Park Naturalist

VOL. XXIX AUGUST, 1950 NO. 8 INDIAN CANYON, TRAILWAY OF THE PAST AND FUTURE

By Richard G. Lillard, Ranger Naturalist When I started up Indian Canyon on July 16, 1950, I knew that I was to be neither an explorer of the primeval nor a brave hiker undertaking the daring and unusual. I had learned in the Museum library that for the aborigines Indian Canyon was the ancient route northward out of Yosemite Valley. Their name for the canyon was Lehamite —"the place where the arrow-wood grows." When the punitive John Bell expedition approached the Valley in May 1851, most of the Indians, including Maria Lebrado, left the Valley by way of Lehamite, hurrying over boulders with the aid of branches lashed end to end to make a kind of cableway. In 1853 a hostile Mono band made its descent here to attack the Yosemite tribe. On June 20, 1863, two members of the Geological Survey of California—William Brewer and Charles Hoffmann — had "a terribly hard climb" lasting six hours as they used Indian Canyon for a route to the top of Yosemite Falls, where they got their bearings for a map of the Valley. In The Yosemite Guide-Book of 1870 the Geological Survey gave Indian Canyon as the route—a hard one-day's trip—to the top of the Falls. John Muir early made the canyon one of the hikes he recommended. Up Indian Canyon to Yosemite Falls, Yosemite Creek, and Mount Hoffmann, and back by Fall Canyon was one of my Sabbath walk, running-and-slide excursions long ago before any trail had been made on the north side of the Valley." In October 1872 he led William Keith and three other painters up Indian Canyon en route to the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne. They returned from Tuolumne Meadows in two days, again using the canyon. The following March Muir wrote in a journal that Sunny side Bench "has an easy way out of the valley and up to the higher forests, by way of Indian Canyon." In the winter of 1873 the canyon was choked with avalanche snow. During a raging snowstorm Muir took four hours to make the ascent—for the view. In 1874, according to Carl Russell —Hutchings gives 1870 as the date —James Hutchings met the cost of a horse trail up the canyon. By 1877 it was reported to be in disrepair, but for a few years hikers made use of it. When J. Smeaton Chase went up in 1912 he found no trail. The canyon was "narrow, gloomy, and difficult." In recent years Sierra Club 1. Brewer, W. H., 1930, Up and Down California in 1860-1864; Chas. J. Smeaton, 1912, Yosemite Trails; Hutchings, J. M., 1886, In the Heart of the Sierras; Muir, John, 1916, The Mountains of California, I and II, and 1938, John of the Mountains; Russell, C. P., 1928, A Last Link with the Past, Yosemite Nature Notes 7(6), and 1947, One Hundred Years in Yosemite.

member Walter A. Starr, Park Service trail surveyors, ranger naturalists Carl Sharsmith and Harold Perry, Field Schooler Phyllis Lytle, and others have roughed it up the canyon. With all this in mind I went up the defile to see it for myself and to appraise it as a potential trailway. A kind of octopus in shape, his long grey arms go searching up and down the canon as though he were feeling for a way out,... " I estimated the height to be eighty feet. The six vast branches gave the crown a spread of a hundred feet defile to see it for myself and to appraise it as a potential trailway. No water was running on the alluvial fan of Indian Creek near the hospital. A few yards up I came on a shovel, tin cans, a toy rubber automobile, and other Caucasian debris. Below the horse trail bridge the creek was a trickle and above it the creek was full. I advanced up the boulder-strewn, braided watercourse of lower Indian Creek. Up alongside the present stream were the pools and terraces and rock ramparts of ancient thaws and rainstorms like the modern cloudbursts of 1871 and 1937. I came on a forgotten swimming pool with a crude diving board. Farther up, above the last faded Hershey bar wrapper, I reached huge talus chunks that had tumbled down from the eastern wall. The creek came out from under the talus, and here were one-inch, three-inch, and six-inch iron pipes, rusting footnotes to the history of waterworks in Yosemite Valley. For a quarter of a mile I scrambled over deep talus that insulated off both sight and sound of a now subterranean creek. I reached splashing water again in pools landscaped by squaw currant and bush beardtongue. High ahead of me to the east slithered down Lehamite Falls (called Little Wrinkle in Hutchings's book). The live oak had the lobed bole of an ancient tree, and when I stretched a cord around it at breast height I found its gross circumference to be twenty-nine and a half feet. This gave it a maximum diameter of around nine feet, three inches. Lehamite Creek joined the canyon at a watery arboretum of large flowering dogwoods, Douglas-firs, bigleaf maples, and eight-fingered five-finger ferns with fronds and stalks two feet long. Where the canyon narrowed I passed hanging gardens of monkey flower, penstemon, collinsia, and larkspur. I found a route among and over rocks by holding on to redosier, chokecherry, scrubby live oak, currant, or chinquapin. I saw occasional trail ducks but no evidence at all of blazes, axe trimming, rock fills, or other work necessary for a horse trail. I found it hard to believe that horses had ever gone up or down the canyon. After a leisurely two and a half hours I was at the top of the canyon, at around 6800 feet. I had reached red fir, deep duff, snow plants, and mule-ear wyethias with their leaves wilting in the noontime sun. Nowhere had I seen any syringa, which was, presumably, the arrow-wood referred to by the name Lehamite. On the west side of the creek I found the canyon live oak that Chase said he believed "would out-oak every oak that grows on California mountain, foothill, or plain." I was convinced that a modern found the canyon live oak that trail should be built up Indian CanChase said he believed "would outyon. It would form a loop with the oak every oak that grows on CaliYosemite Falls Trail, which is sunny fornia mountain, foothill, or plain, and hot where hikers are apt to be 2. Scientific names of plants mentioned in this article are listed at its conclusion.

Common Monkey Flower in the late morning hours. Hikers could go up Indian Canyon after breakfast in the shade and go down by the other trail in the afternoon shade cast by the buttresses of Eagle Peak. As Walter Starr had said, eleven years before, there was no better place to build a suitable trail to the north rim, where there had been no new trails or trail improvements in the twentieth century. According to Starr the Indian Canyon trail would be shorter and safer than (1) the Yosemite Falls Trail, which is dangerous for horseback riders, especially where it contours along the ledge beyond Columbia Rock, and (2) the Snow Creek zigzags, dangerous the year around because of rock slides. I was glad that in 1949 both Carl Russell, Superintendent, and Herbert Maier, Associate Regional Director, had signed the Proposal Form, Project Construction Program, 3 for building and oiling the Indian Canyon Trail. It was to be six feet wide and three and a half miles long from the Valley floor to the rim. The trail had been surveyed in 1930. In 1949 the cost of clearing and grading was estimated at $47,000, bituminous treatment at $5,100-total cost at $60,100. Completed, this trail would be invisible to distant viewers as it wound upward under trees and among shrubs. It would not impair landscape values. Instead it would be a new incentive to visitors to get off their rubber tires and into their leather boots. There are no important, famous, official sights on the Canyon route, not even any extraordinary vistas from it. But the trailsite is rich in opportunity for small personal discoveries, for the little things that make big memories.

PLANT NAMES

Squaw currant (wax currant), Ribes ceream. Bush beardtongue (stubflower penstemon), Penstemon breviflorus. Canyon live oak, Quercus chrysolepis. Flowering dogwood (Pacific dogwood), Common names Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga taxifolia. Bigleaf maple, Acer macrophyllum. Five-finger fern, Adiantum pedatum. Monkey flower, Mimulus sp. Penstemon, Penstemon sp. Collinsia, Collinsia sp. Larkspur, Delphinium sp. Red-osier (redosier dogwood), Cornus stolonifera. Chokecherry, Prunus virginiana var. demissa. Chinquapin, Castanopsis sempervirens. Red fir, Abies magnifica. Snow plant, Sarcodes sanguinea. Mule-ear wyethia (narrowleaf wyethia), Wyethia angustifolia. Syringa (Lewis mockorange), Philadelphus lewisi. 3. This, which includes quotation from Mr. Starr, was made available to me by Dr. Russell and Mr. Carleton Smith, Park Engineer.

POORWILLS NEAR MATHER RANGER STATION

By B. C. "Bugs" Cain, Naturalist Oakland Boy Scout Camp, Mather, California Having observed bird life rather surprise the scouts who brought it to closely in the Hetch Hetchy area for me, the seemingly weak and tiny the past 24 summers, it was a pleasbeak of the bird was opened to reant surprise on the evening of June veal its truly cavernous mouth. All 27 this year to observe for the first present were further surprised to see time a dusky poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttalli californicus) inside the park boundary. The nearest previous observations were several, in past years, about 15 miles below Mather outside the park. wiggling legs of an insect in the dead bird's throat. In a minute or two a large longhorn beetle (family Cerambycidae) had wriggled out years, about 15 miles below Mather and was given its freedom after reoutside the park. prieve from, certain death. A dead About 8:40 p.m. on June 27 swerved our large bus on the road from Hetch Hetchy about 1 1/2 miles north of the Mather Ranger Station to avoid hitting a poorwill as it flew up from the roadway. An automobile following struck the bird as it flew out from the roadside. Upon arrival at our camp near Mather 15 minutes later the bird was found dead on the bumper of the car. To the surprise the scouts who brought it to me, the seemingly weak and tiny beak of the bird was opened to reveal its truly cavernous mouth. All present were further surprised to see a cutworm moth (family Noctuidae) was also lodged in the bird's throat. Two nights later another poorwill (or possibly two) was seen at two different points nearby on the Hetch Hetchy road inside the park. Incidentally Pacific nighthawks (Chordeiles virginianus hesperis), closely related to poorwills, were regularly seen in this area for many summers, but none has been seen or heard during the past two years.

YOSEMITE'S ALPINE GARDENS — 1950

By Carl W. Sharsmith, Ranger Naturalist Owing to the nearly "normal" bloom on white heather (Cassiope snowfall of the preceding winter and mertensiana) was similarly lavish. At its high water content, and in conleast one acre of slope with a nearly trast to the several previous "dry" continuous growth of this shrub was seasons, this is apparently a real covered by myriads of bells. Part- "flower" year. A hundred flowers of cipants on the nature hike to the a kind occur where but one was north side of Polly Dome on July 22 seen last year. On Mt. Hoffman plateau on July 13 spreading phlox (Phlox diffusa—Phlox douglasii of Yosemite references) was magnificent in its abundance, the low mats solidly covered with white to purplish flowers and forming an almost continuous cover over about two acres of slope. On the north slope of the highest of the Echo Peaks on July 15 the bloom on white heather (Cassiope mertensiana) was similarly lavish. At least one acre of slope with a nearly continuous growth of this shrub was covered by myriads of bells. Participants on the nature hike to the north side of Polly Dome on July 22 were rewarded by the exceptional display of bloom in the Sierra primrose (Primula suffrutescens). The rich royal purple of the flowers en masse caught the eye considerably before the spot was reached, and elicited delighted exclamations. The Sierra primrose, common at high altitudes in Sequoia National Park, is known to occur in Yosemite National Park at only four localities, the one in question being the easiest of access.

Western Pileated Woodpecker Both birds worked up the trunk. At about 80 feet from the ground they found a five-inch dead limb on which they both worked for half an hour. The birds worked on the upper

NOTES ON THE WESTERN PILEATED WOODPECKER

By Walter N. Powell Ranger Naturalist At 11:30 a.m. on August 6, in Camp 19 of Yosemite Valley, a pair of western pileated woodpeckers (Ceophloeus pileatus pileatus) were observed working on an alder about 30 feet above ground. Five minutes later one bird flew to a ponderosa pine where it perched and preened on a horizontal limb. Ten minutes later the second bird joined it, and after some casual drilling, preened also. surface, then the side, and finally spent most of the time working belly-up on the underside of the limb, stripping off the bark and leaving a cavity about 18 inches long. The bracing by the tail feathers was clearly observed on this underneath operation. Of special interest was the feeding of one adult by the other. One grasped the bill of the other, then came a rapid in-and-out shaking accompanied by a low buzzing sound. The birds then moved apart, one working on the same limb, the other backing down the trunk to a new location. Twenty minutes later the upper bird flew down and the feeding occurred again, this time silently. Both birds then went back to their foraging. Does the male feed his mate after the nesting season is past? L. D. Moore, Yosemite Field Schooler of 1950, who had observed the birds with field glasses when they were lower down, reported one a male and one a female, since only one had the red stripe back of the mouth. Both had bright red crests, indicating maturity. It is significant that this pair was observed continually for three hours within a small area of Camp 19.

A KING SNAKE INCIDENT

By Wayne W. Bryant, Ranger Naturalist A Sierra coral king snake of the California king snake (Lampropeltis getulus museum reptile exhibit came close californiae) was obtained by a Blister to being a mortality, due to an unlikely habit of the California king Rust Control employee for the seum reptile exhibit in mid-July. The snake, a close cousin. specimen was found at dusk as it A handsome specimen of the California king snake (Lampropeltis multicincta)was moving off a shoulder of the

Photo by Ralph Anderson California King Snake Wawona Road between Chinquapin and Wawona. The snake's reaction to being picked up and handled was one of docility. The snake cages all being occupied, the California king snake was temporarily placed in a cage with three smaller coral king snakes. The new occupant reacted viciously when placed in new surroundings. Immediately the California king spied a Sierra Nevada garter snake (Thamnophis ordinoides couchii) cannibalism, known to be practiced through the screen in the adjoining by king snakes. Apparently they not cage. Excitedly it followed the garter only eat other kinds of snakes, but snake closely with its nose upon the also members of their own kind, or screen. The king snake 's muscular genus. Although all species of the body was tensed for action. After a genus Lampropeltis are known to be cannibalistic, the species L. getulus few failing attempts to strike through the screen the California king began investigating the rest of its new environment. Only a few moments passed before it spotted in the same cage one of its own close relatives, a Sierra coral king snake (Lampropeltis multicincta). At this point the California king began shows his tendency to a greater degree. On occasion the California king snake may take on a snake larger than itself in a duel to the death, and usually finds no difficulty in strangling the victim with the fatal grip of its muscular coils. This incident is good evidence of

1950 WILDLIFE CENSUS OF YOSEMITE VALLEY

By Wayne W. Bryant, Ranger Naturalist The 1950 class of the Yosemite Field School on July 5 conducted a census of some conspicuous wildlife species of Yosemite Valley. The students were divided into four groups of five, each group covering a quarter division of the Valley. Moving in a horizontal line and with individuals spaced at convenient sight distance apart, each group swept back and forth through its assigned section to cover the area as completely as possible. The census was taken between the hours of 6:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. It must be borne in mind that results of this kind of census are not accurate, but they usually do show roughly the relative numbers of conspicuous wildlife forms. Census accuracy varies considerably between different species, depending on the behavior of each. As Lowell Sumner (National Park Service biologist for Region IV) stated to the 1948 class other. However, the comparison of results of the 1948 census with the 1950 census is but of slight value because the former was carried out with less spirit and accuracy. The California mule deer is obviously the commonest large mammal in Yosemite Valley. Of the deer seen during the 1950 census there was one buck to every 1½ does. The 1948 census revealed a greater number of does per buck. Only two fawns were noted in 1950 as compared to six in 1948. This can be attributed to the earlier date of the census in 1950. Most fawns in Yosemite Valley are born during July. Those that were born in late June and the first four days of July probably were still well concealed at the 1950 census date. Most of the deer, as well as many other mammals counted, are concentrated in the upper end of Yosemite Valley where there is food easily available from of the Yosemite School of Field Natural History (the name since tourists or campers for those animals with particular appetites. changed to Yosemite Field School), Only two bears were seen during it has been estimated that about the censuses of 1948 and 1950. Espetwo-thirds of the deer, one-third of cially on hot days such as the the gray squirrels and chickarees, census date, the bears usually den one-fifth of the ground squirrels, and up out of sight under the talus most of the bear are missed by the boulders at the edges of the Valley. census takers. An estimate of the The many evening bear raids on actual animal populations in the camps are evidence enough of the Valley should take this into account. short-comings of the census count. The animals counted in the survey An estimated dozen bears probably include seven species of mammals inhabit Yosemite Valley. and three of birds. The results of the Squirrel populations, as do those census are tabulated below. of most rodents, fluctuate in cycles. A similar wildlife census was conThey gradually build up in numducted in Yosemite Valley by the hers until a climax is reached. An 1948 class. One of the chief values epidemic of disease or predation of a wildlife census is a determinacauses a sudden decline to minition of the fluctuations of animal mum numbers, completing the populations from one year to ancycle which is repeated over and

Total Animal Scientific name Areas* all I

II III

IV areas California Mule Deer—Odocoileus hemionus californicus Bucks

Does - - -- - -

Fawns Total deer

2 23 6 44 California Black Bear—Ursus americanus californiensis Adults.......................

Cubs -- ---- ---- --- --------------------------------

California Gray Squirrel--Sciurus griseus griseus...

52 155 Sierra Chickaree—Tamiasciurus douglasii albolimbatus

62 163 Sierra Ground Squirrel—Citellus beecheyi sierrae

41 182 Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel—Citellus lateralis chrysodeirus

Merriam Chipmunk—Eutamias merriami merriami

Sierra Grouse—Dendragapus fuliginosus sierrae

Plumed Quail—Oreortyx picta pitta

3 24 Band-tailed Pigeon--Columba fasciata fasciata

* Area I Pohono Bridge to El Capitan Bridge (west end). Area II El Capitan Bridge to Swinging Bridge. Area III Swinging Bridge to Ahwahnee Meadow and Camp 16. Area IV Ahwahnee Meadow and Camp 16 to Iron Spring and Happy Isles. over again. Mr. Sumner noted that chipmunk, which is usually seen in the California gray squirrel was on the oak and manzanita of the lower the increase in 1948. It seems apparent that they are still increasing, talus slopes at the valley edges. The Sierra grouse is a bird typical for about six times the 1948 count of the dense Canadian Life Zone were seen this year. forests and, therefore, rare on the The chickaree population, which valley floor. Only one was seen was at a low ebb in 1948, has induring the census, but at least three creased rapidly during the last two reports of this bird have been made years. The Sierra ground squirrel during recent years. population is still greater than that of any species included in the According to the census and obcensus, in spite of periodic ground servations of this writer, the plumed squirrel control effected around the quail appears to be more common habitations of Yosemite Valley. this year than in other recent years The golden-mantled ground squiron the floor of Yosemite Valley and rel is rare in Yosemite Valley, for elsewhere. It may be increasing in only three were seen during each of the wilder areas of the Valley bethe two censuses. This is to be excause of the increase in forest pected because this squirrel is undergrowth, necessary for forage usually restricted to the Canadian and cover. Life Zone forests of higher elevations. Band-tailed pigeons are probably Chipmunks are found less fremore abundant than the census quently than other squirrels on the would indicate, although they are floor of the Valley, except the goldenexpected to be more numerous in mantled ground squirrel. They, too, spring and fall. They usually appear reach their greatest numbers in the in flocks. In the summer of 1949 Canadian Zone. The only chipmunk bands of up to 20 pigeons were often occurring at the 4,000-foot elevation seen near each of the two stables in of the valley floor is the Merriam the Valley.

These censuses conducted by the Valley receive equal and complete Yosemite Field School will become coverage. In this way the trend of increasing significance if future of many animal populations in surveys are carried out with interest Yosemite Valley can be determined and alertness, and if all parts of the and watched with interest. Photo by Harwell Deer with Fawn

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