September 1950

YOSEMITE

Nature Notes

SEPTEMBER, 1950 NO. 9 VOL. XXIX

Photo by Ralph Anderson Left to right—Bottom row : Karlin, Alden, Overlease, Nelson, Osborn, Pitman. Middle row: Flock, Hunt, Loomis, Watts, Lytle, Neely, Moore. Top row : Elkins, Ernst, Blair, Wustenberg, Brown, Youngblood, Assistant Director Waldo.

ROSTER OF THE 1950 YOSEMITE FIELD SCHOOL

Gayle S. Alden, Pomona High School, Pomona, California—Teacher Robert A. Bair, 812 Tuscarawas Ave., New Philadelphia, Ohio—Student. Richard M. Brown, 4375 Ampudia Street, San Diego 3, California—Student. Samuel W. Elkins, 787 Cereza Drive, Palo Alto, California—Teacher. Wallace R. Ernst, 2646 Carleton Ave., Los Angeles 65, California—Student. Claude E. Flock, Route 1, Box 622, Sunnyvale, California—Teacher. Mary R. Hunt, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, Ohio—Teacher-Counselor. Sol A. Karlin, 17406 Emelita Street, Encino, California—Teacher. Emily M. Loomis, Camp Cuyamaca, Descanso, California—Teacher-Counselor, Phyllis Lytle, 684 East Cypress Ave., Redlands, California—Student. Lloyd D. Moore, c/o Yosemite Natural History Association—Naturalist. William L. Neely, 421 East Victoria Street, Santa Barbara, California Student. Arthur H. Nelson, 6 Veterans Road, San Francisco 27, California—Teacher. Garold K. Osborn, 1085 Vallejo, San Francisco, California—Biologist. William R. Overlease, 1820 Stevens Ave., Elkhart, Indiana—Student. Marsh P. Pitman, 1900 Ash Street, Caldwell, Idaho—Student. Gladys Watts, Fontana, California—Teacher-Naturalist. Donald W. Wustenberg, 334 West Sacramento Ave., Chico, California— Student. C. Dewey Youngblood, 6531 Kelly, San Diego 11, California—Teacher-Counselor. Editor's Note : This number of Yosemite Nature Notes has been prepared by the 1950 class of the Yosemite Field School.

THE MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF

THE Yosemite NATURALIST division AND

THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION, INC.

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

VOL. XXIX SEPTEMBER, 1950 NO. 9 THE 1950 FIELD SCHOOL

By Phyllis Lytle, Field School, 1950 A national park is an elusive idea, and along with that we learned the Did you ever try to define one? The basic methods of museum management and library techniques in a before I came to the Yosemite Field national park. During our two weeks School. A national park was a place in the high country we covered a to come to camp, to hike, to fish, to lot of territory, part of it on public take a vacation. But, now, I have walks and caravans, part under the been warmed by the fire of discipleship. The guidance of Dr. Carl Sharsmith, ship, for a national park is more Ranger Naturalist at Tuolumne than that, and every American citMeadows. His name itself implies izen should know it. This change in the superlative in training in all my attitude was not a simple thing things—the history, natural and hualthough I was struck by its exciteman of the Sierra Nevada; the fasment early in our stay here. Field cinating details of research in the School is an experience in the true science of the mountains; the techsense of the word. Perhaps the best niques of interesting the public in way to express my conversion is to natural history and of managing narelate something of this "experiture walks, overnight hikes, and ence. " mountain climbs. Our last week, Theoretically we came to Field ' back in Yosemite Valley, was filled School to learn to interpret natural with activities in the museum, giving history and conservation to you, the talks and working at the information public. Outwardly that is what we desk, conducting nature walks, and have done. In our first two weeks presenting evening campfire prohere we were given a whirlwind regrams at Camp 14. view of all the things a public servBut that is only what we did outant should know, from the names of wardly. It is the spirit of the park, Yosemite snakes and flowers to the National Park Service, and the fiscal management from first aid for enthusiasm of the park men and hikers to wildlife survey and census. women that make the Field School The third and fourth weeks were so much more than a school. It is mainly turned over to public connational park; it is an interpretive tact work, museum talks, informaworkshop for the service and edution desk duty, Junior Nature School, cation of the public. Cover Photo: Juniper, Upper Merced Canyon (Triple Peak Fork), Yosemite National Park. 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.

As I said my "conversion" was is aimed at arousing interest, curiosaroused by a complex of many ity, and pleasure in the visitor. And things. The first stage of my infecwhen evening comes they attend tion was, I think brought about by public or Field School campfires to this enthusiasm of the directors of add more fuel to their fires for conthe Field School—Don McHenry, servation and inspiration. Harry Parker, Allen Waldo, and the What are the ideals that kindle others all doing their utmost to enthese fires? What hopes and dreams courage us, wanting almost desper overcome the normal human inertia ately to make us and the Field against work that most people have? School successful. Having just come It is more than love of the out-offrom a university where the attitude doors, of nature untrammeled, or self was, "We ' ll dish it out and if they ish desire to preserve the wilderness. want it they can get it, " it was most It is a deep feeling for the need of stimulating to have our leaders outall peoples to thrill to the inspiration, do themselves in their eagerness to beauty, and fascination of nature; the make us eager. In the past seven need to feel an urge to serve God's weeks we Field Schoolers have witearth and God 's people. It may be nessed time and again the love of summed up in the words : conservatheir work that imbues National Park tion, inspiration, education. But it is Service people. In purely mercenary for us the teachers, nature lovers, terms, they spend many, many hours working on their own time parents, museum directors—to inwithout recompense. Much time is troduce the public to the joys of devoted to careful planning of pro- "natural" living; we of the Field grams, museum displays, park manSchool call it communal living, coagement, and in carrying out these operative living. At any rate it is a plans. Every museum exhibit, every thrilling experience that will urge all nature walk, every word and action who partake to share it.

SOME UNSCIENTIFIC NOTES

By William L. Neely, Field School, 1950 On these crowded vacation days we rested one day on a hike and we try to get the most out of them gazed in peace up at the shimmerand are often filled to the ears with ing needles. Or we remember some sightseeing. What strikes us is the unnamed little stream that bubbled obvious, the spectacular, the grand. through moss and stones, half hidden When we go home what we remember greenness and shade where we with pleasure or nostalgia is took a drink of cold water. often the inconspicuous, the ordiThese are common experiences; nary, the simple. We gaze at the they don 't require scientific training giant Sequoias and stand at their to recognize them. In fact, I wonder feet awestruck. We are shown the sometimes if a scientist sees what terrifying leap of a river over a we see. We approach nature with a thousand-foot cliff. These are what certain innocence and unlearned we tell people we saw; these are view and are ready for all impreswhat we show in our snapshots. But sions. The scientist must be cautious what we often remember is a friendand cool in his observations. He can ly pine or fir on a sunny slope where not bound into his field the way a

We swim in the bubbling water, old as you are : ah, is this not hapthen lie on the rocks, blinking in the piness? sun like lizards; ah, is this not hap14. To go out into the meadow piness? and see the grass waving in the 7. We see two jays squabbling and breeze, to see a young fawn stick squawking over a tidbit near camp. its head out of a clump of ferns, to Then comes a flash of yellow and smell the pine needles on a warm red and a tanager swoops down and day; ah, is this not happiness? grabs the prize; ah, is this not hap15. To pass on by the newspaper piness? stand in the Old Village without 8. To sit on a river bank in the looking and buy an ice cream cone afternoon and fish and smoke a instead; ah, is this not happiness? pipe in perfect peace, then when 16. After a long, long time in the evening comes and having caught city you take out your slides and nothing, to walk singing back to photographs of Yosemite and show camp; ah, is this not happiness? them to friends; ah, is this not hap9. A long, hot day with dust in piness? Or is it sadness? the camp. Then over the mountain Some of the beauty of John Muir 's clouds form and thunder rolls above writing is the joy he found in ordithe Valley. You sit in your tent and nary experience, in little things. The hear the rain patter on the canvas; atmosphere in the mountains can ah, is this not happiness? turn the tiniest moments into gold. 10. You meet a conceited camper Impressions come and go, like who knows all about the mountains, clouds. How can we add together who tells you what is wrong with the thousand moments of a day and your equipment and how your camp form them 'into a clear picture? Hikshould be fixed. Then the next morning along the trail our thoughts being you learn that his bacon was come as scattered as grazing sheep taken by the bears : ah, is this not —they range and forage over the happiness? landscape, nibbling experience here 11. To travel over the old Tioga and there. Road in no hurry at all; ah, is this Every now and then I must wake not happiness? up and realize that I am here. Then 12. To stand on the mountain it comes with a pain that all this is a crest facing into the fierce wind and transient experience. Perhaps the hearing the mountain gods roaring pleasantest part is the peaceful forand to feel strength in your legs and getfulness one falls into. Past rebones; ah, is this not happiness? grets and future fears are like flut13. After looking at the ancient tering leaf shadows and floating grandeur of the Sequoias you turn clouds. Life here is one flowing, and see a young one growing full unbroken present moment as placid of vigor and assurance, scarcely as as the Merced River in late summer.

JAY TALK

By Don Wustenberg, Field School, 1950 The bird most likely to come to one's attention when first taking a walk in Yosemite Valley is the blue-fronted jay (Cyanocitta stelleri frontalis). Seemingly no matter which little portion of the Valley one

Blue-fronted Jay chooses to explore, there is at least one member of this self-appointed welcoming committee to mark the arrival with a series of raucous calls. These are very often uttered in flight as a long glide carries the local crier from the top of one tall tree down into another some distance away. Or they may be given nearby while hopping upward spirally from branch to branch around the trunk of a conifer. Such a sight never fails to make me feel at home again after a long absence from the mountains. However, in attempting to make observations afield this has its obvious disadvantages, for along with telling me that I am in the mountains again, it also tells all the other creatures. The more timid ones are quick to heed the warning that there is a stranger in the woods. The fact that these birds are so much before the eye does nothing to lessen the admiration I have for the very competent and varied way in which they are able to gain a living from their surroundings. As one walks through Sentinel Meadow blackbirds of more than one kind are often seen. One expects to find them in moist, sedge-filled meadows for such a place is their home. However, it is also a perfectly common sight to see several blue-fronted jays in such habitat hopping around after grasshoppers. From the same spot in the meadow many California woodpeckers can be seen in the numerous dead black cottonwoods along the Merced River. I have long been familiar with the way these birds will dart up into the air after insects. It was amusing to observe a blue-fronted jay doing just this from high up in one of these dead trees. I paused long enough to see the jay make what appeared to be three successful round trips. Although these trips did not include the fancy dive and flap-and-glide maneuvers of the woodpecker they impressed me as being quite adequate for one whose habits are so varied. As a connoisseur of the campgrounds the blue-fronted jay has few rivals here in the Valley. It adapts very quickly to the presence of men in droves in making use of their generosity, carelessness, and garbage as sources of food. In other parts of the State where I have known the jay to be frequently hunted they become equally adept at remaining inconspicuous until a safe distance away. Of course as soon as the distance is considered a safe one the alarm is sounded as usual. These and many other characteristics indicate a remarkable adaptability that is more or less common to all the members of the crow-jay family that I know. I have mentioned the jay 's willingness to accept food donations. An episode concerning this took place as my tentmate and I ate our noon meal at Camp 19 one day. As usual several jays were perched in the

vines around our bountiful food supply with a never-ending stream of rasping comments. The parent retreated from the eager advances of the young As we tossed a few bread crumbs to jay and continued to do so until the them they would hop downward now very excited youth found itself from limb to limb and finally to the on the ground in the vicinity of the ground. Then with a crumb secured, crumbs. As soon as it began to show the nearest tree served as a spiral interest in them the mother vanished stairway up off the ground. They to a distance of some hundred feet. seemed to stay on the ground no This episode ended with the youth longer than necessary. One parent ful member of the cast hopping made three trips up to one of its offspirally up a tree with a white bread spring that was fully as large as it. crumb in its bill just as its parent self. On the fourth trip the crumb had done earlier.

WILDERNESS WOODCUTTER

By L. D. Moore, Field School, 1950 On Sunday, August 6, my attenbirds ' action was their manner of tion was called to a pair of western pecking on the limb to get food. pileated woodpeckers (Ceophleus pileatus picinus) which were feeding to peck a hole to get at the insects in some dead snags at Camp 19. Most woodpeckers are content just to peck a hole to get at the insects which live in the dead wood. The pileated woodpecker goes at its California, being from 17 to 18 food-getting much the same as a inches in length. At first glance it woodcutter chops wood. First, sevresembles a huge Modoc wooderal pecks are made straight down pecker (Dryobates villosus orius), but in a most orthodox manner, seemcloser inspection readily reveals the ingly in order to loosen the chunk of difference in markings. The entire wood or bark. The bird then delivtop of the head of the pileated wooders several strokes with its beak at pecker has a crest of red feathers an angle to the first attack, thus (hence the name), and in contrast making a wedge-shaped cut in the with other woodpeckers the head wood. As it makes these slashing and neck of the pileated woodpeckstrokes it gives a twisting motion to er are very slim, having an almost its head that pries the chips off. A snaky appearance. This is further great deal of power must be exerted accentuated by the long, pointed in this method of pecking, as I obbeak. served large chunks of bark and When first observed its actions wood flying through the air, some were similar to those of any woodas much as three feet from the origpecker, but upon closer examination inal point of attachment. After the the birds were seen to hop backbirds had flown from the area I wards on the limb, as much as four picked up some of the pieces and inches to the hop, to a new feeding found them to be as much as two spot. To my knowledge this is the inches square. The size of these only woodpecker which can machunks is in itself a testimony to the neuver itself in this manner. skill of our wilderness woodcutter, The most interesting feature of the the western pileated woodpecker.

NEW FIND OF THE FAIRY SHRIMP

By Claude Flock, Field School, 1950 The fairy shrimp (Streptocephalus uvalii) was found again on July 28, this time while the Field Schoolers were on a general nature walk in the Gaylor Lakes area near Tioga Pass, led by Ranger Naturalist Dick Robinson. Although reported by Gerhard Bakker of the 1941 Field School,' the fairy shrimp is still one of the lesser known animals of Yosemite National Park. Only a few of the Field Schoolers and none of the other people on our walk had ever seen anything like them before. Several persons exclaimed, "What are they?" as they looked into the water of the shallow pond. Swarms of fairy shrimp could be seen. Other minute crustaceans were present, including numerous copepods and Daphnia, but these soon lost interest to the larger fairy shrimp. Soon many were scooped out and examined more closely. Someone noticed that they swam upside down and that their many feet moved in a wavy fashion from head to tail. It was a member of the Field School who identified them and told the group something about their habits. They not only swim with their many legs but also breathe and direct food into their mouths with them. Present on the legs are respiratory organs which contain many tiny blood vessels through which the oxygen of the water easily enters and the blood's carbon dioxide is gotten rid of. The life of water set up by the waving feet seem to direct food, consisting of microscopic animals and plants, into the shrimp 's mouth continuously. Male Fairy Shrimp, four times life size. The pond in which they were living looked as if it would dry up in a few weeks. How could these little animals live in such a temporary place, subject to the low temperatures of an elevation above 10,000 feet? The question was partially answered, at least, when it was pointed out that the shallow water would warm up quickly during the day and thus allow for some rapid growth. And the problem of the pond 's drying up apparently isn 't serious to the creature. The eggs resting over from one season to the next are very resistant to drying and freezing. John Y. Beaty, in his book Nature is Stranger than Fiction, tells of some fairy shrimp eggs placed in mud which was allowed to dry and then kept for 14 years. Then the eggs were put in cold water and promptly hatched as though they had been laid only a few months before.

EDITOR'S NOTE

The lateness in publication of recent issues of Yosemite Nature Notes has been due primarily to unusually heavy demands on the editorial staff's time by the increased visitor use of the summer interpretive facilities, by temporary loss of stenographic service, and by unforeseen special assignments. It is expected that a return to the normal schedule of publication will be made with the November issue.

1. YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 20:104. 1941.

COOKING AND CAMP ROUTINE FOR LARGE GROUPS IN THE MOUNTAINS

By Sam W. Elkins, Field School, 1950 One of the high points of Field School experience is the twelve-day period spent in the Yosemite high country. It has been the custom on such trips for the class to travel as a body, pool all its resources, buy all its food before leaving, and to carry out all general camp activities as a unit. Our meals were planned in such a way that we had brought prepared foods for breakfast and dinner, but the lunches were of a type—called trail lunches—which we could easily carry with us and eat wherever we happened to be. They were the ultimate in simplicity, yet were planned to be completely satisfying both nutritionally and quantitatively. This year our Field School group, together with leaders plus an occasional visitor, averaged about 22 or 23 people. This was not a large group, but was large enough so that we had to do some careful planning as to kinds and amounts of food to be taken. It was also necessary to set up some sort of an agreement on how the routine camp chores were to be performed so that each member carried his proper share of the load. These trail lunches consisted of peanuts, raisins, a wedge of cheese, eight or ten salted crackers, and some sort of dried fruit—apricots, peaches, apples, or prunes. For dessert there was a two ounce square of a kind of chocolate, such as Ghirardelli's Semisweet, that does not melt easily. We also took along some dried figs and dates as an occasional treat. These foods were conveniently carried in a small bag or a sock tied to one's belt. I think the Field Schoolers this year are unanimous in agreeing that things worked out exceptionally well. There was plenty of good food, and we were fortunate to have the services of two excellent people for the cooking, Betty Willard and Barbara Cross. These two girls are responsible for working out most of the menus as herein presented, and they did a marvelous job preparing the foods listed. Almost all the foods were purchased before we left Yosemite Valley. It would seem that anyone could do as we did and have a 10-15% reduction of the total cost when purchasing in such large quantities.

Breakfast was also planned for maximum simplicity with an ample supply of warming, high-energy foods. Each morning we had some type of cooked fruit made from dried fruit products. We also had some sort of hot cereal. Sometimes this comprised the complete breakfast, but about on alternate days we had additional servings of pancakes and bacon. We used powdered milk both for the cereal and to make hot chocolate, which was a welcome addition to almost all the breakfasts.

Our dinners were the most elaborate meal of the day. We were usually tired and hungry and sometimes cold, and I must say these meals satisfied us on all counts. The following is a brief summary of our dinner menus:

II III

Combination vegetable salad Split pea soup Mulligan stew Meat loaf Macaroni and cheese Mashed potatoes Mashed potatoes Butterscotch pudding Coleslaw Canned peaches Tapioca pudding

Tossed salad Tomato-vegetable soup Coleslaw Spaghetti and meat balls Creamed tuna Chili beans Canned plums Boiled rice Canned cherries Canned peas Cookies Mixed fruit

VII VIII IX

Chicken-noodle soup Creamed noodle soup Creamed potato soup Creamed dried beef Corned beef and cabbage Creamed tuna Mashed potatoes Mashed potatoes Rice Chocolate-tapioca pudding Canned blackberries Sliced pineapple X

XI XII

Corned beef hash Bouillon Tamale pie Carrots Lima beans and salt pork Coleslaw Bouillon Coleslaw Applesauce Stewed fruit Orange-tapioca pudding Pineapple-cocoanut pudding Cocoa In all cases where possible we used dried or dehydrated foods. Mashed potatoes made by adding hot water or milk to the mixture, dehydrated soups, rice that cooks in four or five minutes, and pudding mixes are all very useful. For drinks we usually had tea, but coffee and/or bouillon should also be available. Probably it is most economical to use coffee in the powdered form.

From the standpoint of economy it might be well here to point out the rather surprising fact that the total cost to each Field Schooler for the food described above was approximately 36c per meal, or a grand total of $13.20 for the twelve days!

Our organization for camp chores was also particularly efficient. We divided ourselves into four groups of five people each. Each work group was given the responsibility for doing the chores for a certain meal. In our case it operated so that each group had a dinner and the following breakfast to take care of on three different occasions. In this way there was never any doubt as to who was expected to work and who was excused. Also, the individual members of the group had some choice in deciding among themselves who was to do what job. For one meal a member might help the cooks, wash dishes after another, chop wood for another, or if he preferred he might chop wood on all three occasions without too much objection from the other members of his group.

Cooking over an open fire may be dirty and smoky but it is by far the fastest method of getting things done. Large kettles of water can be brought to a rolling boil in ten to fifteen minutes, when it might take much longer on a gasoline stove. A scouring pad and a little elbow grease from one of the members of the work crew seemed able to do wonders with the dirt on the outside of a pot anyway... but it will take a lot more than a scouring pad to remove the memories of the twelve delightful days we spent working, playing, and eating together while the Field School was in "the Meadows."

Digitized by Yosemite Online Library Dan Anderson