December 1952

YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES VOLUME XXXI • NUMBER 12 DECEMBER 1952

Winter forest study —Ansel Adams

J. Grayson Stagecoaches on old Big Oak Flat Road, Yosemite Valley, 1903. Cover Photo : Winter forest study, by Ansel Adams.

THE MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF

THE Yosemite NATURALIST division AND

THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION, INC.

I. C. Preston, Superintendent D. E. McHenry, Park Naturalist D. H. Hubbard, Assoc. Park Naturalist N. B. Herkenham, Asst. Park Naturalist W. W. Bryant, Junior Park Naturalist i VOL. XXXI

DECEMBER, 1952 NO. 12 YESTERYEAR'S STAGECOACHING INTO YOSEMITE

By C. M. Goethe, Sacramento, California

Some of us, in this Faster-than-Sound Age, still are old-fashioned enough to assert that the only way to see a country is afoot. What could telescope more into that much time than the 1919 Tahoe-to-Yosemite Goethe-Bryant hike? If you must hurry, the stagecoach "Dinner over, we again mounted stage for Coulterville, gold-belt mining town. Our six horses skillfully sped around the road's hairpins. The way lay largely through elfin forest. The ceanothus was in full bloom, disclosing unforgettable beauty in the flash of the stage lights. Arriving at our Coulterville hostel about 11 o'clock, we were told we would be called at 3, for a daybreak start. Today this may seem cruelly early. I myself was raised in an environment of "Start as soon as you can see." The slogan was: "Get horsework over before the day's heat." We long ago had reserved box seats next to renowned driver Sleeper. We-2 were all excitement, for here might be the journey's highlight. Mr. Sleeper had an enviable record as a raconteur. No one in all the Great West could excel him in yarning—if he were in the mood. We-2 had planned accordingly, should, perchance, Sleeper be in the mood." We did happen into one of his Taciturn Times. Before starting he had had a row with the stableboy. Every few minutes he would "swear under his breath." This, in the presence of Mrs. Goethe, meant that the rumpus had been serious. Horse trouble before starting was no light matter in that day when murder might be overlooked, but a horsethief always got the rope. Forewarned, our strategy was to greet him, then ignore him, while we-2 told each other yarn after yarn. In about twenty minutes it was evident, being close-packed in the box seat, that the Sleeper ribs under the Sleeper coat were undulating. Another ten minutes and our driver exploded: "Say, you youngsters ain't never seen much of life. Now you'all listen to me." Promptly and expectantly we listened. There followed tale after tale packed with the folk wisdom and the exaggerated humor of stagecoach driving. A sample of this follows: He, never forgetting the "ribbons" in his hand, was laughing at his own jokes so heartily that Mrs. Goethe said, "Why Mr. Sleeper, you're crying!" "Good reason," he ejaculated. "Always do at this turn of the road, about my poor twin brother, Jack. We was orphans but was raised apart, me down in Mariposa, poor Jack up in British Columbia. They struck it rich on Frazer River and Jack lamed mining as a kid. "See that avalanche scar yonder?" He pointed with his whip to a of bare rocks down a sugarpineclad escarpment. "Well, poor Jack died at the foot of that slide. It was his-a-way: He heard I was driving stage down here in Mariposa. He decided to join me. He had no money, but he owned a burro, with pick, shovel, and miner's pan. As he traveled along he always panned enuf to pay his grub. He was coming along that ridge" (again a sweep of his whip). "He saw the dust of my stage. He knew he was too late. But no Sleeper is a piker. He yanked his miner's pan off'n his burro. He sat in it, and came sliding down that avalanche scar. And so we twine, separated since our mother nursed us, one at each breast, finally were reunited." There was a dramatic pause. Sleeper, with his bandana, wiped another tear from his cheek. Mrs. Goethe sympathetically queried, "Why the sorrow?" "Well, you see ma'am, his miner's pan came down so fast it got red hot! My poor twin brother were burned to a crisp like bacon!" Thus Sleeper made time fly until he landed us at 6 p.m. at Camp Curry. One of our passengers that day was a Parisian. She had an inside seat. When we arrived at Camp Curry it was dusk, and at her departure next morning at 6 a.m. it "isn't half bad." Our family had "dead-axed it" into Yosemite in the 1880's and the stage lights. Arriving at our Coulterville hostel about 11 o'clock, we were told we would be called at 3, for a daybreak start. Today this may seem cruelly early. I myself was raised in an environment of "Start as soon as you can see." The slogan was: "Get horsework over before the day's heat." At the century's turn, we were already infected by the hurry bacteria, and we changed dead-ax for coach. Merced to Snelling then was by a tiny railroad. Its timetable allegedly was accommodatingly so flexible that passengers could call a halt We long ago had reserved box anywhere to pick wildflowers. At seats next to renowned driver Snelling, our first stage driver was Sleeper. We-2 were all excitement, a muscular young negro. At a cerfor here might be the journey 's hightain lookout along the road he light. Mr. Sleeper had an enviable would halt to point upmountain with record as a raconteur. No one in all his whip. "Up thar my mammy's the Great West could excel him in a-cookin' dinner. Ah kin tell by the yarning—if he were in the mood. color of the smoke you-all gwine to We-2 had planned accordingly, have southern fried chicken and should, perchance, Sleeper be "not sweet taters." Here was a prophet in the mood. " We did happen into with honor in his own bailiwick! one of his Taciturn Times. Before I. The birth of the now widespread service of "nature guiding" in the national park system and elsewhere in the United States is traced to the initiative and support of Mr. and Mrs. I C. M. Goethe, first at California 's Lake Tahoe in 1918, and then at Yosemite in 1920. See Carl P. Russell 's "The C. M. Goethes and Nature Protection, " Yosemite Nature Notes 29(7): 63-64, July 1950.—Ed. 2. Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Goethe.

starting he had had a row with the along that ridge " (again a sweep Of stableboy. Every few minutes he his whip). "He saw the dust of my. would "swear under his breath." stage. He knew he was too late. But This, in the presence of Mrs. Goethe, no Sleeper is a piker. He yanked his meant that the rumpus had been miner 's pan off'n his burro. He sat serious. Horse trouble before starting in it, and came sliding down that was no light matter in that day when avalanche scar. And so we twine, murder might be overlooked, but a separated since our mother nursed horsethief always got the rope. us, one at each breast, finally were Forewarned, our strategy was to reunited." There was a dramatic greet him, then ignore him, while Pause. Sleeper, with his bandana, we -2 told each other yarn after yarn. wiped another tear from his cheek. In about twenty minutes it was evi Mrs. Goethe sympathetically dent, being close-packed in the box queried, "Why the sorrow?" "Well, seat, that the Sleeper ribs under the you see ma 'am, his miner 's pan Sleeper coat were undulating. An came down so fast it got red hot! My other ten minutes and our driver ex poor twin brother were burned to a ploded : "Say, you youngsters ain't crisp like bacon! " Thus Sleeper' never seen much of life. Now you'all made time fly until he landed us (It listen to me." Promptly and expect6 p.m. at Camp Curry. aptly we listened. There followed One of our passengers that day tale after tale packed with the folkwas a Parisian. She had an inside wisdom and the exaggerated humor seat. When we arrived at Camp of stagecoach driving. Curry it was dusk, and at her de- -A sample of this follows: He, never parture next morning at 6 a.m. it forgetting the "ribbons "" in his hand, still was dark. She sighed as sho was laughing at his own jokes so settled into her stage seat, to exheartily that Mrs. Goethe said, "Why claim, "J'ai f a *t le Yosemite! " She thus Mr. Sleeper, you're crying! " "Good scratched Yosemite Valley off her reason," he ejaculated. "Always do list. Sleeper, on the return trip, makat this turn of the road, about my ing a bull 's-eye with his cud of topoor twin brother, Jack. We was bacco, sarcastically said, "She's orphans but was raised apart, me swine to write a book on Yosemite! " down in Mariposa, poor Jack up in On one such century-turn stage British Columbia. They struck it rich trip we had, returning, two unusual on Frazer River and jack lamed passengers. The first was a specmining as a kid. tacled New England spinster, a fa "See that avalanche scar yon natical fruititarian. She once bustled der?" He pointed with his whip to a late into the dinner at Camp Curry, of bare rocks down a sugarpineproclaiming, " 'Climbed Clouds Rest line today on two DRIED APRICOTS!" clad escarpment. "Well, poor Jack She was offensive in her persistent died at the foot of that slide. It was efforts to convert all to her own pethis-a-way: He heard I was driving culiar brand of Hinduism. Meat diet stage down here in Mariposa. He was taboo. As with the Jain priests, decided to join me. He had no an ant or a spider was to be lifted money, but he owned a burro, with unharmed out of one 's path; who pick, shovel, and miner 's pan. As knew but that the soul of one 's dehe traveled along he always panned ceased father had slipped in such enuf to pay his grub. He was coming reincarnation?

Historic photograph of Hetch Hetchy Valley before permanent inundation by O'Shaughnessy Dam in 1923 for San Francisco's water supply. The second was Father Kelley. On one of these coachtrips of the his good priest had been born beearly 1900 's, we-2 accepted the ind the Purple Mountain across Sierra Club 's challenge that several om McCarthy Moore 's ruined castle successive parties of volunteers n Lake Killarney ' s shores. Although should camp in Hetch Hetchy, to he Emerald Isle ' s religious educasubstantiate that organization 's claim tion is thorough, the spinster underthat this valley was a gem of scenery took to convert Father Kelley. The a miniature Yosemite. The Hetch jolly fat priest countered by joking Hetchy trail left the stage road at the spinster from Salem, who grew Hazel Green. more and more angry. She must Here we met a trapper. His wife.have found it exhausting. Anyhow, was dead, and their only daughter 'we arrived at Fred Harvey 's in Merwas betrothed to a cowboy named ced. She was absent when we other Jim, who was to be our guide. Jim passengers sat down together for was as handsome as a Hollywood.luncheon. Father Kelley had left his actor. He was a skilled horseman, purse in his overcoat and went back knew cattle, and was an encycloto the stagecoach for it. Returning, pedia of woodland lore. En route we he whispered in my ear, "Do ye decamped overnight where there were sire to see our friend, old 'Dried four university undergraduates. They Apricots ' ? " We went to the shorthad conspired to flirt with this sunorder lunch counter outside. There bonneted daughter of the backshe was, devouring a T-bone steak woods. Her dad had warned me at of that thickness which today is Hazel Green of the heartlessness of legendary. it all. He said : " She's so verdant she

does not understand how they are Old Lucy, the squaw, to David Curryl deceiving her. I do and so does her and to Galen Clark. John Muir than lover, Jim. I can't give her a dowry was still active. Some of us had been like San Francisco girls would get. asked to undergird his efforts to con. But there ain't anyone in New York vert the Kings Canyon country into or Paris that ' ll ever have finer furs national park status, the same (1$ than I 've been saving for her all Yosemite. It was a discouragingly these years in the big home-made long fight, and probably would never cedar chest. " have been successful had not the The ride of us-2 next day with Jim Sierra Club persisted. Herein we into Hetch Hetchy was unforgettable. must never forget the intelligent oh• Hour after hour the trail lay through stinacy of W. E. Colby and Dr. H. C. 200-foot sugar pines. It was the most Bryant. After Muir came the late magnificent timber I ever saw. I understand that Stephen Mather, who really built the derstand that today all of it has national park system in the United screeched as the lumber companies ' States. He was the first director of the saws ripped it open. National Park Service when it was Yosemite a half century ago was created in 1916. There followed in unbelievably beautiful in wildflower 1920 the transfer of our nature-guide time. Teen-agers today can have experiment from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite. Teen-agers today can have little conception of how the valley a floor then was Of this Dr. Loye Miller, a floor then was carpeted with massed leader therein, said that year to Mrs. color. The conservation movement, Goethe and the writer, "This work is none too strong today, came too late of infinite horizon." Most of the to save the most picturesque color "Mather men " have passed into the show of all. Great Beyond. A few still live, among Of the many interests in Yosemite whom are Colonel White, Carl Valley then, perhaps the most fasRussell, and Horace Albright. Their cinating were the humans—from number grows steadily less.

BIRDLAND'S HAPPIEST MARRIAGE

By Henry G. Weston, Jr., Ranger Naturalist Aside from the blue-fronted jay, Rather, the grosbeak is most likely probably no species of bird is better to be remembered for its friendly known to summer campers on the forays to the camptable. Not as bold floor of Yosemite Valley than the nor raucous as the jay, it nevertheblack-headed grosbeak (Hedymeles less is wont to visit the dinner tables' m. melanocephalus). Yet few of these in the campgrounds and to pilfer bits campers realize how well mated the of food. It seems especially fond of grosbeaks are. In the bird kingdom fruits, and its taste for butter (nowaa pair of them stands as the perfect days oleomargarine?) is responsible match, with the male the devoted for its nickname, "butter bird." Unhusband sharing in the various like the jay, we can forgive these household and parental chores. grosbeak misdemeanors, for in reThis ideal marriage, so rarely turn the male grosbeak provides found among birds, is seldom obcolor as well as pleasing music to served by casual Yosemite visitors. our ears.

Winter visitors to Yosemite miss these friendly, colorful songsters, or, like many of our feathered residents, grosbeaks leave the park to travel south each winter. While Yosemite shivers in the cold, they bask somewhere south in the tropical sun. Grosbeak "visiting hours" in the Yosemite region run approximately from mid-April through mid-September of each year. This is the season when they return to beautiful Yosemite to raise a family. This is also the season when Mr. Grosbeak puts all other birds in the Yosemite area to shame with his willingness to help with the family tasks. The males are the first to arrive each spring, generally preceding the females by several days. With the arrival of the females, frenzied courtship antics take place as the showy males vie for the attention of the females. Two or even three males can be seen singing and flying about in the vicinity of one female, occasionally chasing her. Rival males also frequently chase one another. The whole picture seems to be one of utter confusion as we watch. Soon after the female makes her selection of a mate, the two settle down to housekeeping, usually in some shrub or dense tree, not too far from water. There, from 6 to 12 feet above the ground, they place the flimsy structure that answers for a nest. Literature on this subject almost invariably mentions the frail construction. Grinnell and Storer in Animal Life in the Yosemite, for example, write that it "is so thin in weave that the contents can be seen, at least in outline, from beneath." Building of the nest is done by the female, and here is one of the few places where Mr. Grosbeak shirks his family obligations. He frequently follows his wife while she gathers nesting material, but seems to offer no assistance in the task except to accompany her on her trips with vigorous, rollicking songs. Continuous incubation normally starts with the laying of the next-tolast egg in the set of three to four. At this time Mr. Grosbeak chips in and carries on almost half of the incubation duties. He does not serve his wife her meals but he does the next best thing: he sits on the eggs while she goes off in search of her own meals. This cooperation by both sexes means the eggs are covered over 99 per cent of the time. The male, for some unknown reason, occasionally sings while incubating. How strange this is!—when most birds strive to prevent disclosure of the nest 's location to searching predators. Mr. Grosbeak's bright colors make the nest conspicuous enough without his making the location even more apparent by uttering loud songs. Not to be outdone by her mate, the female also sings from the nest. Her songs are not loud nor are they long, but nevertheless they are highly melodic. Very few females of other kinds of birds sing. In some ways this trait is rather unique with the grosbeaks. The eggs begin hatching on the 12th day of incubation. With that the change in the parents ' daily routine is surprisingly little at first, then gradually more as the young birds develop. The two adults continue to

cooperate in the care of their family—brooding and feeding them, attending to nest sanitation, and acting in their defense. As the young grosbeaks grow, both parents spend progressively longer periods off the nest, so that by the 12th and last day of the young at the nest they are brooded only at infrequent intervals, depending on the weather. The activities of the parents and young for several days after the latter leave the nest are difficult to observe, as all become quiet and extremely secretive in their movements. Both parents, however, do aid in the care of the young during the critical days immediately following the departure from the nest.

As the cycle of parental duties comes to a close, one realizes what an active role is played in it by the male grosbeak. When we consider that a great majority of the males in the bird kingdom devote little any energy to aiding the females in the raising of a family, we can indeed say the black-headed grosbeaks make ideal mates. What a shame that more visitors to Yosemite are not aware of Mr. Grosbeak's finest attribute.

MINERAL CURIOSITIES ON RAGGED PEAK

By William L. Neely, Ranger Naturalist There is a sandy flat just below the like the "miniature Devil Postpile " final rise of Ragged Peak north of on the Tuolumne River near Glen Tuolumne Meadows where it is very Aulin High Sierra Camp. It was just natural to pause and rest. A bank of a clump of rocks, or rather three snow provides water, a small meadclumps, forming a rough circle, pos. ow of short grass offers green relief sibly an old volcanic core within from the glare of granite, and clumps the granite and rising about 2 or 3 of red heather soften the edges of feet above its surface, which is to fallen boulders. say that the granite was weathered Here we rested and here we dis away that much more than the covered basalt. This black, dull rock basalt. It will be there for others to was conspicuous amid the ever find, and no one would remark over present granite. In the white and it unless aware that basalt—though gleaming world we were in, the it is a common volcanic rock in dark basalt was a somber invader other regions is extremely rare in from Pluto 's realm that had some Yosemite National Park, a remnant how pushed up in ancient times, of fire and brimstone in a land of

glacier-cleaned granite. Our find was not the spectacular And then on the north face of columnar form of basalt as exempliRagged Peak we discovered a mass fied in the Devil Postpile, * nor even of pegmatite of enormous proper- *See "The Devil Postpile National Monument." Yosemite Nature Notes 31(10), October 1952.

I67 ite, like a great bubble in the granite that had been filled with a mixture of its unmixed ingredients, quartz and feldspar. A lens-shaped layer of quartz 20 to 25 feet wide and 12 to 14 feet high was overlain by an equally large mass of pure orthoclase feldspar in great angular crystals. At the base of the cliff we picked up large specimens of both minerals, choosing among them for the best examples to lug back to Tuolumne Meadows for a future mineral display.

Why these masses of the pure ingredients that make up the white part of granite should occur amid the common rock was a geological question we couldn't answer on the spot. Our suspicion was that the crystalline mass was once a huge bubble in the granite, perhaps formed by superheated gases and vapors while the granite was still rather plastic, and then later filled like dikes by an intrusion of molten rock, in this case quartz and feldspar which crystallized separately, the quartz below, the feldspar above. How deep the intrusion went into the mountain we couldn't tell, but at any rate it is there, shining like a magnificent jewel on the side of Ragged Peak, and most likely will continue to be there long after our civilization has gone.

"PUDDLING"—IN YOSEMITE AND ELSEWHERE

By Alice E. Snow, Field School, 1952 natural science and things to do that children can understand. The older ones, from 11 on up, generally out-of-doors are generally more en- like insect hunting and mounting. joyable and attractive to children They are quick to learn the insect than many of the other school names. Stalking insects with a net is studies. Most boys and girls have a an excellent way to learn their natural curiosity about the plants habits.

An unbelievable attraction for and animals, rocks and stars. They water is likely to be built up among are quick to notice things about 9-year-old groups, which makes it them and seldom need to be re- almost physically impossible for them minded to observe, although they to walk around a mud puddle. This do need someone to interpret most fascination frequently carries that they see. through to adolescence and some-

The varying of children's interests times into adulthood. With a little with their ages seems to follow a guidance, this natural delight in general pattern. Through the age of "puddling" may be turned into a about 8, I have found that the very profitable hobby. Organized youngsters primarily enjoy those field trips as a beginning may soon fairly large mammals and birds that develop an interest in individual have a good deal of moving about. study. Many organizations—scouts, Mammals and their young are interesting "stories" and something

trailside museums, day camps, and, girl can catch something; the childin some places, schools—recognize dren are active as well as the leader. and take advantage of this ideal Participation is at its fullest. This type learning situation. of trip provides good opportunities One hot day last July, I had an for group "socializing. " In the midst opportunity, as part of Field School of exciting catches, shyness and training, to participate in instructing other difficulties are, momentarily at children in the Yosemite Junior Na least, forgotten. "Emergency" situations arise—someone's catch gets away. One of our pupils went to the nature school under the supervision of Mrs. Mary V. Hood. My partner or a girl spies a snake but and I chose to take a pond-life trip is afraid to pick it up, etc.—and cr with our group of young naturalists. met by the children themselves. I was already convinced that a pond The "treasures " of our trip we trip is a perfect field excursion for taken back to an aquarium at t 9 and 10-year-olds. The boys and Yosemite Museum for further stud girls, on setting off from the museum Surely there is no more enjoyah) in Yosemite Valley, carried nets of follow-up than this, when the grow substantial material through which may watch these animals by 1 they could see. At least two pails hour as they go about their businos with handles were essential equipment. ment. I have found that it is more When we leaders suggested that satisfactory for each child to have the group hunt for smaller animals, his own net. He can have fun makwe had had in mind such water insects ing it at home. sects as backswimmers and water Before the pond was reached, the boatmen. These true bugs have long group was given final instructions on hind legs which seem out of proportion the best places to "dredge. " It was tion to the others, and, in being so suggested that they not only watch are adapted for use as "oars. " Back for the larger, more familiar animals swimmers actually swim on their (frogs, tadpoles, etc.), but that they backs which helps them to approach should use their sharp eyes to spot their prey, since their true back is a the smaller, yet often more intriguing, shiny white and more easily seen. swimmers that are likely to be so Common water striders are fun to casually passed off as mere "bugs." study. Children will want to know With this the group dispersed themselves along the pond bank, each to his own chosen spot. Soon there were shrieks of excitement from first one bank and then the other—"I've got a tadpole!" "Here's a beetle!" "What is this long thing swimming around?" "I've got something — bring the pail!" And so a brief morning went all too quickly. We leaders found ourselves hurrying from one site to the next, identifying and "telling the story" about each catch.

Such a trip can almost always be successful because each boy and girl can catch something; the children are active as well as the leader. Participation is at its fullest. This type of trip provides good opportunities for group "socializing." In the midst of exciting catches, shyness and other difficulties are, momentarily at least, forgotten. "Emergency" situations arise—someone's catch gets away or a girl spies a snake but is afraid to pick it up, etc.—and are met by the children themselves.

The "treasures" of our trip were taken back to an aquarium at the Yosemite Museum for further study. Surely there is no more enjoyable follow-up than this, when the group may watch these animals by the hour as they go about their business in an almost natural environment.

When we leaders suggested that the group hunt for smaller animals, we had had in mind such water insects as backswimmers and water boatmen. These true bugs have long hind legs which seem out of proportion to the others, and, in being so are adapted for use as "oars." Back swimmers actually swim on their backs which helps them to approach their prey, since their true back is a shiny white and more easily seen.

Common water striders are fun to study. Children will want to know why it is that they are able to walk on the surface of the water. The terrifying water scorpion that preys on there were shrieks of excitement anything smaller than himself and from first one bank and then the holds his victim in tight-grasping other—"I've got a tadpole! " "Here's forelegs makes an impressive a beetle! " "What is this long thing aquarium study. swimming around? " "I've got someThose " long things swimming thing — bring the pail! " And so a around " were the young dragonflies brief morning went all too quickly. and damselflies, known as nymphs. We leaders found ourselves hurrying Dragonfly nymphs have an extendible from one site to the next, identifying ible lower jaw plus a unique system and "telling the story " about each of jet propulsion which makes of catch. them valuable "hauls." Such a trip can almost always be The young of the predacious div. successful because each boy and ing beetles, called water tigers, do

<!-- Page ll -->

well at upholding their reputation as tigers, despite their small size. The adult beetle may be seen with head down and tail up to the surface of the water, since he, like so many water insects, breathes through his tail. He frequently is carrying a bubble of air close to the rear part of his body as he dives beneath the surface.

Other meat-eating creatures seen on our trip were the whirligig beetle (he may always be counted on to provide a circus), giant water bugs, and some of the segmented worms we call leeches. In some ponds, snails are common plant eaters, though in several places in Yosemite we have found the larvae of the caddisflies to be far more numerous. These larvae, with their little homes of sticks or stones, offer one of the most thrilling pond experiences for the uninitiated.

As children learn about the eating habits of these animals, they may begin, perhaps for the first time, to understand something of the intricate chain of events the eat-or-be-eaten laws which take place in a pond and are, indeed, a part of all Nature.

A pond is such a clear example of plants and animals living together —well adapted to their environment that it may be used as a stepping stone to the study of other, less distinctive, communities. I feel certain that a carefully guided pond trip, followed up by similar trips or further study, has rewarding and lasting values exceeding those of other nature-study trips. Ralph Anderson Guided field trip for children in Yosemite Junior Nature School.

Digitized by Yosemite Online Library Dan Anderson