July 1958

YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES VOLUME XXXVII - NUMBER 7 JULY 1958

Vernal Fall

IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.

About the author — Mr. and Mrs. Goethe have been called "The father and mother of the National Park Service ' s interpretive program." As a result of their participation in nature programs conducted in Europe, they began conducting similar programs in the Lake Tahoe area of California. Stephen Mather, the first Director of the National Park Service, was so impressed by their program that he asked them to apply their ideas and programs in Yosemite. This article is reprinted through the kindness of Nature Magazine. Editor

C. Preston, Superintendent Art F. Upton, Assoc. Park Naturalist ), Zachwieja, Junior Park Naturalist in its 37th year of public service. The monthly publication of Yosemite 's park naturalists and the Yosemite Natural History Association. D. H. Hubbard, Park Naturalist R. H. Sharp, Ass't. Park Naturalist W. W. Dunmire, Park Naturalist Trainee

VOL. XXXVII JULY 1958 NO. 7 THE WORLD'S LARGEST SUMMER CAMP

By C. M. Goethe Here is a salute to Micky Kelly! Mickey was an Ishmaelite. He hy? Grandad, who was a college fought everybody from the matron lessor, used to comment, "One to the smallest kid. They fought back. s not know how much his stuEven I could not find that minimum nts learn. He does know he himof good I had insisted was in every If daily gains wisdom from them." boy. Mickey was an example of not Once, with a circle of some twenty ly Grandad's observation but of lads, I was squatted on the ground w Nature guiding in the National under the fig tree. The Nature yarn rks came to be. Mickey 's origin that day was Philippine bumble s abroken home in New England. bees. Mickey always had refused to join the story-telling circle. Bumbleom there he set out on a crossbees, however, awoke something in untry hitch-hike toward a CaliMickey. He stood at a distance, ears rnia where, he had heard, he could alert. I happened to mention that I ck oranges from the tree. On the never could find a California bumevada desert en route, he had blebee 's nest. That electrified Mickagged a train to get a life-saving ey. "I'll show you one right now!" In. The writer begged his custody How he did takes too long to tell m the sheriff after this evidence here. Mickey, however, became an f Mickey 's "juvenile delinquency." excellent assistant naturalist. e was taken to our home for obserThen the day came when he said, ation. There, he could pick oranges "Mr. Goethe, I 'm almost the age I 'll born our garden tree. The final dehave to leave the Orphanage Farm. 1sion was to route him to SacraAs long as I can boss the kids, I 'm ento Orphanage Farm, of which O.K. When I 'm out in the world g randmother, in Gold Rush days, again, I 'm gone. Please get me into [[[ as a founder. the Navy — and on one of those

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newfangled submarines. " with a score of enthusiastic young Mickey saw World War I. He had sters. I climbed Rigi Kulm with then, risen as high as possible without an After the descent, I vowed I would Annapolis education. He volunteered carry to the United States the idea of to lead a raid which, they told him Wandervoegling — the Nature study in advance, meant the supreme sacfield excursion. rifice. The last letter he wrote said, That teacher introduced me to the "Want you to know I do this because leader of the Swiss movement, who of Orphanage Farm bumblebees. I advised a series of trips to Europe. am a good citizen." This he proposed in order to under So, again, here is a salute to stand clearly the varied national Mickey Kelly, junior naturalist, hero techniques of taking children, under on a perilous mission and good citibiologist leadership, to study Nature. zen. A salute because he was, perIt was really the Agassiz theory of baps, foremost in a notebook of Or- "not books, but living things." phanage cases that prepared me to Repeated visits to Europe, follow know what I had accidentally dising the Swiss leaders ' advice, yield covered on Switzerland 's Lake-of-the ed ever-accumulating facts. In Nor Four Forest Cantons! It was on a way, where patronage by Naturesteamer there I met a young teacher conscious Britons loomed considerThe Yosemite Museum, gift of the Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial.

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•ly, summer resorts found it profitwas jokingly alleged he had a chipn.le to staff Nature guides. Geology munk, a rattlesnake, and a mosquito lessons were everywhere in the fjordnamed for him. He immediately saw • shed coast. In the central snowthe possibilities of what Mrs. Goethe -Ids was an alpine floret adjusted to and I were attempting, inspired by environment almost as severe as our experiences overseas. He con-.rts of Greenland. In Britain itself, verted reluctant owners of the other eld trip participation sometimes had five resorts to the idea of extending flavor of prizes for good school hospitality to the two naturalists who work. In fact, in parts of Scotland the conducted the Tahoe Nature walks..utings were called " School Treats. " So these naturalists covered the six In Holland, the grower from whom resorts, one a day, each week. we bought narcissi for our home Popular imagination was electrigarden commented that Dutch bulbs fied. Confirmed anglers abandoned they led the world because producers trout fishing for Nature study. One had schoolboy backgrounds from father came to my tent one morning these Nature study field trips. This at daybreak. "Here are a half-dozen was voiced, too, in the testimony of twigs. I hardly know a cabbage from fruiterers from whom we purchased a pinecone. My sons think me allothouse grapes and hothouse wise. I don 't want to wreck their peaches. It was evident that intellidreams - at least, not now. Please intelligent thinking about Holland 's cornhelp me identify what they brought ercial profits was based on earlier in yesterday." I did, and I also joined youthful studies of such things; for in some of the daytime Nature walks, example, as insect control by birds. and the evening addressed at campen one canal beat trip, (so slow one fires, or indoors. This was principally would often get off and walk), a to try to add a bit of geographical teacher and her wooden-shoed puglamor, from our having joined the pupils, out on a Nature study field exEuropean wandervoegling. The quesursion, welcomed this American. tion box after such talks strengthened All these examples, however, were the conviction derived from my afterolored by education under menbanking - hours character - building authoritarian governments. work with problem boys. I came to Some adjustment was required to appreciate the professor-sagacity of fit the concept into our American Grandad. I constantly learned more democracy. Then, too, our Native from my listeners, and I became inalifornia was only recently emergcreasingly convinced, among other ising from the abnormality of gold rush things, that perhaps half of juvenile days. Most folks still were dominated delinquency was due to inheritance. by a pioneering philosophy that, of I felt, however, that perhaps the other necessity, had little time for "long half was environmental, as with haired professors." That was why Mickey Kelly, who had a bright Mrs. Goethe and I selected Lake mind. Tahoe for our "Laboratory. " Six reHowever, the half-dozen spaced.rts ringed the lake. At one, Fallen trips to Europe were followed by the Fallen Leaf, the owner was a longtime "Tahoe Laboratory, " to create which friend, the late W. W. Price, who had Mrs. Goethe and I banked enough to majored in biology at Stanford. It cover expense of the summer "Tab-

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Stephen T. Mather, first director of the National Park Service. laboratory test." We then told the Unirevenge by blocking his pet Con versity of California we would cover congressional National Parks appropriation expenses of two scientists they would recommend. He feared that his dream was not would recommend. This brought Dr. ended. Feeling too exhausted to go Harold Bryant and Dr. Loye Miller to Sacramento for his Pullman, he retired into our experiment. turned over the Tioga to think things out. Then one day came a tired man - out. This meant overnight some Stephen Mather. He had sold his where. Twilight brought him to Fallen Death Valley holdings to London. len Leaf. Going to register, he passed He had offered my friend, Woodrow the crowded auditorium - and missed Wilson, who had become President, supper that night. his borax profits to "pump-prime" a National Park chain. It happened that that evening's lecturing naturalist was Dr. Miller He had rare ability to call wild birds to budget, over some years, the to him. His talk on their music $50,000,000 he envisioned as the most packed Fallen Leaf auditorium of a National Parks System. He afterward told me he felt he had been beaten in Congress. Afterthe doors. Folks even stood at win dows to hear. Seeing this popular outpouring induced Stephen Mather fact he had defeated plottings to conto ask transfer of our experiment to vert Yosemite into a vast gambling casino. Yosemite National Park. This he en like present-day Reno or Las Vegas. visioned as an effective backfire He said he knew their interests against those who sought to profiteer were powerful enough to gain on this park.

Mather plaques grace almost every National Park. Then came Mather's invitation to attend his Christmas 1919 university class reunion in Yosemite, although he was not a member of that class. He told his troubles, then said: "Take Yosemite's telegraph key. Do not return until you can report your Tahoe laboratory will be moved here next summer." Later Mather added, "Mrs. Goethe and you already have invested much in this. Now, as political strategy, let's give it a geographical flavor. I'll finance some, you the rest. Congress thus will sense the movement is nationwide. The desired Congressional support eventually was consolidated by various methods. One device, (now no longer possible), was a ranger-naturalist suggestion to enthusiastic participants in the field trips: "If you feel so, why not write your two Senators and your Congressman?" Among National Parks visitors were some folks of influence. Soon came Yosemite Training School. Eventual gifts of millions provided museums. Additional national parks were demanded by an enlightened citizenry. It was several years, however, before Congress was convinced they were worth tax payer's dollars. Former Regional Chief of Interpretation later commented, "This has developed into the world's largest summer school with a 25,000,000 acre campus and an enrollment of 18,901,244."

Now the "enrollment" is four times greater — as is the need!

So here once more is a salute to Mickey Kelly, submarine gob, war hero, and "Good Citizen," via beetles, bugs, and bumblebees!

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THE OLD VILLAGE CHURCH IN YOSEMITE

By M. C. Fitzgerald Once in awhile on warm spring tache and the little patches of hair mornings thoughts go back a good above each ear fascinated us, and many years; back to the Old Village we thought he truly earned his niche Church in Yosemite. It is the same in Heaven, for he rang the bell, today as it was forty years ago, and passed the plate, and even swept I suppose it is still being used, as it out the place for the Protestants. was then, by all denominations under some kind of Sunday Armistice. Late arrivals were interesting too, Each pastor sort of dusted the place for every board in the floor squeaked out after the preceding group with a and shrieked to the softest and most few carefully chosen prayers. careful footsteps, causing heads to To little boys, trapped for an hour turn like Jerseys when a Hereford between father and mother on a good comes into the field. And for the behavior or else (I) basis, a service same reasons nobody dared to leave in the Old Village Church was - as early. churches go - quite tolerable and the There was a little reed organ in memory of it now has become, one the church too, which wheezed and of those cherished memories of hapquavered through the hymns, and py boyhood vacations. The sun well it might, for it had been through streamed through the open windows everything from "There Are No Spots and brought with it the warmth of On Jesus " to "Te Laudamus" during the grassy meadow across the road the purple crepe of Lent. Truly it was and the chirping sounds of busy a sweetly sacred place, and the varbirds outside. One tree, which nudgious pastors found it easy to preach ed the windows, became a resort for there for God seemed very close in nearby bees and an occasional exYosemite, and the church was quite ploring bee would come in and buzz small. Then too, it had shared with the place, going round and round generations of happy people a few of before alighting on a flowered hat. the most delightful and carefree This mystery he would explore afoot moments of their lives. Each pilgrim old at some length before buzzing to the Old Village Church took with out the window again, no doubt conhim from there a memory of a cornused. forting warmth and serenity of spirit The chores around the building and a good feeling of going forth were performed by the elderly and from its doors and across the meadmethodical Mr. Degnan from the ow contented and happy in contemnekery next door. He took care of plation of the beauty of a world new everything. His handlebar mustacheagain in Springtime. Reprinted by courtesy of The Fig Leaf, bulletin of the Rotary Club of Merced, California.

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FROM THE PAST

By Roy Christian, Ranger-Naturalist Do you ever dream? wing tips flared out, and they gained It was hot, down in that granite height above the river, flying downgorge, just west of Arch Rock, as I stream away from me. scrambled through the brush der Everything seemed slow, almost dering the river. The river was as if the heat had slowed down the slowed to an August gurgle; the foam processes of life. The birds worked and spray of spring was reduced to laboriously, slowly. Then all together the condors stopped flapping and white boulders. There was a shimveered, wings outstretched, and mer of heat radiating from the oakwent soaring up into the blue Calicovered slopes. fornia sky. The white patches underRounding a turn, there not more wing contrasted with the black wing than 100 yards before me on the tips, each feather distinct and pointslope above the river, was the carcass finger-like. They circled up and miss of a deer lying on the ground. up, following the invisible currents. But it was not the sight of the dead I watched, oblivious of the heat, animal that brought me to a breathoblivious of my poor footing, watchless stop, frozen in the very process ed them circling forever upward and of taking a step. For there alongside then they bore to the south and in an the dead animal I saw three great instant disappeared behind the oakcrown-black birds, and around their covered wall far above. necks a ruff of feathers setting off the The red talus of Mt. Dana was in raw-orange colored heads. There sharp contrast to the bright snow as could be no doubt. Here was the I ascended the north ridge. To my California Condor, eating carrion left I could look down into the cirque along the Merced River on a hot cut by powerful glaciers, now occu- California afternoon. pied by a weak remnant of ice. To Two of the birds faced me, expresthe right the panorama of the Sierra expressionless but noble. The third tore at Nevada stretched out; Mt. Lyell, the the entrails for a moment, but then Cathedral Range, Banner Peak on he too, sensing a stranger on the the horizon — names that are familscene, slowly straightened up and iar and memory-provoking to the turned to watch me. Slowly the three lover of Yosemite. birds began to walk away from the Then a movement down below on carcass. They started to run. Their the sloping shoulder of Dana caught wings partly unfolded, they bounded my eye. Perspective is lost above down the rocky slope and launched timberline. Was it a marmot? Or themselves into the air, almost simultaneouslywould a deer be up here at 12,000? stretching their dark wings out, dropping downward towards the river. Then these great birds all stroked downward and their to my eyes. birds all stroked downward and their to my eyes.

A mummified sheep was found in Lyell glacier in 1933.

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The animal moved rapidly and purposefully across the slope. Tawny brown in color, its white rump showed distinctly. but even more distinct and exciting was its head lifted high, carrying heavy curled horns. A mountain sheep! Within a moment the animal crested a rise and stopped for an instant, looking over his shoulder at me, silhouetted against a Sierra sky, the massive horns curling around and outward and ending in blunt points on either side. But the pause was only momentary. Those telescopic eyes sized up the situation, instantly and the ram was gone. Only as I lowered the glasses was I aware of a dull ache around my eyes from the pressure of the glasses pressed too firmly against my head. The early morning sun slanted into the unnamed meadow just north of Lukens Lake. The trees filtered the light and allowed only occasional shafts to reach the moist meadow Ruthless hunting exterminated the grizzly in California.

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grass. It was cool and I lolled in my chest. Even from this distance I could sleeping bag at the forest 's edge, see the powerful curled nails. His looking out over the meadow. The eyes seemed ridiculously small and knoll I was on gave me a good vantclose together, set deep in the round age point. He stood there for I know not how long — time has no value at a rare moment such as this. Then he dropped to his forefeet, there was another brief growl, and I saw the gray-brown body disappear into the surrounding trees. face. He stood there for I know not As I watched, out of the shadowy forest on the other side of the meadow, a bear nosed into view. Head down, the animal seemed to sniff his way into the grass. I was immediately struck by the bear's size. Although viewed the scene as a whole, the head of the animal seemed to dominate. It was massive. He swung it from side to side, burrowing his snout into the ground. His shaggy coat was grayish brown, tangled and matted, and rising over his shoulders was a hump, the hair on it falling away on all sides almost as if it were climbing. His huge head, tawny color and heavy set shoulders added up only one thing in my racing mind – a grizzly. A grizzly bear hunting for roots at the meadow's edge in the early morning! At the very moment that I realized was a grizzly a breeze began to blow, gently, rustling the fir and pines, cool and peaceful in character. The round heavy head came up and he started towards me across the meadow. There was a grunt, and then the grizzly reared up, hoisting himself onto his hind legs and standing a full eight feet above the meadow floor, his strong paws draped on his barrel chest. Even from this distance I could see the powerful curled nails. His eyes seemed ridiculously small and close together, set deep in the round face. It was mid-morning before I left that small unnamed meadow, just north of Lukens Lake. :rem side to side, burrowing his snout Dreams, true enough. No grizzly into the ground. His shaggy coat was grayish brown, tangled and matted, and rising over his shoulders was a hump, the hair on it falling away on all sides almost as if it were climbing. His huge head, tawny color and heavy set shoulders added up only one thing in my racing mind – a grizzly. A grizzly bear hunting for roots at the meadow's edge in the early morning! At the very moment that I realized was a grizzly a breeze began to blow, gently, rustling the fir and pines, cool and peaceful in character. The round heavy head came up and he started towards me across the meadow. There was a grunt, and then the grizzly reared up, hoisting himself onto his hind legs and standing a full eight feet above the meadow floor, his strong paws draped on his barrel chest. Even from this distance I could see the powerful curled nails. His eyes seemed ridiculously small and close together, set deep in the round face.

Dreams, true enough. No grizzly will grace a Yosemite meadow again; the rams of Yosemite may be gone forever; the giant condors, verging extinction, are pushed into limited mountain area of California. These animals, like the Indians, are victims of civilization.

But grizzlies are still found in the mountains of Yellowstone National Park, mountain sheep still scramble up the talus slopes of Kings Canyon National Park, and only last year two condors were seen in the Diablo hills, far from their home (now a guarded sanctuary). Vigilance is needed to maintain the remnants of our once spectacular wildlife heritage, now shrunken by the works of man. The National Parks are essential links between the world of nature and the world of men. They are a barrier to the ever-spreading biological desert of pavement and roofs.

OUT OF YOSEMITE'S PAST

A One Picture Story The beginning of interpretation in our National Parks. Dr. Loye Miller with a group of nature enthusiasts in Yosemite Valley in 1920.

PUBLICATIONS FOR SALE AT THE YOSEMITE MUSEUM

All mail orders should be addressed to, and remittances made payable to, Yosemite NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION, Yosemite NATIONAL PARK, CALIFORNIA. Prices include postage, insurance, and on proper items, California State Sales Tax 3%, plus 1% County Tax.

GENERAL

Adams' Guide to Yosemite Valley, Illustrated $1 65 Auto Tour of Yosemite Valley, Self-Guiding - Beatty and Harwell

Auto Tour of Yosemite National Pork - Ditton and McHenry

Campsite Finder (Western) - Hartesveldt 1 65 Climber's Guide to High Sierra (Sierra Club) 3 25 Devils Postpile National Monument - Hartesveldt

Exploring Our National Parks and Monuments - Butcher (paper) 3 75 Exploring Our National Parks and Monuments - Butcher (cloth) 5 40 Going Light - With Backpack or Burro - Sierra Club 2 25 Happy Isles Nature Center, Your Guide to - Hubbard

National Park Story in Pictures - Story...

National Parks, The - What They Mean to You and Me - Tilden (cloth) 6.20 National Parks, The - What They Mean to You and Me - Tilden (paper) 1.15 Nature Trail - Inspiration Point, Self-Guiding - Carpenter

Nature Trail - Mariposa Grove. Self Guiding - Wesson

Outdoor Hazards - Real and Fancied - Hood 4 25 Place Names of Yosemite Valley - Hartesveldt

Rocks & Minerals, How to Know Them - Pearl

Starr 's Guide to John Muir Trail and High Sierra Region 2 25 This is California - Obert......................................................... 8 00 Waterfalls, Famous, of the World - Brockman

Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada - Ansel Adams & John Muir 12 70 Yosemite Story, The - Scott 1.20 Yosemite Trails & Tales - Taylor

ANIMAL LIFE

Animal Tracks, Field Guide to - Murie 4.30 Birds of Pacific States - Hoffman... 5.40 Birds, Western, Field Guide to - Peterson 4.30 Birds of Yosemite - Stebbins..----

Fishes of Yosemite National Park - Evans-Wallis

Mammals, Field Guide to - Burt and Crossenheider 4.30 Mammals of Yosemite National Park - Parker

Reptiles and Amphibians of Yosemite National Park - Walker

Survey of Sierra Nevada Bighorn - Jones

TREES AND FLOWERS

Broadleafed Trees of Yosemite National Park - Brockman

Cone-bearing Trees of Yosemite National Park - Cole

Ferns, Field Guide to - Cobb 4.30 Sequoias, Yosemite, Guide to the - McFarland........

Wildflowers, Common, of Yosemite - Beatty, Harwell and Cole

Wildflowers of the Sierra (80 color photos) - Hubbard

Wildflowers, Western, Field Book of - Armstrong 5.40

HISTORY AND INDIANS

Ghost Mines of Yosemite - Hubbard (paper) 1.20 Ghost Mines of Yosemite - Hubbard (cloth) 3.00 Gold, Guns and Ghost Towns - Chalfont 3.80 Indians, Yosemite, Yesterday and Today - Godfrey

John Muir, Protector of the Wilds - Haines-Morrill 2.00 Miwok Material Culture - Barrett and Gifford (paper) 2.20 Miwok Material Culture - Barrett and Gifford (cloth) 3.25 Mother Lode Country, Guide to the - Brockman

100 Years in Yosemite - Russell (paper) 2.20 100 Years in Yosemite - Russell (cloth) 3.25 One Thousand California Place Names - Gudde 1.15 Stephen Mather of the National Parks - Shankland 6.20 Wilderness World of John Muir, The - Teale 4.85 Yosemite : The Story of An Idea - Huth

GEOLOGY AND MAPS

Geologic History of Yosemite Valley (Prof. Paper 160) - Matthes 5.75 Geology of Yosemite Valley, Brief Story of - Beatty

High Sierra Camp Areas, Pocket Guide to - Clark

High Sierra Camp Areas, Trail Guide to - Clark - 1.15 Incomparable Valley, The - Matthes (paper) 2.15 Map of Sequoia-Kings Canyon NP, Topographic - USGS 1.15 Map of Yosemite National Park, Topographic - USGS

Map of Yosemite Valley, Topographic, shaded (geology story printed on back)

North Country of Yosemite, Pocket Guide to - Clark

North Country of Yosemite, Trail Guide to - Clark 1.15 South Boundary Country, Pocket Guide to - Clark

South Boundary Country, Trail Guide to - Clark 1.15

FOR CHILDREN

A Day with Tupi, An Indian Boy of the Sierra - Hubbard (paper) 1.20 A Day with Tupi, An Indian Boy of the Sierra - Hubbard (cloth) 3.00 Animal Friends of the Sierra - Hubbard (paper) 1.20 Animal Friends of the Sierra - Hubbard (cloth) 3.00