Excerpt from Yosemite Valley

He. Sierra nevada Snowy Range - has been well renamed by John Muir the Range of Light; for these mountains of California are the Illumined Mountains. Their mural walls rise to over thirteen thousand feet, and the battlemented peaks and domes fifteen hun dred feet higher in the clouds. On their flanks and lower sides are the Clark covers of the world's greatest coniferous forests; above, the High Sierra glows, amber - like in the afternoon sun of summer, graced with chains of pearl - like mountain lakes and each high peak throated with a scarf of snow. These high granite walls are here and there riven by great chasms, ice-sculptured on a mighty plan. Of these deep Sierra rifts, the greatest in sheer walls and mighty waterfalls is the Yosemite.

The Yosemite National Park is in the heart of the Sierra in central - eastern California, and is now easy of access - none of the American wonderlands more so. From north and south the Southern Pacific joins the Yosemite Valley Railroad at Merced, and the latter with a journey of eighty miles up the beautiful Merced River takes the traveler to the park line El Portal. A stage ride of fo'urteen miles completes the trip to the heart of the Valley. Both at El Portal and in the Valley are such ties to civilization the year round as steam heated, electric - lighted hotels, with telephone, telegraph and express offices. There are comfortable tent villages in summer for those who would be out-of - doors; and for others, nearer kin to the wilderness and who would rest beneath bright stars, there is the whole width of the Sierra, with dry, clear summer nights and sunny days.

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