July-August 1873, "Alps" and Little Yosemite Image 50

• Main Author: Muir, John
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Scholarly Commons 1873
• Subjects: John Muir; journals; drawings; writings; travel; journaling; naturalist; Icy Lake; Matterhorn; Norway; The Forks; glacier
• Online Access: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmj-all/642; https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/context/jmj-all/article/1641/type/native/viewcontent/fullsize.jpg

62 & gooseberries also [Norway] [pine] one golden rod & noble thistle & the bush [Epilob] [Epilobium] fringes of wh [which] are in flower rich purple as ever [was] worn by high bred plant of the tropics besides [ ] were fine nodding carices in clumps & [senecio] & hairy lupines & [spragrua] all this with a circumference of snowy mtns [mountains] looking at it & chill icy lake clashing its frosty waves [at] its foot (Alt [altitude] 11500) Glorious walk home reaching gardens richer yet richer. Strange none of the big Gentiana on this side the range everywhere on other side. The outlet of 3 lakes on its way down the mtnside [mountainside] to its big open valley that goes straight to [Mono] [as] it comes by a narrow but deep névé beneath wh [which] it has cut itself a passage The mouth of this [passage] is [very] grand the roof splendidly sculptured & arched The glad & bold stream enters this gateway at a bound. In crossing this névé narrowly escaped falling into crevasse 20 or 30 ft deep 3 ft wide Reach camp on the lake side sifted full of wind rich happy & weary Height of pass above gl [glacier] on way to Matterhorn 11700 Boulder of slate (hard metamorphic) after bearing many a crush & blow so that its angles are battered & worn off at length on the breaking up & recession of the gl [glacier] to wh [which] it belonged it came to rest on top of smooth rock where one of its clvg [cleavage] planes became developed & it [fell] apart with its own weight [clear] cut as if sawn [sketch: on Rush Creek near upper end of upper valley next to Mt Lyell] [sketch] Red [stones] [ ] [ ] [ ] [Bauer] Cascade is on the [lower] [edge] of this garden [Considering] the [forks] wh [which] run [to] [Mt] Lyell [as] [Main] river The first [branch] running southward [divides] about a mile from river into two main branches wh [which] after rising [rapidly] for 800 ft making fine slopes for [casc] [cascade] run in grand broad simplicity at [ ] [ ] [parent] [mtns] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] ...