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72 A noble wind torrent sweeping down the Tenaya & invading cans [cañons] filling the whole valley from wall to wall boiling & [eddying] in side cañons glancing round angles, escaping [glan] sweeping upwards over the tips of the valley as the Yosem [Yosemite] glacier did When I had reached an elevation above sunny S [side] of about [800] feet the tips of the mtns [mountains] of the Merced group began to rise above the curve between S [South Dome] that sweeps between & Star [Starr] King These were adorned as I had never seen them before from the thin wave like summit of Mt Clrk [Clark] & the sharp pyramid l [like] point of Gray Mtn [Mountain] [there] streamed a splendid white banner of splendid dimensions These banners were at first [bent] upon then continued with sublime motion horizontally for a length of at least 3000 ft. Seen against the blue sky the effect was indescribably grand That from Mt Crk [Clark] broad & variable from sharp Gray Mtn [Mountain] the finest
73 being narrow when attached then widen steadily from all the [serrated] peaklets between a banner, as if all the peaks of the group were the jagged [river] of a vast crater [???] The wind swept up the curves of these peaks just as the glrs [glaciers] wh [which] carved [them] once swept down [carrying] snow dust The upper fall as it shot [poured] its [multitude] [of] arrowy comets into the wind was most [glossy] in voice & form. All of its motions were graceful & peaceful as if the wind were a welcome friend I approached the brink overlooking the mouth of the ice cone notwithstanding the rocks & bushes [for] a [breadth] of 5 or 600 yds were drenched from rain made out of loose outer folds belonging to the fall torn into shreds & scattered by whirlpools of [wind] Almost suffocated by [driving] rain I began to cast about for some nitch [niche]
Date Original
1873
Source
Original journal dimensions: 10 x 16.5 cm.
Resource Identifier
MuirReel23Journal11P072-073.tif
Publisher
Holt-Atherton Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library
Rights Management
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Keywords
John Muir, journals, drawings, writings, travel, journaling, naturalist
