One mile beyond is Yosemite Lodge, one of the two large hotel-camps of the valley. The main buildings occupy the site of Koom-i´-ne, the largest and most important of the old Indian villages. Just northward the Yosemite Fall makes its triple plunge of 2600 feet, the highest waterfall in the world. The upper fall drops 1430 feet sheer. Crossing the azalia-bordered Yosemite Creek, the road skirts a wide meadow and turns sharply across the valley. To the left is a magnificent panorama of the Royal Arches, North Dome, Washington Column and the precipice of Glacier Point. At the right the great obelisk of The Sentinel rises from the south wall.
Crossing Sentinel Bridge to Yosemite Village we halt at the Sentinel Hotel which, with the cottages opposite, occupies the site of the old Indian village Haw-kaw-koo´-e-tah, the home of the band called Yo-ham´-i-te, for whom the valley was named. A short distance beyond is the office of the U.S. National Park Service, where all campers should stop and register.
We continue up the canyon, now paralleling the south river margin thru a beautiful pine, fir and cedar forest. Thru the trees we now and then catch a glimpse of the Quarter Domes beyond the dominating Half Dome, and finally the summit of Clouds Rest. Three-quarters of a mile from the village is the picturesque Sierra Club Lodge at the right of the road. A short distance further is Camp Curry, delightfully situated among the giant pines and cedars at the base of the towering cliff of Glacier Point. At this spot was the large Indian village of Too-yu´-yu´-yu, and a short distance to the northeast in the meadow was Too-lah´-kah´-mah. This famous hostelry, Camp Curry, is the final destination of all stages. The road continues up the canyon to Happy Isles.
ROAD TRIP I-A
POHONO BRIDGE TO YOSEMITE via BRIDALVEIL ROAD
(5 miles—20 minutes by stage)
The Bridalveil Road, ascending the south side of the valley, is scenically superior to the north, or El Capitan Road. Crossing Pohono Bridge to the south side of the Merced the road immediately enters a dense and beautiful forest. A short distance takes us to Fern Spring, justly famous for the purity of its ice cold water. One-half mile beyond we suddenly emerge at Bridalveil Meadows, obtaining a most charming view of the Gates of the Valley. At the right, Bridalveil Fall leaps 630 feet from its hanging valley, the one side of which is formed by the massively sculptured Cathedral Rocks, and the other by a solid granite ridge terminating at Leaning Tower, another eminence of the turreted south wall. On the opposite side of the canyon rises the sheer face of El Capitan. In the recess at its west the evanescent streamer of Ribbon Fall descends in a lace-like film.
At the edge of the meadow about 100 feet north of the road a dense grove of oaks and pines shelters the graves of two pioneers, Rose and Shurban, who were massacred here by the Indians in May, 1852. Near the river was once the Indian village of Sap-pah´-sam-mah. The road now passes near Bridalveil Fall, charming glimpses of which are now and then revealed. A subsidiary road turns to the right and leads to the foot of the falls. This short side trip should be taken by all visitors. Just below a very large rock at the east margin of the stream is the site of the ancient village of Lem-me´-hitch´-ke. In view of this fact, our stories of the Indians' great fear of Pohono, "the spirit of the evil wind," may be somewhat overdrawn.
Just below the imposing buttress of the lowermost of the Cathedral Rocks is El Capitan Bridge, and near it Lo-to-ya (Flower) Spring. North of the river is El Capitan Checking Station and the terminus of the Big Oak Flat Road (Road Trip IV). East of Cathedral Rocks we are treated to a sudden view of the two marvelously slender Cathedral Spires, each rising 500 feet from its base and appearing to tower even above the Yosemite rim. Directly opposite across El Capitan Meadows is a most comprehensive view of the mighty wall of Tote-ack-ah-noo-la, the "Rock Chief" of the Indians, whose title was merely translated into Spanish to make the present name. Chauffeurs often point out the likeness of the chief and other more or less imaginary mural images. In a shallow niche 1189 feet above the road stands a hardy Jeffrey pine 82.4 feet high and two feet in diameter.