APPENDIX F
THE GLACIER POINT HIKE
by Enid Michael

Of the six trails that lead to the rim from the Valley Floor, the Ledge Trail to Glacier Point is the one most often talked about by the tourist. When told that it follows ledges up the steep wall back of Camp Curry, they look askance at the granite cliff rising 3,200 feet from the Valley Floor and lend an eager ear to the dangers of the trail and the accidents that have occurred there. Any good climber who knows the Ledge Trail, however, considers it safe, as well as the easiest and most direct route to Glacier Point, and is convinced that most of the accidents have resulted from leaving the trail. The trail is wide and well marked; in fact, if it were not rough and steep, a horse and cart could be driven along it, and those who lose the trail and get into trouble are either careless or venturesome. It is well for a nature guide, before conducting a party up this trail to make some such remarks as the following:
“Although it is but two miles, in distance, to the rim by this trail, the way is steep and the altitude 3,200 feet. While climbing it is best to adopt a slow pace, and if obliged to rest, make a short pause. In case the party is able to follow these directions, the climb will be found easy, and the party can make it in from two to three hours.”
At first, the trail climbs thru a grove of Golden Cup Oak (Quercus chrysolepis), and mingled with the oaks are Mountain Dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), Big-leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum), California Laurel (Umbellularia californica), and Blue Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana). Beside the trail, growing out of cracks in the rock, or on ledges, soft, gray plants are seen, Draperia (Draperia systyla) and the plants with roundish, long-petiolcd leaves are Alumroot (Heuchera micrantha)—these plants bloom during June and July. Green fronds of the Rigid Wood Fern (Dryopteris arguta) and of the Sword Fern (Polysticum munitum) are frequent. The forest is soon left behind, and the trail comes out onto more open cliffs. There are low trees of oak, maple, and laurel, shrubs of manzanita (Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. mariposa and A. patula) and creeping Snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis); large trees of Douglas Spruce (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and White Fir (Abies concolor); and stretches of almost barren cliff.
At the base of a mighty cliff, just above the place where the trail crowds up against it, is a ledge kept damp by a drip of water, the source of which is probably somewhere above the rim in the vicinity of Glacier Point. This is a perfect situation for two cliff and moisture-loving plants, the Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia californica) and Five-Fingered Ferns (Adiantum pedatum), and here is a marvelous garden. The other rare plant, the Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia californica) reaches above the soft ferns, great “cream cups” born on slender stems, end here and there is a roundish leaf, long-petioled from the base. The extraordinary beauty of this garden is the more thrilling because of its setting, the only verdant ledge in a thousand feet of stern granite. At some time in the past there must have been at least fifty of such hanging gardens. However, before my time, all within reach had been ripped out by rude hands. This garden has been saved by the steep granite below, and the slippery slide in front of the ledge. Other gardens of Five-fingered Ferns that remain today are either hidden or inaccessibly placed.
Occasional flowering plants bloom in the open places. There is the scarlet brilliance of California fuchsia (Epilobium canum), shrubby Brickellia californica with nodding heads of cream-colored disk flowers; shrubby Eupatorium occidentalis with clusters of fluffy lavender heads; stout Giant Hyssop (Agastache urticifolia), its white and lavender heads held high; Sage brush and wormwood (Artemisia tridentata and A. vulgaris); a form of Yosemite Aster (Aster occidentalis var. yosemitanus) and the Rock-loving Aster (Aster petrophila) (?) growing in cracks of the granite where water is dripping, Wright’s Buckwheat (Eriogonum wrightii), a gray plant with woody base and clustering narrow leaves, end above this reach the flowering stems with clustering blossoms of delicate pink; the Bare Buckwheat (Eriogonum nudum), its white heads upheld by bare green stems; Golden Show (Chrysolepis breweri), its disk flowers in scattered heads; Tansy or Milfoil (Achillea lanulosa), the flat-topped white flowers clusters (Clusters of heads) lifted on stiff stems well above the basal tuft of fernlike leaves.
About half way up to the rim, the stream that forms the Stairway Fall crosses the trail, and here a pleasant gathering of green and flowering plants follows the stream, Pink Mimulus (Mimulus lewisii), Scarlet Mimulus (Mimulus cardinalis); Golden Arnica (Arnica latifolia) are frequent. The beds of Enchanted Nightshade (Circaea pacifica) and Stream Saxifrage (Saxifraga punctata) (?) are charming, and glorious and hanging gardens of Dragon Heads (Mimulus tilingi), the herbage slimy, the flowers like great golden snapdragons and the calyx purple spotted. Plants of tall growth are Cow Parsley (Heracleum lanatum) with gigantic umbrella of white flowers; Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium), its flowering branches wand-like, the large flowers rose tinted with lavender; Creek Senecio (Senecio triangularis) with clustering heads of ray and disk flowers and triangular-shaped leaves.
After leaving the stream, the trail turns abruptly and follows the water course up into the shaded chimney. The silvery laughter of the brook and the fragrance and bright flowers lift the mind from the arduous climb to a happy contemplation of the surroundings. The rare treat for the flower-lover is the colony of Tahoe Gentian (Gentiana calycosa) in bloom beside the trail. This plant is from six inches to a foot tall and may be recognized by its whitish stem, opposite leaves, and funnel-form flowers that are often an inch long, deep blue and finely dotted with white. The Gentian is a rare plant in the Park, and the only other place we have found it is en the lower bluffs of Half Dome, about 2,000 feet above Mirror Lake; here hundreds of plants form marvelous hanging gardens along a tumbling stream. Another rare plant blooms in the shaded chimney early in spring; it is the White Heart (Dicentra pauciflora). Little groups of plants appear as soon as the snow melts and the nodding White Hearts come soon, delightful flowers of pearly whiteness and lavender markings.
In the chimney the most common shrub is Mountain Maple (Acer glabrum) an attractive plant with small prettily-cut leaves and wand-like reddish branches. Creek Dogwood (Cornus pubescens) is frequent with willows along the stream and the Twin Berry (Lonicera involucrata) occurs occasionally. Other shrubs are Service Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia); Bush Chinquapin (Castanea sempervirens); blossoming Currant (Ribes nevadense): Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor); Thimble Berry (Rubus parviflora); Bitter Cherry (Prunus emarginata); Black Twinberry (Lonicera conjugalis); and the rare shrub, seldom found at so low an altitude in the Park, Mountain Ash (Sorbus californica), glorious today, as standing near the top of the chimney, the sun illumines its crown rich with the harvest of summerful clusters of orange-red berries!
The birds noted along the trail are as follows: Blue-fronted Jay, Western Robin, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Black-throated Grey Warbler, Western Tanager, White-throated Swift, Red-shafted Flicker, Dotted Canyon Wren, Modoc Hairy Woodpecker, and Rufous Hummingbird.
The trough-like chimney at last gives way and widens out at the approach of the rim. Now great forest trees step down from the dense wood above; White and Red Fir (Abies concolor and A. magnifica), Sugar Pine (Pinus lambertiana), and Jeffrey Pine (Pinus jeffreyi) quickly close in about the trail as it seeks the upper levels.
Note: Botanical nomenclature has changed considerably in the 73 years since Michael wrote these lines. Her scientific names have been updated whenever possible. You may want to see the beautiful illustrations of these flowers and shrubs in the recently published monumental work, An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park, by Stephen J. Botti (El Portal: Yosemite Association, 2001). It is much safer than going looking for them on the Ledge Trail, and this book indicates which plants are found there.