University High School - Cub Yearbook (Oakland, CA)

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1 . ABOVE TEN. THOUSAND By Nathan Rowley 'gAnd we probably won't have any dinner or blankets tonight, well just have to make the best of it. Such were the words of Gil- bert Earle as he trudged up to the 'cadvance guardi' after an arduous day of hiking. This did not war- rant a very auspicious beginning for a Hwalki' of one hundred and sixty miles nor did it seem like the end of a perfect day. VVe, the John lNIuir club of 1926, had left Lake Huntington late the afternoon before and today had tried to hike a little extra to make up for lost time. There were eleven in the party. Gil Earle acted as manager and chief advisor of the group. Gil's father, lXIr. L. H. Earle, lNIr. R. E. B1'ownlee, Hal Earle, Tom Decker, Bill ltlurdoch, Amos Culbert, Frank Herberth, Don lNIcCown, Bob Perry and I, not to mention seven other burros which acted as pack animals, fin- ished the list. As near as Gil could make out, two of the boys and all the burros had taken the wrong trail early in the morning and were still going wrong. Luckily we were still in civilization and we managed to get food at some little camp. Just as we were finishing an early dinner and were preparing for a night on the cold, cold ground, the burros began to arrive. They continued to do so until half past eight that evening. According to Amos Cul- bert, the only benefit that he de- rived from having the burros take the wrong trail was that his vocabu- lary was greatly enlarged. To cap the climax, HlNIicky', was left up on the trail and some of us had to go back to get him. '4lNIickyi' in- troduced himself to all of us and some one prophesied that he would not let himself be forgotten by any one. VVe will read mo1'e of him later. Everybody took a much needed rest the next day and we found a second cousin to the Hole swimmin, holen, in which we all wet our toes. Late that afternoon, I rushed into camp eager to recite my experience onan exploration voyage. -And I saw a dead cow and a beautiful water fall and fell inf, I still can't see why everybody laugh- ed. The next morning after we finally b1'ibed uhlickyi' to move, the cavaleade again started forward. The mountains we were passing through were just mountains. VV e had. not yet come into real wild country. At about ten o'clock, we passed through the McKinley grove of big trees-the Sequoia gigantia variety. These trees were both interesting and unusual, being three hundred feet high, on the average, and from six thousand to eight thousand years old. By the time the party had pro- gressed this far, 'glNIicky', had firm- ly established his reputation. He will never be famous, only notori- ous. In passing we might say that lXIicky was a burro. The unusual thing about him was that it onlv took eight of us to put his pack on him. Also his feet insisted oi. wandering of f the trail toward the green grass. 36

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brink. It wasnit in Tom's nature to let go, and besides, he was se- curely anchored to the tree. He made a violent effort to draw him- self and his prize back to the top, and his huge body swelled and strained in a last supreme try. For a moment he hung motionless, but the weight of the boar was too great, and slowly the long hawser- like body began, sickeningly, to stretch. For what seemed an eter- nity, I watched, frozen, as the smooth shape grew Slimmer and slimmer, stretching,- Suddenly the voice stopped, and with a sharp shock, I recalled my- self to the little white-tiled restau- rant. Following his gaze, I saw my story-teller staring at the blue- coated back of a policeman on the other side of the room. Swiftly, stealthily, he pushed back his chair, and before I could move, he was at the door. The policeman turned, and catching sight of him seemed to clear the space in a single bound. However, by the time he had reach- ed the door, the shabby form had disappeared into the night with- out. Ruefully, he turned back and came toward me, while a sick fear settled like a lump of lead on my stomach . I looked around me. There, under his chair, lay the hat which had attracted me first. I picked it up, and was examining it when I heard the policeman say in a matter-of -f act voice, VVell, how much did you lose ?,' Mechanically, I felt my pockets. My watch, bill-fold, fountain pen, coin purse,-all gone. VVho is he? I gasped. '4That's Spell-binder Joe, he said. '4we've been trying to catch him for the last five years. Told you a wonderful story, didn't he? VVell, I'll report your case to head- quarters. I hope we catch him next time, and he sauntered out, swinging his night-stick. TO THE STAGE CREVV It's pleasant to stand in the spot- light And bow as the audience cheers, Itis nice, when the curtain is drop- ping, To catch the applause in your ears. It's easy to think you're an actor, To stand in the l'ight's brilliant glow, And to feel that the crowd has ac- claimed you The star of the evening's show. It's pleasant to read in the papers, The flattering dope that is there, It's nice to be talked of as famous, And asked to each social af fair, But it isn't so easy to labor Behind all the curtains and screens And work even more than the actors At changing the lights and the scenes. It's the person who works like a Trojan Behind the curtain and lights That never can share in the hand- clasps Right after the opening nights. That's why here at school we give credit To those to whom credit is due, And always make sure that our plaudits include The boys on the stage-setter's crew. -Arthur Arlett. 35 J

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Late in the afternoon we reach- ed the no1'th fork of the Kings river where we again camped. During this day another burro distinguished himself. Coley got his gears mixed and they seem- ed to stick. Mr. Earle describes 'cColey,' as all the Way in lowf, VVe stayed on the north fork all the next day and again tried swim- ming. Some of the real fishermen managed to catch a few fish in the river here. After deciding to get an early start, we arose next mo1'ning at fo11r a. m. and were ready to leave by six. Ilowever, We had to cross a suspension bridge in order to get over the river-fand, well, burros just donit like that kind of a bridge. VV ith the co-operation of all, we finally managed to bodily lift the animals over the dreaded span. That was indeed t1'ue sport, Sport? During the day We were thor- oughly squelched and had our spir- its quite dampened by several thun- der storms mixed with hail. We started to prepare for a sopping night by building a poncho villa , a minature circus tent, under which we slept. Of course, the stars shone all that night. The next day we entered the real wild rugged mountains. We de- scended into beautiful Tehipite valley, a second Yosemite, only Wilder and on a larger scale. The walls of the valley rise almost per- pendicular to a height of ten thou- sand feet. Tehipite dome is one of Left: Tehipite Valley. Center: A portion of Muir Glacier. Right: The members of the party grouped about one of a grove of giant trees. 37 l