The fauna of the park is somewhat zoned as is the vegetation, but not within such regularly defined and discernible limits. Wolves, mountain lions and grizzly bears have been almost, if not quite, exterminated within the confines of the park. The black or brown bear and deer are common. Small mammals, like chip munks, the Sierra red squirrel, Sierra marmot (Marmota flavi ventris subsp.), porcupine and the bushy tailed wood-rat (Neo toma cinerea subsp.) characterize the conspicuous animal life, in most of the timbered areas, while above timber-line the coney makes his permanent residence. In the lower forests western robins, bluefronted jays, Sierra juncos, and a number of wood peckers are distinctive species. Higher, in the red fir forests, ruby crowned and golden-crowned kinglets, several species of nut hatches and sapsuckers, and the Townsend solitaire distinguish the avifauna. At timber-line is the famous Clark nutcracker, and above timber-line the rosy finch.
The Scenic Valley.—In this picturesque environment the Yosemite valley, declared to be the most beautiful valley in the world, is set like a precious gem. Entrance to the park by train is from the west, by automobile from both east and west, and all routes converge upon the valley whence the rest of the park may readily be explored. The train from the station at Merced climbs up the slope from a hot treeless plain into the very heart of the calm cool forest at the entrance of the park. At El Portal auto mobiles take the place of the train, and after a few miles of travel, the route opens upon the wonderful vista of the valley, with El Capitan rising 3,00o ft. above the valley floor guarding the cause way upon the left, and the Cathedral Rocks with their shimmering, lacy Bridal Veil falls, 90o ft. high, standing guard upon the right. Within the gateway three main roadways enter the valley to merge into one at El Capitan bridge, the Big Oak flat road on the north side of the valley, Wawona road on the south side, and El Portal road along the Merced river in the middle.
Within the portal formed by El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks the valley widens. El Capitan meadows constitute the first open vista. At the back of Cathedral Rocks on the south side of the valley rise the Gothic pinnacles of Cathedral Spires, beyond them eastward Taft Point with its Profile cliff and farther eastward Sentinel Rock and Union Point. Across the valley and eastward from El Capitan on the north side of the valley, Rocky Point rises abruptly from the bank of Merced river to be continued upward and northward to Eagle Peak by the majestic Three Brothers, while Columbia Rock still a little farther eastward overlooks Camp Yosemite. Opposite Union Point, and far above Yosemite, towers Yosemite Point with its striking Castle cliffs. Near
Yosemite Point, Yosemite creek dashes over the precipice in a series of three falls with a total drop of 2,37o ft.,—the Upper falls 1,43o ft. in one sheer plunge, the Middle falls 62o ft., and the Lower falls 32o ft. high. Beyond Yosemite falls and the camp below, the valley extends several miles farther eastward, with Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome to the southward, and Washing ton Column, North Dome and Basket Dome to the northward, to terminate at the juncture of the two superb canyons, Tenaya en tering from the north-east and Merced or Little Yosemite valley from the south and east, with the spectacular massive buttress of Half Dome standing between. Mirror lake lies in the lower valley of Tenaya creek between Half Dome and Basket Dome.
Geology.—Yosemite valley is 8 m. long, and from 1 to 1 m. wide. Its walls rise sheer from 2,000 to 6,000 f t. above the valley floor. The origin of the valley has long been controversial, but the weight of opinion inclines toward the theory that glacial groov ing and carving down a valley, previously determined by streams cutting along fault and fracture planes in the granite, have formed the canyon. The peneplain has a precipitous escarpment facing eastward over the great basin, the down-throw side of a great fault zone, and a gentler slope westward toward the great valley of Cali fornia. The tilting clearly evident in the formations and physiog raphy of the park, probably began slightly in Cretaceous time, continuing as a more or less gradual movement until the Tertiary, when tremendous volcanic and tectonic action filled the valleys, with the exception of the Yosemite, the Hetch Hetchy and similar others, with thousands of feet of lava, and raised the crest of the Sierras abruptly several thousand feet, tilting the great block more sharply westward, and stimulating the streams to renewed erosional activity. From Tertiary time the volcanic activity continued and the Sierra Crest kept rising until the beginning of the Quaternary when the greatest movement of all was initiated and the crest of the Sierras was lifted as much as 8,000 ft., the block tilted at a very high angle, and the streams, like the Merced and the Yosem ite, were given accentuated cutting power. Since that time many small movements have taken place, the streams of Yosemite park with their high gradients have cut and worn their beds deeper and deeper, and the great glaciers that formed on the high slopes of the Sierran crests grooved them still deeper, straightened the walls of the sides, transformed the cascades of the tributary streams into sheer cataracts, and sculptured the impressive cliffs and domes.