Yosemite National Park, 1950s

[Music] Yos National Park lies west of the line of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Middle Eastern California the Yos Valley is a magnificent Gorge about 7 m long and averaging a mile in width the mered river toiled for about 60 million years to cut a canyon 2,000 ft deep then Mighty glaciers ground and gouged for another million years to add more than a th000 ft to its depth cutting back the sloping sides to create towering Cliffs and hanging waterfalls Highway 41 enters through the southern gate a short distance from the Mariposa Grove of big trees the oldest of all living things here 600 Forest Giants more ancient than the pyramids of Egypt Tower into the heavens many of these trees were living before the birth of Christ the grizzly giant has an estimated age of 3,800 years it is 209 ft tall and 27 1/2 ft in diameter at its base with the first large limb 95 ft above the ground this huge tree contains over 300,000 board feet of lumber enough to build 30 six room houses the waona or tunnel tree has been famous for many years the half doome stands on the north rim near where the Joseph Walker party halted during October of 1833 from the rim they look down more than 3,200 ft at the Merced River below the first known white men to see Yos Valley during the first visit by Americans to the valley floor in March 1851 while they were camped near Bridal veale fall the name Yos was suggested as a word that would perpetuate the name of the local Indians in 1864 Congress placed Yos Valley and the maraposa Grove under California Administration and in 1890 it created a National Park from the remaining sections of this Wonderland in 196 the federal and state parks were merged in ede National Park in the early spring when the Snows are melting the turbulent River leaps and Roars downward in a series of mad Cascades wild creatures are abundant in this Fair land of mountain Dells singing Waters and pine scented forests North from Glacier Point and east of the half doome the mered river descends the giant stairway dropping 2,000 ft in 1 and 1/2 miles the first step is Nevada fall and the lower step Vernal fall with many Cascades between Nevada is one of the principal waterfalls in yosee with a sheer drop of 594 ft rushing twisting and wildly leaping through a narrow channel below the Nevada fall the mered river Roars onward to the Granite lip of Vernal fall where the surging River makes a wild leap into the canyon far below Vernal fall pours a white curtain of turbulent water over the brink of a broad vertical Cliff dropping the stream 317 ft to a boulder strewn Channel where clouds of spray bathed the canyon walls keeping them constantly moist and green the Grandeur of yosity Falls brought worldwide Fame to the valley and has attracted nature lovers ever since its Discovery the upper fall plunges downward 1,430 ft in in one sheer leap the foaming water then descends by 675 ft of roaring Cascades to the brink of the lower fall from which it drops another 320 ft making the total fall of Y semity 2,425 ft or nearly half a mile later in the spring when the warm sun has melted the last trace of snow from the valley floor The Meadows turn green and Acres of aelas burst into gorgeous bloom in sheltered Canyons on the slopes of the surrounding mountains the Pacific Dogwood presents vistas of white Beauty against the dark greens of the forest the dogwood blossom is made up of a button-like cluster of greenish white Flowers encircled by four to six cream white scales or bracks in the higher country the dazzling Red Snow plant Springs from the leafy mold of the forest floor this rare plant lives on the decaying vegetable matter so abundant beneath the carpet of pine needles throughout the quiet days of summer Mirror Lake reflects on its glassy surface the beauties that surround it the calm of Eternal peace the mered river tireless through the centuries still tumbles and sings down the channel it is carved on its NeverEnding rush to the Sea El Capitan is a dominant feature of the precipitous Cliffs that form the Western Wall this tremendous monolith of granite Rises more than 3,000 600 ft above the mered river which flows along the valley floor in this Wildlife Sanctuary live about 60 species of mammals the golden Mattel ground squirrel is a great favorite always friendly and full of amusing attics the Bears are very popular with Park visitors and often are seen near the highways this fat and Sassy young Brown there is fully prepared to face the coming of Winter the first chill breath of autumn will soon sweep over the valley and this wise old black bear already is searching for a warm cave in which to hibernate during the winter as summer silently Glides away the valley changes its coloring to Browns Reds and burnished gold the frost Frosty Winds of autumn rustle the Aspen leaves and sing loudly among the swaying Pines the California mule deer Gather in the meadows where food is still abundant occasionally a buck will toss his head and sniff with vague uneasiness at the icy winds that Herald the coming of winter a season of cold and scant food supply Cloud Fleck blue skies and cooling breezes Prevail for many weeks and then Autumn like the millions of autumns before slowly Fades away into the void of endless time and the icy fingers of winter place a white mantle over the green and golden scenes of yesterday the cold breath of winter freezes the spray from the falls and forms forms giant pillars of ice on the Granite Cliffs it decorates the pines with glistening Frost during the night a gentle fall of snow turns into a heavy storm and morning brings with it an overcast sky and a whistling boisterous wind in a few hours yosd is transformed into a sparkling Wonderland a vast outdoor display in Crystal and white by father winter then patches of Blue Sky appear and Herald the return of the Sun like a huge lamp IT projects patterns of light and shade on the fresh snow after the sun has dispelled the storm clouds the snow encrusted trees stand in sharp relief against the clear Heavens where a vagrant Breeze playing among the high Cliffs tosses snow dust from the Frosted Pines into the Brilliant Blue of a winter sky that age old rock a half doome born in the morning of time symbolizes the dignity and Grandeur of yosee and the enduring creations of the master [Applause] builder