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Sept..1910 DISCOVERY OF NEST AND EGGS OF GRAY-CROWNED LEUCOSTICTE 155 our passage. The camp ax was brought into commission and when hand- and foot-hold had been chopt in the frozen wall we succeded in getting over it. At Lucile we made a campfire among the rocks, which the wind would not allow at Grass Lake, and prepared a late breakfast. About noon Lake of the Woods was reacht and camp establisht near Hell-Gate, the utensils and gear from the cache belonging to Prof. W. W. Price being used. All afternoon the wind kept blowing, and that night they made great sport of the camp-fire which we hilt in an effort to temper the rimy atmosphere. After a wild night the win.ds at dawn died down and the sun ushered in one of those royal Sierran mornings, calm, clear and magnificent. As early as four o'clock we saw the seemingly impossible had occurred and that the propitious time for the ascent had come. Hastily packing such supplies as were necessary we set out over that rough, glacier-hewn gorge, Desolation Valley, our trail lying along its southern edge. The beauty of Avalanche Lake with its rocky islets, foamy contributing streams and frame of green forest and glittering snow proved too great a temptation, however, for our photo- graphical contingent, and a short stop was made while views were taken. Rounding Crystal Lake, which also received its quota of film we started up the lofty cliffs which wall Desola- - tion Valley on the west. The region now becomes trail-less, and for safely travel is made abrest, for often great rocks, becoming loosened and gather- ? ? . ing momentum, go tearing down carry- ? .? . .. ing destruction in their path. Thus, one became his own pathfinde'r, and in this way each pursued a somewhat different course. , Close to the top of Pyramid I visit- ed a spot which Carriger and I had Fig. 49. HEINEMANN DESCENDING 'I?O SECURE previously markt with a huge monu- VHO?OC.?t?VHS OV L?VCOS?IC?E merit of rocks. It was here we had noted a Leucosticte carrying material to an unseen nest. Now, however, no birds were about, nor could any be roused. All along I had not been over sanguine about the possible results of the trip, as so often nests are destroyed or deserted; and now, not finding a single bird on the east side of the peak, when but eleven days before, we had seen a dozen, made me feel that the prospects were gloomy indeed. We reacht the top of the peak at 11:40 and after a quick lunch, for a moder- ate breeze had begun blowing, we started down to the nesting site. By chance more than from memory I came to the second pile of rocks from the nest. Like the east side, the north side of the peak appeared entirely bereft of its former bird- life; and it was with drooping spirits altho not entirely without a keen feeling of expectation that I approacht the nest. My hopes revived, however, as a Leucos- ticte flew out from some nearby rocks and it was an anxious moment when I reacht the aperture among the granit slabs and peered in. In the dim light, among the feathers of the nest, I could just discern three eggs which appeared dark with in-