Dearest Patricia:
The first evening is over. We have a crowd. Over 90 students camping and about 60-65 teachers. We will use six teachers for the five days, so out of the topics covered everyone will miss one. They have some choice but partly not because limitations on trail groups influence the situation somewhat.
Beautiful as the country is - you wouldn’t like it right now. There is snow everywhere - the season is retarded by at least 3 weeks and winds blowing off the snow have had us shivering except when we are in heated rooms. Trouble with the stoves in the cabin meant that few of them got started (they burn kerosene) until after dinner it took the whole time of the evening meeting for ours to get our cabin warm but it is comfortable now. I have a boy from Humboldt State as a cabin mate. He is a friendly, good-looking young fellow - forestry major. Eveidently a fairly good student too. He showed me his notebook for a course in dendrology (tree study) that he has completed. It looks like an excellent piece of work. The bit of incense cedar enclosed is to delight you with its fragrance since you can’t be with us on the school this year. Camp High Sierra is in the Canadian zone with [?] pine, red fir and most distinctive of all quaking aspen.
Nancy Stutzmager Stewart and her husband will [?] the juniors for us here, it was nice to see her (and him) again. Again I had a good day driving - no abrupt starts, no [?] stops, and no hazards either to me or anyone else in spite of the fast [?] There was a fair amount of traffic. I came via Sonora Pass - 1st one to the north of Tioga and actually faster tough a little longer. I like to come via Sonora and go back via Tioga. The highway commission is working on widening parts of the Lee Vinning grade on the Itoga road so it is closed occasionally for an hour or two. Took a number of pictures today so didn[t get in till 4; or PM. Views up to the top of Sonora and one down, pictures of the snow fields (no place deeper than 10 feet, and mostly only 2-5) and a place where melt water roared out of snow fields to fill me of the small streams of the Sierra to show slopes with snow. Hope they all come out well.
I miss your smiling face - the school doesn’t seem quite the same, but - the carnation came all the way fine and I have it over my head above my cot. It refreshened a lot when I put it in a jar of water. Write whenever you can. I’ll be looking for your letters and I’ll have lots to talk about when I get back. See you soon ( 3 weeks - maybe) love as always Carl
Dr. Carl Duncan and Patricia Whiting Collection (SJSU)
