Oct. 3 North from Plowath Lake Rising slowly, along a consider river which empties into Cliff Plowath Lake; rather heavy, but not big, timber; old sawmills. Soon (8a.m.) get up onto great level plain (western margin of Great Basin). But stretches of timber almost pine lodgepole pine, as usual in small size; interspersed with grass-land; sheep! Cascade Mts. close to west, only a row of volcanoes no eastern "flank" or escarpment (as with Sierra Nevada). In other words, Great Basin plateau, here close to 5000 feet, simply broken off at axis of Cascade this axis marked by elevat. due only to line of volcanoes Very dry; no streams or lakes; musfall evaporates and sinks in.