High along the John Muir Trail From Whitney towards Star King LawnAnd I set pace to reach Yosemite that spring And like some dream of GulliverWe spied El Capitan, wild gables, spires And granite walls not shaped by any manNight fell like talus from the stone And Lonnie said to meDouse the fire, but keep the flame Till morning warms old PtolemyDouse the fire, but keep the flame Till morning warms old PtolemyBlack bear roamed the Tamarack From Cloud's Rest to Cock's ConeWhere silent snow melts fill the streams That burst and thundered downAnd where Tanaya caught the moon Lonnie said to meDouse the fire, but keep the flame Till morning warms old PtolemyDouse the fire, but keep the flame Till morning warms old PtolemyFrom Dogwood and Sequoia Stands We climbed the Vernal TrailBy big leaf maple shined with mist We scaled a bridal veilAnd where half-domed the hooded hawk Set her shadow freeWe doused the fire, but kept the flame Till morning warmed old PtolemyDouse the fire, but keep the flame Till morning warms old PtolemyNow I know around Cathedral Peak The seasons cloud and clearAnd it seems I can't quite count the years Since Lon and I were thereStill when all the darkness falls It's Lonnie close to meDouse the fire, but keep the flame Till morning warms old PtolemyDouse the fire, but keep the flame Till morning warms old Ptolemy*