The Shasta courier., 1862-10-25
Ascent of Shasta Butte.

The State Geoiogist, Prof. Whitney, with
his corps of assistants, recently assembled
Mount Shasta, as heretofore noticed by u.s.
A portion of this company has furnished the
Appeal with some interesting particulars in
relation to the ascent, which was made on
the 18th of September. The party halted
for the night at the edge of the snow-the
usual camping place, known as Camp Ross,
which they found to be 1926 feet above sea
level. At a point above this, or {, 900 feet
above sea level all timber disappears, the
belt being as sharply defined as is the snow
line, land rather abrupt than gradually shad
ing off, as is the case usually with other
mountains. But a short distance above the
timber, which is made up of trees 20 feet in
circumference, not a trace of timber growth
can be found, and at height of 5000 feet
above sea level every trace of vegetation dis
appears, not even the most minute Alpine
fora being discoverable at height of 900
feet-all being a scene of dssolatlon-ice,
snow, rock and scoria being the only features
of the scene.
At O'clock in the morning, the party left
Camp Ross, arrived on the summit before
noon, taking there and at other points many
barometrical observations, in all several hum
dred being taken to reach the final results,
which give to Mount Shasta height of A.
440 feet. The day was hazy, which fact in.
terferea with the grand panoramic view
which the party had hoped to have seen from
the summit but some very novel and beau
tifu phenomena were observed, the peaks
visible from the summit being apparently
fixed islands in the sea of vapor which had
foated around them When descending, a
curious effect of accidental lights was OBJ
served by the falling beams of sunlight,
which piercing through the riffs in the clouds
could be seen as clearly defined in air as a
single sun-ray illuminating darkened room
the earth being checkered, meanwhile, with
the broken sunlight The party found large
quantities of red snow'' spoken of by Ar
tic travellers, which left deep blood red tracks
behind the passengers over it. The writer
of this saw the same phenomenon during an
ascent made in August, 1861, but then
thought it the discoloration of the snow by
red earth, washed into it. Professor Whit
ney's party brought away some of this red
snow for microscopic examination.
1t is question if Mount Shasta is not the
highest mountain in the United States, as
Mount Hood, Oregon, which otherwise will
have that proud pre- eminence, has generally
Deen gwen at 10 ,uoo Ieet, tnouSn IL mas Deen
given at l6, ,0OO-guess work. probably. At
any rate, Mount Shasta, California, is the
highest mountain in the United States which
has been scientifically measured in height 1t
is curious fact, however, that the American
Encyclopedia, the same authority which
states the height of Monnt Hood at l3 900
feet, also puts that of Mount Shasta IA, 800
feet-the closest approximation ever made,
Where these figures are der.vd from, is not
known in this State at least We shall look
with great interest for the published report
of the geological survey of the wonderful
mountainous region in the northern part of
our State, of which Mount Shasta is the
mighty pedestal upon which rest the various
mountain systems of the North.