Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1870-09-03
From the Daily Tribune of Monday.1
ASCENT OF uOUNT RAINIER


man left Olympia on the sth ipst.,
and proceeded, under the guidance Of
Mr.. Longmire, of Yelm Prairie, by
the old Packwood trail up the Mis-
qually River for one hnndued miles
to Bear Prairie, small marshy open.
ing between the Nisqnally and the
Cowlitz, and about twenty miles
south, or south by west of Rainier.
This was the nearest point to which
the trail led, and the trip thus far has
been an exceedingly laborious and
difficult one; taking five days of in
cessant toll and climbing among fallen
logs and thick brush, on trail almost
and in many places quite illegible.
The tourists were on foot, with pack
animals carrying provisions.
After securing an Indian guide,
named Sluiskin, Mr.. Longmire lett
the party at Bear Prairie with one
pack horse, and returned home with
the others. Nothing but his thorough
knowledge Of the country would have
enabled them to penetrate to this
point, and the party are under great
obligations for his kindness in guiding
them thus far. Taking each about
forty pounds of provisions and blan-
ket, the party started from Bear
Prairie and crossed the intervening
mountains TO the base Of Rainier.
Mr.. Coleman, however, being unable
to keep np, left the party soon after
the start, returned to Bear Prairie,
and remained there until their return.
The trip across the mountains was
one Of excessive toll, occupying four
teen hours. The Indian guide fol.
l"wed 81 general backbone betwoon
the waters of the Cowlitz and Mis-
qually, but was obliged to climb up
and down peaks seven thousand feet
in hight. across lofty ridge after ridge,
until at length, descending an almost
perpendicular steep for two thousand
feet. they reached the southern tribu-
tary of the Nisqually, a beautiful clear
stream, and the only one whose waters
are not Of milky white hue. They
were now at the base Of Rainier,
which, with its widespread spurs or
ridges, occupied the whole country to
the north for an area of 25 or 80 miles
across. The upper half OF the moun
tain is exceedingly steep. almost per
pendicular; bnt the lower half is
composed OF long, gradual. gently
sloping ridges radiatin: from the
mountain. with deep valleys between
them. The upper part of the noun
tain itself, and of those ridges, is
solid continuous field Of snow and ice
five miles wide, except where it is
broken 10y rocky ridges. The lower
slopes, six to seven miles wide, are
beautiful open meads, covered with
the brightest green grass, the most
brilliant flowers, and dotted with
groves of balsam fir. Patches and
beds Of snow occupy the depressions
and shady places. and make beauti-
ful contrast.
They moved up the southernmost
of these ridges, established a camp
on the verge Of the perpetual snow
line, at the last clump of frs, spent a
day in carefully examining and fixing
upon the line Of ascent, and on We'd
nesday, the 18th, started up at 6 A.
NJ, with ice poles, an icc axe, 100
feet of rope, long spikes in their
boots, large canteen Of water, a
lunch, flags, and brass plate inscribed
with their names. They took no
coats, blankets or provisions. The first
five miles were over snow fields, very
regularly and gradually inclined at
an angle of about zoe and was made
in three hours. They then climbed
up a steep ridge Of rocks for 500
yards, along the side of a 1000 foot
precipice, for 200 yards in mid air
upon narrow ledge filled up with
loose debris; then for 200 feet they
ascended almost perpendicularly by
the gutter formed by the junction Of
the rocky precipice and the ice fields
projecting from the crown Of the
mountain, cutting steps in the ice, and
clinging to each projecting point OF
rock. The next $50 feet was made
wholly upon the steep ice fields by
cutting steps, and the remainder OF
the ascent was made without material
difficulty over perhaps one and a half
miles Of snow, on ice fields, across
several crevasses, one Of which they
surmounted by throwing the rope
around an overhanging pinnacle OF
ice and climbing up to the higher side
Of the crack, some twelve feet, by that
means.