Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-06

I is muscle and stomach, now, thar must win.
One of the party falls out entirely; another
falls so far behind that We give hin up,
though his indomitable pluck did at last car
ry him to the top.
The crater is filed with snow, though in
places huge pits have been melted cut from
which cOlums of steam are constantly pour
ing. The snow is crossed and intersected by
cracks and creyces, amcng which We follow
our guide with considerable caution, at
nearly every step sinking to the knee in the
snow, now softened by the suns heat AZ
ter crossing the crater, just at the foot OF the
higher rim, we come to a huge crack in the ice,
which must be crossed. Fortunately narrow
bridge remains, and over this the
guide crosses after carefully testing its
strength. Then came the last snow ridge,
five hundred feet high and much sleeper than
anything yet sealed. The upper half is
certainly inclined 60 or 6j degrees with the
horizon. We climb it slowly and carefully
using hands and knees and over the steepest,
cutting steps in the ice with the hatchet, and
at last reach the top after seven hours of
severe labor.
The exhilaration Of success ovcrcomes
wearines', and VIC find ourselves ready to
enjoy the grandeur Of the scene about US
But We are high up, everything IS on huge
scale and it is impossible to detect any but
the larger features of the country. More
than two miles perrendeularly above the
sea 1t is difficult to realize it. Three
years ago thought myself accomplishing
quite a feat in climbing Mansfield and
Camel's Hump, but Vermont's boasted
peaks would scarcely make respectable foot
hills to this monster.
We are on the ridge of huge snow-bank
from one to five rods wide and one hundred
long. The north side drops nearly perpendicu-
larlY of for three thousand feet. We did not
walk to its edge. We crawled up and looked
over. The view was grand. Towards the
MUM ioiItu uiNtlHtlly tHt lCIulN Npluul-
bia, twenty-five miles away, with three
majestic snow peaks rising beyond in Wash
ington. At the east We could sec the plains
Of the Warm Spring region where the
Indians are making sad havoc among the
settlers. 10 the south We look down upon
the Cascade range, with four white peaks in
sight. While at the west, rolled far below
us a sea of cloud, stretching away to the
coas. range. torn and dashed by the wind
into changing billows and waves-a sight,
grander, | thought. than the ocean Itself.
Under this sea OF cloud We know stretches
the fair and fertile valley of the willamette,
and we are disappointed not to be able to
see and trace any of its familiar regions.
The view was indeed a magnificent one upon
all sides and well worth the labor necessary to
sec it. But it was bitter cold with a biting
north wind blowing, and We did not care to
stop long, so leaving, on a card, our names
and the record of the visit in tin box among
others, We made the decent This was Gc-
complished m ore easily and quickly than the
ascent, although more care was necessary at
times to prevent loss Of foot-hold which
might send the unfortunate tourist with
lightning rapidity into some yawning cha>m
below. Reaching the camp of the night
before, we were glad to spend another night
there, even upon short ratiOns.
peculiar feature of the trip was the eff
feet upon eyes and faces produced by the
sun shining upon the white snow. There
are no clouds of dust at that heitht to soil
its brightness, and its dazzling surface re-
fleets the light and glare with a yisor and
beauty which speedily becomes painful IN
less the face is protected. By direction of
Of the guide we had taken the procautiOn
to blacken our faces thoroughly with coal
dust, and some further protected the eyes
with colored glasses and wells, yet all sui
fered more or less the next DAY, and two Of
the party were almost blind with eyes and
faces much swollen. W. y. F.