The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-05
IN THE sNOHOMIsH HILLS.

IN THE sNOHOMIsH HILLS.
An August Climb Through Big Trees to
the Eternal Snow
George A. Madden in Pittsbure Dispatch.
Did you ever climb mountain? Did
you ever see how mining expert deter
mines the value of a deposit of
gold or silver-sizes up the
proposition, figures on the out
lay, demonstrates the feasibility or im-
practicability of the undertaking? Did
you ever contemplate the dangers, the
risks, the toll, the adventure associated
with such work? If You have, then
you know why the coveted minerals are
now and will ever be precious--why their
production is profitless or profitable.
The mining expert who studies the
leads in the hills must of necessity be
man Of nerve. sound in body, quick in
resource, frm-must be as agile as noun
tain goat, walker, q climber, rider,
equal to all emergencies and comforting
companion under all circumstances. Such
one was ours. He has been ca the peaks
and in the drilled depths of nearly all the
mineralized mountains of Old and New
Mexico, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, Utah,
California and British Columbia. So
under his guidance our expedition, toll
some though it was, became pleas an
journey full of scenic enchaHtment and
restfui surprise.
deuce take rotten eggi' This ex-
clamation loudly emphasized, accom-
panied by small-noised but large
smelling explosion, made me lift my
head from hard pillow and glance
a N lot
clean shadow outlined againss the huge
fireplace that occupied the end of the
cabin. 1t was mine host who had met
with misfortune while mixing q batch of
dough for our morning meat The bad
egg went out OF a paneless window instead
of into the batter, and the breakfast was
more palatable than could have been ex-
pected if the order of business had been
reversed.
Our saddle and pack animals stood in
readiness at dawn for the final mount to the
end of the horse trall. An hours
ride through fallen timber, over
sharp-edged, loose boulders, into
and out Of narrow ROCKY defiles
and up the steep side of the base Of
the mountain brought the nose of the
leaders broncho against q wall of rock,
down which ice-water ran on to swell a
white crested current several hundred feet
below. Here the packers took charge of
the equines and the packs-here the climb
atoot began.
snow, boys, breathe through your noses
and don't talk. If anyone has heart af-
fiction he'd better go back to the cabin.
Now go slow and keep quiet. Tf,us ad vsed
the expert as he grasped the roUe dangling
over the precipice and soon STOOD on its
smooth, wet face, where he was Joined by
his agile assistant in canter. The ten
perfect arrived later. "Look tfere, bovsi
u l., I. n
Why do painters go to Europe yhen such
brush-tempting views as this are here ?.And
over the gulch, too. See there!" Our
guide and counselor stood stiTf with adj
miring eye and pointing finger, both of
which We followed. Nearly in 'front.' of us
a silvery veil spun by the saow water
partly hid the face of moss-cosered cliff.
Like an endless belt of whitest floss it
seemed to unwind-falling so gently on
the granite floor at our feet as t. make no
sound, no splash. Across the deep abyss
on the brown, redrstained, sun-gilded
sides of high mountain streams that
looked like ropes of molten silver came
down from ice-bound reservoirs. Over all
the roar of the young Niagara far below,
the creaking of the frs and s.,ruces. the
sharp chirp of some high-fying bird.
There silent admiration took t.le place of
uttered praise
"Up we go, boys! Take 1t easy. and
don't try to keep up with me. You can't
miss the trail" And our guide. his man
far above. Two of US did take
it easy. There was about 5000 feet
of perpendicular between US and the
tent on the edge of timber-iine. We
cravled, we chung, We rested. Breathing
became faster, air was thinner. heart
pumped quicker. Half way us, my pulse
was 126 Ex-SherifI McCandle<s' beat at
shnl lie fac.
he said worse things about nsine there.
b. Brown proved to he I. climber
and was soon out of sight. But we
tugged up and on, going three or four
minutes and resting five or tef1. Ere the
top was reached we walked, throqgh mist
cloud, the moisture of which WIS refresh
ing. 1t lowered over blotcil of snoy
upon which I sank and in whicI. I PLAYED
like child-my first snow feast IN hot
July. Up through the timer above
all was white and trackiess, save where
the trail defiied. We were over TWO hours
reaching timber line, which ended as alb
ruptiy "a if some giant with h4ge scythe
had cut it to line-no scruHby under
growth, no undersized trunks. all giants
from river-washed base to edge of living
glacier.
cur.s over the trees. And now 9t's walk
on the snow" sang out . ezlde who
stood on the white pallTay to
pilot us past treacherous, snow-hid-
den crevices and over swift i-e-bridced
cascades. Snow IS all very well in its
place and in its season. Bat it's hard
on the pedestrians who suddenly come
across it on hummocks and hilEsides on q
July day. How it tired while IT rested
For on the few barred spots between timber
and tent the hot sun made q YARN car
pet-a velvety seat of ,ieep-iyed
MOSES, grasses, broad-leaved, bud-bear-
ing vegetation aud golden-yezzow, lily-
ike flowers. Up TO the very edge of the
winter the summer beauties .ourished.
Through the cold covering on that noun
tam side, within blue-iced, deen-creviced
glacier, yellow bursting buds bored and
doomed. Flowers grew there through
the snow, posies scentless bur rich col
ored.
We found our tent pitched ca a snot
from which several feet of snop= had been
shoye!ed. A IRE roared in a b01-Iik sheet
iron camp stove. Freshly cut bal
the socgy interior. There our
pure, cool. rariiied. Down uuC.sr huge
snowoauk the auaini-looking c,.ok poked
and shook pots and pans over a ire of
green logs that tried his patience. The
human packers-verjtable beasts IF burden
had not yet arrived with our blankets.
and on the damp, bough-s posted floor
OF our canvas habits We stretched sore
limbs and longed for dinner Hunger
once more took NE back to the station OF
the night before-to WhIskers, hzs dog and