River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-08-06

not much more than a large snow
held on the mountain side at an eleya
ton of about 1000 feet. Through
, Paradise Valley runs Paradise Rive
with Its beautiful water falls. which
IS still fed by the glacier that cut out
the valley. After the glaciers haC
| formed the depreSsions and eleya
| lions, and liked the general outline OF
! the valley, great floods Of water round
ed OF the hills and filled in the SharI
angular cuts, 50 that now Paradise
| Valley Is an irregular tract with !
deep trough rOundly followed out
having the Paradise River running
| from Its upper TO its lower end. anC
on the west side of the trough is an
| Irregular table land of low hills cover
ing several hundred acres. The valley
| is included within perpendicular
| mountain walls and mountain ranges
with their peaks towering thousand.
/ of feet above il, among which is the
peak of Mt Rainier just to the north
with its crest more than 5000 feet
above the highest elevation in the
| valley.
But the depressions and elevations
the glaciers, water falls, and noun.
tain streams, the towering peaks on
| all sides with snow-capped Rainier as
| their king, would not justify the ap.
| plication OF the sacred name, Paradise
| TO this wonderful region, had not the
| Creator carpeted the valley and its
hills with the most beautiful and va
ried vegetation.
James Longmire, an old mountain.
eer, who knows the mountains. was
standing in the valley with a company
1 a Il do =
long after this region had been discoy-
cred. Mr.. Longmire said that uncon-
sciously they stood speeches. with
| uncovered heads, gazing at the rich
and varied vegetation that covered
the entire valley. Suddenly and with
out forethought. he himself cried out.
Paradise" Then all threw up their
hands and in one voice shouted, This
shall be called Paradise Valley
From that day to the present, this
delightful region has been known by
the name, Paradise Valley.
In the early summer, the valley Is
covered with snow to depth of from
four to forty feet, while along the
hillsides the snow melts away and the
ground is literally covered with the
richest flowers of many varieties.
Different species Of heather, ane-
monies, lilies, and composite flowers
appear. Most of the species are wholly
unlike those found in the Mississippi
Valley, but as rule they belong TO
some genus Or family found in this
region.
The hillsides of Paradise Valley are
usually covered with trees, the prin-
cipal species of which are fir and larch.
The size of the trees rapidly dimin-
ishes as the altitude increases. The
mountain larch is the only tree found
near the timber limit which is about
3 900 feet above the sea-level.
Most persons who visit the Camp Of
the Clouds are not satisfied to leave
the mountain without standing upon
the top of Mt. Rainier, or at least
elm bling to such an height as will
enable them TO experience the effects
of high mountain climbing, and get a
view Of the surrounding mountains.
One who is inexperienced in noun
tain climbing has very little idea of
the necessary equipment. Notwith-
standing the presence of many feet of
snow, the July sun comes down with
great intensity. Its scorching rays
strike against the smooth surface of
the snow and are reflected back into
the face and eyes of the climber, so
that within a short time the face be-
comes literally blistered and the eyes
blinded il precautions are not taken.
To prevent the sun-burn, and injury
to the eyes, the cautious climbe COW
ers his face with flour paste or some
black substance, and protects his eyes
with cOlOred glasses. Thus equipped
and shod with strong heavy shoes pro-
rfl xuffb h1x
Alpine stick in one hand he is ready
TO begin the most difficult part of the
ascent. To reach the summit of Ra-
nier, il is not necessary to make one
continuous ascent up an unbroken
slope. From the Camp of the Clouds
to the summit one must travel about
six miles,-at times climbing steep
elevations which are 500 or 1000 feet
high, and then walking along com
paratively level ridge for half a mile
or more. To reach the summit from
the base, a distance of thirteen miles
or probably more must be passed over
in similar way.
The chief dangers in making the
ascent from the Camp of the Clouds
to the summit, are the deep crevasses
in the glacier, cavities in the deep
snow which are concealed by thin
crust of ice and snow. and falling
rocks and pebbles from overhanging
cliffs. The ascent from the Camp of
the Clouds can be made in one day by
starting in the morning, but the safer
and easier way is to start in the after
noon from the Camp of the Clouds,
and go to the Camp of the Stars at
an elevation of 13, 900 feet, resting over
night at this place. The next NOR
ming while fresh and before the hot
sun has time to thaw loose the rocks
and pebbles from the cliffs above, the
summit can easily and safely be
reached, and the descent made TO the
Camp Of the Clouds on the same day.
The journey from the Camp of the
Clouds to the summit, is usually I'M
eventful and tiresome in the extreme.
but each new elevation which is
mounted brings new charms and fully
rewards the climber for his exertion.
One appears to lose all conception
of distance. The summit of Rainier
is apparently within easy reach. But
to the disappointment of the elm Der,
when he has assembled one elevation
after another and walked over long
ridges covered with soft snow, he finds
himself apparently no nearer the sum-
nit than before. When he looks be-
hind him he sees he is many feet, it
may be many thousand, above his
former position, and that long
stretch Of mountain ridges, probably
several miles, has been passed over.
Whatever opinion he may have en-
tertained in regard TO his physical
strength and endurance, he finds that
after he has reached an altitude of
about 10000 feet, he begins to puff and
pant like a locomotive going up grade,
and that the muscles of his legs absO-
lutely refuse TO obey the mandates of
his will. He can no longer climb more
than ten or twenty feet without stop
ping to rest. To his surprise, and for
tunately for him, he finds that after
short rest when he can take two or
three good limitations, he regains his
former strength and is ready TO con-
tinue the ascent. At such an eleva-
tiOn the air is so raretied that a sufii-
Gent supply of oxygen can not be
obtained by ordinary breathing to do
the work of lifting the body against
the force of gravity. and hence the
need of an extra effort TO obtain air.
As soon as the lungs get sufficient
supply of air the sensation of fatigue
disappears.
He who has made the ascent to at
least the Camp of the Stars, will never
forget the vision which greeted his
ewes when he stood upon the side of
NJ Dapfar n Oon feet above the level