The Indianapolis journal., 1896-08-09
GREATER THAN THE ALPS
MOUNT TACOMA AND ITS SURROUND
IxGs AN ENTRANCIxG SIGHT.
Woodland Scenery Hardly Equaied
in the worId-Great Glaciers.



that which enthralls the gaze of the visitor
10 Mount Tacoma = prefer the Indian
name which means ''nourishing breast TO
that of Rainier the French navigator-is
nowhere else TO be seen, except perhaps In
the Himalayas. The many ice streams
which are fed by the snowfields of Ia
comas stupendou5 slopes are like those of
the Alps I'm all their features. They do
not cover so large an area as those Of the
Mount Blanc and Santa Rosa groups, but
their crevasses invite TO Just as close a
study. Mountain climbers unite in say
ing that they have nothing
beautiful in Switzerland or in the Tyrol, in
Norway or in the Pyrenees than the Car
bon river glacier and the great Puyallup
glaciers. And Immediately below the snow
region a magnificent primeval forest en-
circles the mountain. vastly exceeding in
extent and in the size OF the trees which
compose any similar mountain in Europe.
There are two routes by which these gla-
ciers may be reached, but only by
which the mountain may be climbed TO its
summit. 14,445 feet above the sea level. 1t
is only the hardy and yenturesome and
experienced Alpine climber. however. who
should seek 10 stand upon the brow of
this majestic peak. The ascent can only
be made from the southwestern slope.
accessible. The first to set foot upon the
summit was the late General Kautz OF the
United States army. he made the venture
in 1S57,rand 1t has been successfully re-
peated on many occasions. Such an ex-
pedition involves trip by wagon around
the western and southern base of the
mountain to Longmires Springs thence
by trail up the NesquaIly and Paradise riv-
ers to Paradise Park. the employment of
competent guides and a proper camping
outfit. At least one night must be spent on
the ice. snow and rocks at about IL 900 feet
above the waters OF Commencement bay
which are seyenty-tive miles distant. and
the expense. fatigue and danger of the
trip are only incurred by enthusiastic
mountaineers.
The majority of tourists. with whom my
small party may be classed prefer TO stop
at the foot OF the glaciers. In the middle
region of Mount Tacoma on the upper
edge OF the woods at altitude of from
9vW 9.se 10 1900 feet. Here there Is an excel
lent Opportunity for any one Ito mix his
blood with sunshine, and to take the winds
into his pulses And here. too. the ice
may be studied, and the singularly pic
turesque views may be enjoyed TO the ut
most So our route to the mountains took
us by railroad through the Puyallup val
ley, with its fourishing hop fields. thirty
mhere 10 we obsaned sda 0admpinS D6ne town Dd
camp equlpage, setting out betimes in the
morning to make acquaintance with the
mountain.
UP TUE TRAIL.
The trail from Wilkeson is easily followed
1t was made years ago by the engineers
who explored the coal fields of the region.
and the well-chosen camps of these pio-.
neers now serve as convenient halting
places for tourists. The Puyailup river
takes its rise among the glaciers and at
a point about eighteen miles from its
mouth X receives the waters of the Carbon
fho.s orIo
comes in from the north. Both rivers
emerge from narrow. crooked canyons.
whose high. vertical sides are often but
nfty feet apart. From these walls there
rise heavily-timbered slopes, ranging from
zoo to 500 feet in altitude, until the foot
hills of the mountain are reached. The
canyons link the buried river basin of the
lower stream with the valleys of the upper
river, which are doubtless the beds of
mightier ice streams now shrunken ar the
loot or Mount Tacoma. For hidden here
,onder Deleatn the thick covering of moss and
tne present ocean level, are ancient shore
lines lines OF the sea. which has also left its
or Puget sound.
The trail from Wilkeson at once begins
80 cnmD' until the first terrace. 400 feet
aooEe, Is attained: thence IL winds through
the forest TO the second ascent and after
wards TO the third To the westward. half
mile away, is the Carbon river canyOn .
and. at distance of five miles from our
starting point, we reach the valley above
the canyon or the Puyallup river and de-
scend three miles along the hillside east
waIdly until we stand on the banks of the
The entire way has taken us through a
dense forest where the conditions of growth
are ar very favorable. Red, yellow ana white
iariy noticeable. Many of these trees range
IRON from 70 to 27s feet in height. The larger
ones are ten feet In diameter on q level
with mans head. and carry their mass
ts ,sTness upward IN a clear. straight shaft.
when they shoot out a thick mat of foIiaee'
ana the trunk suddenly dminishes to a
Insns;,rS polns; one OF these gigantic boles was
no feet without limb. supporting a crown
n-,, OF put forty feet or more. Cedar hemlock
Win these giants. filling in the spaces Of
the vast collonades. but do not compete
larger cedars are usually made up Of huge
bpttresses and are hollow at the base We
teen feet in dia1efer rect d IA girth or seven
seen which measure two feet through and
grow to height OF sixty feet. Below
these majestic trees there is spread a cav,
pet or luxurious moss and rank ferns and
tansle OF vines and bushes that covers
the moiderlng trunks of fallen fathers of
the forest brought down by the hurricanes
OF years long gone.
lay prostrate their gnared roots i'm air
spreading out like great wall to bar
progress beyond them. Many curious eff
fects are produced by the new life which
springs from the thick and decaying bark
or these mighty monarchs of the wood In
fnnumerable cases a uniquely pretty hedge
or hemlockS. sometimes twenty feet or
more In height. had sprung from the mold
OF the PROSTATE trunks and thriftily grew
sending down their roots 10 the earth on
the outside OF the massive bolcs. In some
instances these trees had lost their orgi-
nal support by the crumbling way of the
bark In which they had grown and re-
mained balanced i'm ARA tree on stilts
Once we crossed deep ravine on single
log eight feet in diameter and seventy tive
In length 10 its first branches This had
fallen In such position as to form an ex-
cellent bridge. on which two ponies could
easily walk abreast
OF BOTANIC INTEREST
ought to say little about the fora of
the region. Along the brooks red mimu-
lus presents brilliant masses of color. As
ters are numerous A bryenthus looking q
little like ground pine. with small red
flowers. forms velvet greensward In the
crevices OF the rocks grows a white-blos-
somed casiope. The taraxacum a plant
like dandelion, grows I'm broken lava.
Saxifrage. with characteristic hardihood
fiourishes on exposed rocks. beautiful
but somewhat uncommon flower Is the
Spraguea umbellata. a low, fieshy plant
with umbelate blossoms. in color sha6ing
from dull red 10 bronze and creamy white
Purple luDfnes. brilliant clumps of phlcx
- IanWN -