The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-18
ATRIPTO
AN OREGON MOUNTAIN, LITTLE
KNOWN BEFORE, so CHRISTENED.
Curious Geological History of Crater
Lake, on Its Summit-Interest of
Scientists in the Region.

oH IQeSudy SNelluSs aug Ii, Two cars vi |
Mazamas left Portland, Ore, for Ashland,
341 miles to the south, where a wagon train
was fitted out, and the entire party of
about fifty started for Crater lake, one
hundred miles distant, on the summit of
the Cascade range of mountains. The Ma
zamas, being strictly a club of mountain
climbers, experienced no difficulty in fit
ting out in good shape. The train consisted
of six wagons, including one commissary, |
one baggage and four passenger wagons.
AS civilized man cannot do without
cooks two excellent ones We're taken
along. The route over which it was pro-
posed to travel from Ashland to the lake
is known as the Dead Indian road. because
q certain untutored savage went to glory
in this vicinity and scorned a decent burial.
1t is a mountain th~oroughfare in every re-
spect, rocky, rooty, hilly in places. through
a forest of wonderful growth. beautiful
streams and axes, charming scenes and a
country practically unknown. six and a
half feet from the roadbed. We planned
to climb Mount Pitt by the way, so set our
selves early to work to collect
relating thereto. Our efforts were abun-
dant, but the information secured was
scarce. Every one knew there was such a
mountain, and had seen it, but no one
seemed ever to have approached nearer
than the Dead Indian road.
Mount Pitt is a snow-capped mountain,
located on the crest of the Cascade range,
in southern Oregon, about thirty miles
from the California line. 1t is 9,760 feet
high, and has but one well-defined glacier,
the Sholes, of any size. Among mountain
climbers it is little known, never having
been brought into prominence until the Ma
Zamas visited it this year. 1t is extremely
rocky, and, along the ridges, bare of snow
in August, to and including the summit.
There was an unconfirmed rumor that the
proper point of attack upon it would be the
north end of Lake of the Woods, which
point we reached the second day out, and
learned, to our disgust, that it would be
necessary to carry drinking water half a
mile, through brush and over logs, as the
lake at this point proved to be a marsh of
putrid water. The same unreliable author
iy placed the mountain at six miles dis
tant. Next day thirty members of the
party, including eleven ladies, left camp
with a pack train to carry blankets and
provisions, determining to find a way
around the marsh and to reach the summit
of the mountain. if possible. Without a
trail or a guide, we pushed on, stopping
three or four miles on the way to lunch
on the banks of a sparkling stream of pure,
cold water. When leaving, canteens were
filled, more from habit than the fear of ne
cessity, for the Cascade range is famous
for its many streams of water, but hour
after hour we trudged along, with no sign
of water. Six miles heightened into fifteen.
and the shades of night began to fall, but
still no water. The day was warm, and
at dusk we reached a point on the noun
tain beyond which it was impossible to go
with the pack train. All hands. and espe-
cially the ladies. were tired. but no one
complained. Water, water, was what we
wanted and must have. Camp must be
made at once where the horses stopped,
while several members of the party pushed
on up the mountain, looking for patches
of snow. The night was dark, so a line
of signal fires was established, and at a
late hour blocks of icy snow were brought
in and parched lips were cooled, while cof-
fee was made from snow, which was also
melted over an open fire. and produced a
supply of water in taste resembling con-
centrated smoke.
A MOUNTAIN CAMP.
Camp was pitched in a spot at $500 feet
elevation, wholly given UP to rocks, with
here and there a spot the size of a blanket.
from which enough stones could be re-
moved to make an uncomfortable bed.
Early next morning we were on the move,
and as we passed the last signs of strug-
Cling vegetation the unwelcome fact be-
came apparent that the atmosphere was
filled with smoke, in consequence of which
distant points could not be seen. The only
snow peak visible was beautiful Mount
Shasta, standing proudly above the smoke,
away off in California. On all sides of us
the country seemed filled with charming
lakes, the waters of which cleaned
through the hazy atmosphere, adding to a
scene of wonderful grandeur a beautiful,
maiden-like shyness, subdued by a veil of
smoke. Slowly and carefully the ascent
was made, and by II o'clock, on the 10th
of August, every member of our party
stood on the summit, and the stars and
stripes were unfurled to the free mountain
air. A copper box. containing a record
book and ample space for small memen-
toes, was brought with us, as also a cop
per tube, containing maps of Oregon and
of the immediate vicinity, both of which
were carefully placed among the rocks and
left on the summit for the benefit of future
visitors. Previous to leaving camp in the
morning instructions had been left with
the packers to take the train and blankets
down to the first water, twelve miles dis
tant, and return with the horses, that the
ladies might ride. They went down the
mountain all right, but failed to return
with the horses, so all hanls were
compelled to walk the entire dis
tance. Our ladies' are true Mazalnas,
who were never known to complain, and
as the day wore away. their cheerful
voices turned a thirsty tramp into a merry
party of sightseers. At sunset we were
still several miles from Lake Of the Woods.
so were compelled to make a camp or the
banks of a beautiful mountain stream. in
the midst of a dense forest. Water was now
abundant. but provisions were extremely
scarce, while our appetites had grown out
of all reason. The constitutional kicker.
who is usually present on such occasions,
had been left at home. SO every one made
the best of it, and tried to make it pleas
ant for the others. The result was. that
there never was a ~jollier, happier crowd
drawn together than gathered around the
campfire on that evening, in this almost
unknown forest. to listen to recitations.
song and story.
Next day we met the wagons and moved
en-, arriving at Crater lake on the morning
of the 18th. A cloudless sky would have re-
vealed to us the grandeur of this wonder,
full place. in a manner to make the heart
glad, but the atmosphere was heavy with
smoke, obscuring the more distant points
and revealing those near at hand but dim.