The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1897-08-28

rose and Eidelweiss flourish here al
certain seasons of the year.
Our guide proceeded to conduct Us
lg up the very steepest place in sight
" which WIS pretty green piece OF
E. ground, covered with moss. After
l having slowly traversed this strip OF
5, beautiful green. we struck the first
D. snow, which one of the young ladies
it proceeded to coast down unexpectedly
t. and at rapid rate. 4 snap shot artist
- could have secured some funny bits of
natural scenery had he been on this
l. trip, for natural posing seemed the
If order of the day.
IS We climbed bravely, determined to
:. reach the top if we had time that day,
e but as every body else starts at five
h o'clock in the morning and we are
= starting at nine to ascend the big
:, mountain, we have grave doubts of
e seeing the summit this time, unless we
b are more expert Mazamas than we
s think we are.
We are now stepping easily from one
big boulder to another, and next you
will see US sliding along with rolling
stones in the light ashy substance
which seems to cover the greater part
I of the noun uain. This sliding makes
the ascent much more difficult of pro-
gressioD THAI anything else. The
light air does not affect US as we had
feared it would. We are now trying
: to walk on the snow and find it very
: slushy walding: and can hear the loud
gurgling of the water as it comes from
the melting snow under us. We are
traversing glacier and are in very
dangerous position. if one would take
4 notion to break loose from its moor
ings. I thought of the possibility of
snow slide and of our fate probably
being that of the huge rock which was
sent spinning down the side of the hill |
few moments since, and of the frag-
ments of what was once ''us" being |
picked up in baskets by our friends.
We clambered over huge burned
rocks, and by the aid of our Alpine
stocks did fairly we'll, making very
good time. With short rests and often
| we hoped to have sufficient strength to
| carry US to the summit. We tarrie1
| few minutes at str Gam of water which
had its source under glacier. and we
found the water very refreshing.
The snow made me nauseated, SO
that l had to put on colored glasses.
This act proved beneficial. I have
heard that the sight of the snow has
the same effect on others, The sun
beamiug so very bright on the vast
fields of snow would have caused US to
have lost several yards of the material
which covers our faces, had we not
taken the precaution before starting
up the hill, of thickly powdering them. 8
We expected the journey to be very 8
difficult and tiresome, but this exceed +
ed our deepest consideration. Our 7
guide, being an old Alpine climber, $
seemed to think the steepest places as Q
but a small hill, and ran swiftly up as g
mountain goat would, and after leaving +
us half mile in the rear would perch r
on some large granite rock and enter y
tain US by singing Switzer songs, and g
by uttering at the top of his voice the q
true Alpine mountain calliopian shout. v
This was very encouraging to US away i
down several hundred feet below him, q
and it made me for one feel just likel +.
pitching him over board, for I was n
tired, and putting along like steam h
engine, to see him climb with such Y
agile strides without getting out of "
breath was not just the thing to cause a
us to keep in good humor. "
The scenery from this height was n
grand. Imagine the distant Wasco, t.
Crook, Sherman and Morrow counties O
of Oregon, with their yellow fields of
ripening grain and background of
blue hills, Mts. Hood and Jefferson
which lowered so high that they
seemed on level with US, as pre- sumo L
they were, and then the whole Klicki- b
tat county from the old Oregon of 81
Bryantic fame that flows between two m
Of the grandest and best states of this L
glorious union of ours, to the hills that J.
lie at our feet doing obeisanee to the c'
hill of larger growth, and on which we CT
are, and see the vastness of this, but a.
small portion of the country, is it any 81
wonder that feeling Of true patriot p
sm wells up in our hearts for this our a
native land?
What beautiful picture it is, as we al
ook upon the proof of plenty, and see ii
,he country as it is, with the stamp of tt
upon it, and progress NJ
The steam from saw b'
mills of Trout Lake and Glenwood al Ii
most at our feet. The wool industry tt
,y which thousands and millions are &C
clothed in this big world of ours, is be- e1
ng carried on, in measure. all around w
his mountain. Every place available, ca
8 occupied by thousands of sheep. m
from one spot one can see what a good vi
portion of the country is composed of. tr
rhe forests around furnish lumber hi
hat is shipped to foreign ports con- tt
tantly, because of the excellent ju
Iuality, being perfect white pine. re
Well, we have cogisated long enough
q one place. so we will move on up tn
ill. The summit seems but short IN
vay, though the guide says it is a two oi
lour's climb and that we can not
each it by dark. conclude to not go b'
much farther if this is the case, so only as
o few hundred. feet farther, and oe
7ait while the rest of the party reach Ia
be summit if possible While waiting ga
he guide says it is no use for them to gu
ry to reach the top as it is now five n
'clock, and for us to try the descent. A'
looked down, and wondered if it Sd
,ould not be better for me to hurl my Oh
elf down at one "fell swoop," and oa
hus end the terror of going down, for stl
urely, thought 1, 1 can never go down ="
1ithout breaking my neck. The steep
Vay was terrifying, and my heart failed
le when looked at the valley below
nd which must reach before dark or
70 in danger of stepping into some un-
cen abyss, or creyasse. The guide
oid mo ~ oonld foI1ou hin, oorooo a | en-