, 1898-08-18

marking the highest point man had as
ice was all around US. Our first
attempt TO continue III journey was up
an ice niche, but we discover
ed that there was no place to hold to.
We were consequently forced to follow
a little gallery three feet wide up to
north side.
Here is where the great similarity
Of the Grand Teton to the Matterhorn
in. have climbed beth and I
know whereof am speaking.
Naturally, the north side Of any
rye and supposedly inaccessible peak
is supposed to be the hardest climb.
But the Matterhorn is climbed most
by the north side. So was the
Grand Teton. We decided to stick to
the north, and cautiously made our way
along our gallery until the man in
front suddenly drew back with the re,
mark that it ended in a precipice that
shot sheer down for 5000 feet.
Below the gallery and jutting out
from the wall Of rock were two large
slabs. probably six feet in length,
which had been sprung out from the
main wall by the action of the ice and
rain. Behind these, after lowering our
selves to them, we crawled along a dis
lance Of twenty feet, which brought us
to a little ledge under an overhangins
rock. The ledge was so narrow that
we were forced to crawl OF our stom-
achs.
Even the consciousness that a fall
would land us 5000 feet below gave
us a decidedly creepy sensation. We
had tt dig our fingers in the rough
granite in places to pull ourselves
along. We encouraged each other by
keeping up a natural conversation, but
1t was with an immense feeling of re-
lief that We crossed the ledge and came
to a sort of niche with a small over
hanging rock. Over this we threw a
rope-an action that required a cool
and steady hand and a nice eye. We
pulled ourselves UP and out over this
5000 feet Of space and continued on up
the niche to about fifty feet. 1t was so
narrow that we could use our feet,
elbows and knees.
1T was while we we're going up this
niche that the only accident, if you
could call 1T such-occurred. John
Shive was the last mar coming up. A
rock weighing 200 to 800 pounds be-
came dislodged and fell with a scrap
ing sound in the direction of his head.
1t bounced to n side, as Shive un-
consciously swerved. 1t struck the
brim OF his hat and knocked it to one
side. All Of the rock was slippery and
we could not go too carefully. When
We reached the top we went on anoth-
or gallery for a distance OF nearly 200
feet to the west: then up to another ice
niche in which we we're forced to cut
five steps. 1t was sixty feet high and
ed on to a ridge. We followed a sonw
ridge for 200 feet and then over the
sharp, jagged eruptive rocks, so notice
able above the timber line, clambered
with a shout to the top. We made it at
1 o'clock exactly. We had been climb
ing for eleven hours exactly.
Il never saw such a view before in
my life. 1t was a grand sight, one OF
the %grandest on earth, l thought, to see
the clouds come up in great, puffy
masses below you and then, meeting
the wind. shoot down and veil the can
ons. From the top you look down and
see the four deep canons, Fox, Teton
and two others, all 5000 feet deep, lead
ing in all directions from the peak on
which you are standing. To the west
you look down in Teton basin as far as
the eye can reach. To the north Jack
sons lake and Yellowstone park be-
yond it. can be described. Snake river
winds. down its valley. The view is in
describable!
"As beautiful as Is the scene from
from Pixies peak, that from the Grand
Teton surpasses it. From Pixies peak
you do not see these four grand canons.
nor do the walls fall sheer down fifty
feet from the top. leaving you standing
dizzily on a black rock pyramid. We
climbed the peak again on Saturday
and the second view was even more
beautiful than the first.
by actual measurement the canons
are 5000 feet beneath the top. On the
topmost rock we planted the metal flag
of the Rocky Mountain club and in a
copper box sunk in the stone we in,
closed the record Of the ascent. The
four that reached the top were Owen,
Peterson, Shive and myself. Hugh Nc
Dermott and Cooper only went a por,
ton Of the way. McDermott posted
himself on a spur and shouted up to
us what he thought possible directions
by which the top might be gained.
Those guides. let me add, have great
eyes for distances and localities.
THE descent was harder than the
ascent, because It was more risky. We
had to rope off four places as a pre-,
cautionary measure, although, really,
there was but M place where it was
absolutely necessary.