The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-22
ON Mt. RAINIER
ONE OF THE BEST PLACES IN THE
STATE FOR AN OUTING.
Route Up Carbon River now Has n
Fair Trail for Pack Horses and
Leads To Ideal spots for Camping
With Fine Scenery on Every Hand

Summer pleasure seekers should not for
get the pride Of our state-Mount Rainier.
A visit TO It makes one of the most en-
joyable outings that can be had In the
west
The route up the Carbon river is as yet
but little known, though there Is now a
good trail for pack animals and grades
that are easy when compared with those
In some other routes. In anticipation of
increasing travel. the settlers have en-
iarged their cabins. which by the way. are
located as TO enable the journey to be
made by easy stages. This route was the
one used by the Posf-Intelligencer expedi-
ton. under Mai. ingraham at the time
Mount Rainier waH reported to be in
eruption.
The first grand scenery met is the Car
bon glacier. with it's ever moving surface.
caused by the ice melting from below,
and its walls OF ice from $50 to 800 feet In
thickness. From a short distance II would
appear an easy matter to ascend either on
foot or by horse, but on approaching one
finds that what seemed to be pebbles are
large boulders. and level surfaces become
a series of short steep hills and pits. The
river runs beneath the glacier and In this
locality the glacier Is almost completely
covered with rock and dirt, on either side
for considerable distance from the bank,
due to falling earth from the extreme
hills on either side.
After passing along the edge Of this
giacer some distance one ascends by the
trail over a switchback route to an eie-
walton of about a mile. and finds himself
in Moraine valley. which during the sum
mer months is carpeted with many varfe-
ties OF wild flowers and good pasturage
for the horses. Patches of snow can be
seen all about and a short distance UP the
valley IN full view is Mount Rainier You
are apparently on a level with the base of
the upper portion. or where the glacier be-
gins.
Two more climbs and you are on top
of a divide as high as any of the ordi-
nary mountains, and then descend TO the
Mystic or Mirror lake. This lake is shall
low. covering about ten acres and has a
sandy bottom and is surrounded by hard
sandy soil. covered with grass and now
ers. The water Is clear as crystal a little
too cool for bathing purposes, and does
not contain any fish. From sunrise until
sunset II Is perfect mirror, and Its re-
Elections of trees and mountains are SIM
ply superb This valley and lake lie be-
tween Mount Desolate on the north and
Mineral mountain on the south. with
Mount Rainier to the west The lake
empties into the west branch Of the White
river. 10 the east
The camp Is about an hours walk from
the head of the Carbon glacier. on one
side and the Winthrop glacier on the 9TH
err, and is picturesque spot. The Win
a mile across, and presents many won
ders In formation, with its wells and Gre
vases. Toward Mount Rainier, walk. or,
rather. climb, OF three and half hours
brings you. TO a poant ON the mountain
from which, one can look over all the sur
rounding country and as far as the eye
can see there is nothing but mountain
peaks in three directions.
The trip is not an expensive one. the
scenery Is grand and this year the wealth.
er has been perfect X. r. DAWDY.