Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-11-12

lii rose ahruptly-in places almost sfrairht
to a billowy, snowy skyline that nett
ed into the armament. This was IN,
glacier. To the right a domed foresi
height called Glacier Crest. On the left
the steep bowlder flank of Sir Donald
with the lofty apex shooting sharply vi
from a Jagged cluster of lesser peaks thai
wall in an aerial valley of upper SHOWS
Then the dense forest shut off all view
but mast ted pines mes and fallen mossy
came the rush Of torrent waters. First
the Asulkan-"home Of the goat in In
ldian tongue-then the licilliwaet-"rush-
ling water both streams turbulent in
their bowlder bed and milky green with
the silt of glacial sources. we're crossed
on rough log bridges; The trail zigzagged
lup a bowlder embankment where forest
lgrowth gave place TO thicket and thicket
10 brush, and brush TO leathcry grass.
merging into heatherlike moss and the
little rock-crop flowers that grow from
the naked stone
! We were above tree line. pantinc hot
jdrcnchinEly hot, with humming in bot a
ears resulting from straight upward
climb. short zigzagging instead Of doub-
ling back on long detourS. and with the
foaming torrent from Sir Donald's snow
fields right across he way. While scoop
ing up drinks with cup made from the
chamois horn Of his own beloved Alps. the
old Swiss explained that his plan was to
ascend by the Sir Donald trail to the
srOw fields or ueVe of the Ilncilliwaet
cross the upper plain diagonally above
| the glacier. ana come out on the rear Of
a rocky terrace or preCipire that runs
! forward al right angle to the ncyc. Ill
rcc;ly above the sheerest ice-fa!l az the
glacier. From TIC front the rock seemed
| straight like Il wall. and the top jagged
| into many peaks. sharp and narrow as i
| saw-edGe; but from the rear one could
easily walk forward along the back of
| the ridge till directly above the most tu-
multuous part Of the ice-cataract At 4
/ distance Of seven or eight miles across
| the glacier field il was Impossible to tell
| how high that prccipitous lookout point
| plan would make Il complete circuit ~ The
| glacier, up tine left, across the upper
SHOWS. down the right, III an from q To
| . miles.
Above tree-Iiro where bridges cannot
| be eXtemporized, there is only one way
| 70 cross u torrent. ard hat is to wade in.
| Old climbers advice houtfuls Of water
early in the day. instead OF bucketfuls
later. for dainty siep-pickirg over stones
polished like steel. against Il racine
stream frequently means toboEsan
down midcurrcnt iii an obst7uctiug
DowlIer offers stopping place for
sprawlirg feet. When nicely balanced un
stone in midstream, Jacob Turned 10
profrer the shaft Of his axe as a help.
The effort sent him plurging down, ana
cost axe minutes delay. Great huwlder
ridges that would elsewhere rank as
ranges Of hills. but here only as escarp-
meniS across the face Of a slope fiauked
the upper SHOWS II Sir Donald. and
brdged from The glacier cirque of thar
peak to the neve Of the iliiciiiiwaet g!a-
cter. Hanging IN size from chair to a
house, firm and hard as granite tha
powders were easily tr3Ve-sed with the
occasional use OF the axe shat for 4 long
step; but the trail became more IGduuLs
as the moraine aScendel compelIiuL
much sorambling ana doubling back uu
every pace 70 overcome ne Aic"pncss ~
tile ascent To say that temperature
rises with altitude would be untrue for
while only a few hundred feet may be
ascendcd in an hour, in that time the
climber temperature reache- the vapor-
iZing point Of Turkish bath. The mo-
rainr bench # Sir Donald terminated at
an island 81 rock IN 4 sea Of snow. Here
4 halt was made for luncheon. and win
ter wraps were drawn from the guide
pack, for here Was world OF eternal
winter below LAY il river Of ice siopng
TO the VALLEY for 7:0t0 fcet-ice that IL a
relic Of glacial age. ice OF immeasur-
able dept.I. ana Of a power that grinds
the granite mountains 10 silt fine rs
-four. Directly in front was the vast snow
field. or neVe. Of the IUiciliwaet: snow
corNiCes Of 9lablSt@r and in the crested
waves of an advancing tide valleys Of
snow and mountalns of snow, spoHess
white. as far as the eye can see. white /
undimncd and slarlng t-lat II stdbs the
eye boundless lS The eXpanse Of an ocean
broken only By ~ glimmering, tentllke
outlines OF some tar-distant peak.
Acruss the valley ut Inc lllCilliwae-
stretched range after range. charities
sea OF beloved mountains; ana the re
emhlapue 70 a sea is sliU more increased
when clouds foat up the valley, complete.
~ hlOtting out the under world and leaV-
ing only island pe4As and eiglike crags
streams of ,he lower slopes had been left
far below. Where glacial ice and snow
tnevrl meet. all is silence. the mufiled 81 !
lence Of snowy depths with the oppres
sve, palrable solitude Of an utterly ten
antlesS region. An eagle wheeled above
the ragged cliffs IA the right Of Sir Don
ala. and wind stirred the cloud depths
till they parted nnd revealed The loopcd /
slender current O: the river Il silver |
thread across thu emerald velvet Of vi
gin Eowth but thc-N was neither life nor |
Strairing to listen. one could hear. o.
imagine that one heard, Il sort Of husha, !
whisper or sigh; and By the way mdV-
iuga of the cataract. white and misty
against the rock one knew this was the |
sound Of Tile waterfall carried an forest !
wind. Was il possible that a roaring /
wheels. and hu-ryinE cars existed at aua
That world OF strident discords was |
duiling sonsibillties into a wooden deaf
moss both to noise and the finest har-
all reverie by leaping 20 his feet and VI !
toring yell that might have beer inside !
a brass come, so curiously did the loud |
CRY fail - carry on rIrefied air. lie had |
discovered six black spccks ar iinst n
high pdlisadc Of snow across tho nevo
This was the PARTY that Ind taken lnt /
specks went to!lsonely tn the white VAIL |
and one hS one disappeared on the other \
s!de; PHI ~ the snow-narkings We coula I
glacier ana across the ncVe to the snow !
height.
WHY didn't You come up the GENRE. !
jacob
creFasse only two on rope" says the /
Swiss. who has not become 50 quickly |
acquainted with English as win English |