The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-08-15
q{ood River 6lacisr
FRIDAY, AUGUST Is, 1902. :
Governor Geer Up Mount Adams.


Governor Geer Up Mount Adams.
Governor T. 7. Geer furnished the
Salem Journal iour-column article
descriptive Of his trip with the Mazamas
to the top Of Mount Adams, from which
we clip the following:
Perhaps two-thirds Of the ascent was
made on rocks--rocky ridges, upon one
of which we climbed the last ] 900 feet
or more as we reached the summit. IN
you can imagine that huge chimney
had been built at the foot OF this last
climb. 1000 feet high, composed Of
stones of all sizes from 80 pounds in
weight TO ton each, and that it had
toppled over against the side Of the |
mountain leaving the stones in pro- I
miscuous tumble, you can the better I'M
derstand what it was to climb over them (
as we made that last thousand feet
reaching to the first summit, But 1t
made a better footing than the snow and
was used in preference.
After reaching the top there is large
snow field Of several hundred acres to
cross as YOU approach the base Of the
middIeer highest summit, which, being
already exhausted almost to the last
endurable limit, seems to present an
absolutely perpendicular front. In Tact,
it lacks Just enough OF being perpendleu-
lar to barely make it safe climb, The
official measurement makes the middle
summit 800 feet higher than the first.
To climb this you have your choice Of a.
ridge Of loose, shelly rocks or the snow.
Even after reaching the summit there
stretches before you another snow field
of several hundred acres to the farther
edge OF which you must go before you
get an unobstructed view OF such sight
as Moses may have dreamed Of but Ger
tainly never saw.
In full view were Rainier, st. Helens,
Hood, Jefferson, the Three Sisters and
two or three others further south, which,
in the smoky haze, we were unable TO
name heavy sea of continuous clouds
had settled over all the country west Of
the Cascades through which beautiful
Helens had succeeded in thrusting the
very tip OF her shining peak as it re-
fiected the glory of the declining sun,
and which seemed but stones throw
away, but far below us. Rainier was
more successful as, further to the north
the clouds seemed less dense and its
proud contour stood out unobstructeC
against the western sky.
When our immediate party reachet
the summit the extremely cold wine
that had been sweeping across thu
mountain earlier in the afternoon, anC
which caused the first party to remain
there but few moments, had subsidized
and during the half hour we stayed w
we're perfectly comfortable On tn
southeast side of the mountain its side
are perpendicular for a sheer fall Q
5000 feet, and to within ten feet OF tn
edge of this overhanging bluff of ice am
snow we went and beheld in the awfu
depths below the Klickitat glaciers. TIL
guide told us that in the month @
August it Is common for large section
of this snow to ''let go'' and as itrushe
through the air with terrific yelocit
can be heard through the surroundin
country, causing reverberations resen
bling a thunder storm. When the
strike the rocks below snow spray
thrown into the air for hundreds of fee
in every direction AS we stood nea
this precipice while these descriptions
the playful antics it sometimes indulge
in were being made, and remembere
that August was not far away, we sue
denly recalled the fact that 1t was niue
safer to admire Mt Hood in the oppt
site direction.
Descending the mountain is simpl
fun. Our party was from in the morI
ing until in the afternoon reaching til
summit, but we came back easily in tw
hours. Here is where the primitive t
boggan slide is found in its unimprove
state. Every well-regulated Mazam
provides himself, or herself, as the cas-
NAV be, with a grain sack or piece
carpet, or other article that is suppose
to be waterproof (but which the ever
proves is never SOY and taking your SEE
on the aforesaid article, you grip yor
alpenstock under your arm with one en-
in the snow behind you, to be used bot
as a rudder and brake, and you pr
ceed to the bottom of that particulf
slope in less than half a minute, 4
matter how far it is. This is made po
sble, because in the afternoon the H1o
is SO soft that your tracks are from fol
to six inches deep, and you cannot po
sibly be injured, no matter how swift
YOU go, nor in what position you fin
Yourself at the end of the slide. YC
always start in a sitting posture, wit
your feet in front, OF course, but no ma
with a reputation for prophecy he care
to maintain would guarantee any M
formity OF position upon your arrival
the terminus OF the slide, save that
radical change OF some kind will oecv
in transit.