The National tribune., 1902-05-15

some magnitude, two, three, and four
miles in length, so that these mountains
contain vastly more snow and ice than
those farther south. Though not by any
means SO high as those of Colorado. these
mountains are extremely rugged and pre-
cipitous. Chief Mountain, on the boun-
dairy between the United States and
Canada, is one OF the finest peaks in this
part OF the Cordellera.
That great range which separates the
desert from the fertile valley OF Califor-
mia, the Sierra Nevada, rises like a great
wall from the desert, from an altitude OF
1000 or 5000 feet to $4,000 or $4,000
feet, while from its crest it slopes west
ward in great spurs, between which rivers
flow in deep canyons, descending in 80
miles practically to sea level.
The highest peak, situated near the
south end Of the range, Is Mount Whitney,
II, S5S feet, named from the well-known
geolOgist, at one time director OF the State
Geological Survey. It rises from q mass
Of spires and pinnaclss, many Of which
closely approach 1t in hight. II is not
very difficult of ascent, and has been
climbed by many, the first being Mr..
Clarence King, by whom the name was
applied.
Farther north, about the heads OF Tuo-
lumne River are Mounts Lyell 1902
feet, and Dana, 1882 feet, named for
the celebrated biologists. These peaks are
not difficult of ascent, and are visited
every Summer
In this higher part Of the Sierra are
many small glaciers, the last remains of
the great sheet Of Ice which once covered
the range, and which at later stage,when
broken up into streams of ice, cut the
Yosemite and other gorges.
from north
south the States of Washington, Oregon,
and northern California, Is the Cascade
Range, for the most part a volcanic
range, being covered deeply with lava. AT
intervals along its crest, and on its tanks
stand huge volcanic cones, built up of
lava, ash, and scoria. The southernmost
of these great cones is Shasta. in northern
California. 1880 feet above the sea, with
base some 1000 feet high. Shasta is
noble mountain, standing alone with
clean-cut, dignified profile on all sides. 1t
is easy of access. From the little town
Of Sissons two trails lead to the summit:
one up the south face; the other, and
longer one, up the southeast face. The
shorter trail can be ridden only to the
timber line, 5000 feet, beyond which is
long steep walk uphill in loose gravel
with a short, sharp Chamber at top. The
other trial may be ridden nearly to the
Ulule5 HdNO DecH IdhtI
to the very top, though it is hard to see
how they can get up the last 500 feet.
Going northward up the Cascade
Range into Oregon and Washington, we
enter a region OF heavy precipitation
where the higher mountains are perpetual
ly snow-capped, and send glaciers down
many thousands Of feet. On these noun
tains the climbing is mainly over Ice and
snow, and the ice-aI, spikes, and ropes
come into requisition.
THE MoNARCHs OF THE NORTHWEST COAST.
And now in our northward progress we
reach Mount Hood, the pride of Oregon,
the scenic splendor of Portland, named
by the English navigator, Vancouver, af-
ter an admiral of the British navy. 1t
stands on the crest of the Cascade Range
20 miles south of the Columbia, and, ris-
ing to a hight of II ,225 feet, it occupies
the center Of the stage in all the country
around. Seen from the east or west, il
has the form of a sharp white cone. From
north or south the summit is broad, sug-
costing the crater which its top probably
contained before eroding agencies had
broken down its southern wall.
But Of all the dead volcanoes of the
Cascades, Mount Rainier is the king. This
magnificent dome, rising 14,526 feet above
the sea, named by Vancouver for his
friend, Admiral Rainier, of the Royal
Navy, stands on the western slope Of the
Cascade Range, go or 10 miles southeast
0f the city of Tacoma. Its dome is a
mass Of snow and ice, from which radiate
in all directions streams of ice, some of
them reaching within 5000 feet of sea
level. | said it was dead, but it still
breathes, for its summit is warm, and hot
srlphurous gas in still emitted. 1t was
first assembled by Gen. Hazard Stevens
and Z. b. Van Trump, in the Summer of
1870, and later in the same year by
Messrs. S. +. Emmons and \. d. Wilson,
of the Fortieth Parallel Survey. Since
then, though it is by no means an easy
and safe climb, hundreds have assembled
It
Glacier Peak, 10,436 feet, stands on the
crest Of the range, few miles north of
the mining camp of Monte Cristo. 1t is
a very rugged. icy, inaccessible mountain,
and has been assembled, so far as l know,
but once.
The Alaskan Coast is all mountains.
From Portland Canal to the Aleutian Is
lands, there is little level land. The noun
tains rise sharply from the waters edge
in cliffs and extraordinarily steep slopes,
to attitudes Of thousands of feet. They
range widely in hight, reaching in Mount
Fairweather, between Cross Sound and
Yakutat Bay, 10000 feet; in Mount Saint
Elias, 500 feet, and eliminating in
Mount Mckinley, at the head of Sushitna
River, 20 ,464 feet, the highest summit in
North America.
In these mountains are hundreds of gla-
ciers; not little, mile-long fragments Of
ice, but great lakes and rivers of ice,
scores of miles in length. The Muir GIa-
cier is as large as the State of Rhode Is
land, and is but one of a score of equal
extent. Many of these glaciers reach the
sea, and protrude their fronts into deep
water, dropping icebergs from them with
laundering sound.
The Fairweather Range follows the
coast closely from Cross Sound northwest
to 1akutat Bay, rising from the sea
abruptly to attitudes of two TO three verti-
cal miles. 1t is n magnificent range, with
its line of sharp, snowy peaks. and its
mantle of glacial ice lying on either flank.
know of no finer view than is TO be had
from the deck of a vessel steaming along
the front of this range on Il clear, sunny
day. The deep blue of the sea, the
fringe of dark green forest on the shore,
and above II tho nltprnati0nS Df white ice