The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-08-02

compelled to return on account of be
ing overtaken by a dense cloud set
tling over the mountain, and beini
alone, was afraid to proceed further
and retraced his steps
The fact is. one never knows what
a genuine tired feeling is until he
undertakes to climb to the summit OF
one of our snow-capped mountains
which reaches to an altitude of 10000
feet and more. Even the first thous
and feet generally serves to convince
you that your decision to undertake
the task must have been made i'm a
moment of mental arrangement, and
as you bravely redouble your efforts
you could as easily be made to believe
that the summit which seems to mock.
ingly defy your strength, was five
miles away as two. After you have
climbed necessarily for ten hours and
the summit seems nearly as far away
as at first you become convinced that
you could proceed more easily If the
foot that is behind did not seem so
much heavier than the other one. It
is the constant picking up of the foot
that will persist in getting behind that
wears you out.
Perhaps two.thirds of the ascent was
made on rocks-rocky ridges. upon
one of which we climbed the last 1000
feet or more as we reached the sum.
NIT. If you can imagine that a huge
chimney had been built at the foot of
this last climb, 1000 feet high, com.
posed of stones of all sizes from so
pounds in weight to a ton each, and
that it had toppled over against the
side of the mountain leaving the
stones in a promiscuous tumble. you
can the better understand what IL was
to climb over them as we made that
last thousand feet reaching TO the first
summit. But it made a better footing
than the snow and was used in pref.
erenCe.
After reaching the top there is a
large snow field OF several hundred
acres to cross as you approach the
base of the middle or highest summit,
which, being already exhausted al,
most to the last endurable limit, seems
to present an absolutely perpendicu-
lar front. In fact, II lacks just enough !
of being perpendicular to barely make |
it a safe climb The official measur.
ment makes the middle summit 500 |
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 this 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 certainly never saw.
In full view were Rainier St |
Helens, Hood, jefferson, The Three
Sisters and two or three 9th
ers further south which, In the
smoky maze. we were unable TO I
name. a 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 II reflected the glory OF the
declining sun. and which seemed but
a stones throw away but far below
u.s. Rainier was more successful as,
further TO the north the clouds seemed
less dense and It's proud contour stood
)ut unobstruotcd against the western
sky.
when our immediate party reached
he summit the extremely cold wind
hat had been sweeping across the
mountain earlier in the afternoon, and
which caused the first party to remain
here but few moments, had sub
,ided, and during the half hour We
stayed we were perfectly comfortable.
Is sides are perpendicular for a sheer
all OF 5000 feet, and TO within ten feet
If the edge of this oyerhanging blum
If Ice and snow we went and bcheld
n the awful depths below the cele-
,rated Klickitat glaciers The guide
old ms that in the month of August il
S common for large sections of this
NOW 20 "let go" and as il rushes
through the air with terrific velocity
AN be heard through the surrounding
country causing reyerberations re-
a thunder storm When they
strike the rocks below snow spray Is
brown into the air for hundreds of
eet in every direction. AS we stood
near this precipice while these des-
'riptions OF the playful antics il some,
lines INDUCES in were being made.
md remembered that August was not
ar away, we suddenly recalled the
act that il was much safer 10 admire
Mt Hood in the opposite direction.
One OF the surprises 10 me as /
stood on the summit Of Mt Adams,
Mas that a straight line drawn from
here 10 the summit Of Jefferson will /
strike the eastern slopes OF Hood half
way 10 the summit, so nearly do the /
hree monarchs Of the Cascades stand |
IN a line with each other
The effect on the mind and nerves /
as you stand ON the summit OF one OF /
lur great mountains is difiiCult 10 |