River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-06-06
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foregather for climbing and mountain
study. The initial summer session
was held in July of last year on the
summit of the Yoho pass, 5000 fee.
above the sea, with over 100 in at
tendance, besides a corps of mountain
outfitters, two Swiss guides, and a
dozen of experienced Rocky mountain
climbers. Seven high mountains, one
a virgin peak, were climbed by sue
cessive parties during the week the
session lasted.
This summer camp, known locally
as the Yoho meet, began as an expert
ment and ended as an institution. On
shining morning in July over 80
members of the club, some of them in
full climbing canonicals, left Mount
Stephen house, the railway COM
pany's hotel at Field, with expectant
faces turned toward the rendezvous,
II miles away in the wilderness.
OF two routes small party chose
the trail leading over Burgess pass
and round the precipitous pass of
Mount Wapta, high above Emerald
lake, straight on to the Yoho pass.
For the sake of changing views, the
infinite movement of mountains, still
moving with you," this route is to be
recommended strongly. There, ever
before you on yon high, narrow path
way, are the distant purple ranges
softly folding and unfolding; and
nearer mountains with clinging
glaciers and cleaning streams de-
scending the rock sleeps thousands of
feet; and 5000 feet below, in a rich
green forest setting, lies Emerald
lake These changing sites are worth
the long tramp or ride on the back of
a sure-fOoted broncho.
The other, less difficult, more popu-
lar route by eight miles of wagon
road through a lovely forest avenue
and nine miles of trail, was chosen by
most of the so.
Next, day, in rain again, the first
official ascent of the club was made
by party roped to two Swiss guides.
Although two were ladies, although
it rained from start to finish, although
the ascent involved steep rock climb
ing, glacier, step-cutting, and over
mile of soft snowfield, not one funk
ed" and they reached the summit in
shower of sleet and wind. There
were, of course, no views; but the
party, mostly neophytes, was deter
mined to show what stuff plainsfolk
were made of. There was laundering,
echoing applause upon their return to
camp.
Every morning parties set out for
different SUBMITS or for the two days
pilgrimage into the Yoho valley and
up to the great Wapta Glacier at it's
terminus. Every day recruits arrived
IN camp. Every day there was mail
and fresh supplies from the commits
sariat Every day kilograms were sent
of the progress of the climbing.
The pass itself is lodging place to
remember. The close wood of fir and
pine and fragrant balsam opens on
lovely meadow carpeted with white
and purple heath; and manifold vari-
eeties of gaily colored and rare flowers
abound. Here and there on the mead
ow trees are grouped in parklake
effect. Under the shadow of Mount
Wapta, gray against the bluest of
skies, in the very heart of this balmy
forest, lies tarn of purest emerald
green, fed by myriads of tiny springs
beneath it's shallow bed. No glacial
stream sullies it's limpid water. 1t
ought to be called Emerald rather
than the turbid glacial lake of that
name 1000 fet below.
For the summer of this year the
meet will be on a meadow of about a
square miles area at the upper end
of Paradise valley, at the foot of
Horseshoe glacier on Mount Hunga-
bee (chieftain), the most difficult
mountain in the neighborhood of fine
glacier mountains. 1t has only been
once climbed, and that was by an ex-
pert Alpinist and two Swiss guides
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