The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-08-10
CAMPING ON MT.
CONSTITUTION
A Charming Account of the Trip of
jolly Party of Eleven From
East Sound.

- four girls, one chaperone, six
men and miscellaneous collection of
frying pans, coffee pots, blankets and
eatables, left East Sound village on
Thursday afternoon for an outing
ION the hill'-in other words, for a
trip up Mt. Constitution. The road
from the village skirts the bay fo.' a
mile and half, then for a short dis
tance rises in succession of sharp
hills, to emerge presently on a
tableland where it winds around the
shore of Cascade lake in whose blue
waters are reflected ths great fir
and cedar trees that line it's banks.
Another stretch of comparatively
level ground, and we begin the act
ual ascent OF the foothills below the
mountain On the left rises steep
hill, tue road, j1st wide enough for
one wagon, being cut out of the side
On the right, far down in the narrow
canon, dances a little brook, almost
lost in the heavy growth of moss and
ferns lining it's banks. 1t is difficult
| to realize that this small stream car
ries the immense volume of water
that pours over the falls. AS the
road grows sleeper, all except the
drivers leave the wagons anc walk,
to relieve the strain upon the horses
1t is such jolly, lively party, that
no one minds the steep climb, every
one taking his own way and his own
| gait, until at the first switchback all
turn and look back upon the road
they have just travelled. And such
a scene! The day was so beautifully
clear that every feature of the land
scape stood out with almost star tling
distinctness. Far below in the i'm
mediate foreground lies Cascade lake.
TIE west side, under the high, rocky
bank, wrapped in the purple mists of
late afternoon, the east side still
shining in the light of the sun. Be-
yond the ragged points of hills lay
the Sound, with it's myriads of ISL
ands, large and small, barren and
fertile, gray and green, but all pic
| turesQue. A few minutes rest, and
the climb begins again, only to last a
short time, as the road soon became
comparatively level, and there was
no more walking until the camping
ground was reached. With the speed
of old campaigners the wagons were
unloaded, rocks rolled together, with
| fiat iron bars across for the fire
place, and preparations for supper
were quickly begun. In an incred-
IDLY short space of time the feast was
spread upon the table improvised
from an inverted wagon box. To
prove that it was feast, here is the
menu:
Broiled Lamb Chops
Fried Chicken Livers Baked Beans
Potato and Cabbage Salad
Meat Pie
Raised Biscuits Cockies
Bread and Butter
Coffee
xr-,4 .h., ,ood, ond oftoruords q
didn't that table look as if it were in the
wake of devastating army? Each MEM
Der of the party seemed to know just
what to do. Some of the men cared for
the horses for the night, some swung the
hammocks and cut great armsful of fra
grant cedar and hemlock boughs for beds,
all the time declaring that there would be
no sleep that night for anyone. The girls
cleared the table, arranged the food sup
niles and washed the dishes. Finally
| everything was ship-shape for the night
and the mile walk to the summit was be-
gun. The trail is very good one. and
the ascent, while continuous, is not diff
cult. The summit of the mountain is
great rugged mass of gray rock, without
tree or blade of grass. The view from
this point is most extensive toward the
east. Dozens of towns and cities lie al
| most at ones feet and islands, islands,
| islands are in every direction. Away to
the east stands Mt. Baker, cold and for
bidding in its snowy garb which shows
very distinctly at this short distance. To
the south is Mt. Rainier which looks posi-
itiyely frivolous with its little pink cap
rising above the surrounding white
clouds.
/ In short time each one had found q
com Portable resting place; no one seemed
inclined to talk, and soon utter silence
reigned. until one of the girls, who pos
sesses beautiful voice, sang softly well
known hymn, which seemed fitting to
time and place. Even the nearness of the