The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-09-12
EDITOR TELLS OF
TRIP UP HOOD
(By Fred G. Dunnicliff, Editor OF
White Salmon Enterprise.)

white Salmon Lheet PiiSNJ
The great white pile cuifed and bat
tered into a peak and known as Mount
Hood was topped by White Salmon
party ON the Goth, namely Wells,
Humphrey, Smithson, Dunkln, Coe,
Sullenger. King, SOrter. thompson
and the writer.
1t is an interesting trip ana may pe
made quickly and at little cost. Inc
party left White Salmon IN the Jen-
nings and Sulenger autos, leaving
Hood River at 8 o'clock Monday after
noon, first buying alpenstoeks and a
long rope, the intention being to make
the ascent without guide, whose
charge is SIS for each person, which
would have been S55 for the party.
Up through the heavily laden apple
orchards of the East Side sped the ma
chimes. crossing HOOD river and break
ing into the Upper Valley, where they
are growing some fine orchards. In
fact, so far do the orchards extend
that ii would have been no surprise to
have found some zsalot grnbbing away
at the snow line for a planting OF
Newtowns. Just beyond the last clear
ing the National park reserve is en-
tered and the autos exhaust hard ana
fast to within two miles OF the Inn,
where George Jennings, head driver,
steered on into the woods a short dis
tance and ordered men out with their
packs. With blankets, provisions,
cameras, etc., it was something OF
hike to the Inn Automobiles climb to
this place, but il is hard pull with
heavy load. The Inn is on command
ing height where you break from the
timber, Immediately in front OF 1t the
towering, majestic mountain with Its
Eliot glacier tapping down like a
great white apron to within few
rods. 1t loomed gray and gaunt and
cold in the brilliant moonlight. Its
steep side indicated hard, dangerous
climb. Most of the boys went into
camp in the trees below the Inn, three
or four paying 50 each for bed and a
fire. for it is chilly up against so much
snow after the sun goes down. There
was little sleep in camp. There never
is with bunch of young bucks the
first night out. Enthusiasm and an
ticipation makes sleep light and titful.
At the fire is throwing up its sparks,
hot coffee and a snack are swallowed,
and the bunch is off at $50 heading
for Cooper's spur, the great ridge on
the east side left by the recedlng gla-
cier.
1t had resolved itself into race for
the top by few OF the youngest and
hardest. VIM. Wells had been follow
ing the cultivator on the ranch, Earl
Coe had been ploughlng the Snowden
hills, Harve Humphrey, telephone
poles and a ball bat, George Jennings,
the stairway, Harold King stacks of
baled hay, Sorter dispensing with team
and packing freight on his back.
1t is not long before the climber re-
alizes that it is going to be hard work,
especially up that apparently almost
perpendicular snow field within $500
feet of the peak. 1t is long, arduous
climb up Cooper's spur, which is
gravel and rocks. With final squirt
il is surmounted and a great view un-
folds therefrom. George Jennings,
weighing $50 pounds of unhardened
avoirdupois, is the last man up to this
point. George has shown great deal
of nerve and laudable ambition in as
saying the climb From the top of the
spur the climber crosses to the snow
field on chine the narrow top of the
wedge which separates two glaciers.
1t is always windy over a chine, and it
is we'll to hetarefu for step or two
off to the right might send you rolling
down the rocks to great, yawning,
green crevasses in Eliot glacier. At
places the snow is broken and jumbled
as badly as Washington state politics.
The crevasses are hundreds OF feet
deep, and great snow pinnacles rise off
towards the north moraine. A day
could be spent on this glacier with in
terest.
Cameras are unlimbered, but the
first to-the-tOp bunch has strung out so
far ahead of the writer, that pictures
are almost all individual ones. 1t is
good going for a ways and the writer
has caught up with Smithson, Dunkin
and Humphrey. Behind, Sullenger
breaks from Jennings, for he has been
staying with him for companion s sake,
and spurts for the top. He quickly
passes us, and had he not remained be-
hind would have been with the first
man up, probably the first. Coe, Sor-
ter, King, Well and Thompson are
punched far above and approaching the
lower end of the life line, which hangs
down from the peak. They are going
up on the fast clutch, Humphrey all
alone on the intermediate, the rest of
US on slow speed, with hearts pounding
IKE a straw burner. 1t is no. picnic.
George has finally beat it back to
camp, The last of US finally grasps the
life line rope. Coe, Sorter, King,
Wells and Thompson have disappeared
over the top in the order named, com
: pleting their climb in three hours and
half from camp.
The rest of us pant down there be-
: low Like groggy man we hang on
the rope. One debates whether TO go
oack another says tits dangerous,
look down there p But we don't look
back-you cannot climb high by looking
down. We dig our toes into the hard
snow, pull on the rope with one hand,
push with alpenstock with the other,
Just for rod or two, then another
rest. In such rarifed air reeuperation
IS fast. We, the laggard ones, try 10
eat lunch beneath large rock about
zoo feet from the top, but there Is no
appetite and we pass it up, that IS,
further effort at luncheon. FROM tne M
TOD we are urged to hurry. NOW lor
a short distance the heavy fall OF snow now
couple of days before covers the rope
ana your dependence is on hophal,s, m
steel pointed stick and nerve. Ne We
feel better when again grasping the ss
hemp and with all energy tna1 is iels @
Chamber over the edge and. wailow vi vi
the summit, where the leaders nave ave
been for an hour, 1t had been q hard ara
struggle The energy expended wouIf ~
nave cut lot of wood, turned 'os "a "a
washing machines, grub6ea goou ou
stretch of orchard land. But we re on on
+ top Of the very highest thing IN ~ 'no nn
state Of Oregon There is nothing on on
which to bump YOUR head there, a;tser inear
did any of the politicians have Thsre Snele
paeards on the bill boards. - ihe,o on
were bare spots of gravel and rock 9 m;le Se
Tue area about quarter u as not