The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-05-23


year by constructing roads to its base.
Mr.. Howard spent several days here
last summer securing data for the
story for Sunset Magazine, in the May
issue of which it appeared.
Il used to be thought that the glory
Of scaling one Of the great mountain
peaks Of the continent was reserved
for the exceptional beings whom ma
ture had specially endowed with
strength, daring and leisure. II was
an accomplishment to be retold 10
grand children, to be entered in the
autobiography. Nevertheless, several
thousand persons have registered their
names in the famous Mazama copper
box at the top of Mount Hood during
the past ten years. Yet there has
been but one fatality in the entire rec
ord Of the mountain; and this fatality
was due to the rashness Of man who
thought he could 90 anywhere that
guide could, and who chose one Of the
most hazardous of the routes 10 the
top, even though he had never before
climbed the mountain. Likewise, a
surprising percentage Of persons who
make the trial are able to reachl the
top. Last summer, Of the several
hundred persons who started to the top
from the Portland side, guide assures
that only three -one man and two
women-faled to realize their goal,
and theTefore7were deprived Of the in
spiration that an elevation Of ll,225
feet and the summit Of wonderful
snow-capped peak alone can bring
The automobile has had part IN
making Mount Hood accessible. The
mountain may be approached from two
general directiOns-either from Port
land, or from the town Of Hood River,
sixty miles up the Columbia. II the
approach is from the town Of Hood
River, the preliminary twenty-seven
miles throughIthe beautiful Hood River
valley and past the world-famous apple
orchards to Cloud Cap Inn, will prob
ably be taken in an automobile though
to pay tribute to the older days Of the
west one may make the ride more leis-
urely in an old-time stage coach.
If from the Portland direction, one
may traverse the entire sixty miles 70
the base of Mount Hood by Automobile,
or he may go part way by electric rail
way and then transfer to aih0rse stage
or an automobile stage, stopping for
lunch at one of the taverns along the
road Welsh's, Twaney's, and the
new Mount Hood Tavern, are each be-
tween eighteen and twenty miles dis
tant from the snow-line RhOdodendron
is fourteen miles Distant and Govern |
ment Camp, or Pompeii, is four miles
distant. Leaving these taverns, the |
mountain climbers congregate during |
the evening at the very base'of the |
mountain, and spend the night in the
tent camps of the mountain guide.
The mountain climber whether he
choose the Hood River valley side or
the Portland side of the mountain will
breakfast about four o'clock in the
From this point on. the
guide is the commanding general, al
Deit the guide must necessarily be a
diplomat, firm and resource
'ul The person who has seen snow
capped peak only IN the distance, or
,nly studied souvenir postal cards, will
mitten and fur himself for a
limb up Mount Hood much as he would
or a trip to the Klondke. And If so,
Ie will be surprised on this eveutful {
morning to see the guide and the sea
oned mountain climbers in their shirt
leeves, carrying only sweater or
light coat as an extra wrap. But the
.uide will inspect the party, will see {
hat all are in order for the endurance \
in their preferably high
opped shoes leggings; loose fitting,
trong sclothes bib overalls or !
boomers or short skirts for the ladies s
md alpeustocks and snow glasses for ,
And each person, or each {
couple, will also carry light lunch.
Also, it may seem strange to talk /
Ibout sun-blistering on climb up
Mount Hood. An old joke to the effect {
hat one should take lesson from
Dame Nature and transform his face
% the hue of a native South African,
seems everything around snow-capped
peaks. But the wise man" will only
mar his natural complexion with a
thick coating of flesh colored grease
paint On the first lap Of the climb,
The tact of the guide is tested to the
extreme in conserving the physical en-
argy of the party, huoyed up as they
are by the rarefed air, and the unfold
ng world-panorama at their feet. But
The knowledge that the side Of the
is interviewer with blind
glacial cracks, some of them perhaps
several hundred feet deep, soon calms
the rovers. The guide knows the
thoroughly. He can read the
surface of the ice and the snow as ex-
lertly as the river captain does the
'iilles and the sea captain the waves.
There is only one regular resting {
place in the long ascent at Lunch
Rock on the Hood River valley side,
md at Crater Rock on the Portland
iide. The guide knows that more fre- /
luent long stops are risky, often |
on muscular stiffness. The {
'reakish Crater Rock may remind one
If the scare stories that are circulated
to the effect that 'Mount !
Hood is smoking The guides deny d
he smoke stories, but they do not @
leny that clouds of steam have been 8
zen arising from the mountain. Cra-
er Rock is one of the proofs. Natur- t
lily this modernly steam heated rock, d
Ilmost at the pinnacle of the noun /
am, is capitalized to its full worth.
t has been transformed into a lunch I
ng tavern, and il is most convenient [
esting and waiting place for those d
whose strength or grit has ebhed away. a
The steepest climb comes lust after d
.unch Rock or Crater Rock has been t
eft behind But the theory of the a
,uides is that almost anybody who can d
each these points can also climb TO
he top. If the long rest and the warm a
unch do not revive the dropping and d
he sagging ones to renewed strength. O
he guide then displays another trait d
f his professional equipment. He Il
makes hasty diagnosis of muscles n
nd vital organs, and if favorable, he d
nay then resort to little "jollying I
nd "bluflng. - $
Why, man, your work is all doue " s
e will begin. but mine is only be- n
inning. All you have to do now is to O
ollow along in my traeks-an and I've \
OF to work. Besides, he NAV hurl a
: final bluff at weak kneed d
enus male, ''if you stay here you'll "
ave to pay two dollars extra on your f