Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-28
MOUNT JUMBO IS HARD
FOR AMATEUR CLIMBERS
But Wonderful View Can Be
Found for Hundred Miles,
Says Correspondent.

special Correspondence OF Inc STAR
MIssoULA. MONT. May III have
been reading in The Star about the
hikes of the wanderlusters in Washing
ton. I wish they could join in some OF
the hikes / have had in Montana.
Recently / started on Sunday morn
ing with a friend here who comes from
Washington state. and after having
breakfast left our hotel at $40 o'clock,
determined to tackle old Mount Jumbo.
a short way out of town. We did the
back at 12:15 o'clock.
Mount Jumbo was certainly well
named. 1t resembles a huge elephant
resting on his knees, waiting patiently
for his master to mount upon his back.
Although 1t took the best part of the
morning We finally did reach the high
est point Of his rough. old weather
beaten back. 1t took an hour and a
half of necessarily lifting one leg
above the other to reach the summit.
1t must have been a forty-fve-degree
angle nearly the whole distance. Mount
Jumbo is 1000 feet high and so one
can imagine the view which greeted our
eyes upon reaching the top. Just think!
That is nearly four times as Sigh as
the Washington Monument. 1 tooS six
it was rather misty and the sun wis
not fully out. thought 1 would risk
it. because l will never have the chance
again. l know that we could see every
thing within a radius of at least a hun
dred miles. Missoula lay at our very
feet. resembling the tiniest of doll VII
lagos. The Rattlesnake river stretched
away to the southwest in that char
acteristic attitude which Mr.. Rather as
sunes when he is on-tfre march. All
along the banks OF the Raftiesnake
were huge white pine trees. have not
seen a scrub pine since 1 have been
out here. All the pines are Of that
long needed variety.
Sight Is Wonderful.
On all sides doomed huge snow-topped
mountains. whose rugged sides we're COW
cred with rock and pines. In the valleys
were extensive farms, dotted here and
there with peaceful old farmhouses
What Is the use trying to describe the
wonderful sight? 1t can't be done. nor
can the camera reproduce it. One has
to see it with ones own eyes to appre-
ciate what it means. There was flag
pole with an old ragged American flag
on the very top of Mount Jumbo, and l
cut my name In the pole. l am quite
sure that this was one time when the
FOOLS name will not be seen in public
place The descent was not anything
like as trying as going up. However, it
was totally different kind of exercise
from that L am used to. and we were
both feeling pretty weak kneed when we
got down.
In the afternoon we rode out to Fort
Missoula on the electric car and walked
back a distance of four miles. The
scenery around there is fine The COM
bination of mountains, big trees and
winding river cannot be beaten.
Horseback Riding the Thing.
Horseback riding is the thing out here.
Recently we arranged for saddle horses
to take trip bach into this magnih-
cent country. We found our horses
hobbled in field outside of town, and
we put the halters on them and rode
them to the house of the man from
whom we hired them. He sadded them
ana we started. His entire family as
sembled on the porch to see the ten
derfoot make show of themselves. They
were not altogether disappointed. We
went up the Rattlesnake river for about
fifteen miles. It is wonderful coun-
try up there: Our road led US some
times down by the water and other times
we found ourselves 500 feet above the
river. 1 never enjoyed anything more
than 1 did that ride. The few houses
we saw we're built Of logs. One of them
was built over a small stream so that
its occupants would have fresh water
at all times. During part Of the trip
we left the road and followed a trail
through the pines. We forded streams
many times.
One of the best parts of the hikes and
horseback rides is to get back with
fine Montana appetite and do justice to
the bountiful western menu at our board
ing house They certainly know how to
serve up things for hungry man to eat
out here.
EVERETT DEANE KERN.