East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-08-17

self with the breakfast fire. doe
came out of the woods and stood mo-
tionless for a long minute watching
him before she quietly stole away
Where ones possessions are SO few
washing dishes and packing is "A
matter OF scant ceremony. In less
than an hour we were ready for the
tran. or for the march, rather. as we
expected TO leave tails behind us aud
strike across country to the base Of
Mount Clark.
Hot Rocks TO Warm Cold Beds
We held it to be but a tribute to
cur skill as mountaineers, however,
when We found an old sheep trail
following the very route we had
planned to take. For many miles we
followed it through the rolling forest
east of Mount Starr King, through
Star King Meadow, and out near the
crest Of granite ridge near Clark
Fork, Here we left it behind and
struck across the open country, over
ridge afte ridge, across stream after
SAAN1AAls AAANAA We NNAAG AN AiAt HQAAAA~
ern fork of Gray creek, where we
made a camp. We had reached the
altitude of about $500 feet, and snow
drifts lay deep all about us But
fircwood was abundant and our lit
tie nook among the tall firs promis-
ed every comfort that a knapsacker
need expect,
In default Of extra bedding we
took hot rocks to bed with us.
The night passed comfortably and
we were up at dawn ready for the as
sault on Mount Clark confident also
OF success AS we climbed the snow
lay even deeper about us The for
est of fir and mountain pine gave
way to the harder white-baFk pine.
the tree Of timber-line. Up to the
top of the ridge it crept, at the top
Of a mere shrub, bent and twisted
beneath the winters weight of snow.
as we climbed, our, horizon to the
south and west widened. We we're
cooking across the valley of the Illi-
ouette toward the snowy divide sep
lrating us from the South Fork of
he Merced where lies 'Wawona and
he splendid Mariposa grove of Sc
luoias. Yosemite valley was but
,lue rift in the forest with only its
sreat domes. Hahn Dome, Sentinel
Dome, and Starr King, rising into
my prominence.
Far different was our view to east
ward from the crest. Our ridge end
d on the east in an abrupt precipice.
though a broken Chimney" or win
lowlike aperture in the rocks. we
ooked down 500 feet into a great
now field filling all the eastern ba-
in, and beyond this lay the cleft of
he Merced canyon, and still beyond,
he magnificent snowy peaks of the
ummit crest. Lyell, Mcclure. Ritter
)ana. a host of others. all above 49,
90 feet, all shining and cleaning
4 the brilliant sunshine with a radi-
nee tina hardly seemed to belong to
his world.
Compensated Disappointment.
Well for us that this glorious vi !
on was compensation for all the {
ANY miles we had climbed, for we
1t no farther that day-and Clark |
i'll remains unconquered For we
i'd anticipated the season for noun {
in climbing by fortnight or more, t
Id the slope that should have Of O
red an easy rock climb to the sum- C
it was now a precipitous wall of a
eacherous snow. We had no rope, a
ice AK. not even knife with "
lich to cut steps, and the icy edge
lere rock and snow met proved an n
barrier to the summit. p
Up and down the ridge we prowl- s
ged, over every ledge, into every b
iinney. only to admit ourselves de- t
lted in the end.
For an hour or more we remained
'on the ridge feasting our eyes on
e marvellous paronama-a hundred A
les of snowy angle. a magnificent
rouio- ha Of