The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-08-12
MANY REACH
HOODS TOP
&c REGISTER IN MAZAsIA BOOK
Mt. Hood Railway Co. Praised for Pro-
motion Of Hood River Day Idea
Fire Causes Thrill

Fire Causes Thrill
While the opening of the Columbia
river highway has naturally resulted in
great influx of motoring tourists. it
has also caused local people to take
greater interest in the scenic points of
the Hood River valley. The lsuding
of visitors has caused them to awake
to the grandeur around them.
Parties of local people go weekly
now to the snowfields OF Mount Hood,
where one may suffer very painful
sunburn while enjoying the sports of
winter time, skiing, snowshoeing and
cOasting. But no event in the Hood
River valley has ever created so much
enthusiasm among local people as Hood
River day on Mount Hood last Thurs
day. when party of SO people, made
up of Hood River county residents and
their guests, participated in an outing
at Cloud Cap Inn. Seventy Of the ex-
cursionists started Thursday morning
from Cloud Cap Inn on the strenuous
climb, and out of this number 66
reached the summit. where they regis
tered in the Mazama book.
Hood River day was promoted by the
Mount Hood Railway Co. Heretofore
It has cost approximately $25 person,
If one chose to make an ascent of the
mountain in comfort. To use an ex-
preston coined for the occasion, the
railway company, which operates
line from this city to Parkdale, the
nearest town in Oregon to the base of
Mount Hood, "Fordized" the trip, and
made charge of $3.50, including
transportation. guide service and a
meal at the Inn.
A special train, bearing the excur-
sionists, left Hood River at 8 o'clock
Wednesday afternoon of last week.
The party was met at Parkdale by We
hicles which transported them to the
entrance of the national forest. From
this point, four miles to the Inn, the
mountalneers walked.
1t was midnight before the last
straggler had reached the bough-can-
opied ravine, where huge bonfire had
been built and where the earlier arriv-
ais had already placed their blankets
OH improvised mattresses of hemlock
twigs.
Soon the last bit of before-bed re-
partee was fired, murmured conversa-
tion gave way to measured breathing
and an occasional snore and the big
party had gone to the realm of Nor
pheus. The flames of .the bonfire,
however, continued to leap merrily,
casting titful light over the blanketed
forms. A tongue of fame licked a
fallen pine log, which was quickly ig
nited.
The pine log reached to the head of
couch occupied by some of the young
ladies'. Their blankets were ablaze and
their hair had been singed, and still
the girls slept. Fortunately more
restless companion discovered the burn
ing bed in time to prevent painful
bhsters.
A scream alarmed the entire party,
and after the fire had been extin-
guished, several of the boys came from
their side of tine brook that divided the
camp and began an all night serenade,
and the coolness that resulted contin-
| ues.
After the excitement of the fire and
the serenade, many of the girls were
unable to sleep again. and of course
were in no condition to begin the ascent
at sunup.
No ascent of Mount Hood has ever
been more successful, according to
Mark Weygandt, the guide of the oeca
sion. In the first line to tie in and
start across the huge snowfeld there
were SO. The line that followed was
composed of "a. Because 70 these large
numbers MIR. Weygandt was somewhat
dubious of making haste, but the rules
he laid down were observed. and the
amateur climbers moved slowly but
steadily toward the summit, reached by
first line at 1870 o'clock. This is con-
sidered record time, for it usually takes
large parties until almost noon to top
the crest of the snow peak.
Lunch was enjoyed on the ragged
edges of Lunch rock, from the sides of
which the tired climbers as they re-
freshed themselves could look straight
down a distance of 1000 feet. To the
east spread the grain. fields of eastern
Orgon. The Sisters and Jefferson lift
ed themselves to the southeast. In the
blue haze of far away Washington
swan there silver points, which the
guides explained we're Adams, Rainier
and st. Helens. Some of the party
claim that they could see Shasta. The
day was almost perfect. the view being
marred only by slight haze in por
tions of the sky. The blue of the sky
rivaled that of the little lakes SHIN
mering amidst the sea of green forests.
The ascent and descent were both
without thrills, except for some minor
incidents met with by those coasting
down the snowfields. Not skilled in
the manipulations of an alpinestock.
some of the party were not able to
check themselves on approaching points
where the snow had been swept from
the uneven ice, and when this happened
the unexpected friction usually caused
the coaster to lose his or her equilib-
rum and go plunging head over heels
to the bottom of the field.
Ashley Wilson, superintendent of the
Mount Hood line, accompanied the ex-
cursionists. Reymund b. Early, the
company's genreal passenger and
freight agent, says thatt the success Of
the venture surpassed every expecta-
ton. ''lt was such success, he says,
THAT we will begin now to make..ar-
rangements for several such parties
each year.
Those who reached the summit of
the mountain were: Geo. K. Wilbur,
w. F. Shannon, Etheljane Mcdonald.
w. F. Forrey, Walter w. Forty, B. b.
Powell, F. B. Snyder, Dorothy A. Bat.
tey, Ashley Wilson, Aldine Bartmess,
John Mellon. Harriet Allen, Archie e.
Moss. J. W. Critics, Harry A. Hackett,
Helen M. Cox, W. II. McClain, +. E.
Kaesser, Ella Mcdonald, Rebecea
Thompson cascade Locksl, Clara NJ.
Thompson, Rev. Morris Goodrich. Hans
A. Hanson (Neenah, Wis.,. Harvey J.
School, Algie l.. Weinheimer, Gladyse
Vogel. Florence Carson. Rev. John
Samuels, nr. David Robinson tMosier),
A. X. Nickeis. Nj. c. Cropper (pendle-
toni. A. W. Peters, Will Shepard,
Henry Blagg, Rev. Anthony s. Donat,
w. 7. Price. s. w. Walburg, Will Me-
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