Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1920-09-10

homa and the Kautz glaciers. But many OF great
size and impressiveness are born OF the SHOWS
in rock pockets or cirques ice-sculptured DoWs
Of great dimensions and ever-increasing aepuh'
from which they merge into the glistehing arInor
of the huge volcano. The most notable OF these
are the Cowlitz, the Paradise, the Fryingpan, the
Carbon, the Russell the North and South Mowlcn,
the Puyalup, and the Pyramid glaciers
Twenty-eight glaciers, great and small. clothe
Rainier-rivers of ice, with many of the charac-
teristics Of rivers OF water roaring at times over
precipices like waterfalls, ripping and tumbling
down rocky slopes-veritable noisy cascades, ris-
ing smoothly up on hidden rocks to foam, brook
like, over Its lower edges.
Every winter the moisture-laden winds from the
Pacific suddenly cooled against its summit, deposit
upon It's top and sides enormous SHOWS These
settling in the crater which was left after the
great explosion In some prehistoric age carried
away perhaps 1900 feet Of the VOLCANOES former
height, press with overwhelming weight down the
mountains slopng sides
Thus are born the glaciers, for the snow under
its own pressure quickly hardens into leo. through
IA valleys selfcarved in the solid rock flow these
rivers of ice turning as rivers of water turn,
to avoid the harder rock strata, now roaring over
preeipces ike concealed waterfalls now ripping,
like water currents, over rough bottoms, pushing,
pouring relentlessly until they reach those
parts of their courses where warmer air turns
them into rivers Of water.
In glowing contrast to this marvellous spectacle
OF ice are the gardens of wild flowers surrounding
the glaciers. These howery spots are called parks.
one win find the accompanying map Spray
Park. St Andrews Park, Indian Henry's Hunting
Ground Paradise Summer Land; and there are
many others.
above the forests" writes John Muir. there
Is zone of the loveliest flowers fifty miles in cir
cult and nearly two miles wide, so closely planted
and luxurious that It seems as II nature, glad to
make an open space between woods so dense and
ice so Deep were economzing the precious ground
and trying to see how many of her darlings she
can get together In one mountain wreatfl-daises
anemones columbine erythronums larkspurs etc,
among which we wade knee deep and waist deep
the bright corollas In myriads touching petal to
petal Altogether this is the richest subalpine
garden have found. a perfect flower elysium."
The lower attitudes OF the park are densely tim.
bered with fir, cedar, hemlOek, maple, alder cot
tonwood and spruce. The forested areas, extend
ing to an altitude of about $500 fsSt. gradually
decrease in density of growth after an altitude 81
1900 feet is reached and the high broad platea as
between the glacial canyons present Incompatible
scenes of diversified beauties.
A large part of the area above the 4,5O0-foo
contour consists Of open, grassy parks. rocky and
barren SUBMITS snow fields and glaciers. Tracts
of dense subalpine forest occur IN sheltered loca
tons, but they are nowhere very extensive, ant
their continuity is broken by open swamp glade.
and meadows and small bodies of standing wa
ter. The steep upper slopes Of the spurs dl
vuiging from the main ridges frequently GOV
cred with stunted, scraggy growth of low tree.
firmly rooted in the crevices between the rocks
The most beautiful of the alpine trees are abou
the mountain parks. Growing in scattered grove
and standing in groups or singly In the apei
grassland and on the margins of the lakes the,
produce a peculiarly pleasing landscape effec
which agreeably relieves the traveller from tn
extended outlook to the snow fields of the noun
tain and broken ridges about it. At the lowe.
levels of the subalpne forest the average heich
of the largest trees is from so to so feet I'll
size dininishes rapidly as the elevation increase,
The trees are dwarfed by the cold and fhei
trunks are bent and twisted by the wind SINAI
patches of low weather.heaten, and stunned nlcnl
thin hemlock, alpine fir and white-kar'. pine .ccu
up TO 1900 feet. The trunks are quite hroStrai.
and the crowns are hattened mats OF br,,ntgs.
lying close TO the ground The extreme limit q
tree growth on Mount Rainier is about 7l60O fee
There is ne distinct timber line.