The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-09-08
MARK WEYGANDT
CLIMBS 5OOTH TIME

IOOu, uOiuS recoTu unsurpassed d.
any Oregon mountain guide. So fa
as is known no guide of the Northwes
can eclipse Mr.. Weygandt in the mum
Der of journeys up snoWpeak.
Aged Al years, man a little above
the average height. lean and muscular
and worshipper at Natures shrine
Mr.. Weygandt made his first ascent OF
Mount Hood in 1902 when he was d
years old. The distance from Clouc
Cap Inn to the base camp from which
climbers make their start up the hoary
old glacial peak is eight miles. Thus
Mr.. Weygandt, when he descended from
the snowfields for the 500th time, had
| journeyed an even 1000 miles on his
trips up and down the rocky, snowcov-
cred peak.
Mr.. Weygandt. who now conducts
| parties from camp of his own near
the homestead place of j. O. Hannum,
was for many years official guide at
Cloud Cap Inn. He has escorted more
than 1000 climbers to the top of Hood.
His greatest number of ascents, he
says, was made in 1907, when he
climbed the mountain so times. That
year he made ascents to the summit on
IA successive days. Exclusive of the
participants in Mondays climb he has
led 203 recreationist5 up the peak this
summer.
'And the season is not over yet, !"
he says. MANY think because Cloud
Cap Inn closes the day following Labor
Day that the climbing season is over.
1t is my experience that the best
mountaineering conditions are found in
September. Following the rains that
prevail the first of the month we al
ways have some warm days. While the
precipitation is in the form of rain on
the lowlands it is showing on the peak.
Already in the past week we have had
about foot of snow on the sides of
the mountain. This new snow makes
the fun of sliding down the steep
snowfields all the better. The rains
clear the atmosphere and the eye can
penetrate the surrounding landscape in
every direction. The foliage Of the
trees that lose their leaves every year
is beginning to color up and some gor-
geous sights greet the eyes of those
who climb in September. If anyone
wants to participate in some real
mountaineering let him join me on
some of my September jaunts. | can
the Parkdale telephone exchange"
Mr.. Weygandt expresses surprise at
the publicity given the past summer
south side of Mount Hood near Crater
Rock. He declares that the disturb
ance merely resulted from some shift |
ing of a glacier which opened crack
and permitted the flowing of a.quanti-
ty of water and sand down over the
snow fields.
"While / will not say that such oc-
currences are frequent on the noun
tain" says MIR. Weygandt, 81 have
seen enough of them so that they are
no longer a novelty to me. do not
give them any notice any more. There
was absolutely no volcanic action in
the disturbance. The discoloration of
the snow was not caused by any lava.
1t was pure mud. For a hundred years.
perhaps, sand and dust has been col
lected in the bottom of a deep ere
vase. When the crack opened up it
was carried forth on the snowfields in
the onrush of pent-up waters.
Mr.. Weygandt says he plans on
journey around the entire base of
Mount Hood about the middle of Sep
tember. He states that he will be ac-
companied by small party of men,
some of whom are geologists. They
will study the crevasses of each of the
eight huge glaciers that plough their
way down the peak.
1--WE are not going to do any hurry
ing on this trip" says the guide. 81
that it will take US about six
days to see all that we have in mind. "
Mr. Weygandt says he has never
in a more enjoyable as
cent of Mount Hood than that of Sun
day, July 81, when he was head guide
for the American Legion party on
their first annual ascent. He has be-
come an ardent booster for the Le-
gion plans of making this recreation
al stunt yearly annual feature of ma
tiOnal Importance.
Mr.. Weygandt in all of his expert
ance as a guide has never had a seri-
Gus accident happen to a member of
his parties. The nearest to a serious
mishap occurred in August, 1905, he
says.
IA Professor Lyons, accompanied by
his wife and Others" he says, was
)ut from Washington, ID. c., where
the professor was connected with the
Smithsonian Institution. They had
,ome west for the Lewis & Clark ex-
position. They had just one day to
spend at Cloud Cap Inn. They arose
hat morning and asked me what |
thought of a climb 1t was one of
hose sultry August DAYS, with clouds
gathering in the west. warned
against any mountain climbing that
Law. Prof. Lyons then expressed
wish for a Swiss Alpine guide. He
aunted me. You fellows ought to go
20 Switzerland, he said, and get some
lerve. No Swiss guide would permit
little thunder storm to keep him off
he mountain He made me mad.
old them to get their togs on.
Pretty soon they came forth as
lretty a party as you ever saw. They
,ad nice ice axes and were dressed the
,art of mountaineers. But before we
rot back that night they wished they |
lad never heard of Mount Hood. We
rot caught in one Of the worst storms
have ever seen on the mountain.
IN Arctic-like current Of air seemed
O hold the peak in its grasp as we
we're coming down the side of the
,eak. We had to forego the pleasure
f the long slides down snowtelds that :
av. Two members Of the party were /
elled by lightning strokes. Mrs.
.vons left Cloud Cap Inn with beauti-
ul hair. When she got back il was
horter than mine. Ii had frozen and
.ad been broken and twisted from her
cad by the wind. II was a terrible
xperience. The professor wasn't
card to mention any further exploits
( Swiss guides.
MIR. Weygandt says that an ascent Of
iount Hood is not nearly as strenuous
S many people suppose II to be. 10
he hands of a skilifui guide, who
nows how to conserve the strength Of
is party. be says that any man or
,oman in normal good health can