The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1922-09-28
Avalanche Lily slope, Rainier National Park.

sAVdldnCnc LILY OiOpcJ
Prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington, D.. CO.
AS the famous Japanese mountain,
Full, dominates its section of Japan,
so the great white cone of Mount
Rainier dominates the Pacific North
west, a landmark and beauty-spot from
the populous cities of Puget sound,
from the prairies of eastern Washing
ton. and ever on clear days from far
at sea. 1t Is the glacier mountain
without a peer in the United States,
and is estimated by one authority to
radiate a greater volume n area OF
ice than any other one mountain In
the world. Its area of glacial surface
Is estimated at $1,000 acres.
To the stranger in Puget sound 1t
appears to be less than ten miles away,
but on further inquiry the tourist
learns that 1t Is more than forty miles
distant In a direct line from sea-level
at Puget sound, from where INT
survey measurements are made ana all
Rainier park travel starts.
Studying it more in detail, he begins
to comprehend its size and rugged
anatomy. But the scene is beginning
to change; the sun Is low In the west /;
the lower end of the glaciers, white
a few minutes ago, become a graded
tint of rose pink the blue has changed
to a purple, but the summit Is still
white. for 1t is 1000 feet higher than
IL .,ouy J{na ond nroinntc I'M into fhp
white rays of the setting sun. The
red rays are slowly moving up the
mountain the summit has changed
to rose hue, the last coloring of day,
which 1t holds for some minutes after
the sun has left the landscape. and
then changes back again, finally, from
warm to the cold purple a~fterglow
that generally precedes a summer
might on Puget sound.
Its Cap a Weather Sign.
Viewing Mount Rainier after the
weather has been fair for some days,
1T is common to see the summit
covered with a cloud. This cap is very
interesting and Is always looked at
for q forecast of a change of weather,
especially when it forms Immediately
In contact with the summit. hugging
down closely like an inverted saucer.
When the cap forms suddenly, like
the sudden drop of a barometer, the
change of weather is not long coming.
The cap does not always touch the
mountain top, but Is occasionally some
distance above and holds its shape
during a whole day or more.
From a far distance this cap appears
to be a still cloud with nc motion, but
I'm studying 1t from close range one
will observe that at the west edge the
cap develops rapidly, dissolving to in
visible condition at the east edge.
Evidently it is a stationed point of
condensation, but not a stationed ac-
emulation of moisture.
The crater of Rainier, concerning
which many questions are asked, is
not dangerous, but rather a life-pre-
server, and has been so Used during
storm. There are no openings within
the crater large enough to be danger
Gus. The whole circle of 1000 feet
diameter Is filled with fallen black lava
and covered with a thick pack of snow
the year round, except at the edges
near the crater's rim. The main crater
was the mountains principal ent Of
eruption, but there is one other place
called the little crater; 1t and a few
other spots near the top are also
warm.
The first parties to the summit al
ways made the crater their inn, where
they stayed at night, warmed by the
steam that issues from, the small
assures Just within the c~rater's rim
but Of late the plan has been to reach
the summit from Camp of the Clouds
elevation, 5000, starting about l a.
M, reaching the summit just after
noon and, after some hours rest, re-
turning to camp the same evening.
Hot Steam of the Crater.
In making a trip to the mountains
summit, August, 1911, the writer took
along a thermometer to ascertain the
steam temperature, and found the
steam Of the main crater In places to
be about $50 degrees F. There are
other places where the heat is above
boiling point.
The steam is evidently snow water
that seeps down and comes in con
tact with the internal heat, returning In
vapor through the same general open
1t seems to contain no gas or
fumes, and is of feeble force and little
volume, soon disappearing In the high,
dry atmosphere. 1t is not seen from
a far distance and is not a factor in
producing the cloud cap that forms on
summit p%reKiOuS TO storm.