The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-08-17
LEGION PARTY
EXPLORES HOOD
MOUNTAIN PEAK ENTIRELY CIRCLED
LegiOnnaires Also Go Over the Top and
Pass under Portions of Reed
Glacier

fOSJ OF the American LSlBUH TIC past
week spent five days in the most thor
ough exploration ever participated In
by any individuals or organization on
the snow peak of Mount Hood. The
legionnaires made their strenuous trip
in order to gain a personal knowledge
of the snowfelds and glaciers, which
they annually exploit in the Mount
Hood Legion climb.
The great war veterans, headed by
Mark Weygandt, official guide on Le-
gion climb parties, on their f1ve-day
iaunt went over the mountain, around
1t, and they declare that they passed
under a good portion of it in their un-
precedented feat of exploring Reed
glacier. located on the southwest side
of the peak.
Tuesday, August 8, the Legion men,
including Kent Shoemaker. Hans Hoer-
lein, Fred Donnerberg, Harry w. Far
rell and William Cochran. penetrated
the upper portion of Reed glacier.
They were told by the guides of the
south side of the mountain that the un-
dertaking would be impossible. Indeed,
without exception the explorers them
selves say they decided several times
that they reached an impasse, and it is
likely that they would have back
tracked if they had not considered a
forward march less difficult than the
task of dipping into dark ice caverns
and forming living bridges across deep
glacial chasms already encountered.
The men and their guide figure that
they Travelled al least six miles on the
cracked surface of the huge ice cake
in making one mile as the crow flies.
The feat required u hours. Frequent
ly thev were 80 feet down in huge Gre
vases. They made their way through
numerous ice tunnels, the bores 10 or
20 feet long.
Take a cake of artificial ice as it
comes from the freezing can, says
Mr.. Shoemaker, "and then hit it sew
eral times with a big sledgehammer.
Imagine what you have left magnifed
a million times and you will have some
idea of what Reed glacier is like. Its
surface lis criss-crossed with giant
seams. The ever grinding force of the
mountain has heaved portions of the
field up into giant ice pinnacles. At
other points we were walking along
cTevasses that seemed to bave no bot
tom. Rocks dropped into these depths
clink clanked away, as they grazed
projecting sides for many seconds af-
ter they had left the light of day. 1t
kind of gave fellow creepy feeling
as he waited for the rising sounds to
end. Reed glacier is the place for the
mountanieer who wants to test his en-
durance and experience a thrill for
every moment of the trip across it. +"
The legionnaires, however, declare
that every hour of each full day of
their exploration at the high elevation
had its moment of inspiration and
thrill. No novel experiences we're met
with Saturday afternoon. AT crack OF
day Sunday the party was out on Eliot
glacier. They spent several hours Sc
curing photographs of crevasses and
ice cascades here and investigated a
huge crack into which a pack mule
slid July IA when preparations were
being made for the annual climb of
the iegionnaiTes of this year. The
mule had disappeared into the Gin
nards" of the ice field. The body of
the animal, it was declared by Guide
Weygandt, may remain frozen for sew
eral hundred years before emerging
at the snout down the mountain side.
The party then proceeded over the
ridge above Coopers Spur to Newton
Clark glacier. Sunday afternoon was
spent in sliding down snowfelds there
and in exploration of the glacier of the
White river. The party camped the
first night at the timber line beside the
trail leading from Government Camp
up to the summit.
Monday morning further investiga-
tion was made of White river glacier
and after viewing the crevasses of
Zig-zag glacier, the recreationists and
Mr.. Weygandt climbed the mountain
from the south side.
As the party topped the summit the
sun was lust sinking into the Pacific,
and the months full moon. the harvest
moon, was lifting itself from the hori'
zon of eastern Oregon pleateau coun-
try. =,
1--WE were tired, of course" said
Mr.. Shoemaker, after our strenuous
efforts of that day and were ready tc
throw ourselves down any old place fol-
a rest, but there, with the mountain
almost calm, an unusual phenomenon
for the great elevation, the snowy pin
nacle just tipped by the last suns rays
on the west side and the silvery light
of the moon laying a halo around it on
the east, we stood in a kind of awe
lt seemed that the world was turned
into some giant auditorium, with the
sun and moon two giant spOtlights, anC
we were in these spotlights. Ii seemed
as though we we're floating for time
out in the infinite. Such a moment
makes a mere man feel awfully small
and insignificant.
"The sun dropped with a suddennesI
that seemd almost to have sound to IT,
and the western slope of the mountains
and the vast expanse of forests were
in deep darkness. The moon, however
lighted with an unusual briliiancy fol
Luna, all the world TO the east. The
night atop Mount Hood was unusually
warm, the forest l0okouts there tOlC
Us. The minimum temperature wal
only IS degrees.
I'VE Just sat on our high perehel
there that night content to look of in
/ to space and listen TO an Occasiona
crack as some glacier split or the in
ternal forces Of the frOzen-over vol
cano caused some other rending OF th'
Z rock and icy heap. There Is still tirI
4 somewhere down in the depths Of Ho0G
+ and vspors. dense and sulphUry, aris'
K constantly from around Crater Rock Of
E the south side. We might havl
watched throughout the night but 70
our need Of sleep for the next day
when the difficult trip over Reed Rla
cier as scheduled.
at seemed that we had been sleep
Z ing for only few minutes when some
I ore called a warning that il was sun
rise. None Of US Legion men eve
hope to zee q more beautiful. ui.sight thai
that Of last Tuesday morning when tn
sun broke suddenly and grandly frOn
l lha nnafnrr nrannrn.lainE One nannr