Evening star., 1925-08-16

H CUNT HOOD mad been llIum-
M mated, and / wanted to illumi-
VI nate Mount Adams, in the
4 State of Washington | had
fervent desire to burn red
fire upon that lofty summit, so that
the unique display could be seen
throughout the surrounding country.
One Fourth of July l got together
small party composed of my father, J.
A. Rusk Milt Gilbreath, John Keel,
Frank and Harrison Thompson and
myself, all residents of the vicinity of
this great snow-clad mountain, which
has been called noble enough to be
the pride of u continent"
Our plan was for the entire party TO
climb the mountain, each helping to
carry the illuminating material, some
food and extra clothing. The rest
would return TO camp in the afternoon,
while my father and l would remain
all night on the summit, setting off
the fire at o'clock. How much of
this plan was carried out | shall now
proceed to tell.
An hours time served TO bring US
up through the rapidly dwindling tree
clusters, the Velvety fower-strewn
lawns and the boulder-capped ridges of
The parklands and put us face 10 face
with the saVager aspect of the great
moraines. The snow was still hard,
Dul we topped the lllOrdlne DS the ala
of steeply inclined Snowtield and pro-
ceeded across the gentle slope of a
small glacier toward the great lava
ridge which forms the lower stairway
for the southern ascent of the noun
tain.
AS we crossed the glacier sharp
gusts of wind cut our faces. But the
sky was still clear and we were not
alarmed. We soon reached the ridge,
and a stiff scramble brought us on to
the jagged crest. Here the wind as
sailed us a little more fiercely,
sharper bite in its icy teeth. But there
were no clouds, and on we went, un-
afraid
Now began long, monotonouS grind
up the great lava backbone. The wind
seemed TO be steadily increasing in
strength. The rough. unworn boulders
and the sharp lava points We're trying
TO the patience. and they Sapped our
strength. Occasionally we gained some
relief by taking TO a SnoWneld that
filled a depression between minor
ridges. But for the most part our way
was over the rocks. Before we We're
half way to the saddle the wind had
gained such violence that in climbing
over one of the lava blocks a particu-
larly strong gust caught me and
whipped me off.
ne Two 4 HOIllpSOllS lOTS6u dnedu,
followed at short intervals by Keel
and Gilbreath. leaving my father and
me in the rear. These men were good
backwoodsmen, but they had never
climbed high mountains and they had
not learned that TO climb big peak
quickly one must do it slowly. l have
always refused to be hurried on long
ascent. and generally being one of the
rear ones at the beginning, l have had
the satisfaction of being one of the
first on top.
pY the time I reached the saddle the
- Thompsons were far in the lead.
They were well advanced on the great
snow slope leading to the first summit
The others were scattered along be
tween, my father being just ahead of
me. The wind had attained the dig
nifty of gale.
There is no such thing as a uniform
snow line on any great peak. There
are too many conditions to vary il, not
only on different mountains, but on
different sides of the same mountains.
Yet as a general proposition il may be
said that Mount Adams is we'll mantled
with snow and ice for more than 5000
feet from it's summit down.
AS we began the ascent of the great
snow slope the wind swept us with
added fury. But as yet there were
only few scattered clouds swirling
through the sky. My father and
We're now close together. Gilbreath
and Keel had slowed down percepti-
bly,, but the Thompsons still main
tanned their long lead. Our packs
were not very heavy, yet the few
pounds they weighed added greatly to
the difficulty of climbing in the thin
air.
The gale, too, was striking us at
right angles, and it's pressure increased
our troubles and required much
strength for resistance that otherwise
might have been used to overcome
altitude We each had overcoats,
which We're put on when we found to
our surprise that we could not keep
warm even while climbing. The wind
was cold and it cut Ike blades of ice.
Our course was roughly parallel to
one of the long boulder ridges that
led up the great slope from th- saddle