Evening star., 1925-08-23

mn snowcl2d mountain. stands
far north in the State OF
Washington and overlookS
the international boundary.
kulshan, the Great White Watcher.
the Indians called il; and for ages
their generations. in awe, had seen it
watching over the gateway to the
Western Ocean, with its smoky ban
ner waving across leagues of un-
tracked forest.
One season, while there were still
but six recorded ascents of kulshan,
l heard of some people who planned
to climb it and entered into CORE
spondence with them. At first 1t
seemed there would be party, but
only one finally came-George G..
Cantwell-to join us.
When at length we had started, and
entered upon the climb itself. pull
up the last lava ridge on the east side
"a route that has probably since
never been followed by any other
climbers-brought us well on TO the
flank of the mountain, but into no
sition that rather appalled, us. The
ridge ended under a jumbIed icefal
so scanned and broken by hummocks
and chasms and knifelike edges that
it looked impossible for any human
being TO creep up it's Jagged surface.
But we must go over ii or abandon
the climb
We were out of water, and Cantwell
crept down over the rocks directly
beneath an overhanging wall of ice
and there filled the canteen.
We looked with misgiving at the ice
fall above. But suddenly we caught
inspiration to dare its dangers.
Glancing upward, we saw large vol
umes of smoke rolling from between
the two peaks. The knowledge was
forced home to us that we stood upon
an active volcano, and we felt that
We must risk much to look upon the
crater from which that black cloud
rolled.
1t now became a problem of work
ing back and forth in a maze of ice
crevasses. and of crawling up over
hard, slippery protuberances. The
rope was here of little benefit. as the
CreVaSses were so close together that
it was seldom possible to bring ii into
play. We had a few narrow escapes
from slipping I'm spite Of the extreme
care we used. A half or thre-quar-
ters of an hour was sufficient for us to
overcome the icefall. It merged into
a great, crevassed snowslope which
led up to the eastern cliffs directly
beneath the summit.
The whole east face of Mount Baker
from the snouline to the top is so
scanned and broken by big icefalls
and crevasses that a view of il from
IN eminence a few miles away gives
it the appearance of an immense white
ruined skirt.
INSTEAD of ice we now had snow
to contend with. The cracks were
not so numerous nor so close together:
but they were immeasurably bigger,
and we were confronted by the danger
Of the blind crevasse. Some of the
chasms were clear-cut and well de-
fined; but others were choked at the
surface by masses of rotten snow,
while some were completely hidden by
treacherous white coverings.
For hours our course was a zigza e
one. Back and forth we went cross
Ing now rent on a precarious snow
bridge: working now clear around the
end of one; occasionally stepping or
jumping a narrow one: but gaining
ever slowly in altitude.
The general slope of the mountain
was growing exceedingly steep. BY
the time we had reached the foot Of
the cliffs We had to use the utmost
care to maintain a footing. We knew
that 1t was only a few hundred feet
now to the summit; but we looked at
the columnar crags with considerable
apprehension. A chimney just above
us offered the best prospect of scaling
them. To reach this we had TO scale
steep, rocky slope slightly coated
with ice.
1t was slippery work and we made
judfcious use of the rope. When we
got to the foot Of the chimney we
found our progress blocked by an
overhanging bulge of rock about
breast-high. Ordinarily this would
have been no obstacle, for I could
easily have boosted Cantwel up it:
but with such footing as could be
secured on that trea cherous incline
such an attempt was not to be
thought of.
Csntwell found that by going
slightly to the right he could climb
10 position about level with the top
of the overhang, and but for the alb
sence of one foothold he could easily
swing himself. around. l supplied the
deficiency.
Hugging close TO the rock, l turned