Evening star., 1925-08-16
Battle With Hurricane Among Thrilling Fea

to the west beyond this ridge. We
had chosen the snow route. Presently
detached clouds began TO sweep past
us with frightful rapidity, so close
that we could almost reach out and
touch them.
And now we saw in truth that we
were in for a tremendous battle with
a storm of no mean magnitude. AS
the wind increased and the clouds
rushed by in ever-increasing numbers
we found il harder and harder to fight
of the cold that pierced to our very
bones. AS we climbed we could not
hold up our heads against the fierce
blasts. and we had TO keep our eyes
upon the steep slope just before us.
The booming of the gale upon the
rocky ramparts was now incessant.
The fearful speed of the flying clouds
attested the frightful velocity of the
wind.
Fortunately for us, the recent hot
weather had left the snow in so soft
d condition that we had no trouble in
keeping our footing on the steep face
of the mountain. although the hurri-
cane was now trying to tear us from
our tracks.
In spite of our slow progress. my
father and l soon overlook two of the
party, both chilled to the marrow and
utterly discouraged. We cheered them
as best we could, but there was little
one could offer by way of encourage
ment III the face of the elemental fury
that assailed us. Presently we came
upon two more of the party. huddled
in the lee of the boulders, trying to
get some relief from the onslaughts of
the gale. We, too. dived beneath the
rocks. and there we all crouched for
few minutes, listening to the roar of
the wind as 1t swept across the rocky
barrier
The rock-huddling process now be-
came a habit. 1t is astonishing how
friendly boulder can be at times
We would climb for short distance.
braced against the pressure from the
west Yet with our heavy coats and
encumbering packs and with all our
strenuous eNertions we could scarcely
keep from freezing. We deserted the
snow and took to the rock stairway.
Whenever we could bear the piercing
needles of the wind no longer we
would crawl beneath the protecting
lava blocks for another brief respite.
And then we would try it again.
Here two Of the party gave up. SO
we took part of their packs and
watched them disappear down the
mountainside in the swirling clouds.
X = *
Coon after Gilbreath and Keel had
- left us the clouds closed around the
mountain so thiCkly that we could see
nothing that was not close at hand.
Had | not been somewhat familiar
with the route, because of my previous
ascent. it would have been impossible
for us to proceed at all. We We're now
clambering up and around the great
boulderS, and our exertions brought us
almost to the limit of our endurance.
Yet We could not keep warm. If il
had not been for the brief periods of
rest and relief from the driving cold
which we so frequently took behind
the rocks. we should have been forced
to instant retreat.
1t did not take much of this to more
than satisfy the Thompsons. Gone was
their early desire for d swift dash to
the summit. They decided to go back
My father and / took part of their
packs. They turned their faces down
ward and the clouds instantly swal-
lowed them. Notwithstanding the fe-
rocious gale and the wild turmoil of
rushing clouds, no fresh snow had as
yet fallen. and our newly made tracks
could be easily followed down the
mountainside. There was little danger
in going back; the danger was in 60
ing on.
My father and 1 now faced the wild
fury of the storm alone. Owing to the
density of the clouds, there was no
way of correctly judging our position
on the mountain; that is, we could not
tell how high we were. Although the
velocity of the wind had increa sed
immeasurably since we left the saddle,
we judged that the hurricane had be-
come q general one and that the lower
levels were receiving their proper
tional share.
With our augmented packs, we con-
tinued the process of alternate climb
ing and ducking beneath the rocks. I
have no means of knowing how long
we kept on. If such thing was pos
sible. the wind was increasing in fe-
rocity all the time.
The clouds were driving across the
face of the mountain so thickly that
we could not now see a half dozen
steps in any direction. We had to
keep close together to avoid losing one
another. Only by the contour of the
peak could we tell the direction in
which we were going. Such a situa-
ton could not last long.
X x
DOSSIBLY an hour after the Thomp-
sons left us we suddenly came off
of the boulder ridge on to a little patch
of level gravel. / did not recognize
the place. 1t had doubtless been COW
cred with snow on my first ascent.
Not until later was I to learn that we
had reached the first summit.
We started across the gravel The
wind caught us with indescriba BILE
fury. We were grasped in the arms of
the tempest and forcibly showed sew
eral steps sideways before we could
stop ourselves. A few steps more and
we should have been hurled over the