Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-10

We climbed steadily for some time,
seeking footholds in the assures and
dragging ourselves from rock to rock
often swept by showers of icy spray
After half an hour of really hard work
we neared the top, only to find further
ascent impossible!
The fall looked easy from the bot
tom. but narrowed to a mere cleft in
the rock, between. the sheer faces or
which the water burst forth in an
angry torrent that we could not face.
There was nothing for it but to turn
aside and scale the loose. Shingly crest
of the cliff.
Somehow we did it, though one
false move would have meant instant
death on the bowlder-strewn moraine
far below. Finally we reached the
cliff edge and hauled ourselves over it
into an outcrop of bright green rocks,
exposed by recent thaws. From the
valley below these powders had ap.
peared like grassy meadow.
DECKING our way carefully, testing
the ice continually with our alpen-
stocks, we started across a glacier
slope under the shadow of the peak,
which we now judged to be close on
Is, 900 feet high. The slope ended at
a ridge, where we halted and debated
as to the route.
Ny wife was all for turning off
sharply to the right and following the
peak in an easterly direction, but for
tunately I managed to persuade her
| that my reasons for going in the oppo.
site direction were adequate. Had
not done so, we should have lost our
lives, for the eastern route led into
the Wardwan, a wild district only Wis.,
tied occasionally by big game hunters.
where we should have been completely
lost.
Crossing the ridge, a magnificent
sight met our eyes. From where we
stood, on the rise of a snowy peak, a
vast ice field swept away till at last
1t Cascaded in q forest of glittering
pinnacles over a mighty precipice.
Far below. in the distance, was the
scout" of the glacier. from beneath
which silvery band of water flowed
out along wide, grassy ravine. Hem
med in as we were by the huge snow
capped mountains, showing no sign of
life or vegetation, that green valley
was welcome discovery, promising q
snug camping ground at nightfall.
The valley appeared so distant that
it seemed unlikely we could reach it
before darkness fell. Moreover. we
presently found ourselves cut off from
approaching it by the sudden descent
of the glacier in wall of polished ice
about hundred feet in depth, with
an almost vertical slope to the ice
field below. This barrier stretched
from end to end of the ridge on which
we stood, distance Of almost a mile.
Things looked serious. The cold was
intense, the wind keen, and a biz.
card that had started to rage just be-
hind us was already covering the tops
OF the peaks with a new layer of snow.
1t did not take us long to make up our
minds that there was nothing for 1t
but to push straight on, glissade down
the ice wall, and risk the consequences.
With my heart in my mouth. sat
down on the verge. No push was
needed; the mere act of loH&ing over
the edge was enough to setSane off. I
went hurting down at terrific speed,
dashing into a hummock lat the foot,
which luckily checked me, for behind
it yawned crevasse. picked up, cut
about the hands, but otherwise un.
hurt, and waited for my wife. I have
no hesitation in saying that had she
temporized we might never have COM
pleted the journey, but she followed
me instantly, and was able to break
her fall at the bottom. Her hands
were terribly cut; she bears the scars
to this day.
WE decided that if we worked to the
w left we could in time get across
to the glacier bank above the preci.