Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-07-09
BY DR. W4LTER MOSAUER.


cited with Christmas or New Year. with icy
wintry gales and frozen noses. Who would
think of skiing on Easter Sunday, not to
mention June and July?
Well. many thousands Of young Euro
pesns would not think of spending their Easter
vacation anywhere else but on the immense
slopes of pure white in the high mountains,
skiing in shorts under the warm Spring sun
shine And even in Southern California. the
land of eternal Summer, have had excellent
skiing on Easter Sunday. two hours drive from
Los Angeles
Most incredible still. on the 9Th of May 1882.
still enjoyed mile-long ski runs on the highest
slopes Of Mount San Antonio. after carrying my
skis for hours through the warm fragrant pine
forests.
No wonder then. that in June started with
high hopes for good skiing on the peaks OF ore
gon and Washington.
In warm Summer weather-it was the 18th OF
June-we climbed Garfield Peak and skied on
the very RIM several thousand feet above the
level of the lake.
The next day the majestic cone of Mount
Hood rose higher and higher into the white,
billoHy clouds as We approached the mountain
from the east We left our car at Government
camp and in the afternoon packed our Sleep
ing bags and provisions four miles to the TIM
berline cabin. shelter hut at the upper margin
of the forest. Here we stopped for short
nights rest.
summit During the night and the early hours
of the morning the Spring and Summer snow
is always firm enough to carry ones weight
thus the fastest and least strenuous way OF
climbing is to pack the skis on ones shoulder
and carry them.
THEREFORE most skiing trips in Spring and
Summer are not also ski ascents.' Yet.
in my opinion the most significant part OF a
skiing trip is the down.
As long rs skis are used continuously and
In proper style for the descent the trip can
be considered as 4 fully valid skiing trip. no
matter whether skis crampons. boots. cable
car or an autogyro were employed In making
ascent.
The descent on skis to near Government camp
which followed climb up Mount Hood taught
me an important lesson: That could not ex-
pect fast snow and interesting skiing any later
than about am if the weather was warm
and sunny. This time. in the early afternoon
as it was, the descent was slow.
Thus decided that for any major ski climbs
we should leave soon after midnight from the
base camp so that might be able to reach
our goal in the early morning and start down.
hill not later than $50 am. At that time the
crust that the nights freezing temperature has
laid over the snow is just melting and skiing Is
fast. easy and delightful.
True to this principle. Bill Maxwell OF Seattle.
one OF the most enthusiastic ski fiends I ever
knew. blinked his fiashlight into my sleepy eyes
at am June %, and said: Get up, It's broad
daylight"
It took some time until all OF our party. which
consisted of eight members Of the Mountain
GERS" of Seattle and two had assembled,
cooked breakfast and got ready for the start.
Then our cars hummed through the silent. dark
forest. over the excellent motor road to Narada
Falls elevation 4,572 feeD.
From there set out on foot, following by
means of flashlights the trail to Paradise Inn
elevation 540O feet which was still deeply
buried in snow.
Our party climbed slowly but steadily. with
the quiet, relaxed gait of the trained noun
taineer. Every one of the "mountaineers" was
we'll equipped and seemed surprisingly familiar
with all the utramOdern trends in skiing and
Quitting methods.
THIS skiing group of mountaineers. who upon
l my arrival at Seattle, had received me like
q brother, keeps pace with every development
In Europe, subscribing to the British noun
taineering and skiing journals. importing all the
new ski bindings. ski wakes and knapsacks or
manufacturing slightly modified editions them
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