Year: 1878

To the Editor Of the Free Press and Times:


The Cascade range of mountains extends
through Oregon from north to south, and
forms the backbone of the State. In it there
are five snow-capped peaks, ranging from
nnc thousand to nearly twelve thousand
feet in height. While on trip through


Southern Oregon, in June, travelled for a
whole day when all these were in sight at
once. suppose the White Mountains are
the highest land in the country cast of the
Mississippi, and to an Eastern man these
lofty peaks of the Cascades present tower
ing grandeur he has never dreamed Of. An
inward resolution to scale ore of these
heights was formed upon my first introduc-
tion to this country, year ago, and have
been 50 fortunate as to accomplish this.


We started cut, party Of fve, in the
last week Of July, for the top Of Mt. Hood,
tie highest of the range in this State. 1t
stands just east and about eighty miles dis
tant, plainly visible from all parts of the
willamette valley. The first days drive
took Us through Portland, the metropolis of
the northwest A fOurishing city with
population Of $1,000, it is fondly regarded
by the people of this section as destined to
become one of the leading ports of this
country. Nearly all the natural commerce
Of Oregon and Washington passes through
her channels Of trade and the life and stir
upon her wharves ard business streets would
impress Il stranger with the idea that he was
in city Of five times its size. East from
Portland an cmigrant road over the Cascades
into Eastern Oregon passes across the foot
of Mount Hood. We follow this road and at
noon on the thirl day reach its highest
point. and that nearest the mountain. Here
we found that man, hermit like, had built
a log hut and a rough shed, where, at an
elevation of four or five thousand feet. and
ten miles from neighbor, he lived and fur
nishcd travellers and emigrants provision
ard shelter. 4 hermit he certainly was,
yet his appearance did not correspond to the
current ideas of hermit life. lie was neither
shaggy, dirty nor grizzly but a fine-loOking
man, hardly in his prime and we found him
intelligent and well-informed. In his cabin
was a German grammar and some German
works. and upon conversation he showed
himself acquainted with Maeaulay and
Carlyle; yet he was content to stay up there
in the mountains with only his dogs for COM
rany. lie has rllotcd several parties up the
mountiin anj We engaged his services for
| the next day.


To lcS>,n the lab5rS Of the next day lit
tie, We planned to make part of the ascent
that night; 50 We left our wagon and team
with unr hermit friend, and converting into
Iack-horSc the animal that one of the party
had ridden, VIC lashed upon him blankets
and provisions and took the trail up the
mountain. Even at this height the mozn-
tains are covered with heavy forest of huge
cedar- and hemlocks. On our way up through
it, its top was before Us and could be seen
at intervals through the trees. Its cone of
snowy white, appearing through the dark
green foliage Of the hemlocks, and outlined
against the clear deep tlue of the sky beyond,
formed Il picture of surprising loveliness.
Green, blue and white We don't dare COM
bine colcrs in that way, but Nature is able
to harmonic them to perfection. | think |
rcvcr saw anything more beautiful.


After going three miles up the mountain,
and rising, in that distance. 500 feet. per-
hapS, We reached the edge Of the forest and
the region Of eternal snow. At distance.
the snow-linc appears distinct and closely de-
fined bet We found it, in fact, not to be so.
The first snow was seen in the gullies lead
ing down the sides of the mountain, and
only few steps from beds of fragrant flow
crs. We selected sheltered spot for our
camp, hear plenty of bunch-grass for the
pony, and huge snow-bank whose melting
furnished Us an abundance of icc-wat,r.


Mt Hood is an extinct volcano, and its
cone is formed wholly OF lava, volcanic ashes
and rock Ii has not been in active erup-
ton >ircc white men came to this coast but
there are numerous stories current of the
sudden melting Of its SHOWS at times, indi
eating that the old mountain still keeps up
communication with the neither regions.
When tic soil is laid blrc it Is mostly of
light sand, resembling ashes, with loose
stones and h1ultcrS scattered through it, all
Of i.uenus origin. After good night : rest
and a sui stlntill breakfast in the morning,
we set out in good spirits for the ascent
proper, each one with Il stout plked-polc In
his hand and lunch in his pocket. Fol- |
lowing, as far as possible, one of the narrow
points of land, we at last strike off on to the
snow. We found it easy at first, the crust
firm, anl the incline gradual. My imagina-
tion had pictured obstacles Of all Sorts
snow ridges to be climbed over, hollows to
slide into, and climb out of. with precipces
of rock and ice to be scaled. But instead,
there Law before us, and reaching nearly to |
the top, simply smooth field OF snow, with |
only few detached masses Of drift rock, |
and single rocky ledge near the summit.
The appearance OF the peak and its distance
are very dcccitiul. We knorr that it towers
fully mile above Us, and on the snow. i at
least four miles away but we cannot bring |
ourSclye, to co.c,irc it to he 50 tar. But We
climb on, taking frequent rests to look back
upon the view behind us. Every step takes





us up. a first little, then more the IN
cline Is steady but gradually becoming |
s,ccpcr. For three miles this unbroken
snow-fcli has continued, now the slope IN
creascs more rapidly; the ten or fifteen de-
grccS at the outset has become twenty-five
and thirty, till Just before reaching the
crater it is very nearly iorty-fyc degrees oil
slope. The crater il circular in form, and
about nc-iourth mile across at this time
filled with snow. The rim upon the south
side appears to have fallen away somewhat
50 a4 to ne five hundred feet lower than that
upun the north side. Our line OF ascent
was To climb the south side of the noun
tain over the lower rim, cross the crater and |
scale the opposite rim to the highest point |
Of the mountain. In climbing this lower |
rim We found the first iarc ridge: it was
covered with a mass of loose, broken rocks, |
like pile of huge chips from some giant
shir-vard. Owing to the danger from roll
ing rocks set loose by the pressure OF foot,
We found it necessary to climb this ridge one
by one


We are now three miles from the snow
line. and more than ten thousand feet above |
the sea, and the strain of continual climbing |
at such height begins to tell upon us. Our
lrrnthinr is shnricr and moro rnpId, MhlIc |