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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1885)
268 THE WEST SHORE. want down, the ioe begun to freeze and crack, big pieces continually falling down. Sometimes a masa of the bard, overhanging anow would break off from the brow of the mountain and crash down npon the glaoier, sending np clouda of anow duat like smoke. Several timea daring the night we were awakened by great masses of falling ioe, thundering and ahaking the ground like discharges of artillery. The neit morning, aa the early light was changing the pink of the overhanging mountain into dazzling white, we atarted up again. We followed the rocky spur on the northeast corner of the mountain for about two miles, aaoending about three thousand feet, the Carbon River glacier lying below ua on our right, and the double White River glacier to the left Boon the rocky path ended in a perpendicular wall, and we were obliged to turn toward the eaat on to the White River glacier. Un fortunately we had climbed the rocks too far, and it was neoeaaary either to go mile back, or to roach the glacier by a natural bridge of ioe aeveral hundred yards long and inclined about fifty degree. Here a little inoidont occurred, not very pleasant at the time, but which has been a great souroe of pleasure ainoe, aa with variations it baa bcn made the base of a most thrilling tale to nerv ous lady acquaintances. We were crossing along this inclined plane, cutting steps with the axe, about one hun dred feet above very wide and deep crevasse, into which a misstep might plunge us at any instant. We were pro ceeding finely and were more than half way across when it seemed to one of the party that we were going need leaaly alow, so he started ahead of the out steps. It went all right for a few feet, then he slipped a little, and then began sliding toward the big crevasse at a fearful rate of speed. The only hope of safoty was in his alpine-stock, (lraaping this close to its sharp point, and turning over upon his face, he stuck it into the ioe with all the force he could command and clung to it for dear life. It had the deaired effect. The point out a deep ridge in the ioe, making the frosty chips fly into the air, and taking a liberal quantity of akin from off his hand, but it checked the speed, and brought him to a halt juat above the cre vasse. It was the most exoiting three aooonda of his life. On Uie glacier we found the traveling comparatively easy, for the head of a glacier ia really the long snow slope of the mountain, with but few crevasses in the higher altitudes. We encountered two plaoea where the ascent waa extremely difficult, point whore a great thick dom of anow had cracked and the lower part alipped down, leaving a wall twenty-five feet high. After climb ing these by aid of the axe, plodding steadily np the steep incline of the main cone, on the north aide of the eastern spur, we found that we had reached a point quite above the landmarks of our former attempt The bar ometer indicated an altitude of eleven thousand five hun dred, then twelve thousand feet, and at five hundred more it toppM alUther, although it waa graduated to sixteen thousand fest At one o'clock we rested behind a little aholter to eat our cold lunch, moistening our lips With pieces of ioe; but the wind was too raw and eold to permit ua to sit still long with comfort We plodded away again, sometimes going directly up for a quarter of a mile on a smooth incline of about forty-five degrees, then turning to one side to twottpe a urevtuwo. Eut our continued exertions and the rarity of the atmosphere at that high altitude told upon us severely. Fifteen, then ten, minute rests were necessary. Still we were making excellent progress.- When a point which, from below, had seemed one of the peaks of the mountain was about on a level with us, the altitude began to affect the sur veyor seriously. We were compelled to chafe his feet to keep them from freezing, and with open mouth he could not inhale enough air to fill his lungs. He became pale and faint, and finally said he would have to give it up, but urged us to go on. I was very tired also, and as it was after two o'clock was not very anxious to proceed. However, the lawyer pushed on and I followed.. Going up a hundred yards and looking back we saw our com panion staggering as if he could hardly stand. That decided us, and we turned back. After descending a thousand feet he recovered considerably, and we made good progress, finding a better path to camp than the one by which we had come. We felt rather depressed that evening. There was only enough flour and bacon remaining to last two days. I was mixing slapjacks by the brook when the lawyer came down to me and said that he had made up his mind to go up the mountain next day, and if I would not accompany him he would go alone. We knew the route better, and it would be easier than the day before. I agreed to go with him. The next morning the surveyor announced that he would also make the attempt, and if the faintness came on he would return alone. With that understanding we started about seven o'clock, following our last evening's trail. By noon we reached our lunch ing place of the previous day, and were thus nearly ah hour in advance. We Boon passed our highest mark of the day before, and going around a point of snow discov ered that the summit lay only a short distance beyond. The inspiration of success was upon us and overcame our fatigue, though we had to stop every five minutes to catch a full breath. We found that what appears to be the summit from the north and from Taooma is not in reality the highest point, but only a northern ridge. We passed up the valley connecting this ridge, then ascended the little round snow-covered dome which forms the real summit, and, arm in arm, so that we might all be first, marched to the topmost point ' We had just given three wild Western cheers to express our exultation at being, aa we supposed, the first human beings to stand upon the white summit of Mount Rainier, when our eyes fell upon a walking stick protruding from the. snow. It was most common, scrubby looking affair, but was sufficient evi dence of the previous presence of some human being who had planted it there aa a warning to all who came after him not to claim too much for themselves, and our ardor was considerably dampened. It waa now half-past two, and we had but a brief time to make observations. The summit consists of two basin