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THE FLORA OF MOUNT PULOG. 291.° 
from Benguet subprovince eastward over the Pulog range into Nueva 
Vizcaya, passing through the upper village on the Benguet side, Ankiki, 
over the mountain to the small settlement known as Tinuk or Tinak, on 
the Nueva Vizcaya side. This trail passes through the summit grass 
lands immediately south of the main peak, at an altitude of less than 
200 m below the top. It was the one followed by Mr. Benson’s party, and 
all succeeding ones that have made the ascent of the mountain. 
The name “Pulog,” or “Pulag,” as nearly as could be learned from 
the Igorots living in the vicinity, signifies “falling off,” referring to the 
extremely steep and often precipitous sides of the mountain. Mr. Merritt 
also reports a current local superstition to the effect that the mountain 
was the place to which the spirits of departed Igorots went after death, 
but he was unable to secure any satisfactory confirmation that the belief 
was generally accepted. 
The second ascent of Mount Pulog was made in January, 1909, the 
party consisting of Messrs. H. M. Curran, M. L. Merritt, and T, C. 
Zschokke, foresters in the Philippine Bureau of Forestry, accompanied 
by Maximo Ramos, botanical collector for the Bureau of Science, and 
N. Penes and F. Madamba, student assistants, Bureau of Forestry. While 
this party was working in the vicinity of Baguio during the beginning 
of a field trip that had been undertaken for the purpose of determining 
the forest cover of northern Luzon, a copy of Mr. Benson’s map was 
secured, and the decision was at once made to attempt the ascent of Mount 
Pulog. It was believed that the mountain would command a good view 
of the entire surrounding region, and this belief subsequently proved to 
be true. This party spent from January 2 to 8 on the mountain. ‘The 
third ascent was made by Dr. E. B. Copeland and Mr. E. D. Merrill, . 
accompanied by several American school-teachers who had been attending 
the summer assembly at Baguio, including Mr. and Mrs. E. B. Baldridge. 
This party was on the mountain from May 11 to 13, 1909. The fourth 
ascent was made by Mr. R. C. McGregor, of the Bureau of Science, July 
2 to 5, 1909. The mountain has since been ascended by Governor-General 
Forbes and party. 
All parties made the start for the mountain from Lutab, a village 
situated on the east bank of the Agno River. Lutab can be reached from 
Baguio by two routes, either by the trail leading to Ambuklao, there 
crossing the Agno River, and leading northward through the towns of 
Bokod, Daklan, and Adouay, or by the Baguio-Cervantes trail, leading 
northward along the ridge west of the Agno River, leaving this trail at 
Balangabang or at Pauai, and decending approximately 1,200 m to the 
Agno River, crossing that stream at Adouay. . 
A short distance south of Lutab a fair Igorot trail is found leading from 
the river valley eastward up the steep slopes to the top of the first ridge, 
altitude approximately 1,300 m. The trail then follows the contour line 
