Mountaineering on the Pacific Coast 

 (5600 feet). Here there is a public camp. The 

 usual route of ascent, by way of Gibraltar Rock, 

 starts there. The ascent, long though not danger- 

 ous, is well worth while. A night is sometimes 

 spent among the rocks at Camp Muir, though a good 

 climber can make the entire trip in one day. (See 

 PI. XXVIII.) 



Half way between Rainier and the Columbia 

 River is Mount Adams (12,470 feet), also a volcanic 

 cone. It may be reached by the White Salmon rail- 

 way station on the north bank of the Columbia, 

 and by stage to Guler or Glenwood, twelve or fifteen 

 miles from the snow line. The actual ascent is 

 made without difficulty by either the north or south 

 slope. 



West of Mount Adams stands the beautiful St. 

 Helen's, a wonderfully symmetrical cone rising 

 10,000 feet above the sea and 8000 or 9000 feet 

 above the surrounding country. This mountain is 

 generally reached by way of tlastle Rock station on 

 the Northern Pacific, whence an excellent wagon 

 road runs to Spirit Lake. Trails lead to the camp 

 ground at the snow line. 



The Olympic Range is a fine group on the 

 peninsula between Puget Sound and the ocean. 

 While not of great height — Mount Olympus being 

 but 8250 feet — the snowfall is exceptionally heavy, 

 and the glacier system very fine. 



Crossing the Columbia southward, the highest 

 and by far the finest peak in Oregon is Mount 

 Hood — 11,225 feet. It may be reached by automo- 

 bile from Portland to Government Camp on the 

 southwest side, or by rail to Hood River station and 

 thence by stage to Cloud Cap Inn on the northeast 

 side. The ascent from Government Camp is com- 

 paratively easy and is over smooth snow for the 

 most part. The last 250 feet is extremely steep and 

 may require step-cutting. The route by Cloud Cap 

 Inn, over the Eliot Glacier, is shorter, but has a long 

 stretch of very steep snow at the top. Mount Hood, 

 more easily reached than any other volcanic cones 

 of the Northwest, has been ascended hundreds of 

 times. 



Crossing the California boundary, the next im- 

 portant mountain is Shasta (14,162 feet), one of 

 the highest and finest of the volcanic cones. It is 

 the only mountain in California which boasts a real 

 system of glaciers. In spring and early summer, 

 clad with snow, it is the most imposing mountain 

 in California. Rising from a rolling plateau, whose 

 altitude averages 4000 feet, it lifts clear 10,000 feet 

 above its base. Shasta is usually ascended from 



247 



