29 THE MOUNTAINEER 



Expeditions Into the Olympic Mountains 



By INA M. HANNA 



IN view of the IMoniitaineers' pi-ojxised tri]) into llu' Olympics tliis siiiii- 

 iiier, interest in fofiiici' explorations of the region is revived. 



Lieut. O'Niell's Expedition. In 1885 Lieut. O'Neill, of the regular 

 army, stationed then at Fort Townsend, was detailed by Gen. Miles to make 

 a trip into the country back of Port Angeles. He spent about six weeks 

 with a party of seven men, working southeast toward Hood's Canal. He 

 reached a point about ten nules south and twelve miles west of Mt. Con- 

 stance, and located the snow field from which the east fork of the Elwha rises. 



He writes that though the trip was one of many hardships, the beauty 

 of the scenery and the magnificent hunting amply repaid them. 



Press Expedition. The most notable attempt to open up the region was 

 that made by the "Press" expedition in 1889- '90. An abstract from the 

 accounts of this trip is given further on. 



Prospectors' Trip. In June and July of 1890, following the return of 

 the Press expedition, a party of five prospectors started in at the mouth 

 of the Dosewallips. They returned by the Elwha to Port Angeles. On their 

 return trip they struck the Press trail. 



Mr. John Conrad, who wrote of the trip for the Seattle Press of July 

 16, 1890, speaks of the great difficulty in getting through. He says they 

 found some small fertile valleys, none with more than 2,000 or 3,000 acres, 

 only very small patches of good timber, and no evidences of "minerals," 

 the object of the trip. They found an abundance of bear, cougar, elk, deer, 

 woodchucks and grouse. 



We find mention of a party organized to explore the source of the 

 Skokomish, cross the summit to the head of the Elwha, and then follow down 

 this to Port Angeles. This was projected for the summer of 1890, but we 

 have no account of the results. 



We find also that Lieut. O'Neill in the summer of 1890 took a party 

 in to explore particularly the southeast and northwest corners, which were 

 not touched by the Press party. We have, at hand, no information as to 

 what was accomplished. 



Capt, Barnes' Account of Press Trip. The following is condensed from 

 the very interesting accounts of the Press expedition given by the leader, 

 Mr. James H. Christie, and by Capt. Charles A. Barnes, the topographer of 

 the ]iarty. As far as possible in space available, the account is given just 

 as published in "The Seattle Press" of July 16, 1890. 



Very few copies of this number of The Press are in existence, so far 

 as known, but through the kindness of Prof. Meany, of the State University, 

 who was at that time connected with "The Seattle Press," we were allowed 

 1() use one of the few copies. 



Purpose. The Press expedition was fitted out ])y "The Seattle Press," 

 an evening newspaper, for the purpose of exploring the unknown mountain 

 region lying between Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean, and extending 

 from the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Lake Quiniault. 



Aside from legends current among hunters and Indians nothing was 

 known of the geology, of the topography, of the timber and mineral re- 



