THE MOUNTAINEER 67 



time we do not know what to expect and when Mount Baker and Mount 

 Hood are seen, the latter over 200 miles away, words fail and we can only 

 gaze in silence at the magnificent panorama spread before us. Upon reach- 

 ing the top of the slope we find it to be comparatively flat and about one- 

 fourth or one-half mile in extent, seamed here and there with crevasses. 

 To the right, the East and JMiddle i)eaks. seemingly within easy reach. 

 A short rest was taken here, during which an anxious lookout was kept to 

 the west for a view of the ocean. 



One-half mile further and within one-half hour of the summit of Middle 

 peak we stopped for lunch. No tonic nor appetizer was necessary and the 

 scene of the morning was repeated. The inner man being refreshed, and 

 with spirits corresponding to the altitude, the conquest was resumed. A 

 short distance nearly level, then a long climb up a 40 degree slope. Reach- 

 ing the end of the snow we stepi)ed over to the rock and after a short 

 climb, reached the summit. 



Here we found a cairn with the record of the Parker ascent of July 

 17, 1907, inclosed in a tin can. While some were busy building a cairn that 

 would stand the weather, others were writing the record and taking pic- 

 tures. The Parker party thought this Avas the highest and main peak when 

 they made the ascent, but after seeing the peak to the west they were in 

 doubt and said that from their observations it was i)ossibly higher. They 

 did not like to admit having missed the main summit. 



The view from the summit of INIiddle i)eak surpassed our expectations. 

 To the westward lay the mighty Pacific; to the north, beyond the dark 

 canyon of the Hoh that scars the northern slope of Olympus, lay the Straits 

 of Juan de Fuca, with Vancouver Island in the background. It Avas to the 

 eastward, however, that the most wonderful scene was unfolded. Probably 

 the grandest setting of mountain scenery in the world stretched away from 

 our very feet. Close at hand were the rugged summits of Meany, Seattle, 

 Cougar peak, Queets, Noyes, Anderson, Christy, Dana and Barnes, sur- 

 rounded on the higher levels by large glaciers and snow-fields with beautiful 

 parked valleys below. Beyond this lies the range of the Olympics that is 

 seen from Puget Sound and known as the Coast range, with Mount Angeles, 

 Constance and The Brothers the most prominent peaks, while through a 

 gap in the mountains the Sound itself was visible. As a background for all 

 this rose the great volcanoes of the Cascade range from Mount Baker, 

 "the Great White Watcher," on the north, past Glacier peak, Rainier, 

 Adams, St. Helens and on to the distant spire of Mount Hood, 200 miles 

 away. To the south a vast sea of timbered hills stretched out and out as 

 far as the eye could see, fading away into a blue haze. 



Tlie work on this peak being finished, the course of empire was still 

 westward, down the rocky west slope of IMiddle peak. The first to reach 

 the end of the rock and get out on the snow saw a laughable sight, some of 

 the more timid passing down their alpine stocks and hanging on tooth and 

 nail, making the descent with fear and trem])ling. Every one being safely 

 down and ready to move the clouds played us a fine trick by coming down 

 and shufting out all of the peaks from our siglit, leaving us to travel on tlie 

 information we had gained from our former view. Going slowly and doing 

 a good deal of ])rospecting we at last made out wliat we thought to be the 

 West peak. Three of the party having reached the top, one of them gave a 

 shout that died when half uttered, for just at that moment the clouds parted, 

 and there, one-fourth mile away was our goal. We had climbed one of the 



