56 The Mountaineer 



A KNAPSACK TRIP INTO SPRAY PARK. 



Wayne Sensenig. 



On Monday morning, August 3, fifty-five mountain- 

 eers left permanent camp in Moraine Park on a knap- 

 sack trip tlirough Spray Park to Crater Lake. We de- 

 scended to the Carbon Glacier at eight o'clock and, fol- 

 lowing the zig-zag course cruised out by our leader, we 

 reached the lateral moraine on the west side at eight- 

 forty. The moraine at this point was so precipitous 

 that it was necessary to cut steps all the way to its 

 ridge. We crossed the boulders beyond the ridge with- 

 out difficulty and entered upper Spray Park at nine 

 o'clock. 



Upper Spray Park is an open country (six to seven 

 thousand feet in elevation), with here and there a 

 group of stunted trees. These trees with their gnarled 

 branches and innate ruggedness proclaim in no uncer- 

 tain manner their struggles with the winter hurri- 

 canes. Some of these trees, less than ten feet high, 

 have trunks more than two feet through and suggest 

 '^Sermons in trees." 



Spray Park contains many small lakes or ponds 

 and numerous waterfalls. We proceeded up a small 

 valley to its head and then began to climb in earnest. 

 We ascended terrace upon terrace pausing a while 

 above the steepest of these to catch our breath and to 

 drink in the beauty of this wonderland all about us 

 and to gaze at the ever changing old mountain, sil- 

 houetted against a sky of deepest blue. 



We walked upon a carpet of heather, both the blue 

 variety and the white with its waxen bells, and among 

 the heather grew acres and acres of many other flowers. 



