14 The Mountaineer 
THE MOUNTAINEERS’ OUTING ON THE NORTH 
SIDE OF MT. RAINIER* 
Mary PascHALL 
Briefly, the plan for the 1912 outing of the Mountaineers: 
was to skirt the highest mountain of the State along its eastern 
and northern slopes, to explore there its least-known parks and 
glaciers, and finally to scale the great peak itself. All this 
sounded most alluring to the fifty-five club members, under the 
leadership of William H. Gorham, who left Seattle on the morn- 
ing of July 20 to spend three long weeks where the breezes blow 
fresh from the snows of Rainier (Tacoma). 
With the usual joyous good-bys at the depot the trip began, 
our special car continuing to hum like a bee tree all the way to 
Lavender, where the dunnage was put off with us to await the 
coming of the pack train. Through a cloud of dust, at the turn 
of the road a half hour later, came the rhythmic beat of many 
hoofs mingled with the clamor of neck bells, chiming to our 
ears a very paean of delight. Presently they appeared shaking 
their manes, and a cheer went up to greet as valiant a band of 
little horses as ever bore pack saddles. In front rode Anderson, 
powerful even in repose, while “Brud,” on his beautiful bay, 
dashed here and there meeting old friends. Four other packers, 
rounding up the stragglers, gave promise of what might be 
expected of them on the day to come, when twenty burden 
bearers would struggle up the fearful rock stairway of the 
Frying Pan, leaving our littlest wobbly eolt beside the ford. 
But we were all unconscious of dangers ahead, it was enough 
for us to be going back to the hills. 
Up the Granite Canyon trail, camp was pitched near a 
spring at the headwaters of Tanenum Creek, and every member 
of the party straightway began looking for a room in the only 
inn that is never full. Half the joy of the march is in the 
magnificence of these bedrooms roofed by the sky. At Summer- 
land it was possible to reach out of one’s sleeping bag and pluck 
*Outing Committee: Wm. H. Gorham, A. H. Brackett, Fred Q. Gorton. 
