FIRST SUCCESSFUL ASCENT, 1870 



A short distance after crossing Silver Creek the trail 

 emerged upon more open ground, and for the first time 

 the Nisqually Valley lay spread out in view before us. 

 On the left stretched a wall of steep, rocky mountains, 

 standing parallel to the course of the river and ex- 

 tending far eastward, growing higher and steeper and 

 more rugged as it receded from view. At the very 

 extremity of this range Takhoma loomed aloft, its dome 

 high above all others and its flanks extending far 

 down into the valley, and all covered, dome and flanks, 

 with snow of dazzling white, in striking contrast with 

 the black basaltic mountains about it. Startlingly 

 near it looked to our eyes, accustomed to the restricted 

 views and gloom of the forest. 



After our noon rest we continued our journey up the 

 valley, twisting in and out among the numerous trunks 

 of trees that encumbered the ground, and after several 

 hours of tedious trudging struck our third camp on 

 Copper Creek, the twin brother to Silver Creek, just at 

 dusk. We were thoroughly tired, having made twenty 

 miles in thirteen hours of hard traveling. 



Starting at daylight next morning, we walked two 

 miles over rough ground much broken by ravines, and 

 then descended into the bed of the Nisqually at the 

 mouth of Goat Creek, another fine stream which empties 

 here. We continued our course along the river bed, 

 stumbling over rocky bars and forcing our way through 

 dense thickets of willow, for some distance, then as- 

 cended the steep bank, went around a high hill over 

 four miles of execrable trail, and descended to the 

 river again, only two miles above Goat Creek. At 

 this point the Takhoma branch or North Fork joins 

 the Nisqually. This stream rises on the west side 

 of Takhoma, is nearly as large as the main river, 

 and like it shows its glacial origin by its milk-white 

 water and by its icy cold, terribly swift and furious 

 torrent. Crossing the Takhoma branch, here thirty 

 yards wide, we kept up the main river, crossing and 



