DISCOVERY OF CAMP MUIR, 1888 



the mountain. After five hours of hard climbing, we 

 come to a ridge covered with sand and pumice. From 

 the presence of the latter we know it to be a spot com- 

 paratively free from wind, for, on account of the light- 

 ness of the pumice, it is easily blown away. Here we 

 decide to camp. Two by two we go to work preparing 

 our beds. This we do by clearing away the loose 

 stones from a space about three by six feet, stirring the 

 sand up with our pikes and making a wall of rocks 

 around the cleared place. After a half hour's toil we 

 declare our beds prepared. Hastily partaking of a 

 little chocolate and hardtack, we "turn in/' although 

 the hour is early ; but the wind is rising and the sharp, 

 stinging cold is upon us. After passing a miserable 

 night, we break camp at 4 : 30 o'clock. Throwing aside 

 our blankets and part of our provisions, we begin the 

 final ascent. Our course takes us along the crest of a 

 rocky ridge and beneath a perpendicular wall of basalt 

 over a thousand feet in height. Here the courage of 

 one of the party failed him, and he concluded to go no 

 farther. The most dangerous part of the ascent is 

 along the base of this cliff. The earth pitches at an 

 angle of 35 from its base, and at three particular 

 places this incline is not over six feet wide, ending in 

 a perpendicular jump-off of fifteen hundred feet to the 

 Nisqually glacier below. After a half hour's crouch- 

 ing and crawling we get past this dangerous part of our 

 undertaking. We must now ascend almost perpendic- 

 ularly one thousand feet to the top of this wall. Ordi- 

 narily steps have to be cut in the snow and ice, but on 

 this occasion the snow lay in little drifts that served 

 as steps. Up this ladder of snow and ice, prepared by 

 the winds, we climb, pausing every few steps "to take 

 breath." The top is reached at last. Upon consult- 

 ing our barometer we find we are 12,000 feet above 

 the sea level. A halt is ordered to put six steel brads 

 in the sole of each boot, to prevent us from slipping 

 on the ice and hard snow that we must now encounter. 



