EXPLORING THE MOUNTAIN AND ITS GLACIERS, 1896 



its earlier history, it has certainly been profoundly 

 modified by ice erosion. 



Following the lake shore southward, groping our 

 way beneath the thick, drooping branches which dip in 

 the lake, we reached the notch in the rim of the basin 

 through which the waters escape and start on their 

 journey to Mowich River and thence to the sea. We 

 there found the branch of the Willis trail leading to 

 Spray Park, and turned toward camp. Again we 

 enjoyed the luxury of following a winding pathway 

 through silent colonnades formed by the moss-grown 

 trunks of noble trees. On either side of the trail worn 

 in the brown soil the ferns and flowering shrubs were 

 bent over in graceful curves, and at times filled the 

 little-used lane, first traversed fifteen years before. 



The trail led us to Eagle Cliff, a bold, rocky promon- 

 tory rising as does El Capitan from the Yosemite, 1,800 

 feet from the forest-lined canyon of Mowich River. 

 From Eagle Cliff one beholds the most magnificent 

 view that is to be had in all the wonderful region about 

 Mount Rainier. The scene beheld on looking east- 

 ward toward the mighty mountain is remarkable 

 alike for its magnificence and for the artistic grouping 

 of the various features of the sublime picture. In the 

 vast depths at one's feet the tree-tops, through which 

 the mists from neighboring cataracts are drifting, im- 

 part a somber tone and make the valley's bottom seem 

 far more remote than it is. The sides of the canyon 

 are formed by prominent serrate ridges, leading upward 

 to the shining snow fields of the mighty dome that 

 heads the valley. Nine thousand feet above our 

 station rose the pure white Liberty Cap, the crowning 

 glory of the mountain as seen from the northward. 

 The snow descending the northwest side of the great 

 central dome is gathered between the ridges forming 

 the sides of the valley, and forms a white neve from 

 which flows Willis Glacier. In looking up the valley 

 from Eagle Cliff the entire extent of the snow fields 



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