MOUNT RAINIER 



and led us through a region just above the timber line, 

 which commands far reaching views to the wild and 

 rugged mountains to the northeast. This open tract, 

 leading down to groves of spruce trees and diversified 

 by charming lakelets, bears abundant evidence of 

 having formerly been ice-covered, and is known as 

 Moraine Park. 



In order to retain our elevation we crossed diagon- 

 ally the steep snow slopes in the upper portion of the 

 Moraine Park. Midway over the snow we rested at 

 a sharp crest of rock, and found that it is composed 

 of light-colored granite. Later we found that much of 

 the area between the Carbon and Winthrop glaciers 

 is composed of this same kind of rock. Granite forms 

 a portion of the border of the valley through which 

 flow the glaciers just named, and furnished them with 

 much granitic debris, which is carried away as moraines 

 and later worked over into well-rounded bowlders by 

 the streams flowing from the ice. The presence of 

 granite pebbles in the course of Carbon and White 

 rivers, far below the glaciers, is thus accounted for. 



A weary tramp of about 4 miles from the camp we 

 had left brought us to the border of Winthrop Glacier. 

 In the highest grove of trees, which are bent down and 

 frequently lie prone on the ground, although still liv- 

 ing, we selected a well-sheltered camping-place. Bal- 

 sam boughs furnished luxuriant beds, and the trees 

 killed by winter storms enabled us to have a roaring 

 camp fire. Fresh trail of mountain goats and their but 

 recently abandoned bed showed that this is a favorite 

 resort for those hardy animals. Marmots were also 

 abundant, and frequently awakened the echoes with 

 their shrill, whistling cries. The elevation of our 

 camp was about 8,000 feet. 



From our camp on the cliffs above the west border 

 of Winthrop Glacier we made excursions across that 

 glacier and to its heavily moraine-covered extremity. 

 The snow mantle that is spread over the region about 



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