Dust-covered Glaciers. 139 



The next clay, August 8, a topographic station was occupied 

 on the summit of the Pinnacle pass cliffs. We were astir before 

 sunrise, and had breakfast over before four o'clock. The morn- 

 ing was cold, and a cutting wind swept down the Seward glacier 

 from the northeast. All of the mountains were lost to view in 

 dense clouds. A few rays of sunshine breaking through the 

 vapor banks above Point Glorious gave promise of better weather 

 during the day. Lindsley and Stamy had not yet returned from 

 the lower camp, where they were to obtain additional rations ; 

 and Kerr and I concluded to try to reach the crest of the Pin- 

 nacle pass cliffs and take the chances of the weather being favor- 

 able for our Avork. 



Leaving camp in the early morning light, we chose to climb 

 over the summit of Point Glorious rather than thread the cre- 

 vasses at its northern base. Reaching the top of the point, we 

 were still beneath the low canopy of clouds, and could see far up 

 the great amphitheatre to the base of Mount Oiven.^^ Descending 

 the eastern slo]3e, we soon reached the floor of the amphitheatre, 

 and found the snow smooth and hard and not greatly crevassed. 

 Cheered by faint promise of blue skies, we pressed on rapidly, 

 the snow creaking beneath our tread as on a winter morning. 

 Two or three hours of rapid walking brought us to the southern 

 wall of the amphitheatre, nearly beneath the point we wished to 

 occupy. As we ascended the slope the way became more diffi- 

 cult, owing not only to its steepness but also to the fact that 

 the snow was softening, and also because great crevasses crossed 

 our path. Looking back over the snow we had crossed, two 

 well-characterized features on its surface could be distinguished : 

 these were large areas with a gray tint, caused by a covering of 

 dust. This dust comes from the sojithern faces of the Pinnacle 

 pass cliffs, and is blown over the crest of the ridge and scattered 

 far and wide over the snow-fields toward the north. Should the 

 dust-covered areas become buried beneath fresh snow, it is evi- 

 dent that the strata of snow would be separated by thin layers 

 of darker color. This is what has happened many times, as we 

 could see by looking down into the crevasses. Li one deep gulf 

 I counted five distinct strata of clear white snow, separated by 

 narrow dust-bands. In other instances there are twenty or more 

 such strata visible. Each layer is evidently the record of a snow- 

 storm, while the dust-bands indicate intervals of fine weather. 



* Named for Havid Dale Owen, United States geolorist. 



