THE ALTITUDE OF MOUNT ADAMS, WASHINGTON 
By Edgar McClure 
On July 10. 1895, in company with the heliograph party of 
the Mazamas,* I carried a mercurial barometer to the summit of 
mount Adams, a snow-capped peak in the Cascade range, in the 
southern part of the state of Washington. 
M^e traveled from Eugene, Oregon, by rail to Portland, Oregon 
thence b}’’ steamer down the M^illamette river to its mouth, and 
thence up the Columbia river to M^hite Salmon landing. From 
this last-mentioned point we traveled north by Avagon road 27 
miles to Trout lake, and thence by trail, still northward, 14 miles 
to the snow line on the mountain side. This camp was called 
Mountain VieAV camp, and is situated near the foot of the Mdiite 
Salmon glacier. From this point it is a continuous climb of four 
miles to the summit of the mountain. 
The instrument used AA^as barometer No. 1612, made by James 
Green, of Brooklyn, New York. It AA^as compared Avith the 
’Weather Bureau instrument at Portland, Oregon, and Avith the 
large standard barometer belonging to the State Weather Service 
at the University of Oregon, at Eugene, Oregon. Parallel ol)ser- 
Auitions Avere made by previous arrangement at Portland, Oregon, 
Eugene, Oregon, and Seattle, M’’ashington. 
Mountain View camp, at the snow-line, Avas left at 4:30 a. m. 
on July 10, and the summit of the mountain Avas reached about 
11:00 a. m. The ascent Avas madeover a large snoAV-field imme- 
diately west of a long lava ridge Avhich runs southeastward Irom 
the summit of the mountain. The climl) is long and hard, l)ut 
it has no points of danger along the route. The summit Avas 
left for the return trip about 4:00 p. in. and camp Avas reached 
about 5:30 p. m. 
Observations began on th'e summit at 12:30 p. m. and Avere 
continued until 3:3') p. m. 'Phe air thermometer having been 
accidentally broken on the evening before the climb, the air 
temperature on the summit was taken from the attached ther- 
* Tho Mu/.nmnH Ih an iiMSociiition of mniintiiin olimlicrs, witli liciul'nmrtors ut Port 
Inml. Oronori. Tlio object of the orKanizittioii in the colle<'tion of Hcientific ilutii coii- 
eerniriK the moiintaiiiH of Orej;oii niid WiiHbiiiKton. 
