RECREA TIOJST. 



241 



winds around the west side of the peak, 

 then turns Eastward and follows the 

 Nesqually river to its very source amid 

 the glaciers. Thence climbing the 

 slopes, and following the trail over snow 

 plains, and among forests of coniferous 

 trees, a permanent or base camp is made 

 amid the fragrant slopes of Paradise 

 Park. 



From Tacoma to Longmire Springs, 

 a collection of soda springs at the base 

 of the great mountain, a wagon road 

 extends. From the springs to the park, 

 some six and one-half miles, riding and 

 pack horses must be used. As a matter 

 of fact, the trail from the springs to the 



On July 31st, 1894, our little party 

 left Tacoma, and reached Paradise Park 

 on the afternoon of August 3d. Our 

 tents were pitched at what is known as 

 Camp of the Clouds, at an elevation of 

 about 5,600 feet. 



The day after arrival we made an 

 excursion to Sluiskin Falls, which is one 

 of the most interesting points about the 

 mountain. 



Old Sluiskin was the Indian who 

 guided Van Trump and General Hazard 

 Stevens — the two white men who first 

 succeeded in reaching the mountain's 

 top — to the higher slopes of the peak. 

 Just above these falls they camped and 



CAMP OF THE CLOUDS J PEAK SUCCESS ON THE RIGHT. 



park, is usually traversed on foot, horses 

 being utilized only for packing camp 

 equipage and provisions. 



Mount Tacoma has three well defined 

 peaks at the summit. The southwestern 

 is known as Peak Success; the northern, 

 Tahoma Peak, and the centre or east- 

 ern, Crater Peak. The latter is recorded 

 as being 14,444 feet high, the others a 

 few hundred feet lower. Recent efforts 

 tend to prove that Crater Peak is over 

 15,000 feet high, but until some govern- 

 ment survey places upon these figures 

 the seal of thorough scientific measure- 

 ment, the old ones will have to stand. 



gave to the beautiful water fall the name 

 of their Indian guide. This was in 1870. 

 Sluiskin was superstitious, and refused 

 to go above the snow line, believing the 

 mountain to be inhabited by a demon, 

 and that no one could reach the sum- 

 mit. 



In going from Camp of the Clouds to 

 Sluiskin Falls, one of the grandest views 

 obtainable is found. From the point of 

 a commanding ridge, which we termed 

 among ourselves, " Panoramic Point," 

 a wide stretch of country lies before us. 

 We stand over a precipice. At its foot 

 a great snow-field curves away to the 



