HELIOGRAPHING ON MOUNT ADAMS. 



C. E. RUSK. 



For the enjoyment of its members and to 

 stimulate interest in the magnificent scenery 

 of the Pacific coast, the society of Mazamas 

 was formed on the summit of Mt. Hood, 

 July 19, 1894. On that date 193 persons 

 reached the highest point of the lofty peak, 

 and there took part in the ceremony of or- 

 ganizing the club. The second annual climb 

 of the society was fixed for July 10, 1895, 

 and Mt. Adams, Washington, was selected 

 as the mountain to be climbed. In addi- 

 tion to this, parties were to make the ascent 

 of Mts. Tacoma, Baker, Hood, Jefferson 

 and Diamond Peak, with heliographs, for 

 the purpose of establishing communication 

 between the members of this chain of 

 mighty snowclads. In accordance with ar- 

 rangements, 82 persons assembled at Moun- 

 tain View camp, preparatory to making the 

 climb July 10th. With one companion, M. 

 F. Derting, I left Wetemis Springs, on the 

 Klickitat river, July 8, to join in the great 

 undertaking. A hard day's horseback ride 

 took us to the snow on Mt. Adams. To 

 our disappointment we found that the snow 

 extended far below the timber line, making 

 it difficult to find a camping place with 

 sufficient grass for our horses. We finally 

 selected a timbered ridge, surrounded by 

 snow, where the young grass had grown 

 enough to furnish fair grazing ; but we 

 abandoned the attempt to reach the Ma- 

 zama camp, which, we judged, was several 

 miles West of us, and decided to ascend 

 the mountain alone. 



During the afternoon, we made an excur- 

 sion to Hell Roaring glacier and viewed the 

 awful grandeur of the Eastern precipices 

 of the mountain, the home of glaciers and 

 avalanches. Returning, we constructed a 

 brush shelter for the night, to ward off the 

 East wind, which had gained a disagree- 

 able force. The air, which the day before 

 had been remarkably clear, was rapidly be- 

 coming filled with smoke, from forest or 

 prairie fires. We went to bed early. 



Between 2 and 3 o'clock we arose and 

 soon had a booming fire. The East wind 

 still swept the ridges and broad fields of 

 snow, chilling us through. We secured 

 our horses for the day and then sewed 

 gunny sacks around our feet to keep the 

 lava boulders of the lower ascent from cut- 

 ting our shoes. After breakfast we started, 

 with a lunch and our overcoats done up 

 into small packs. 



It was 3.40 o'clock. The wind still howled 

 through the scanty trees, but the sky was 

 clear. However, the smoke, which had been 

 gathering the day before, hung heavily over 

 the lower country, threatening to shut off 



all view of the land beneath. We struck 

 on to the snowfields and traveled gradually 

 up the slope, toward the mountain, for 

 about an hour. Finally, we reached the line 

 where all vegetation ceased and the moun- 

 tain became steeper and more rugged, with 

 ridges strewn with huge volcanic boulders. 

 The mighty mass of Adams still towered 

 above us. No trace of the Mazamas ap- 

 peared and our conviction that they were 

 camped farther to the West was strength- 

 ened. 



Southward from the dome of Adams 

 runs a great lava ridge. Like a huge back- 

 bone, it slopes downward to the timber line. 

 On the East it breaks off abruptly and be- 

 neath it lies a vast field of snow, of un- 

 nnknown depth, seamed with frightful cre- 

 vices. On the West it \is not so precipi- 

 tous, and one may gain the ridge from that 

 side, along its entire length. To get on to 

 it from the East, however, a person is com- 

 pelled to keep well down, in order to avoid 

 the dangerous seams and steep rocks. Com- 

 pared with the other slopes of the moun- 

 tain, this ridge is gradual and is, therefore, 

 always selected as the route of those mak- 

 ing the ascent, notwithstanding the fact that 

 it is strewn with big boulders, whose sharp 

 edges cut into shoe leather with knifelike 

 keenness. Toward this ridge we bent our 

 steps. To reach it we were compelled to 

 cross the lower end of the vast snow field; 

 but it was there almost free of visible 

 crevices. We had not traversed half the 

 intervening distance when the wind, which 

 had previously abated, struck us with fear- 

 ful violence. It seemed to suck down from 

 the mountain between 2 ridges and its force 

 was so terrific that we were scarcely able 

 to stand against it. We tied our hats down 

 over our heads and bracing ourselves 

 against the hurricane, worked slowly to- 

 ward the lava backbone, stopping every now 

 and then to catch our breath for a new 

 start. Our progress across this field of 

 snow, from which, at times, it seemed we 

 would be swept bodily, required but a short 

 time, yet it was not pleasant while it last- 

 ed. We leached the point of the ridge and 

 clambered up the slight bluff where the 

 snow and the rocks met. There we caught 

 a glimpse of the yawning gulf between the 

 snow and the precipice as we" went over; 

 but our snow bridge was solid and we soon 

 stood on the backbone, with no danger of 

 being blown away, yet still confronted by 

 peril, as a misstep among the boulders, in 

 our efforts to make headway against the 

 hurricane, might result in a broken, or 

 badly sprained leg, 



761 



