354 



RECREATION. 



ended the remarkable proceedings. The 

 peak South of the Columbia grew dim and 

 L11 en disappeared entirely. Two of the 

 mighty mountains were thus lost, but Ta- 

 coma still rose clear and distinct. During 

 the entire afternoon it stood out brightly 

 glistening in the sunlight. Notwithstanding 

 the fact that a party was on its summit, 

 vigorously heliographing to Adams, not a 

 flash did we see, nor were any of the sig- 

 nals sent from Adams seen on Tacoma. 

 This was strange, since Tacoma could be 

 seen much more distinctly than Hood, and 

 powerful telescopes were brought to bear 

 from time to time on its crest. 



As soon as heliographic communications 

 ceased, attention was turned to the homing 

 pigeons which had been carried up. In the 

 meantime the report had come that 2 young 

 ladies were slowly making their way toward 

 the top. Four pigeons had been taken 

 from Portland lofts. Two of these were 

 prepared for departure. Messages with the 

 names of those on the summit and informa- 

 tion regarding the heliographing, barometer 

 readings, etc., were attached to their tails. 



A feeling of pity for the poor little birds 

 went over me. They seemed so helpless and 

 so frail away on that lonely mountain, sur- 

 rounded by miles of almost impenetrable 

 smoke. On being released one of them im- 

 mediately dashed off, closely followed by 

 i f s mate. Swiftly as arrows they flew, di- 

 rectly toward the huge rock point that leans 

 for support against the Western side of the 

 central dome of Adams. Before reaching 

 it they circled to the left and were soon 

 hidden by the shoulder of the mountain. 

 They were never seen again. The 2 released 

 later in the day fared no better. 



Soon after the flying of the first 2 pigeons 

 the young ladies reached us. Their advent 

 was the signal for an outburst of enthu- 

 siasm. 



The afternoon was wearing away and 

 my companion and I were compelled to 

 think about retiring in order to get our 

 horses to better grass before nightfall. We 

 were invited to register our names in the 

 new record book, which had been taken up 

 during the day. All persons were to be 

 registered in the order of their arrival at 

 the summit and it gave us much satisfaction 

 to place our names first. The book was 

 afterward put in a box which was fastened 

 to the rocks nearest the summit. Having 

 written our signatures on the roll, we bade 

 our new friends goodbye and turned our 

 steps toward camp, We could not go, how- 



ever, without returning to the Eastern brink 

 and once more looking down the frightful 

 height. Then, with a last glance at the 

 group on top, we plunged downward. We 

 paused to examine the* old record box that 

 we had seen on our way up in the morning. 

 I was gratified to find that it contained a 

 postal card bearing my own name and that 

 of a companion, which we had left in an 

 old sardine box on that very spot over 6 

 years before. 



Again leaving our signatures we started 

 on down the mountain. On the East sum- 

 mit we met a gentleman who had become 

 ill during the ascent, but he was still push- 

 ing slowly on, saying he would reach the 

 top or die in the attempt. He got to the 

 top, but did not die. 



On the long steep slope we found the 

 snow too rough for good sliding, but we 

 enjoyed a slide on the steepest part. Per- 

 sistent climbers were still struggling on to- 

 ward the summit. We rapidly traversed the 

 snow fields below timber line, arriving at 

 our camp at 5 p. m. Hastily saddling our 

 horses we packed our few effects and by 

 nightfall were encamped on Bird creek far 

 from the snow line. 



The next day we were almost blind. Our 

 eyes were swelled nearly shut and we suf- 

 fered so much pain that we were compelled 

 to ride with them closed, occasionally pry- 

 ing them open long enough to enable us to 

 keep our bearings. In spite of this peril we 

 arrived home safe and in a few days, thanks 

 to the effects of soothing applications, were 

 restored to our usual good sight. 



Twenty-four persons reached the summit 

 of Mt. Adams July 10. Although July 11 

 had been finally decided on for the main 

 ascent, only 14 persons reached the top that 

 day. The following day 3 more climbed the 

 mountain ; making a total of 41. About 70 

 made the attempt. Owing to the smoke, 

 the heliographing was a failure, excepting 

 between Hood and Adams. Parties also 

 made the ascent of Tacoma and Jefferson, 

 but the Mt. Baker party failed. The most 

 important result was finding the approxi- 

 mate altitude of Mt. Adams. The height 

 of the mountain had been given by most 

 tables at less than 10,000 feet; but this as- 

 cent proved that it exceeded 12,000. Those 

 who had climbed Hood found the climbing 

 of Adams to be longer and more difficult 

 than that of the former peak. Henceforth 

 Mt. Adams will take its rightful position as 

 second among the great snow peaks of the 

 Cascades. Tacoma alone overtops it. 



Pat — An' so yez shtruck fer shorter 

 hours? 



Mike — Yis. We want each wan to con- 

 sist av 40 minutes, begorry ! — Puck. 



