12 



Sierra Club Bulletin. 



edges, and often falling into the spaces between. I have 

 frequently seen this ice-blade structure on Sierran snow- 

 fields, particularly on Mt. Lyell, but never so highly 

 developed as here. We made straight for the point where 

 the cross-divide joins the Palisade ridge, and our spirits 

 rose as we climbed. The way was clear as far as we 

 could see. Soon the magnificent summit appeared peep- 

 ing over the ridge ahead. The final approach seemed 

 also passable. We were sure of success, — so sure in 

 fact that I, who was at that moment ahead, called out, 

 " Boys, we shall make it." A dozen steps more brought 

 us to the top of the cross-divide, and in an instant was 

 swept away every chance, every hope of success. 



Such a stupendous view I never expect to see again in 

 the Sierra. We were on the edge of a precipice which 

 sank for a thousand feet absolutely sheer to the head of a 

 splendid glacier, the largest in the Sierra Nevada, but 

 never before described. Just to the left our ridge joined 

 the Palisade ridge not more than a hundred yards from 

 the summit, and that last portion was a serrated knife- 

 edge. The only possible route was along this edge, and 

 this might have been feasible had it not been gashed in 

 one place by a notch a hundred feet deep. We spent over 

 an hour here examining every crack in the rock and 

 discussing every possible way out of the dilemma. Hutch- 

 inson crossed with danger one small notch of the knife- 

 edge, went to the very edge of the great chasm, and with 

 his field-glasses scanned carefully the opposite side, but 

 came to the conclusion that even had one been able to 

 descend to the bottom, not a single fingerhold could be 

 found on the other wall. Furthermore, one could not go 

 around the notch, for it continued on down each side of 



