First Ascent of Mount Haeckel 



145 



packs and starting up the trail to Evolution Lake, where we planned 

 to camp for the night. This first march was to be a short one, only a 

 few miles, but it included a climb from an elevation of about 9900 

 feet to about 1 1 ,000 feet. At this elevation and after a hearty meal 

 a heavy knapsack load is a little burdensome; but there were com- 

 pensations — none of us will forget the wonderful sunset and the 

 view down the canon of Evolution Creek, with such an indescriba- 

 ble riot of sunset coloring. Darkness gradually overtook us, but no 

 difficulty was experienced in following the trail. Not so in selecting 

 camp-sites after we arrived at Evolution Lake. This lake, as we dis- 

 covered next morning, is so high that its shores are without timber 

 other than a few scattering clumps of Pinus albicaulis, which afford- 

 ed scant shelter against the winds which we experienced. After 

 much searching with flashes, everyone was finally located — whether 

 comfortably was a subject of later discussion. 



Next morning camp was astir early, and the nine of us who were 

 to try the climb of Mount Haeckel, with loyal and generous help 

 from others of the party, were able to start at 6:30. The tramp 

 around the shore of Evolution Lake in the frosty air with frozen 

 grass crunching under every step was invigorating — no member of 

 the party had any tendency to lag. A careful survey from camp with 

 binoculars had convinced us that to attempt to reach Mount Haeckel 

 from the amphitheater north of Mount Spencer would get us into 

 difficulties when we reached the crest of the Sierra just north of our 

 peak. Although we were unable to see into the basin between Mount 

 Spencer and Mount Huxley, the topographic map indicated that this 

 route would probably be preferable. Accordingly, we pushed round 

 the shoulder of Spencer and to the top of a bench of morainal matter 

 at the lower end of the basin between Spencer and Huxley. 



At about this point we discovered fresh footprints crossing a 

 snow-field and indicating that another party was ahead of us and 

 that it was probably aiming for the same goal. From this vantage- 

 point we studied possible routes of ascent. To reach the crest of the 

 range directly before us seemed quite easy, but to cross the many 

 sawteeth encountered before reaching the summit would certainly re- 

 quire much slow and tedious climbing. Another possibility was to 

 cross a snow-field to the left and pass through a chimney to the top 

 of a ridge which led up at a steep angle from the west to a junction 

 with the main crest just south of the summit. This last route was se- 



