268 



Sierra Club Bulletin 



then, instead of climbing down, we both began to climb up. It was 

 one of those spontaneous impulses that sometimes occur at critical 

 moments. We found tolerable handholds and footholds, and in a few 

 moments were safely above our ledge; and from that moment, al- 

 though the climbing was sometimes difficult, we did not stop until 

 we reached the summit. 



The route was somewhat complicated, and we frequently had to 

 change from one chimney to another, traversing around the precipi- 

 tous ridges. As we approached the summit we carefully searched for 

 further evidences of a previous climb. We had not seen any ducks 

 for some time and not a trace of any previous ascent was to be found 

 near the crest. With a shout we greeted the summit as its first visi- 

 tors. We subsequently learned that Bliss, Jordan, and Davies had 

 been forced by a hail-storm to abandon their attempt on the day 

 after their climb of "Peak Disappointment." 



The view was superb. A slight haze over the distant peaks empha- 

 sized all the more strongly the nearer wonders. Dominating the 

 whole scene was the jagged crest of the North Palisade, with its 

 high-hanging glacier glistening in full view. The larger glacier at 

 the base was not visible. In the opposite direction, at about an equal 

 distance, was Split Mountain, otherwise known as the South Pali- 

 sade. Lacking the snow, this view was not perhaps so spectacular as 

 that to the north, but the more varied character of the scenery on 

 either side made it almost as fascinating. Far below on the eastern 

 side a glacier pushed out its moraine, filling numerous lakes with 

 the milky water that characterizes glacial drainage. On the western 

 side we looked down upon the deep gorge of Palisade Creek, with 

 two large lakes immediately below us and a dozen or more smaller 

 ones on successive benches higher up. 



The summit of the mountain is an extremely narrow knife-edge. 

 We had to use great care in moving about, as there were many large 

 blocks just poised on the brink. Selecting a favorable spot, we 

 gathered a few small rocks and constructed a monument. In this we 

 deposited a Sierra Club register encased in two photographic film 

 tubes placed end to end and bound with adhesive tape. We made 

 the following entry in the record : 



From camp at about 11,500 ft., climbed southerly peak 

 this morning, only to find that it was lower than this one 

 and had been ascended by a party in We descended 



