A WONDERLAND OF GLACIERS AND SNOW 



537 



Cornices of snow overhanging the crags 

 of Eagle Peak had broken off and shot 

 down its precipitous northern side, com- 

 ing to rest on a long tains slope near the 

 stream. There we reveled in ski sliding 

 and jumping. Huge boulders in the talus 

 beneath the seven-foot covering of snow 

 had caused hummocks on the surface 

 which served us in place of the artificial 

 take-offs used in regular ski jumping. 



Two divisions of our party made the 

 ascent to Paradise V alley. The first group 

 consisted of three men, including the wri- 

 ter. We followed the general course of 

 the horse-trail, but made frequent cut-offs 

 by crossing Paradise River on the snow 

 bridges. The only toilsome, part of the 

 journey was at Narada Falls, where we 

 were forced to navigate our skis sidewise, 

 in crab fashion, up the steep slope. Half 

 a mile farther upstream, on the second 

 bridge of the government wagon road, 

 the snow measured more than two ski- 

 lengths in depth, at least fourteen feet, 

 without a sign of drifting. Under the 

 bridge was a pool of open water over- 

 hung on all sides by rounded cornices of 

 soft snow. A few inky-bottomed wells 

 marked the upper course of the stream 

 for a short distance, until it disappeared 

 entirely under the deepening load of 

 snow. 



The long, open meadow in Paradise 

 Valley lay like a smooth floor of snow, 

 rising slightly until it merged into the 

 final slopes of Mount Rainier. The sur- 

 rounding ridges, dotted with the tops of 

 stunted trees, had been so rounded and 

 smoothed by drifting that the small 

 gulches and hillocks of ground were al- 

 most blotted out. Constant shifting of 

 the dry snow had produced a fine, pow- 

 dery surface everywhere. All appear- 

 ances indicated that the snow in the open 

 meadow of Paradise Valley was much 

 deeper than at the bridge where we had 

 measured it. The difference in location 

 and elevation of the two localities may be 

 held accountable for such a condition. 

 Some marks which we made on a tree 

 trunk at the surface level of the snow 

 will be interesting reading in summer. 



Excellent views of Mount Rainier and 

 its southern glaciers were had on a bril- 

 liant sunny day from the Ramparts, a 

 long ridge covered with standing burnt 

 timber, extending southward from the 

 mountain. A series of cascades in the 

 South Tahoma Glacier caused the ice to 

 stand out in jagged blocks against the 

 skyline. The surface of the Kautz Gla- 

 cier was perfectly smooth with snow ex- 

 cept at its cascades. From Gibraltar 

 Rock a snow banner as large as the rock 

 itself waved to the eastward. 



On March 24, another cloudless day, 

 two young ladies of our party, accom- 

 panied by James McCullough, watchman 

 at the National Park Inn, made a ski trip 

 to Sluiskin Falls, considerably beyond the 

 point reached by the first party. As both 

 the ladies had ascended Rainier in sum- 

 mer, they could enjoy to the utmost the 

 wonderful view of the snow-clad range 

 spread out before them. 



The Cascade Range in its winter garb 

 is just beginning to be appreciated. 

 Hotels at several mountain resorts now 

 remain more or less open throughout the 

 winter. The great advantage of visiting 

 the higher altitudes lies in the drier snow 

 usually found there, with only a slightly 

 lower temperature. The beauties of the 

 forests and the snow-fields may be seen 

 without hardship by any visitor, while 

 experienced mountaineers have unlimited 

 opportunities for climbing and exploring 

 on trips of two or three days. The wri- 

 ter's experience, gained through mining 

 work in various parts of the range at all 

 seasons, has been that only the severest 

 storms or the heaviest rains make the.j 

 Cascades unpleasant. So far as ski sport- 

 is concerned, it would be difficult to imag- 

 ine more perfect riding than can be had 

 on the many miles of varied slopes in 

 Paradise Park. Judging by the fresh 

 tracks of snowshoe rabbit, weasel, mar- 

 ten, fox, wildcat, white goat, and bear 

 which our party saw in a few days, it is 

 safe to say that the Mount Rainier Na- 

 tional Park offers good chances to the 

 camera-hunter. 



