The Mountain that was 'God' Part 9

Stages, Horses, Guides.--The cost of getting from Longmire Springs to Paradise or Indian Henry's is moderate. Many prefer to make the trips on foot over the mountain trails. Parties are made up several times a day, under experienced guides, for each of these great "parks," and sure-footed horses are provided for those who wish to ride, at $1.50 for the round trip. Guides and horses for the new trail to Eagle Peak are at the same rate. Guides may be had at the {p.141} National Park Inn or at either of the "camps" for many interesting trips over the mountain trails. Horses also are furnished. The charge varies with the number in a party.

Stages carry pa.s.sengers from the Inn over the government road to Nisqually glacier, Narada Falls and Reese's Camp in Paradise Park. The charge for the trip to Narada and return is $2.00; to Paradise and return, $3.00.

For those who wish to make the ascent to the summit over the Gibraltar trail, trustworthy guides may be engaged at the Inn or at Reese's.

Arrangements should be made several days in advance. The cost of such a trip depends upon the number in a party. The guides make a charge of $25 for the first member of the party, and $5 each for the others.

They furnish alpenstocks, ropes, and calks for the shoes of climbers at a reasonable charge. Each person should carry with him a blanket or extra coat and a small amount of food, for use in the event of being on the summit over night. Still heavier clothing will be required if the night is to be spent at Camp Muir. A sleeping-bag, which can be easily made, or purchased at any outfitter's, will prove invaluable to campers. Ascents from other points than Reese's are usually made in special parties. All persons are warned not to attempt an ascent unless accompanied by experienced guides. Lives have been lost through neglect of this precaution.

For persons visiting the North Side, the Northern Pacific rate from Tacoma to Fairfax is $1.25, and from Seattle to Fairfax, with change of cars at Puyallup, $1.75. Guides and horses may be engaged at Fairfax for the Spray Park trail.

Automobiles and Motorcycles.--These vehicles are permitted to use the government road, as far as the Nisqually glacier, under the following regulations of the Interior Department:

No automobile or motorcycle will be permitted within the Park unless its owner secures a written permit from the Superintendent, Edward S.

Hall, Ashford, Was.h.i.+ngton, or his representative. Applications must show: Names of owner and driver, number of machine, and inclusive dates for which permit is desired, not exceeding one year, and be accompanied by a fee of $5 for each automobile and $1 for each motorcycle. All permits will expire on December 31. Permits must be presented to the Superintendent or his authorized representatives at the park entrance on the government road.

Automobiles and motorcycles will be permitted on the government road west of Longmire Springs between the hours of 7 A.M. and 8.30 P.M., but no automobile or motorcycle shall enter the Park or leave Longmire Springs in the direction of the western boundary, later than 8 P.M., the use of automobiles and motorcycles to be permitted between Longmire Springs and Nisqually glacier between the hours of 9 A.M.

and 9.30 P.M., but no automobile or motorcycle shall leave Longmire Springs in the direction of the glacier later than 7 P.M.

When teams, saddle horses, or pack trains approach, automobiles and motorcycles shall take position on the outer edge of the roadway, taking care that sufficient room is left on the inside for them to pa.s.s, and remaining at rest until they have pa.s.sed, or until the drivers are satisfied regarding the safety of their horses. Horses have the right of way, and automobiles and motorcycles will be backed or otherwise handled to enable horses to pa.s.s with safety.

Speed shall be limited to 6 miles per hour, except on straight stretches where approaching teams, saddle horses, and pack trains will be visible, when, if none are in sight, this speed may be increased to the rate indicated on signboards along the road; in no event, however, shall it exceed 15 miles per hour. Signal with horn shall be given at or near every bend to announce to approaching drivers the proximity of a machine.

Violation of any of the foregoing rules, or the general regulations of the Park, will cause the revocation of permit, subject the owner of the automobile or motorcycle to any damages occasioned thereby and to ejectment from the reservation, and be cause for refusal to issue a new permit without prior sanction in writing from the Secretary of the Interior.

Literature of the Mountain.--Vancouver, Winthrop, Kautz, Stevens and Van Trump have been noted in the text. Other early accounts of, or references to, the Mountain may be found in _Wilkes: Narrative U. S.

exploring expedition_. Phil. 1845, v. 4, 413, 415, 424; _U. S. War Dep't: Explorations for railroad to Pacific, 1853-4_, v. 1, 192; _Gibbs: Journal Am. Geog. Soc._, v. 4, 354-357. {p.142} Gibbs's Indian vocabularies, published at different dates, were reprinted four years after his death in _Contributions to Am. Ethnol._, v. 1. Wash.

1877.

For Emmons's account of his exploration in 1870, see _Bulletin Am.

Geog. Soc._ v. 9, 44-61. _Am. Jour. of Science_, v. 101, 157-167, and _Nation_ v. 23, 313. Prof. Israel C. Russell's studies of the peak are in _U. S. geol. survey, 5th an. rep._ 335-339 and _18th an. rep., part 2_, 349-415. See also his _Glaciers of N. Am._, Bost. 1901, 62-67, and _Volcanoes of N. Am._, Bost. 1895, 241-246. For other accessible studies consult _Wright: Ice age in N. Am. N. Y._ 1889, and _Muir: Our national parks_, Bost. 1901.

The long controversy over the name of the peak is impartially reviewed in _Snowden: History of Was.h.i.+ngton_. N. Y. 1909, v. 4, 249-254.

Snowden calls especial attention to an able paper by the late Thaddeus Hanford of Olympia on the Indian names and recommending the name Tacoma for the Territory, which was printed in the _Was.h.i.+ngton Standard_ in January, 1866. This article should be reprinted by the State Historical Society, as it represents a movement of considerable force at one time against the inept and confusing name adopted for the State. The Indian evidence for the native name of the Mountain was collected in _Wickersham: Is it "Mt. Tacoma" or "Mt. Rainier?"_, pamphlet, Tacoma, 1893. The argument of an eminent traveler and author against "Mt. Rainier" may be found in _Finck: Pacific coast scenic tour_. N. Y. 1891, 209-213, 229-230; also in the same writer's more recent article, _Scribner's Magazine_, v. 47, 234-5. See also _Lyman: The Columbia river_. N. Y. 1909, p. 32, 352-370, and _The Mountains of Was.h.i.+ngton_, in _The Mountaineer_, v. 1, 7-10; and Charles F. Lummis's editorial articles in _Out West_, v. 23, 367 and 494. On the other hand, Prof. Davidson, in _Sierra Club Bulletin_, v. 6, 87-98, presents reasons on which that club accepted "Mt. Rainier."

_Wheeler: Climbing Mt. Rainier_, St. Paul, 1895, and _Plummer: Ill.u.s.trated guide book to Mt. Tacoma_, Tacoma, n. d., are two pamphlets now out of print.

The ascents by the Mazama, Sierra and Mountaineers clubs have furnished material for a great variety of articles on the geology, botany and glacier action, as well as many accounts of climbing adventures. _Mazama_, v. 2, _Sierra Club Bulletin_, v. 6, and _The Mountaineer_, v. 1 and 2, are mainly devoted to this peak. For articles in periodicals of wider circulation, see _Review of Reviews_, v. 9, 163-171 (by Carl Snyder); _Out West_, v. 24, 365-395 (Willoughby Rodman); _National geog. mag._, v. 20, 530-538 (Milnor Roberts); _Scribner's_ v. 22, 169-171 (I. C. Russell); _Outing_, v. 5, 323-332 (J. R. W. Hitchc.o.c.k), and v. 38, 386-392 (Ada Woodruff Anderson); _Overland_, n. s., v. 2, 300-312 (W. D. Lyman), v. 8, 266-278 (George Bailey), v. 32, 114-123 (J. P. Montgomery), v. 46, 447-455 (Harry H.

Brown), v. 55, 552-560 (A. W. McCully), and v. 56, 150-155 (A. W.

McCully); _Pacific monthly_, v. 8, 196-202 (John Muir); _The world today_, v. 9, 1047-53 (Anne Shannon Monroe); _Good words_, v. 42, 101-114 (Arthur Inkersley); _Appalachia_, v. 7, 185-205 (Ernest C.

Smith), and v. 11, 114-125 (W. A. Brooks); _Country life in Am._, v.

14, 170-171 (C. E. Cutter); _The Northwest_, v. 1, 2-10 (Bailey Willis); _Outdoor life_, v. 26, 15-24 (Edna Cadwallader). Special studies of the rocks of the peak may be found in _U. S. geol. sur., 12th an. rep. pt. 1_, 612 (J. P. Iddings), and in _Neues Jahrbuch_, v.

1, 222-226, Stuttgart, 1885 (K. Oebeke).

[Ill.u.s.tration: Glacial debris on lower part of Winthrop Glacier, with Sluiskin Mountains beyond.]