The Masama's Outgoing at Mount Rainier [pp. 114-123]

CAMP MUIR
the camp someone discarded his pack; and
from there to the foot of Gibraltar, a distance that required nearly four hours to
cover, the trail was marked by a long string
of coats, sweaters, sleeping bags, blankets,
kits, cameras, heliographs, and heavens
know what not.
Going around Gibraltar rock is considered
the most dangerous part of the ascent.
Rocks are constantly falling from above,
and in many places a single misstep means
instant death on the glacier below. Passing Gibraltar was a slow and tedious task,
but we accomplished it in safety. Then we
crossed the rough and steep field of snow
called the Ice Tongue, and reached the top
of Gibraltar shortly after noon.
After lunch and a short rest the command, "Forward march," was given. Three
hundred yards of comparatively level snow
led us to the last steep incline of the trip.
But that incline ran to the very rim of the
crater on the summit. The difference in
altitude is about three thousand feet, and
120
the distance is usually guessed as a little
more than a mile. Over the entire distance
life lines were used in the following manner. One man would drag a line forward
its full length, and fasten it to an alpenstock planted firmly in the snow. Those
below used this line to help themselves up,
while someone else hurried forward with
another rope. This made the work hard
for a few, but it saved many of the weaker
ones from falling by the wayside. Few
stops were made during this last steep
climb, and at four o'clock we reached the
summit.
A count showed that fifty-one, forty-two
men and nine women, had succeeded in the
difficult ascent.
There are three peaks on Mount Rainer,
two having craters. Crater peak is the
highest, and also has the largest crater.
The latter is a great basin, about a half
mile in diameter, and of unknown depth.
At the time of our visit it was nearly filled
with ice and snow. Steam still issues from