Cruisings in the Cascades

"Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery."

-Ruskin.

OR anyone who has the courage, the hardihood, and the physical strength to endure the exercise, there is no form of recreation or amusement known to mankind that can yield such grand results as mountain climbing. I mean from a mental as well as from a physical standpoint; and, in fact, it is the mind that receives the greater benefit. The exertion of the muscular forces in climbing a high mountain is necessarily severe; in fact, it is more than most persons unused to it can readily endure; and were it not for the inspiration which the mind derives from the experience when the ascent is made it would be better that the subject should essay some milder form of exercise. But if one's strength be sufficient to endure the labor of ascending a grand mountain peak, that extends to or above timber line, to the regions of perpetual snow and ice, or even to a height that gives a general view of the surrounding country, the compensation must be ample if one have an eye for the beauties of nature, or any appreciation of the grandeur of the Creator's greatest works.

MOUNT HOOD.

Vain, self-loving man is wont to consider himself the noblest work of God, but let him go to the top of one of these lofty mountains, surrounded by other towering peaks, and if he be a sane man he will soon be convinced that his place in the scale of creation is far from the top. Let him stand, for instance, on the summit of Mount Hood, Mount Tacoma, or Mount Baker, thousands of feet above all surrounding peaks, hills, and valleys, where he may gaze into space hundreds of miles in every direction, with naught to obstruct his view, face to face with his Creator, and if he have aught of the love of nature in his soul, or of appreciation of the sublime in his mental composition, he will be moved to exclaim with the Apostle, "What is man that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that Thou visitest him?" He will feel his littleness, his insignificance, his utter lack of importance, more forcibly perhaps than ever before. It seems almost incredible that there should be men in the world who could care so little for the grandest, the sublimest sights their native land affords, as to be unwilling to perform the labor necessary to see them to the best possible advantage; and yet it is so, for I have frequently heard them say:

"I should like very much to see these grand sights you describe, but I never could afford to climb those high mountains for that pleasure; it is too hard work for me."

And, after all, the benefits to be derived from mountain climbing are not wholly of an intellectual character; the physical system may be benefited by it as well. It is a kind of exercise that in turn brings into use almost every muscle in the body, those of the legs being of course taxed most severely, but those of the back do their full share of the work, while the arms are called into action almost constantly, as the climber grasps bushes or rocks by which to aid himself in the ascent. The lungs expand and contract like bellows as they inhale and exhale the rarified atmosphere, and the heart beats like a trip-hammer as it pumps the invigorated blood through the system. The liver is shaken loose from the ribs to which it has perchance grown fast, and the stomach is aroused to such a state of activity as it has probably not experienced for years. Let any man, especially one of sedentary habits, climb a mountain 5,000 feet high, on a bright, pleasant day, when

"Night's candles are burnt out and jocund day

Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops."

MOUNT TACOMA.

There let him breathe the rare, pure atmosphere, fresh from the portals of heaven, and my word for it he will have a better appetite, will eat heartier, sleep sounder, and awake next morning feeling more refreshed than since the days of his boyhood.

Although the labor be severe it can and should be modulated to the strength and capabilities of the person undertaking the task. No one should climb faster than is compatible with his strength, and halts should be made every five or ten minutes, if need be, to allow the system ample rest. In this manner a vast amount of work may be accomplished in a day, even by one who has had no previous experience in climbing.

ON THE COLUMBIA.

The benefits and pleasures of mountain climbing are much better understood and appreciated in Europe than in this country. Nearly every city of England, France, Spain, Germany, and other European countries has an Alpine, Pyrenese, or Himalayan club. The members of these clubs spend their summer outings in scaling the great peaks of the mountains after which the societies are named, or other ranges, and the winter evenings in recounting to each other their experiences; and many a man, by his association with the clubs and by indulgence in this invigorating pastime develops from a delicate youth into a muscular, sturdy, athletic man in a few years.

The possible value of mountain climbing as a recreation and as a means of gaining knowledge, has been greatly enhanced, of late years, by the introduction of the dry-plate system in photography, and since the small, light, compact cameras have been constructed, which may be easily and conveniently carried wherever a man can pack his blankets and a day's supply of food. With one of these instruments fine views can be taken of all interesting objects and bits of scenery on the mountain, and of the surrounding country. The views are interesting and instructive to friends and to the public in general, and as souvenirs are invaluable to the author. And from the negatives thus secured lantern slides may be made, and from these, by the aid of the calcium light, pictures projected on a screen that can only be excelled in their beauty and attractiveness by nature herself.

GLACIERS ON MOUNT TACOMA.

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