The Mountaineers
The following note has been furnished by the secretary of the organization:
“To explore and study the mountains, forests, and water courses of the Northwest; to gather into permanent form the history and traditions of this region; to preserve, by protective legislation or otherwise, the natural beauty of north-western America; to make expeditions into these regions in fulfilment of the above purposes; to encourage a spirit of good-fellowship among all lovers of outdoor life—these were the avowed purposes for which a group of nature lovers met in Seattle in January, 1907, and organized The Mountaineers. Since then, the membership has expanded to over half a thousand, and knows no geographical bounds. Nearly a hundred men and women contributed themselves in the recent war, while those at home rendered active service in collecting sphagnum moss, making surgical dressings, and otherwise trying to do their part. Branches have been organized, property acquired, permanent funds established, and the Club has now become one of the worthwhile organizations of the Pacific Northwest.
“Summer outings and the snowshoe trip to Mt. Rainier with which the Club welcomes in each new year are the most striking of its activities. For three weeks each summer a hobnailed, khaki-clad party of from fifty to one hundred men and women enjoy a well planned hike into some mountainous region, and usually climb some famous peak. Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams, Mt. Olympus, Glacier Peak, Mt. Stewart, Mt. St. Helens, and many others have been climbed once or more. Glacier National Park, as well as our own Monte Cristo region, has also been visited.
“With pack trains, hired packers, and professional cooks along, little of the unpleasant work of camping falls on the members, yet, with each individual’s dunnage limited to thirty-five pounds, and with frequent shifting of camps and plenty of snow and rock work, genuine outing experience is afforded. The leadership is wholly by members, and every precaution is taken for the safety of the party.
“The snowshoe trip to Mt. Rainier in midwinter must be taken to be comprehended. Paradise Valley in summer is brilliant with its mountain flowers, but in winter it is enchantingly somber with its deep-laid snow, through which emerge the conical trees with their symmetry of drooping branches peculiar to the snow-laden conifers. Snowshoeing, skiing, tobogganing, and climbing afford ample exercise, while the hotel (usually approached through a snow tunnel) with its comfortable beds and provisions brought up in summer time, relieves the party of the usual hardships of winter trips. In the evenings, before the big fireplaces, vaudeville performances, circuses, and other entertainments rival similar affairs held in the evenings of the summer outings.
“Winter and summer trips are taken to Snoqualmie Lodge, a large log structure built by the Club near the backbone of the Cascade Range, but easily accessible both to railroad and highway, as well as to rugged mountains like Chair Peak and Silver Tip.
“A wholly different region may be enjoyed at the Club’s Rhododendron Park, a large area across Puget Sound, brilliant each May with a profusion of the white and pink of the state flower. The Club is planning the construction of a cabin in the mountains near Everett, and also one near Tacoma.
“Lecturers are procured for monthly meetings, a collection of slides maintained of the mountains visited by the Club, botany and other sciences pursued, and the results of each year’s activities summarized in an annual publication. A bulletin is also published forecasting each month’s activities.