Well, today while running errands around town I took my expedition documents, printouts, maps, etc. to a cafe, bought a large mocha and read and reread the narrative, and compared that to maps of the day. And I think I have an answer that better fits their trip, so far anyway. And the answer?
Well, it lies in a few sentences.
For one I.C. Russell writes, "Taking heavy packs on our backs on the morning of July 21, we descended the steep broken surface of the most recent moraine bordering Carbon Glacier in its middle course, some idea of which is conveyed by Pl. LXXIV, and reached the solid blue ice below. Our course led us directly across the glacier, along the lower border of the rapidly melting covering of winter snow. The glacier is there about a mile across. Its central part is higher than its border, and for the most part the ice is concealed by dirt and stones. Just below the névé, however, we found a space about half a mile long in which melting had not led to the concentration of sufficient débris to make traveling difficult." (page 367)
This identifies the approximate place the crossed the Carbon Glacier, just below the upper end of Goat Island where it splits the glacier into the main flow and the tongue on the east side.
He continues, "On the east side of the glacier we found several steep, sharp-crested ridges, clothed with forest trees, with narrow, grassy, and flower-strewn dells between, in which banks of snow still lingered. The ridges are composed of bowlders and angular stones of a great variety of sizes and shapes, and are plainly lateral moraines abandoned by the shrinking of the glacier. Choosing a way up one of the narrow lanes, bordered on each side by steep slopes densely covered with trees and shrubs, we found secure footing in the hard granular snow, and soon reached a more open, parklike area, covered with mossy bosses of turf; on which grew a great profusion of brilliant flowers." (page 367)
This identifies they followed a moraine up to the plateau on the northwestern corner and across the norhtern end of Moraine Park.
In the same paragraph, he writes, "Our way then turned eastward, following the side of the mountain, and led us through a region just above the timber line, which commands far reaching views to the wild and rugged mountains to the northeast. This open tract, heading down to groves of spruce trees and diversified by charming lakelets, bears abundant evidence of having formerly been ice-covered, and is known its Moraine Park." (page 367)
The key here is that Moraine Park in 1896 was identified as a larger area than it is today. They travelled, as best I can determine to somewhere near the northern end of Old Desolate (Ridge). This is the only place you can view the Elysian Fields and have an unobstructed view to the northeast.
Next he writes, "In order to retain our elevation we crossed diagonally the steep snow slopes in the upper portion of the Moraine Park. Midway over the snow we rested at a sharp crest of rock,..." (page 368)
It's likely they traversed the length of Old Desolate to the west end and around up to their camp alongside the Winthrop Glacier. There is no description of this last stretch in this day's trek. But they got there early enough to establish a camp and do some exploration of Winthrop Glacier, crossing to the east side and back.
The next day they did another trek up to Curtis Ridge, down to the Carbon Glacier and Moraine Park before returning to the camp and rest before their summit climb the next day.
Or so that's what I see today.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Translating
The hardest time I've had with the expedition is translating the description of their travels to a map. I realize they didn't have a map beyond a general one - the first topographic map was produced until 1915 - of Mount Rainier and the area. All they had was a visual interpretation of the landscape to use, which in 1896 was vague at best.
Anyway, I'm trying to translate the trip from the Philo Falls camp to the new camp on the west side of Winthrop Glacier. They wrote the following.
"Taking heavy packs on our backs on the morning of July 21, we descended the steep broken surface of the most recent moraine bordering Carbon Glacier in its middle course, some idea of which is conveyed by Pl. LXXIV, and reached the solid blue ice below. Our course led us directly across the glacier, along the lower border of the rapidly melting covering of winter snow. The glacier is there about a mile across. Its central part is higher than its border, and for the most part the ice is concealed by dirt and stones. Just below the névé, however, we found a space about half a mile long in which melting had not led to the concentration of sufficient débris to make traveling difficult. Farther down the glacier, where surface melting was more advanced, the entire glacier, with the exception of a few lanes of clear ice between the ill-defined medial moraines, was completely concealed beneath a desolate sheet of angular stones. On reaching the east side of the glacier we were confronted with a wall of clay and stones, the inner slope of a moraine similar in all respects to the one we had descended to reach the west border of the glacier. A little search revealed a locality where a tongue of ice in a slight embayment projected some distance up the wall of morainal material, and a steep climb of 50 or 60 feet brought us to the summit. The glacier has recently shrunk—that is, its surface has been lowered from 80 to 100 feet by melting."
"On the east side of the glacier we found several steep, sharp-crested ridges, clothed with forest trees, with narrow, grassy, and flower-strewn dells between, in which banks of snow still lingered. The ridges are composed of bowlders and angular stones of a great variety of sizes and shapes, and are plainly lateral moraines abandoned by the shrinking of the glacier. Choosing a way up one of the narrow lanes, bordered on each side by steep slopes densely covered with trees and shrubs, we found secure footing in the hard granular snow, and soon reached a more open, parklike area, covered with mossy bosses of turf; on which grew a great profusion of brilliant flowers. Before us rose the great cliffs which partially inclose the amphitheater in which Carbon Glacier has its source. These precipices, as already stated, have a height of about 4,000 feet, and are so steep that the snow does not cling to them, but descends in avalanches. Above the cliffs, where the inclination is less precipitous, the snow lies in thick layers, the edges of which are exposed in a vertical precipice rising above the avalanche swept rock-slope below. Far above, and always the central object in the wild scenery surrounding us, rose the brilliant white Liberty Cap, one of the pinnacles on the rim of the great summit crater. Our way then turned eastward, following the side of the mountain, and led us through a region just above the timber line, which commands far reaching views to the wild and rugged mountains to the northeast. This open tract, heading down to groves of spruce trees and diversified by charming lakelets, bears abundant evidence of having formerly been ice-covered, and is known its Moraine Park."
"In order to retain our elevation we crossed diagonally the steep snow slopes in the upper portion of the Moraine Park. Midway over the snow we rested at a sharp crest of rock, and found that it is composed of light-colored granite. Later we found that much of the area between the Carbon and Winthrop glaciers is composed of this same kind of rock. Granite forms a portion of the border of the valley through which flow the glaciers just named, and furnished them with much granitic débris, which is carried away as moraines and later worked over into well-rounded bowlders by the streams flowing from the ice. The presence of granite pebbles in the courses of Carbon and White rivers far below the glaciers, is thus accounted for."
"A weary tramp of about 4 miles from the camp we had left brought us to the border of Winthrop Glacier. In the highest grove of trees, which are bent down and frequently lie prone on the ground, although still hiving, we selected a well-sheltered camping place. Balsam boughs furnished luxuriant beds, and the trees killed by winter storms enabled us to have a roaming camp fire. Fresh trail of mountain goats and their but recently abandoned bed showed that this is a favorite resort for those hardy animals. Marmots were also abundant, and frequently awakened the echoes with their shrill, whistling cries. The elevation of our camp was about 8,000 feet."
Well, I can trace them across the Carbon Glacier and likely up to Moraine Park. But from there I don't have a clue, except they get to their new camp on the west side of Winthrop Glacier. I'm also guessing the estimate of the elevation of the camp is off by about 1,000 feet since there are no trees above the 7,000 foot level around Mount Rainier. Or as told to me by some of the backcountry rangers.
I've read this description over and over with the map, and it simply doesn't make sense to track. And none of the other documents have any additional information which helps. So, if you have ideas for waypoints on this part of their trip, I'm listening. You can enter a comment or send me e-mail. In the meantime I'll keep reading.
Anyway, I'm trying to translate the trip from the Philo Falls camp to the new camp on the west side of Winthrop Glacier. They wrote the following.
"Taking heavy packs on our backs on the morning of July 21, we descended the steep broken surface of the most recent moraine bordering Carbon Glacier in its middle course, some idea of which is conveyed by Pl. LXXIV, and reached the solid blue ice below. Our course led us directly across the glacier, along the lower border of the rapidly melting covering of winter snow. The glacier is there about a mile across. Its central part is higher than its border, and for the most part the ice is concealed by dirt and stones. Just below the névé, however, we found a space about half a mile long in which melting had not led to the concentration of sufficient débris to make traveling difficult. Farther down the glacier, where surface melting was more advanced, the entire glacier, with the exception of a few lanes of clear ice between the ill-defined medial moraines, was completely concealed beneath a desolate sheet of angular stones. On reaching the east side of the glacier we were confronted with a wall of clay and stones, the inner slope of a moraine similar in all respects to the one we had descended to reach the west border of the glacier. A little search revealed a locality where a tongue of ice in a slight embayment projected some distance up the wall of morainal material, and a steep climb of 50 or 60 feet brought us to the summit. The glacier has recently shrunk—that is, its surface has been lowered from 80 to 100 feet by melting."
"On the east side of the glacier we found several steep, sharp-crested ridges, clothed with forest trees, with narrow, grassy, and flower-strewn dells between, in which banks of snow still lingered. The ridges are composed of bowlders and angular stones of a great variety of sizes and shapes, and are plainly lateral moraines abandoned by the shrinking of the glacier. Choosing a way up one of the narrow lanes, bordered on each side by steep slopes densely covered with trees and shrubs, we found secure footing in the hard granular snow, and soon reached a more open, parklike area, covered with mossy bosses of turf; on which grew a great profusion of brilliant flowers. Before us rose the great cliffs which partially inclose the amphitheater in which Carbon Glacier has its source. These precipices, as already stated, have a height of about 4,000 feet, and are so steep that the snow does not cling to them, but descends in avalanches. Above the cliffs, where the inclination is less precipitous, the snow lies in thick layers, the edges of which are exposed in a vertical precipice rising above the avalanche swept rock-slope below. Far above, and always the central object in the wild scenery surrounding us, rose the brilliant white Liberty Cap, one of the pinnacles on the rim of the great summit crater. Our way then turned eastward, following the side of the mountain, and led us through a region just above the timber line, which commands far reaching views to the wild and rugged mountains to the northeast. This open tract, heading down to groves of spruce trees and diversified by charming lakelets, bears abundant evidence of having formerly been ice-covered, and is known its Moraine Park."
"In order to retain our elevation we crossed diagonally the steep snow slopes in the upper portion of the Moraine Park. Midway over the snow we rested at a sharp crest of rock, and found that it is composed of light-colored granite. Later we found that much of the area between the Carbon and Winthrop glaciers is composed of this same kind of rock. Granite forms a portion of the border of the valley through which flow the glaciers just named, and furnished them with much granitic débris, which is carried away as moraines and later worked over into well-rounded bowlders by the streams flowing from the ice. The presence of granite pebbles in the courses of Carbon and White rivers far below the glaciers, is thus accounted for."
"A weary tramp of about 4 miles from the camp we had left brought us to the border of Winthrop Glacier. In the highest grove of trees, which are bent down and frequently lie prone on the ground, although still hiving, we selected a well-sheltered camping place. Balsam boughs furnished luxuriant beds, and the trees killed by winter storms enabled us to have a roaming camp fire. Fresh trail of mountain goats and their but recently abandoned bed showed that this is a favorite resort for those hardy animals. Marmots were also abundant, and frequently awakened the echoes with their shrill, whistling cries. The elevation of our camp was about 8,000 feet."
Well, I can trace them across the Carbon Glacier and likely up to Moraine Park. But from there I don't have a clue, except they get to their new camp on the west side of Winthrop Glacier. I'm also guessing the estimate of the elevation of the camp is off by about 1,000 feet since there are no trees above the 7,000 foot level around Mount Rainier. Or as told to me by some of the backcountry rangers.
I've read this description over and over with the map, and it simply doesn't make sense to track. And none of the other documents have any additional information which helps. So, if you have ideas for waypoints on this part of their trip, I'm listening. You can enter a comment or send me e-mail. In the meantime I'll keep reading.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Climbing Route
Update.--With the help of some climbers and backcountry rangers I think I located the last unknown camp. And now I have the date and place timeline from July 15 to 31 except the place to and from the NP at the beginning and end of the expedition. I'm not sure I'll be able to document their actual route but can locate some waypoints, rock sample locations and some of the route from the documents.
I'm researching the 1896 expedition around Mt. Rainier, becoming a National Park in 1899, where a team of USGS geologist spent two weeks hiking around the mountain's north side before doing a summit climb and overnight stay before descending to Paradise Park and returning along the east and north side back out to Carbonrado where they started. From the published material and other documents I have put together a time line of their trip and camps, but not their exact routes.
Except one location. I'm not a mountain climber. I'm a lower elevation hiker, meaning treeline and below, due to the reality and experience of altitude sickness in Colorado. I'm fine below 7-8,000 feet and not so above. So I'm not familar with translating climbing descriptions to a map, and this is where I need help.
I have the description from the original published 1898 USGS report (yes, from an original print), which is as follows, and sorry it's long paragraphs.
"Bidding our friends in Paradise Park good-by, we resumed our journey early on the morning of July 26 (1896). Ascending toward Gibraltar until an elevation of about 10,000 feet was reached, we turned eastward for the purpose of traversing the eastern slope of the mountain and regain our camp at Winthrop Glacier. After crossing the upper portion of Pradise Glacier, we traversed broad and but little broken snow fields to the brink of the valley down which the Cowlitz Glacier flows. Beyond the Cowlitz Glacier, at about the same level we had reached, we could see the bold, cathedral-like crags of Little Tahoma, the upward-pointing angel of a scondary mountain mass which divides the Cowlitz and Emmons glaciers. Not wishing to descend into the deep valley before us and climb out again on the farthest side, we chose to cross the neve fields to our left and endeavor to pass over the a rugged and much broken region where the main current of the Cowlitz Glacier descends a rocky slope about a thousand feet high. In following the route chosen we became involved in a succession of crevasses and ice precipices, which caused much delay. Slowly working our way upward, we reached the base of the highest ice wall, but a vertical cliff of ice about 50 feet high barred any further progress in that direction. Reluctantly we turned back and, losing all the advantage we had gained by three or four hours of excessively hard climbing, went down the central portion of the Cowlitz Glacier until we reached the level of the highest grove of trees on its left bank, and crossing to the land chose a delightful and well-sheltered spot beneath low pine trees at which to rest for the night."
And they go on to write.
"Our camp was perhaps half a mile below where the ice stream flowing southward from Little Tahoma, and name Ingraham Glacier on the map, forming Pl. LXVI, joins the main Cowlitz Glacier. Our bivouac was in a delightful locality, and would have furnished a pleasant camping place if we had been provided with the necessary blankets and rations with which to make life comfortable..."
And so my problem is determining where the camp was located. I suspect on Cathedral Rocks somewhere around 10,000 feet elevation. But I would like a better location for the map of the expedition, and as such I'm open to learning and understanding from experienced climbers who have climbed the Paradise to Camp Muir route.
I'm researching the 1896 expedition around Mt. Rainier, becoming a National Park in 1899, where a team of USGS geologist spent two weeks hiking around the mountain's north side before doing a summit climb and overnight stay before descending to Paradise Park and returning along the east and north side back out to Carbonrado where they started. From the published material and other documents I have put together a time line of their trip and camps, but not their exact routes.
Except one location. I'm not a mountain climber. I'm a lower elevation hiker, meaning treeline and below, due to the reality and experience of altitude sickness in Colorado. I'm fine below 7-8,000 feet and not so above. So I'm not familar with translating climbing descriptions to a map, and this is where I need help.
I have the description from the original published 1898 USGS report (yes, from an original print), which is as follows, and sorry it's long paragraphs.
"Bidding our friends in Paradise Park good-by, we resumed our journey early on the morning of July 26 (1896). Ascending toward Gibraltar until an elevation of about 10,000 feet was reached, we turned eastward for the purpose of traversing the eastern slope of the mountain and regain our camp at Winthrop Glacier. After crossing the upper portion of Pradise Glacier, we traversed broad and but little broken snow fields to the brink of the valley down which the Cowlitz Glacier flows. Beyond the Cowlitz Glacier, at about the same level we had reached, we could see the bold, cathedral-like crags of Little Tahoma, the upward-pointing angel of a scondary mountain mass which divides the Cowlitz and Emmons glaciers. Not wishing to descend into the deep valley before us and climb out again on the farthest side, we chose to cross the neve fields to our left and endeavor to pass over the a rugged and much broken region where the main current of the Cowlitz Glacier descends a rocky slope about a thousand feet high. In following the route chosen we became involved in a succession of crevasses and ice precipices, which caused much delay. Slowly working our way upward, we reached the base of the highest ice wall, but a vertical cliff of ice about 50 feet high barred any further progress in that direction. Reluctantly we turned back and, losing all the advantage we had gained by three or four hours of excessively hard climbing, went down the central portion of the Cowlitz Glacier until we reached the level of the highest grove of trees on its left bank, and crossing to the land chose a delightful and well-sheltered spot beneath low pine trees at which to rest for the night."
And they go on to write.
"Our camp was perhaps half a mile below where the ice stream flowing southward from Little Tahoma, and name Ingraham Glacier on the map, forming Pl. LXVI, joins the main Cowlitz Glacier. Our bivouac was in a delightful locality, and would have furnished a pleasant camping place if we had been provided with the necessary blankets and rations with which to make life comfortable..."
And so my problem is determining where the camp was located. I suspect on Cathedral Rocks somewhere around 10,000 feet elevation. But I would like a better location for the map of the expedition, and as such I'm open to learning and understanding from experienced climbers who have climbed the Paradise to Camp Muir route.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Sun tools
Sometime last year I added a Sun and Moon tool to provide information on the sunrise/set and moorise and set and information and links to the sun/moon rise and set azimuth, meaning the compass direction where it will rise or set, barring variations in the local terrain, always an issue in Mt. Rainier NP.
What I don't provide is additional information for the sun during the day, often critical when you want to be in the right spot for lightig, to locate it in the scene, as a backdrop, to know where shade or shadows will be, or simply to know. There are lots of reason. For that I'm a lot more flexible and give the scene more latitude. If it's not perfect, that's ok with me, I'll take what it gives.
But for some it's critical. And to that end there is an interesting Webpage provided by the University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Labatory with a set of tools for different calculation about the sun and solar radiation. Despite some short comings, it's useful for a number of reasons.
It's advantage is that it can calculate the sun's position for a single day and provide additional information by hour. You have to tinkeri with the variables, but it can determine some important information. I was able to determine that the spring equinox for me will be 3-4 am March 20th. Like I'm going to see that.
It's short comings though need to be remembered. First, it doesn't correct for daylight savings time in the calculation. You have ot remember that or use a different time offset. Second, it's graphical, which isn't bad for someone like me, but if you want tabular data, it doesn't provide that. This leaves some latitude reading the graphs for accurate time.
Otherwise, it's kinda' neat, and certainly useful. I urge you to test drive it for your photography.
What I don't provide is additional information for the sun during the day, often critical when you want to be in the right spot for lightig, to locate it in the scene, as a backdrop, to know where shade or shadows will be, or simply to know. There are lots of reason. For that I'm a lot more flexible and give the scene more latitude. If it's not perfect, that's ok with me, I'll take what it gives.
But for some it's critical. And to that end there is an interesting Webpage provided by the University of Oregon Solar Radiation Monitoring Labatory with a set of tools for different calculation about the sun and solar radiation. Despite some short comings, it's useful for a number of reasons.
It's advantage is that it can calculate the sun's position for a single day and provide additional information by hour. You have to tinkeri with the variables, but it can determine some important information. I was able to determine that the spring equinox for me will be 3-4 am March 20th. Like I'm going to see that.
It's short comings though need to be remembered. First, it doesn't correct for daylight savings time in the calculation. You have ot remember that or use a different time offset. Second, it's graphical, which isn't bad for someone like me, but if you want tabular data, it doesn't provide that. This leaves some latitude reading the graphs for accurate time.
Otherwise, it's kinda' neat, and certainly useful. I urge you to test drive it for your photography.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Doing Research
I'd like to wander a bit off the actual work of Mt. Rainier NP, and into the work behind my projects researching the early history of Mt. Rainier, the pre-NP years of 1890-1900 and the early post-NP years of 1900-1920 for some subjects of particular interest, meaning what I've been doing since I found the first mention of report of the 1896 expedition just about a year ago.
As I have mentioned here and elsewhere, and you can see links and Web pages on the Mt. Rainier NP photo guide, the history research has created a number of projects, the 1896 expedition, the pre-NP years (1890-1900), the early photographers and the first USGS topographic map (1910-1915) along with other minor topics of interests.
Well, this research first splintered into different avenues of research before finally starting to meld into a whole picture. It's hard not to see where one overlaps into the other when it involves people. And that's been the key opening the work into other areas and threads which ties them together. It as a vibrant and exciting time then. We can only wonder the what if we had been there to experience it.
And that's where the research has gone in another direction. Beside presenting the official and published records of the achievements, I've found documents which opens the door to the people, their lives during this time. And this is what's added the real flavor to the research.
First I found some of Bailey Willis' old letters written during and after the expedition I found an unpublished manuscript he had written in 1882, describing the beauty he saw while working for the Railroad in the area of Mt. Rainier. In the letters I discovered he took his 10-year old daughter on the expedition and she was supposed to do the summit climb too but Israel Russell recommended against it, only to say later she could have easily done it.
I recently discovered an article in Scribner's magazine in 1897 by Russell. It's only one of two post-expedition articles he wrote in this shortened life. But different from the later article, this one was personal. And besides adding more notes about the sequence of camps and events, which considerably helps, he wrote of his thoughts.
And that's part of the joy I've found doing this research, finding these gems, giving a face and voice to the people. We lose that in history when we just look at the documents. The documents have been cool too, finding original print and digital version of 1890s' publications and maps, but now it's venturing into the human side of things.
And that's the really neat part, and why I started with the expedition. I wanted to understand, as a geographer, hiker and photographer, where this team went, explored and camped. Right now I have the preliminary sequence of dates and places, and now adding the letters and this article has added the voices.
Which is my goal. When you're there, you should think about the people who worked to make it a national park, the people who have worked and are working there, and the many people who stood where you are when you're there. You're having a unique experience in time and place and a sharded one with history and geology, and why it's cool to hear their voice.
As I have mentioned here and elsewhere, and you can see links and Web pages on the Mt. Rainier NP photo guide, the history research has created a number of projects, the 1896 expedition, the pre-NP years (1890-1900), the early photographers and the first USGS topographic map (1910-1915) along with other minor topics of interests.
Well, this research first splintered into different avenues of research before finally starting to meld into a whole picture. It's hard not to see where one overlaps into the other when it involves people. And that's been the key opening the work into other areas and threads which ties them together. It as a vibrant and exciting time then. We can only wonder the what if we had been there to experience it.
And that's where the research has gone in another direction. Beside presenting the official and published records of the achievements, I've found documents which opens the door to the people, their lives during this time. And this is what's added the real flavor to the research.
First I found some of Bailey Willis' old letters written during and after the expedition I found an unpublished manuscript he had written in 1882, describing the beauty he saw while working for the Railroad in the area of Mt. Rainier. In the letters I discovered he took his 10-year old daughter on the expedition and she was supposed to do the summit climb too but Israel Russell recommended against it, only to say later she could have easily done it.
I recently discovered an article in Scribner's magazine in 1897 by Russell. It's only one of two post-expedition articles he wrote in this shortened life. But different from the later article, this one was personal. And besides adding more notes about the sequence of camps and events, which considerably helps, he wrote of his thoughts.
And that's part of the joy I've found doing this research, finding these gems, giving a face and voice to the people. We lose that in history when we just look at the documents. The documents have been cool too, finding original print and digital version of 1890s' publications and maps, but now it's venturing into the human side of things.
And that's the really neat part, and why I started with the expedition. I wanted to understand, as a geographer, hiker and photographer, where this team went, explored and camped. Right now I have the preliminary sequence of dates and places, and now adding the letters and this article has added the voices.
Which is my goal. When you're there, you should think about the people who worked to make it a national park, the people who have worked and are working there, and the many people who stood where you are when you're there. You're having a unique experience in time and place and a sharded one with history and geology, and why it's cool to hear their voice.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Politics hasn't changed
I was working on the early history of Mt. Rainier NP, especially the period 1890-1900, my favorite, leading up to the passage of the law designating Mt. Rainier as a National Park. Contrary to what people may think, it was a messy business getting Mt. Rainier designated a National Park. There were a lot of personalities and some celebrities involved, but there was one small thing that clearly showed politics doesn't change.
Up to 1891 the new national forest were designated and managed under a set of timber laws which weren't working. So Congress passed a new law, the Forest Reserve Act of 1891 (PDF), which consolidated all of them under one management and operations. The Act is eight pages, mostly taking into account all the small issue which needed to be resolved.
But the last paragraph is what changed America. It reads:
"Sec. 24 That the President of the United States may, from time to time, set apart and reserve, any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations, and the President shall, by public proclamation, declare the establishment of such reservations and limit thereof."
Under President Harrison, only 13 million acres were designated as forest reserve under the act, specifically the Oregon Cascades, the Sierra Mountains in California, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Yellowstone in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. President Cleveland, on other hand, designated 21 million acres throughout the West, either expanding existing reserves established by Harrison or adding new areas, such as all the new forests, some parts later becoming the three National Parks, in Washington.
Some Presidents understands that some of their legacy lies in land, A simple jesture of saving forests then has propered this country more than they could have imagined and more than we could realize in all these years, one hundred and ten years later. I doubt the members of Congress realized what they had done, only a President who saw the political door unlocked.
He opened and filled the house of America's forests with its first substantial reserves. Thank you.
Up to 1891 the new national forest were designated and managed under a set of timber laws which weren't working. So Congress passed a new law, the Forest Reserve Act of 1891 (PDF), which consolidated all of them under one management and operations. The Act is eight pages, mostly taking into account all the small issue which needed to be resolved.
But the last paragraph is what changed America. It reads:
"Sec. 24 That the President of the United States may, from time to time, set apart and reserve, any State or Territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations, and the President shall, by public proclamation, declare the establishment of such reservations and limit thereof."
Under President Harrison, only 13 million acres were designated as forest reserve under the act, specifically the Oregon Cascades, the Sierra Mountains in California, the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Yellowstone in Wyoming and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. President Cleveland, on other hand, designated 21 million acres throughout the West, either expanding existing reserves established by Harrison or adding new areas, such as all the new forests, some parts later becoming the three National Parks, in Washington.
Some Presidents understands that some of their legacy lies in land, A simple jesture of saving forests then has propered this country more than they could have imagined and more than we could realize in all these years, one hundred and ten years later. I doubt the members of Congress realized what they had done, only a President who saw the political door unlocked.
He opened and filled the house of America's forests with its first substantial reserves. Thank you.
Upcoming documentary
I was reading an interview with Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan about their new documentary on National Parks, see article. In the article Mr. Duncan says,
"Just north of Mount St. Helens is Mount Rainier, and that place was where Gifford Pinchot (the forest service's first director) and (Sierra Club founder) John Muir had a real shootout over the issue of are forests temples or sanctuaries, as Muir would have seen it, or are they places that can be best preserved by using them, which is how Pinchot saw it. Muir lost that larger battle with Pinchot, but the one place he did win was at Mount Rainier. It became the first national forest to become a national park."
Well, I wrote the write journalist,
"While Mr. Muir was an important voice during the period (1890-1900) in the establishment of National Parks, more specifically in California (for success or failure), he wasn't as important in the establishment of Mt. Rainier as many other people. He was a forceful public voice but he wasn't as much involved in the real background work as the others. And while many of those people lived in the Pacific Northwest and visited Mt. Rainier and the area many times, I've only found Mr. Muir was there once for a summitt climb.
I would hate to see the work of others dimished for the embelishment of Mr. Muir with respect to Mt. Rainier NP. While it's true Mt. Rainier NP was set aside from part of the existing Washington, later Mt. Rainer, Forest Reserve, both efforts for the establishment of the Forest Reserve and National Park paralleled each other in the 1890's, the FR established in 1893 and renamed in 1897, while the NP was proposed in 1893 but not created until 1899."
I will watch the documentary when it airs, and I will be curious how and how much they portray people who were instrumental in the designation of each National Park, and specifically Mt. Rainier NP for me. I believe in what I wrote because researching the history of the period up to the passage of the law desginating this NP, John Muir wasn't all that important.
I've read a lot of Muir's writings from his youth to his California travels. I like what's he did and accomplished. We could all do as much in our life, but I don't see a need to embellish a life more than it was at the expense of the many who were important. But I'll hold my judgement until the documentary is aired.
"Just north of Mount St. Helens is Mount Rainier, and that place was where Gifford Pinchot (the forest service's first director) and (Sierra Club founder) John Muir had a real shootout over the issue of are forests temples or sanctuaries, as Muir would have seen it, or are they places that can be best preserved by using them, which is how Pinchot saw it. Muir lost that larger battle with Pinchot, but the one place he did win was at Mount Rainier. It became the first national forest to become a national park."
Well, I wrote the write journalist,
"While Mr. Muir was an important voice during the period (1890-1900) in the establishment of National Parks, more specifically in California (for success or failure), he wasn't as important in the establishment of Mt. Rainier as many other people. He was a forceful public voice but he wasn't as much involved in the real background work as the others. And while many of those people lived in the Pacific Northwest and visited Mt. Rainier and the area many times, I've only found Mr. Muir was there once for a summitt climb.
I would hate to see the work of others dimished for the embelishment of Mr. Muir with respect to Mt. Rainier NP. While it's true Mt. Rainier NP was set aside from part of the existing Washington, later Mt. Rainer, Forest Reserve, both efforts for the establishment of the Forest Reserve and National Park paralleled each other in the 1890's, the FR established in 1893 and renamed in 1897, while the NP was proposed in 1893 but not created until 1899."
I will watch the documentary when it airs, and I will be curious how and how much they portray people who were instrumental in the designation of each National Park, and specifically Mt. Rainier NP for me. I believe in what I wrote because researching the history of the period up to the passage of the law desginating this NP, John Muir wasn't all that important.
I've read a lot of Muir's writings from his youth to his California travels. I like what's he did and accomplished. We could all do as much in our life, but I don't see a need to embellish a life more than it was at the expense of the many who were important. But I'll hold my judgement until the documentary is aired.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
March News
I have updated the three news and information (here), access and conditions (here), and photography opportunities (here) Web pages for March. They will also be updated during the month as the situation and events change about or in Mt. Rainier NP.
March is the quirky month in Mt. Rainier NP. Norms are one thing, but variation is another. March is like a few other months, eg. June and October, where anything is possible. March is the start of the transistion when the snowpack peaks a lower elevations while still increasing into April at the upper elevations, and temperatures begin to change from winter to spring at the lower elevations. March is also one of the most unpredictable and variable months, with winter to spring conditions in the NP occurring anytime during in the month, even at the lower elevations.
This doesn't change much about the presence of snow, just the amount and snowmelt. It doesn't change the presence of cold temperatures, just periods of above or below average. And it doesn't change the fact it could rain or be near rain-free all month. In short, it's unpredictable, so prepare to be flexible.
Ok, on the good side, late March is when the trails begin to clear of snow at the lower elevations. Some trails, unlike like the Carbon River Road (now trail) from the NP entrance to Ipsut Campground which is usually snow-free, can be accessed for some of their beginning before encountering snow at higher elevations. This may be the case with the Nisqually and Ohanapecosh entrances and lower elevations trails.
The key here is simply checking with the sources for the latest information on the trails. The roads are easy, except for the Nisqually road to Paradise, they're all still closed. And for this year, it's going to be mid-to-late March or even April before the some of the entrances open, eg. Ohanapecosh and Mowich Lake.
Anyway, you can check the Web pages and your other sources to keep updated. Good luck.
March is the quirky month in Mt. Rainier NP. Norms are one thing, but variation is another. March is like a few other months, eg. June and October, where anything is possible. March is the start of the transistion when the snowpack peaks a lower elevations while still increasing into April at the upper elevations, and temperatures begin to change from winter to spring at the lower elevations. March is also one of the most unpredictable and variable months, with winter to spring conditions in the NP occurring anytime during in the month, even at the lower elevations.
This doesn't change much about the presence of snow, just the amount and snowmelt. It doesn't change the presence of cold temperatures, just periods of above or below average. And it doesn't change the fact it could rain or be near rain-free all month. In short, it's unpredictable, so prepare to be flexible.
Ok, on the good side, late March is when the trails begin to clear of snow at the lower elevations. Some trails, unlike like the Carbon River Road (now trail) from the NP entrance to Ipsut Campground which is usually snow-free, can be accessed for some of their beginning before encountering snow at higher elevations. This may be the case with the Nisqually and Ohanapecosh entrances and lower elevations trails.
The key here is simply checking with the sources for the latest information on the trails. The roads are easy, except for the Nisqually road to Paradise, they're all still closed. And for this year, it's going to be mid-to-late March or even April before the some of the entrances open, eg. Ohanapecosh and Mowich Lake.
Anyway, you can check the Web pages and your other sources to keep updated. Good luck.
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