High places

Here’s an interesting read: In 1878 a man climbed Mt. Shasta and stayed at the summit for nine days. An early experiment in high altitude acclimatization. (Of course there were Tibetans living at higher altitudes than that, no doubt, but you know.) A quick but colorful excerpt:

On the 24th of July we left Sisson’s Hotel to make the ascent. The day was a delightful one, and we were all in fine spirits. The outfit which I proposed taking up weighed 750 pounds, and had to be packed from the snow line to the summit on the backs of 20 stout Indians. Besides the packers there was the usual number of squaws, papooses, and lean dogs — the indispensable impedimenta of Indian braves. If there is anything outside of these household chattels that a brave in this neighborhood prides himself on it is his linen duster and jaunty straw hat. The former, to be stylish, must reach to within 6 inches of the ground, and for the latter a broad blue or red band is most desirable. Nearly every one in the party was mounted, and it was a somewhat noisy company, in which the voices of the braves and squaws were mingled with the crying of papooses and the barking of dogs, so that no one sound was clearly distinguishable. Our route was over a beautiful smooth mountain trail, which at first wound about in splendid forests of sugar pine. . . .

I’ve done some hiking and climbing in my days, but unfortunately I’ve never enjoyed the services of “20 stout Indians.” Just imagine how much Kirin you could carry up to the high Yatsugatake camping spots with that sort of crew!

07/27/2005 | life | Comments

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