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Show Tiinpaiiogos Pierces Heavens With Twelve Thousand Feet of Stature VIEWS TAKICN ON TMP TO TOP OF MONSTIOK PIUO. f .,; . i -mrT'7'' -'. r 1 y x '.-7 . - . i T 1 V i .'.'i,,!!, - - - ' J U( , , , qkoss! orzr hH '-t,;. V ,;v jyf i " v? ' 1 v - .".,1 'st'lr"i t , l ' ' 5 rv.'-vi-V --y ) ' t - I . - Great Mountain Is Impressive Impres-sive in Its Massive Dignity of Scenery. .jpp HE highest mountain of the I Wasatch range" is a poverty ' I of description for Mount Timpanogos. for those content to crick their neck toy?i in up-.vard gazing at the bleak -,C2t of the mighty npthrust of earth ttft, the eipression might suffice. B't there are those who have looked of the austere and rugged coun-fasce coun-fasce of the mountain to know the ?!eMid character of it. Ha;f a dozen years ago but a score t cersons, perhaps, knew the sublime lahty of Timpanogos. Thev were icer.nerders, forest rangers and a few it-oi-door enthusiasts whose ' occupa-.023 occupa-.023 or hikes in the open had carried thin the zone of its charm, the Indians whose ancestors named ie mountain and who were wont in pio-days pio-days to tell strange legends about ' lie:e are none now ever to be seen J itors to the vicinity. It is prob-i.v prob-i.v nearly two score veara since a - asmed foot trod its" sides. : Jda.v however, there are hundreds of ,??E3 wh have added to their ac-itnA?.e ac-itnA?.e TCith nature's grandeurs an trodur;tlon to the scenic enchantment E loftiest sentinel of the Wasatch. m. TiUntain front blasted bv the ' y" or the sun that play vertically upon wJ -Y exPosure, is not unlike a ip i aVestos "rtain, back of which ; orush of nature has been plied with mne genius to work an eloquence -'fi2iiration, color, liht and shade tVe ror the play of the seasons. fow Is Good Time. iJfltSt;atvthe Pre?-ent time Timpanogos ar,; b5fc for those 0 would ex-tiul. ex-tiul. ay and a half of sweltering Dol "Vn Clty or town for a dav of lrilHnf ' exhi'irating exercise 'and rest Pailorama in a clilmb to its f Prow, Jr camPinfr, in the north fork vent t C.?nvon- i'ni the grove the fei'lv hi theJtoP fjf the mountain can Hmeh -r m,ade in tim for luncheon. l0n to J! mr3 ,have slj0wn a disposi-1 disposi-1 th rw lnh,e ;'ock forward and lunch f Emerald lake g acier' on the shore a1 how? Mlaku t0 the t0P is les9 han lacier aid 7 ' Up the ace o the 'av of tT aJonfr' the narrow "cauae- tPt lhli0Ufb" t0 thR pint of io. m tU' Thll awesome port of i iuS ?,0"ff e knif, edge of, ac comm ' ,h tllfi 0,K: P-'a'-o that txs ! fiat m?Jr?Ure f the timorous. Peril I voHmS v tkme f Ki'iiness mav be: hoosfs tn f nervous omor if he rQ Pak ? the trjP t the east- thilU' 1S b,,t a fcw feet lower ntaia climbs go, that up Tim- 1 panoses is fraught with a minimum of danger, if a reasonable degree of cau-tiouis cau-tiouis exercised. Where parties of considerable con-siderable number es?ay the climb, care must be exercised that the laggards are not endangered by rolling rocks started by the more fleet ones, i-'or this reason. the custom of holding the crowd together to-gether had been pretty well established I by Coach E. L. Koberts of l'rovo, who has piloted haif a score or more of excursions up the mountain without a ! serious accident. The excursion to the top of the mountain moun-tain conducted this year by the Provo Commercial club was much more successful suc-cessful than that of last year. An effort ef-fort was made last year to make the I trip from Provo in one day. This year the clilmbers left Provo at 3:30 o'clock one afternoon, traveling up Provo canyon can-yon by automobile to North fork. The distance of about five miles up the fork to Aspen grove was made on foot, the camp provisions and bedding being hauled up in wagons. All of the hikers, 135 men and women, reached the grove well before dusk and the evening meal had been prepared and eaten before dark. A huge bonfire in a clearing of the grove of quaking aspen was the gathering place of the excursionists after the camp had been put in order and nothing was left to do but wait the night through until the first sign of day for the beginning : of the climb. The two hours about the j bonfire were enriched by the singing of several talented musicians. i Air Cooled by Snow. j But such enjoyments are the rule j with the Provo' devotees of the Tim-! Tim-! panogos climb. More interesting to the person who contemplates climbing the mountain is information as to why it is j worth while an-1 how it may be accomplished. accom-plished. 1'or all of the distance of the climb, except at the very top, there is an abundance abun-dance of pure water, accessible at all times. The sun does not strike with withering force on the north slope of the mountain and the air is cooled by manv snowdrifts, borne of which must be crossed on the way to the largest of them all, the glacier in the mountain From the glacier a considerable stream of water flows continually, being augmented on its way down the gulch bv' water from the drifts and from springs. This stream spills in pic-turesquo pic-turesquo falls over tho terraced ledges of the mountain side. The Columbine falls so named because of the profusion profu-sion of flowers of this name that arc to be found in the vicinity is at present pres-ent half curtained by a gigantic drift of snow filled in at the base of the fall and under which the stream disappears for considerable distance. The gulch that forms the upper end of North fork and leads to the top of Timpanogos is rich in verdure, and the way ii p the mountain is a pathway through fields of flowers. Tho character charac-ter of the flora changes with tho progress prog-ress upward, many rare and exquisite .specimens coining within hand's reach of the climber. Kvpu on the very top of the mountain grows a sort, of lichen that puts forth a golden blonm. The winning of the way to the floor of what is known as the amphitheater is the most tiring part of the climb. This marks the foot of the glacier. It is an almost level expanse of several acre-s within 700 or lOijQ feet of tho top of the mountain. If the climber goes no further the climb to this point is worth while. The flat is half surrounded by a stupendous wall of rock that rise's sheer upward many hundred feet. At the base of the glacier is a pmall lake that hag been named Emerald lake, (''lie bank of tho lake is the base of the glacier, and the crystal' clear water is icy. The ground around the lake is a sward of green, an inviting plae for the fatigued climber to lie down and breathe while his eyes survey the heights yet to be won. The remarkable coolness of the atmosphere at-mosphere at this height, especially in tho climb up the face of the glacier, is so exhilarating that the remainder of the distance is accomplished with zest. The journey across the narrow edge that connects the two high peaks of the mountain is not difficult for the sure of foot and steady of balance. In some places the width of the way is scarcely more than two feet, from which it widens in places to several yards. Danger Not Great. In most places, even here, it is possible pos-sible to avoid the immediate edge of the precipice and most of the climbers walk across upright and unperturbed. On each side the cliffs fall away vertically ver-tically a distance of from a hundred to a thousand feet. A false step or a stubbed toe and the awkward one would plunge, hurtling to terrible destruction. de-struction. Yet to the person who has made the stroll across the ' ' Causeway of the clouds ' ' the danger appears to be no greater than that of being struck by an automobile or streetcar i n crossing Main street. The advantage of the climb is that this last perilous part may be avoided without sacrifice of the triji's delights from any standpoint except that of being be-ing able to say that one stood upon the topmost point of tho mighty mountain. moun-tain. Those who for the first time made the climb with the Provo Commercial club excursion were unanimous in expressions ex-pressions of surprise at the accessibility accessibil-ity of the mountain, in spite of the steepness of the ascent. Up South Slope. For the strenuous and the less deliberate, de-liberate, the south slope of the mountain moun-tain affords a way to the top. A trail loads up from just above Pleasant Grove. 1 1 is steeper and tho heat of tho sun is intensified, rather than minimized, mini-mized, as on the north slope. One going to Pleasant Grove of a late afternoon can make the distance part way up the foot of the mountain the first evening. even-ing. Prom some ' camping place, not beyond water, he can complete the journey upward early next morning. It is possible thus to reach the top and to descend the north slope in time to catch a train down Provo canyon at 7 o'clock in the evening. State Senator Karl Badger and Y. L. Klein of the Western Arms & Sporting Goods company com-pany recently made the ascent from the Pleasant Grove side of tho mountain., But the top must be won and the descent made on the north side before the seeker after the beauty of the mountain can realize his quest, and the north side is the easier and altogether a delightful way. It is not unusual for campers in Wild wood, which is a camp of summer cottages at tho mouth of North fork in Provo canyon, to make the cliaib up the north side and descend to Pleasant Grove in a day without hardship. A Sensible Custom. One of the sensible customs that has been established by the women hikers of Provo is the wearing of overalls throughout the trip. Extra-sized overalls over-alls of khaki cloth are purchased, care being t aleu to have them extra long in the leg. The surplus length of leg is turned up at the bottom ami converted con-verted into a very effective legging by the expedient of folding it neatly around the wearer's calf. The invention inven-tion must be credited to Coach E. h. Koberts and the members of the Aspen club. The first serious attempt to attack the climb of, the mountain in numbers was inaugurated by Coach Roberts six years ago, when he conducted to the top a party of students in attendance at the summer school at the Brigham Young university. The trip was such a success that it has become a regular feature of the summer school programme. pro-gramme. More than 200 students made the climb this summer just a fortnight before the Commercial club excursion was conducted, ft is from these climbers climb-ers that recruits of the Aspen club are drawn, the members of the club being addicted to repeated trips up the mountain moun-tain upon the slightest provocation. , Women Make Climb. The Aspens, young men and young women alike, scorn the idea that the climb is difiicult or dangerous. They ascend the mountain with the agility of goats and ns tirelessly. Miss Lois Smith of Provo, a very youthful appearing ap-pearing person, but a college graduate, is one of the mnst expert climbers of the Aspen club. While on the topmost point with the Commercial club excursion excur-sion a week ago Miss Smith was told the mountain lacked thirteen feet of being full 12,000 feet in height. The young woman refused to be cheated of the full measure of 12,000 feet. She climbed the flagpole, which stands on tho highest point. Her temerity temer-ity can be realized only by those who have been on top, but. it is somewhat expressive of .the fearlessness of the feat to explain that the ridge of the mountain at the point where the flag-polo flag-polo stands is about ten feet in width and th e descent on each side is the most precipitous part of the mountain. The most satisfactory feature of the ascent up the north side of Timpanogos is that every step upward affords its own reward' to the lover of the scenic in nature, Tho recurrent falls of the glacial stream, the broadening view down the great glacial gulch into Provo vallev and beyond to the headwaters of the Provo river is a panorama of pleasing pleas-ing quality. Of course, to him who wins the top all the splendid worth of the mountain is revealed. With the atmosphere clear, which is the rule, a vast extent of country coun-try is brought within the reach of the unassisted vision of the eye. Utah lake in its entirety can be plainly seen. Part of Salt Lake is visible, including the islands. Standing upon the top of Timpanogos Tim-panogos one can see over and beyond ail other mountains within vision. The prospect is a liberation from the or-dina or-dina ry obstructions to the inquiring human gaze. Occasionally visitors to the top of the mountain have the unique experience of being above the clouds. This occurred upon the last excursion. Forming above Utah lake, a cottony cloud wafted at midday toward the mountain, striking it about two-thirds of the way up. The valley below was blotted out by a screen of t ranslucent, opalescent white vapor. With the grace imparted by gently moving air currents, it ascended tho mountain, enveloped the top and the hikers who stood there, then drifted eastward to give place again to the sunshine. sun-shine. Those who were first to learn and tell about the scenic wealth of Timpanogos were a few residents of Provo, who made the climb out of desire mostly to surmount the extreme altitude of the mountaiu. They include Br. Fred W. Taylor of Provo. Professor John O. Swenson of the B. Y. university, Coi!h Roberts of the same institution. Professor Profes-sor A. C. Lund, now leader of the Salt Lake tabernacle choir, and others. Concerning Con-cerning the experience of Professor Lund on the face of the glacier, his friends who made the trip at the same time about seven years ago tell a unique story. Slides Toward Lake. Professor Lund is a generously proportioned pro-portioned man, though athletic. As he was traversing the glacier he lost his footing and, failing at length on the icy surface, started sliding toward Emerald lake at the foot. A plunge in the freezing freez-ing bath was imminent. The thing that was noticed and commented upon by his companions was that the instinct of the musician was stronger in the man than was his fear. He stubbornly refrained from grasping at tho surface of the ice with his hands from dread of injuring them to a degree that would handicap him as a pianist. Rolling over on his face, he succeeded finally in stopping himself by the use of his elbows and toes. It is told of an easterner who made a j trip up the mountain two years ago with an excursion party that he was so much impressed with the information that the glacier was a body of eternal snow that he insisted upon taking a sample of it. Obtaining a small tobacco can, he filled it with bnow dug from the face of the glacier and carried it carefully down the mountain, expressing keen disappointment disap-pointment when he found that it had melted and acting just a little aggrieved toward those who had told him that the snow never melted. But for the crowd-swaying enthusiasm of Coach Roberts, perhaps, Timpanogos would have remained yet more years im-rcvealcd im-rcvealcd to the lovers of such ' majestic wilds. Each year recruits to the argument argu-ment advanced by Mr. Roberts that tho mountain was worth cultivating have been won by the succeeding excursions. Now several excursions are made each year. Mr. Roberts has climbed the mountain twenty -one times and never refuses to be a member of a party if he can get free from his duties for the trip. He regards his case on behalf of the mountain proven now, having let it rest upon the one stupendous bit of evidence, evi-dence, the mountain itself, marked "Nature's Exhibits A to Z." Duo to the popularizing of the mountain moun-tain climb and through the efforts of Coach Roberts the Provo Commercial club and public-spirited citizens and officials of Provo, the gulch up the north side of the mountain, which affords af-fords the way up the top, has been designated as a federal park reserve. No sheep or stock are allowed upon it. This insures preservation of the vegetation vege-tation and the purity of the water. Aspen grove, the favorite camping place, is within this reserve. Well Worth While. The prospect is that Timpanogos will before long be brought nearer within reach of the lovers of what the great mountain affords. An estimate, made by engineers for the Provo Commercial club, is that an automobile road to Aspen grove could be built for $2000. The .road would start from the main canyon up Deer creek, which is further up the canyon than North fork, then loop back along the canyon side to North fork, and so to the grove, which is at the very base of the steep ascent of the mountain. Because of what has been said by those who have made the climb of the mountain, wide interest is provoked among tnose who have a liking for mountain climbing. Many questions are asked. For this reason it is well perhaps to emphasize these facts: The trip to the top of the mountain by way of Provo canyon, North fork and Aspen grove can be made from Salt Lake and return in a day and a half, the travelers travel-ers camping one night at tho grove. For the most part the climb is not difficult nor dangerous. It is steep, and the one thing that must be avoided is any attempt to make the trip a hurried one. Five hours is little enough time to make the climb from the grove to the mountain crest. A light lunch should be carried by each climber, for he will have an appe-!tite appe-!tite for it when he reaches the top. At least one small scout ax should be carried in the party for cutting footholds foot-holds in the snowbanks and in the face of the glacier, in case the surfaces are frozen. As an endurance test the trip would be a folly. As a search for sublimity it is a realization. |