The Mountaineers - 1928 Summer Outing, North Cascades

Home

This film is silent, black and white, with a running time around 32 minutes. The film depicts the 1928 Mountaineers Annual Outing to Glacier Peak, Mt Shuksan, Mt Baker and the Cascade Range.

The complete film has captions preceding each section:

"Starting at Leavenworth, returning by truck and trail to Buck Creek Pass"

Party members are shown near railroad tracks in Leavenworth. They load into the back of a freight truck. The scene shifts to a camp near timberline. Party members line up at the kitchen, saw wood, and then depart on a hike. They descend into a valley and cross a stream.

"Temporary base at Camp Nelson, Glacier Peak"

Party members relax at a timberline camp. Later they apply clown white and begin climbing snowfields using alpenstocks. Clouds swirl as they climb a glacier. An structure made of sticks probably marks the foggy summit of Glacier Peak. The descent is made by glissading. Lower on the mountain they look up to see the summit partially obscured by a cloud.

"Glacier Peak from Flower Dome"

Horses graze in a meadow ringed by trees and the camera pans over Glacier Peak and the surrounding mountains. The group rests by an alpine stream and a man shaves.

"Lyman Glacier and Lyman Lake from Cloudy Pass"

The large Lyman Glacier is seen in the distance. A man fishes in a stream and the party is shown at meal-time.

"Stehekin River"

Long scenes of the river and a bridge across it. A pack train is shown. Edmond Meany rubs his beard with a kerchief and the group rests near a stream. The party reaches an alpine camp, probably in Pelton Basin. There are scenes of North Cascade peaks from Sahale Mountain.

"Boston Peak from Cascade Pass"

Sahale Mountain (not Boston Peak) is shown. Doubtful Lake and North Cascade peaks are seen from Sahale Arm. The group reaches a cabin below timberline then travels along the Cascade River.

"Pack Train crossing the Skagit River"

A remarkable scene of horses walking/wading across the very wide (but apparently not too deep) Skagit River. The Mountaineers cross in a narrow boat guided by a cable. Edmond Meany (wearing a hat) is the tallest man in the boat. The party reaches a campsite.

"The climb of Mt. Baker"

Climbers ascend the SE flank of Mt Baker (probably Boulder Glacier) using alpenstocks. They congratulate each other on the summit and look down at Sherman Peak and the crater. After descending back to camp, a group of minstrels sings and plays musical instruments with the mountain rising above.

"The ascent of Mt. Shuksan"

Scenes of the mountain from Austin Pass, then climbers traverse steep rock carrying alpenstocks. A ladder is used to surmount a crevasse (see page 8 of "The Mountaineers: A History" by Jim Kjeldsen). Higher on the mountain a pair of leaders with ice axes cuts steps for the rest of the party, who use alpenstocks.

"Mt. Baker from the summit of Mt. Shuksan"

A cloudless view. Climbers relax on the summit and the camera pans along the horizon. A man with a bandana on his head (probably Happy Fisher) tries to hide from the camera. Later the climbers descend Fisher Chimneys and glissade down a snow finger. They return to the horse camp.

"Six Peak Graduates from our last camp at Chain Lakes"

Edmond Meany presides over a celebration in a meadow. A low elevation building is shown.

"Homeward Bound"

The party loads into an auto coach which delivers them to Union Depot in Seattle.

"The End"

(Film notes and video clip by Lowell Skoog.)