The Mountaineers - 1936 Summer Outing, Mt Rainier

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This film is silent, black and white, with a running time around 30 minutes. The film depicts the Mountaineers 30th Annual Outing from July 25 to August 15, 1936. The outing encircled Mt Rainier and completed a summit climb.

The complete film has captions preceding each section:

"Nisqually Entrance - Mt. Rainier National Park"
"Superintendent's Headquarters at Longmire Hot Springs"

Preliminary scenes. The party unloads from busses at the trailhead. A few pack horses can be seen.

"Comet Falls"
"Whistling Marmot"
"Early Breakfast at Van Trump Park"

Scene of Van Trump Park campsite in morning light with Mt Rainier towering above.

"High Line Trip over Kautz Glacier"
"Goats on Pyramid Glacier"

Sunny scenes of a glacier crossing. A herd of goats crosses a snowfield.

"Scenes at Indian Henry's"
"Indian Paint Brush"

Views of meadows, the mountain, and swimmers enjoying Mirror Lake. The pack train arrives.

"Looking back toward Indian Henry's from St. Andrew's Park"
"Aurora Peak"
"The Mountain from St. Andrews Lake"
"Klapatche Park"
"Scenes from Aurora Peak"
"St. Andrew's"
"Ptarmigan"

Scenes around St Andrews Park (sunny) and Klapatche Park (overcast). The skies clear for fine views of the mountain from Aurora Peak. Some meadows exhibit damage from foot and horse traffic.

"High Line Party approaching Tukaloo Rock"
"Sunset Amphitheatre"

The party ascends to Puyallup Glacier and traverses the glacier beneath spectacular icefalls.

"Spray Falls"
"In Spray Park"
"Indian Basket Grass, Squaw Grass"

The scene jumps to Spray Park. Extensive scenes of meadows and flowers.

"Mystic Lake"
"Western Anemone and Seed Pods"
"Gentian"
"Willis Wall from Mystic Lake Camp"
"Carbon Glacier - Observation and Echo Rocks"

The scene jumps without documentation of how the party got from the last camp to this point. More flower scenes. Telephoto scenes of the north wall of Rainier, Carbon Glacier, and distant peaks.

"Crossing the Winthrop Glacier"
"Sluiskin Mountain from St. Elmo Pass"
"Starbo Camp"

The party crosses the icy glacier (no seasonal snow cover) from one moraine to the other. They descend into Glacier Basin to camp.

"Scenes on the Summit Climb - Resting at Camp Curtis"
"Temporary Camp at Steamboat Prow"
"Working around Crevasses"
"Views from the Crater"
"Register Rock"
"On the Descent - Little Tahoma"

The party pauses at Camp Curtis in fog then establishes a high camp at Steamboat Prow. They ascend Emmons Glacier to the summit in fine weather, with many party members using alpenstocks. Following the descent, there are scenes of rivulets in an alpine meadow.

"Dedication of Meany Memorial Seat on Burroughs Mountain"

Edmond Meany died in April 1935. In this scene the party dedicates a stone bench atop Burroughs Mountain with Mt Rainier visible above.

"High Line Pary en Route to Summerland"
"Scenes in Summerland"
"Camp Activities"
"The Packers"
"The Kitchen"
"Yellow Mimulus"

The party crosses the lower Emmons Glacier and sets up tents in a meadow. Wranglers rope a mule and Mountaineer Linda Coleman gets a ride. The packers pose and gallop their horses for the camera. Cooks work in the open-air kitchen.

"Climbing into Fog on Fryingpan Glacier en Route to Ohanapekosh Park"
"Wauhaukaupauken Falls"

Mountaineers and pack horses travel in long lines. Scenes of sunbathers next to Ohanapecosh River gorge.

"High Line Party on way to Reflection Lakes"
"Ice Cave - Stevens Glacier"
"Scenes from Reflection Lakes camp"

Mountaineers cross below Little Tahoma and Whitman Glacier to the Paradise Ice Caves and camp near Reflections Lakes.

"Narada Falls"
"Tatoosh Range"
"Sluiskin Falls"
"Homeward Bound"

Scenes in the Paradise area. There is a brief scene of Mountaineers in the Paradise parking lot then the movie ends abruptly.

(Film notes and video clip by Lowell Skoog.)