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Dwight Watson - Photographs
UWSpecColl, Collection 165
Note: My initial review of this collection was in July 2001. I made some copy slides a few months later. In January 2010, I returned to make additional copies and to redo some of my earlier copies. Between my first and second visits, UW reorganized the Dwight Watson Collection and renumbered the boxes. The collection is made up of 13 albums (boxes). I have noted selected images only. "Fine" means that a photo is of particularly high quality or interest. Names of people in parentheses are my guesses, not specified in Watson's captions.Box 1
Folder 1 - Mt Rainier National Park
- Two skiers atop Old Desolate, Rainier beyond (fine).
- Several photos of skiers near Spray Park and Chinook Pass.
Folder 2 - Spray Park, Echo and Observation Rocks, RNP
- Tiny skier about to begin run below Observation Rock.
Folder 3 - Cowlitz Chimneys, RNP
Some of these photos are also in Box 10, Vol 2.
- Skier (Ralph Eskenazi) atop snow headwall enroute to Panhandle Gap (fine).
- Skier in shorts (Sig Hall) on ridge above Owyhigh Lakes on Governor's Ridge traverse, Cowlitz Chimneys beyond.
- Skier above Tokaloo Rock and clouds. Caption describes the Colonnade-Klapatchee ski trip.
Folder 5 - Tatoosh, Mazama Ridge, RNP
- Skier next to snow covered Community Building, Paradise.
- Three skiers gliding away from the camera on Paradise Glacier with Tatoosh beyond (fine). This photo is also in Box 10, Vol 2.
- Several photos of skiers in various weather conditions around the Paradise Valley and Paradise Glacier, Mazama Ridge, and the Tatoosh Range.
Folder 6 - Glaciers, miscellany, RNP
- Two skiers descend from Old Desolate with Carbon Glacier, Echo and Observation Rocks beyond (fine).
- Skier holds skis below Carbon Glacier and Willis Wall, looking away from camera (Dwight Watson, fine).
- Two photos of a skier (Virginia Hill) on Puyallup Glacier below Sunset Amphitheater.
Several of these photos are also in Box 10, Vol 2. However, I believe the prints in this folder may be of better quality.
- Various action shots and scenics around Alta Vista, cornice jumps, gelandesprung, skiers standing on a ridgeline.
- Ski champion Hjalmar Hvam and admirer in 1936.
- Ken Syverson does a jump turn.
- Otto Lang skis slalom on Alta Vista (fine).
- "Downhill flight," Alta Vista (fine, UW #27385). In a May 6, 2009 e-mail, Lonnie Robinson told me that Don Amick is the skier on the left in this picture. Bruce Kehr is at front and center.
- Night skiing at Paradise.
Folder 8 - Rainier National Park miscellaneous
- Snowblower at either Cayuse Pass or Narada Falls.
Box 2 - was previously box 7
Mt Rainier National Park, Vol 1 of 2, SE and NE sides (a photo album)
- p. 11: Aerial photos of Rainier taken from a biplane, some with another airplane in the picture.
- p. 32: Skier (Dwight Watson) without a shirt, in profile, Tatoosh Range beyond.
- pp. 39, 61, 79, 93: Several photos of Paradise Valley and buildings in the 1920s in summer and winter.
- p. 95: Dogsled in Paradise Valley with Tatoosh Range beyond.
- p. 119: Dwight Watson, hands on hips, in front of Paradise guides building, summer 1929.
- p. 152: Skier poling down the skyline on Alta Vista, Tatoosh Range beyond.
- p. 165: Toboggan slide at Longmire.
Box 3 - was previously box 8
Mt Rainier National Park, Vol 2 of 2, NE, N, W, SW and S sides (a photo album)
- p. 41: More biplane aerials of Rainier.
- p. 90-92: Skier near Knapsack pass, mediocre photos.
- p. 217: Snowshoe trip with Joe Greenleaf to Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, February 1927, tree bivi.
Box 4 - was previously box 2
Volume 1 - Cascade Mountains in General
- p. 13: Old Mt Baker lodge, before fire, by Bert Huntoon, 1927 (fine).
- p. 59: Interior of old Baker lodge, probably by Huntoon (fine).
- p. 61: Kulshan cabin in summer, two men stand on the deck (fine).
- Several photos of Baker ski area in summer.
Folder 2 - Cascade Glacier Region
- Photos in summer near head of South Cascade Glacier.
- Several summer photos showing Honeycomb, Suiattle and Whitechuck Glacier area, probably from the September 1938 traverse with Paul Flint.
- Several photos of a skier (Sig Hall) on the ascent, summit and descent from Glacier Peak. Various crevasses, rock outcroppings, and cloud formations.
- Two skiers standing on a slope at Buck Creek Pass, Glacier Pk beyond.
- Photos from Lyman Lake ski trip: skiers descending North Star Mtn, approaching via Phelps Creek (with route to Spider Pass marked on photo), and pausing on Lower Lyman Glacier with Spider Pass above.
Box 5 - was previously box 3
Folder 1 - Cascade Pass, Eldorado Peak
- Three skiers on the ridge between Triad and Eldorado. In various places, Watson refers to this as "Gargoyle Ridge" or "Ridge of Wonders."
- Three skiers on steep traverse, Triad area (water damage).
- Silhouette of skier (Erick Larson) standing next to skis.
- Corniced and fluted ridge captioned as the divide between Marble Creek and the Inspiration Glacier. I believe it is actually the divide between the Triad and Eldorado (making the glacier the Eldorado, not the Inspiration). I believe this is the high point of Watson's ski ascent of Eldorado Peak.
Folder 2 - Cascade Pass, Sahale, Stehekin River area
- Somewhat cloudy photo of skier on Hidden Lake Peak, view south.
Folder 3 - Cayuse Pass, Chinook Pass, Indian Pass, White Pass
- Some fine photos of the White Pass area (south of Glacier Peak) in summer.
- Cayuse Pass car park with deep snow banks.
- Several photos of winter scenes and skiing around Chinook Pass (fine).
- Four skiers above Milwaukee Ski Bowl with Lake Keechelus below.
Folder 4 - Mt Daniel, Mt Stuart
- Two climbers (Sig Hall, Walt Hoffman) atop Mt Stuart in spring conditions.
- Skier (Dwight Watson) at Surprise Pass with Mt Daniel beyond.
- Climber (Sig Hall) atop Mt Daniel in shorts, no skis.
- View down north glacier of Mt Hinman. No skiers, but good caption describing the difficulty of getting there with skis.
Folder 6 - Surprise Pass area, etc.
- Several photos of skiers near Surprise Lake, Glacier Lake, a snow covered cabin, and Surprise Pass.
Folder 7 - Hidden Peak, Gargoyle Ridge
- Several photos of skiers (small) on the ridge between Sibley Pass and Eldorado, views of Hidden Lake Peak and vicinity.
Folder 8 - Chetwood, Angeline Lakes
Box 6 - was previously box 4
Folder 2 - Miscellaneous, Cascade Crest, Lake Wenatchee, Ruth Mtn
- Two skiers (Sig Hall, Ralph Eskenazi) scramble over a log in Phelps Creek, one with skis on, the other with skis off (fine).
- Several photos of a skier (Sig Hall) on Ruth Mtn ski trip, in brushy Ruth Creek carrying skis, skiing toward summit, and at summit looking east (fine).
- View from Austin Pass with Mt Baker traverse route marked in pencil on the photo.
- Skier with skis off (Erick Larson) next to Pumice-stone Pinnacle on Mt Baker traverse, preparing to descend.
- Several photos of snowy trees near Table Mtn, some with skiers.
- Several photos of skiers and snowy scenes near Table Mtn.
- Several fine photos of the Mt Baker ski traverse (with Andy Hennig, Erick Larson). These include scenes of ascending Coleman Glacier, climbing near Black Buttes, climbing Roman wall on foot, two skiers (Dwight Watson and Hennig) shaking hands on the summit next to a large American flag, descending on skis and foot toward Pumice-stone Pinnacle, and looking back at Mt Baker from Epley Portal.
- There are several photos showing the second half of the Mt Baker traverse from the summit to Ptarmigan Ridge. Some have the route marked on the photo.
- Several photos of skiers near Artist Point.
- Several photos of the mountain and climbers on it, various aspects.
Box 7 - was previously box 9
- This volume includes summer photos of the B.C. Coast Range by Dagleish; North Cascades, Washington Pass and Entiat Mountains by Hermann Ulrichs; Cascade Pass, Glacier Peak and Lyman Lake area by L.D. Lindsley.
- p. 87: Skier on Sibley-Triad ridge with Johannesburg beyond.
Volume 2 - Cascades, Central and Miscellaneous
A very important album with many fine photos.
- Summer photos of the Mt Waddington area, B.C. Coast Range by Dagleish. Captions note that Dagleish was killed in a fall on Waddington.
- p. 35: Three skiers (including Sigurd Hall) on Eldorado Glacier with Forbidden Peak beyond.
- p. 43, 45: Several photos of skiers on Coleman Glacier, Mt Baker in April.
- p. 44: Photos of skiers crossing river logs on foot during approach to White Mtn, Glacier Peak area (fine).
- p. 59: Dr. Otto Trott and Dwight Watson sitting on some rocks, looking at the camera, summer 1939 (fine).
- p. 61, 63: Skiers (including Walt Dyke) on west side Mt Rainier near Tokaloo Rock, Klapatchie Park (fine).
- p. 65: Silhouette of Sig Hall at White Pass, Glacier Pk area.
- p. 67: Sig Hall (left), Ralph Eskenazi (center), John James (right) on Mt St Helens holding parasols. Probably same photo as in Box 8. Sig Hall wears a Mountaineers ski team sweater.
- p. 67: Roped skier (Erick Larson) on Emmons Glacier with Little Tahoma beyond, during ski attempt to 12,000 feet.
- p. 71: Skier traverses south side of the Triad (water damaged print). Another photo depicts Eldorado Peak from the east ridge of the Triad. I believe this is the high point of Watson's ski ascent of Eldorado Peak.
- p. 73: The Coca Cola girl at Summerland, Mt Rainier.
- p. 74: Two photos of ski patrol with accident victim in toboggan at Snoqualmie Pass (fine).
- p. 77: Skier in shorts (Walt Dyke) skiing at Summerland with Rainier beyond.
- p. 79: Three men in a car (Walt Dyke, Gage Chetwood, Clint Kelley) with the Coca Cola girl at Lake Wenatchee during Buck Pass trip.
- p. 97: Two skiers (Sig Hall, Walt Hoffman) pause at Austin Pass with Mt Baker beyond (fine).
- This album includes some summer photos of the Lake Chelan and Monte Cristo areas by Hermann Ulrichs and of Mt Adams, Mt St Helens and Mt Hood by Ray Atkeson.
- Climber on foot (Sig Hall) atop Mt Daniel during spring ascent.
Box 8 - was previously box 5
- Three skiers (Sig Hall, Ralph Eskenazi, John James) atop St Helens holding parasols next to a sign that says "No campfires permitted here".
See also Box 10, Vol 2 and Box 12, Vol 2.
- Climber on foot (Sig Hall) below Hawkeye Lookout at the head of Goat Creek in the Goat Rocks.
- Several photos of skiers atop Mt Adams, above the clouds.
- Photo of skiers on the SE side of Mt Adams (Mazama Glacier) with a caption saying that the glacier has been skied from the summit to Bird Creek meadows.
Folder 3 - Twisp, Stilleto Lookout
Folder 5 - Lyman Lake, Chelan area
- Several photos from Watson's 1936 Hanging Gardens trip with Hermann Ulrichs.
- Two skiers (Sig Hall, Ralph Eskenazi) at foot of Lyman Glacier with the west shoulder of Dumbell Mtn above.
- Two skiers (Sig Hall, Ralph Eskenazi) atop North Star Mtn with the route over Spider Pass marked.
- Skier (Sig Hall) atop North Star Mtn with Bonanza Peak beyond.
- Hermann Ulrichs on foot at Sinister-Gunsight col with the Chickamin Glacier beyond (fine).
Folder 6 - Methow Valley country
Box 9 - was previously box 6
- Skier wearing hat stands on ridge at head of Sol Duc River, Olympus beyond, somewhat cloudy.
- Skier with feathered hat (Dwight Watson) on spur of Mt Bretherton (fine).
- Skier at edge of jumbled crevasses and toppled seracs on Mt Hood, Eliot Glacier (fine).
Folder 4 - No Location, animals/plants, trail work, etc.
Box 10
Volume 1 - Glacier Park, Montana, Canadian Rockies
Volume 2 - Skiing in Washington State
A very important album with many fine photos. Note that several of the Mt Rainier photos on pp. 36-38 and 60 are also found in Box 1, Folder 7, and I believe the prints in that box may be of better quality.
- p. 0: Inside the front cover is a photo of Sigurd Hall, shirtless and in profile, atop Mt Shuksan.
- p. 1: Photos of skiers navigating brush, one in the Olympics on the approach to Appleton Peak, the other of two skiers (Walt Hoffman, Ralph Eskenazi) crossing a log over Downey Creek (fine).
- p. 5, 7: Skier (Walt Hoffman) on Triad divide with Eldorado Peak beyond (fine).
- p. 8: Skiers hike toward old Community Building, Paradise (fine).
- p. 9: Three skiers atop Sibley-Triad divide with Eldorado in the background, published in mtneer-a-1944-p39 (fine).
- p. 13: Two skiers (Sig Hall, Walt Hoffman) on foot at Austin Pass, Mt Baker beyond (fine).
- p. 15: Skier on Table Mountain among snowy trees, with Mt Shuksan beyond (fine).
- p. 18: Two skiers touring above Paradise Inn, Tatoosh Range beyond (good lighting, fine).
- p. 24, 25: Skiers (Walt Hoffman, Sig Hall) around Austin Pass and Table Mountain, some with Mt Baker in the distance (fine).
- p. 27-35: Photos of scenery and a skier (Sig Hall) at White Pass, south of Glacier Pk (fine).
- p. 37-45: Skier in shorts (Sig Hall) on Mt Daniel (fine).
- p. 47: Two skiers (Sig Hall, Walt Hoffman) at Turnpike Pass on the Mt Stuart ski trip (fine).
- p. 49-55: Skiing in the Appleton Pass area, Olympics. I believe the prints in Box 12, Vol 2 are of better quality.
- p. 52: Night Skiing at Paradise, Mt Rainier. The photo in Box 1, Folder 7 is of better quality.
- p. 62: Hjalmar Hvam and Ken Syverson at Paradise. Also, photo of spring carnival at Paradise showing a race course, skier and crowd (fine).
- p. 68, 70: Skiing scenes around Paradise. The photo of three skiers gliding away from the camera on Paradise Glacier with the Tatoosh beyond is also in Box 1, Folder 5.
- p. 74: Five skiers straight run in powder toward the camera with Mt Rainier in the background (fine). Ken Syverson is second from the right, in a light colored jacket.
- p. 75-85: Several photos of skiers (Sig Hall, Ralph Eskenazi, Dwight Watson) on the Governor's Ridge traverse between Cayuse Pass and Summerland (fine). Some of these photos are also in Box 1, Folder 3.
- p. 80: Ken Syverson demonstrates a snowplow at Paradise.
- p. 87-89: Skiers atop Mt Adams (Sig Hall and Dwight Watson). Some of these photos are also in Box 8.
- p. 91: Scenes from Goat Rocks ski trip.
- p. 92-104: Ski scenes around the Tatoosh Range (fine).
- p. 106: Four skiers ski away from the camera toward the woods and Devils Dip with the Tatoosh Range above (fine).
Box 11
Volume 1 - Ray Atkeson, Portland
- p. 57: Sigurd Hall skis a slalom course, his face visible.
Box 12
- Many photos of Mt Rainier, also some of Smith Rocks, OR.
- p. 65: Walt Dyke silhouette with skis, sunrise on Mt Adams.
- Many photos of Mt Baker, Austin Pass area, with snowy trees, some with people.
- Photos of Sunrise Park area by Orville Borgersen and of Mt Rainier by L.D. Lindsley.
- p. 63: Skier (Dwight Watson) on skis at Spray Park, Mt Rainier beyond.
- p. 68: Two skiers on slope at Buck Pass with Honeycomb Glacier beyond.
- p. 91: Photos of a skier next to a large crevasse on the Elliot Glacier, Mt Hood. More on succeeding pages.
- p. 119-125: Skiers in the area of Appleton Pass in the Olympics (fine). Several of these photos are also in Box 10, Vol 2, however I think the prints in this box may be of better quality.
- About p. 130: Skier on Mazama Glacier on SE side Mt Adams above Bird Creek Meadows. See also Box 8.
- p. 133-139: Scenes of the Sibley-Triad divide, Eldorado country, some showing Hidden Lake Peak, some with a climber on foot.
- p. 143: Skiers wearing unusually long looking skis, near a snow crusted tree, Snoqualmie Pass.
Box 13
This box also contains two old looking, large framed color photos of Mt Rainier, apparently by Dwight Watson.
- Two skiers at Sunrise Park with a tripod and camera between them and Mt Rainier beyond, by Orville Borgersen.
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