In this riveting account of the first successful ascent of Mt. Rainier in 1870, Hazard Stevens masterfully captures the triumphs and challenges faced by the intrepid climbers. With vivid descriptions and personal anecdotes, Stevens brings to life the formidable beauty of the mountain and the sheer determination required to conquer its treacherous slopes.

Through meticulous research and firsthand experience, Stevens provides a detailed and captivating narrative of the expedition, highlighting the camaraderie, perseverance, and sheer willpower of the climbers. His prose is both poetic and gripping, immersing the reader in the thrill of the ascent and the awe-inspiring majesty of the mountain itself.

Overall, Stevens' account of the first successful ascent of Mt. Rainier is a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the enduring quest for adventure. It is a must-read for anyone fascinated by explorations of the natural world and the triumph of human achievement.

Book Description:
Hazard Stevens and P.B. Van Trump, aided by the Indian guide Sluiskin, made the first documented successful ascent of Mt. Rainier on August 17, 1870. Hazard's account of the climb was first published in the Atlantic Monthly in 1876 and later reprinted with an introduction by Edmond S. Meany in 1916. Sluiskin tried to dissuade the climbers. "Takhoma” (the Indian name for Mt. Rainier) "was an enchanted mountain, inhabited by an evil spirit, who dwelt in a fiery lake on its summit. No human being could ascend it or even attempt its ascent and survive." This prophecy almost proved true. Thinking they could reach the summit and return on the same day, Stevens and Van Trump left behind coats and blankets, only to find themselves trapped overnight in bitter cold. They survived huddled around a volcanic steam vent in an ice cave. "The heat at the orifice was too great to bear for more than an instant, but the steam wet us, the smell of sulfur was nauseating, and the cold was so severe that our clothes, saturated with the steam, froze stiff when turned away from the heated jet."