At 4:00 AM the climbers were roused by the sound of a whistle. Because their little stove resisted providing sufficient heat on that cold morning, breakfast was delayed by the difficulty of boiling water. Finally, hot tea and cold zwieback was downed.

At 5:00 AM they began the climb by descending the short distance to the Emmons Glacier and then heading straight up the mountain. Each individual had to accustom themselves to slow steps, deep breathing and frequent rest stops.

Farther up the steep slope the climbing teams zigzagged between the Emmons and Winthrop Glaciers. Many deep crevasses were inspected and avoided.

While stopped for a brief rest, the party could judge the elevation they had gained by looking across to 11,138’ Little Tahoma.

A major ice wall, at 13,500’ elevation, was avoided by picking their way through an icy pass. Nearing the top, the climbers found a snow slope on the upper Winthrop Glacier that was easier to negotiate.

Finally the group reached the main crater and paused to survey their surroundings. Liberty Cap, elevation 14,112 rose northwest of them.

The entire party of 57 strolled up the final slope to Columbia Crest, at 14,410' the highest point on Mount Rainier. There, at 2:40 PM, they unfurled the American flag and a Mountaineers banner.

It had taken nine hours to reach the top. After a twenty-minute rest, they started back down. Sun and shade caused footing on the snow surface to vary from soft to icy. For the first time on the climb the teams made use of guide ropes tied to the lead and the end person. Climbers in the middle were not tied on, but had something to hang on to. It took only three hours for the group to reach Camp Curtis. They were met there by fellow Mountaineers who had climbed up from Glacier Basin to bring hardtack and prepare hot bouillon for their tired friends.

Some of the relief party had taken the Mt. Ruth route, hoping to see the climbers as they returned. A photo was taken of The Wedge and Inter Glacier, but no climbers were evident.

By 8:00 PM all had returned to the main camp. Super had never been more appreciated. Full and contented, the Mountaineers ended their day with a campfire program.

On the same day that the 57 climbers scaled Mount Rainier and a party hiked up to Camp Curtis to greet and comfort them on their return, the rest of the Mountaineers hiked up Skyscraper Mountain, elevation 7,065. Their route was much the same as that used by the 1912 Mountaineers Outing on the Grand Park leg of their journey. Descending to the point where the Burroughs Mountain trail took off from the Storbo camp mining road, the party passed near the mining camp saw mill on the Inter Fork of the White River.

In about two miles, the party came to a clearing from which a full panorama of Mount Rainier and adjoining peaks could be seen and photographed. A second clear panoramic view of the mountain was photographed from one of the Burroughs Mountains.

Skyscraper Peak, the group’s afternoon destination, was in view from the flowery fields of Berkley Park. A third, rather hazy, panoramic view of Mount Rainier was photographed from the top of Skyscraper Peak. Looking to the north, Grand Park was seen through the smoky haze.