at that time. During the season of 1911 approximately $10,000 has been expended on its construction above Narada Falls, this amount remaining from the original appropriation, and $3,500 from park revenues for its maintenance and repair. The road is well located, but in places is narrow and poorly drained. Below Longmire Springs a 2 per cent grade is obtained, and between Longmire Springs and Paradise Valley it exceeds 4 per cent only in a few short stretches. The bridges are of heavy construction and well built, except those over the Tahoma and Kautz Forks, spans of 40 and 30 feet, respectively, and these should be replaced with steel bridges. Three and one-half miles of road have been constructed by the Government, from the western boundary of the Rainier National Forest to the western boundary of the national park, to connect the park and county roads. This stretch of roadway is in bad repair, there being no funds for its maintenance, and has not been brought to the grade intended by the engineer's survey. It should be transferred from the War Department to the Interior Department, placed under the control of the park superintendent, and appropriations be made for its upkeep and repair.

The present road from the western boundary of the Rainier National Forest to the Camp of the Clouds in Paradise Valley should be widened to 16 feet and macadamized, and at dangerous points parapets should be constructed to keep stages and automobiles from going off grade. It is estimated the cost of this work would be $6,500 per mile, except the section of rock work above Nisqually Glacier, which extends for a distance of 2 miles. This section is through a side cut of rock and hardpan, with the present wall from 12 to 40 feet in height, and with a perpendicular drop on the outside of from 800 to 1,200 feet. About 1,000 feet of the solid rock can be widened by a side chamber for approximately $2.50 per foot; the remainder must be widened from 8 to 10 feet on the bank side and the bank reduced to a slope of one to one to prevent the annual slides which are caused by the swelling of the material on the bank by rain and frost. Unlimited quantities of tough rock for macadam are found along the road in the park. One large slide of columnar basalt, broken ready for the crusher, has 3,000 feet of road constructed through it, and many fine ledges of granite are cut by the road from Nisqually Glacier to the head of Paradise Valley. The value of the material found in the park for binding purposes in macadam construction has not been proven, but the cementing properties of the soft rock and hardpan on Ricksecker Point are very noticeable.

The western entrance to the park is appropriately marked by an archway constructed of heavy cedar logs. This archway was erected during the spring of 1911, is 22 feet wide, 24 feet high in the clear, and from the center a hewn log 3 feet in diameter is suspended by heavy chains on which is roughly cut and burned, "Mt. Rainier National Park."

All Government trails in the park are well located and are in good repair. They are, however, entirely inadequate for its proper patrol and protection and a system of trails should be laid out and constructed at the earliest possible date. Heavily timbered portions of the park are now all but inaccessible, and in the event of fire great difficulty would be experienced in getting a fire-fighting crew, with necessary tools and provisions, to these inaccessible points. A trail

11355°-INT 1911-VOL 1-40

should be constructed around the mountain at the lowest practicable elevation and from this main trail short trails should be built that would reach all parts of the park. With the trails now constructed it is believed that an expenditure of $10,000 would complete a very satisfactory system of trails and it is recommended that this amount. be expended during the season of 1912. This trail system is considered to be the most important improvement to be made in the park. Approximately, $1,700 has been expended from revenues during the season of 1911 for the construction of the Carbon River-Spray Park Trail and for the repair and improvement of other trails in the park, and a suspension pony bridge which will cost $800 is now being constructed over the Nisqually River near Longmire Springs. This bridge, with a span of 150 feet, will make more accessible the southeastern part of the park and the forest reserve which lies directly south of it, and is being constructed jointly by the Interior Department and the Forest Service.

The principal trails in the Nisqually River district are the Paradise Valley Trail, 64 miles in length, and the Indian Henry Trail, 64 miles in length. These trails are well located and constructed and kept in good repair. There are also rough trails up the Tahoma and Kautz Forks, which enter Indian Henry's Hunting Ground 6 miles from the Government road. A trail should be constructed from the wagon bridge near the snout of Nisqually Glacier into Paradise Valley, a distance of 14 miles. A trail 3 miles in length was constructed during the season of 1910 to the open parks near the summit of Eagle Peak, which has an elevation of 6,000 feet and is made easily accessible by this trail. It leaves the Government road at Longmire Springs, crosses Nisqually River, and from the east bank ascends rapidly by switchbacks to the top of the ridge. As a very fine view may be obtained from Eagle Peak, the climb meets with favor among tourists. One mile of trail has been constructed to the top of the Ramparts. The Ramparts rise some 1,800 feet above Longmire Springs, and a very good view of the surrounding country may be had from this point.

In the Carbon and White River districts there are at present three trunk trails with their several branches: The Carbon River trail from Fairfax to the foot of the Carbon Glacier, with its branches to the northern part of the park via Chenuis Mountain, and the newly constructed trail to Spray Park via Cataract Basin; the trail which enters the reservation from the west via the Meadows and Crater Lake, continuing to Spray Park and connecting with the branch of the Carbon River trail at the head of Cataract Basin; and the trail which enters the park at the northeast corner and extends to the mining camps in the vicinity of White River. No Government funds have been expended in the construction or upkeep of this trail. There are two branches of this trail open to travel, both leading to the summit of the ridge to the north of White River, one via Sand Mountain and continuing to the head of Huckleberry Basin and Grand Park, and the other leaving the main trail at the old Knapp cabin, thence over the ridge to Lodi mine and down the creek basin to Grand Park. There is also a trail which leads from Lodi mine to the foot of Winthrop Glacier and Moraine Park. These trails are the result of mining operations and are not located as well as they might be for park purposes, but could, at no great expense, be put

into condition for travel and patrol. The ice barrier which in former years occupied all of the space between the cliffs at the foot of Carbon Glacier is rapidly receding and in a short time a trail may be maintained there throughout the season, which will make more easily accessible Moraine Park and Winthrop Glacier from the Carbon Valley.

RANGER CABINS.

There are three ranger cabins in the park. The gatekeeper's lodge on the Government road is a small log building. An addition has been built onto this cabin which serves for an office for the park superintendent. The cabin at Longmire Springs is a three-room log house with frame addition for kitchen. The cabin at the Carbon River Station has been properly finished and furnished during the past season but is only occupied during the summer months. A stable should be built at this station. A small log ranger cabin is now being built in Paradise Valley.

PROSPECTING.

No known prospecting has been carried on in the park during the past season. Prior to the act of Congress of May 27, 1908, prohibiting the further location of mining claims in the park, several hundred locations were filed in the Carbon River and White River districts and about Glacier Basin. From various causes these have been reduced until at present there are in the districts mentioned about 60 prospects to which an active claim is asserted. Considerable development work has been done on some of the claims in the way of tunneling, road and trail construction, buildings, etc. Adverse proceedings have been instituted against a number of these locations during the past few months, and it is expected that the number will be greatly reduced by relinquishment or cancellation.

There are three groups of claims in the Nisqually district on which active operations are being carried on. These claims are in the vicinity of Longmire Springs. Development work consists of tunnels and buildings.

TRAVEL.

During the 1911 season 10,006 visitors entered the park by way of the Government road. Of this number 4,600 were transient visitors and 5,406 remained three days or more. Three hundred visitors entered the park by way of Fairfax, 200 being campers who remained three days or more. The total number of visitors known to have entered the park during the season to date is 10,306. It is estimated that this number will be increased by probably 350 transient visitors before the season closes, most of whom will travel by automobile. Of the total number entering the park, 4,169 traveled by stage, 5,110 by automobile, 410 by wagon, 115 by motorcycle, 455 on foot, 20 by bicycle, and 27 on horseback.

There has been a substantial increase in travel during the past few seasons. In 1908 the number of visitors was 3,511 entered; in 1909 it was 5,968, in 1910 it was 7,830, and it is expected before the present season closes the register will show the names of 10,600 visitors. The summit of Mount Rainier was reached by 208 persons during the season just passed. The register which is kept in a steel

box on the summit now shows the names of 1,012 persons who have been successful in making the ascent.

President Taft and party visited the park in automobiles October 8, 1911.

GUIDES.

Four persons were authorized to act as guides in the park during the season of 1911, one of whom was not permitted to guide to the summit of Mount Rainier nor across any glacier. Those authorized to guide to the summit are mountaineers of known ability, and no accidents of a serious nature have occurred where parties have been accompanied by these official guides. On August 14, 1909, two men made the ascent from Paradise Valley and perished in a storm. is believed they lost their lives while trying to cross the feeders of the White River Glacier. The bodies of these men have not been recovered, and in all probability will not be until the feeders of this glacier have moved to their terminal moraines. September 2, 1911, Leigh Garrett, a young man, attempted to ascend the mountain alone from Indian Henry's Hunting Ground, a route never used by experienced climbers, was caught in a storm, and perished. A search party consisting of Official Guide Joseph Stampfler, two park rangers, and two volunteers, followed Garrett's tracks to an elevation of 13,500 feet and believe at this point he was carried down the mountain side by an avalanche. His body will probably never be recovered. The search party was caught in a blizzard and compelled to remain on the mountain side all night.

While the present guiding system in the park is crude compared with that of the Swiss Alps, the number and class of tourists attempting the summit does not appear to warrant, at this time, a system and regulations that would add greatly to the expense of making the ascent, but the number in each party should be limited to eight persons. It has been planned to erect a stone shelter hut at Camp Muir, which is on the route to the summit at an elevation of 10,000 feet, and work on this hut would have been carried on during the past season had it not been that the snow fields were too badly broken up to admit of using horses for packing material and supplies up to the camp.

FIRES.

July 14, 1911, a fire was started by lightning near Tolmie Peak, in the northwestern part of the park. A heavy rainstorm assisted in extinguishing this fire, and only a small amount of timber was damaged.

During the dry season of 1911 several small fires were discovered by rangers and extinguished before any damage was done.

PATROL.

During the season of 1911 the ranger force consisted of five men, two of whom are regular rangers and on duty throughout the year. Three men were employed as temporary rangers, one of them being detailed as gatekeeper at the park entrance on the Government road and two for patrol duty in different parts of the park. A systematic patrol

was maintained during the dry season and a vigilant watch kept by the entire ranger force for forest fires.

GAME.

Wild animals are becoming more numerous in the park each year. In the watersheds of Puyallup, Mowich, and Carbon Rivers deer, bear, grouse, and ptarmigan are found in abundance, and on the higher ridges a great many mountain goat have been seen. The blasting necessary in constructing the Government road in the Nisqually district has, to some extent, driven the game from this district to the northern part of the park. There has been no hunting or killing of game in the park during the fiscal year of 1911.

Steps should be taken for setting aside a strip of land 3 miles wide in the forest reserve on all sides of the park as a game preserve, as the park animals become very tame during the summer months and when they cross the park lines to their feeding grounds in the fall they are killed by hunters. It is believed that elk would thrive in the park, and I wish to recommend that some of these animals be transferred to this park from the Yellowstone National Park. Elk are protected by State laws in Washington.

BOUNDARIES.

The boundary line of the park was definitely established by a survey completed in the fall of 1908 by W. H. Thorn. A wire fence has been constructed along the western boundary north and south from the park entrance to prevent loose stock from entering the park at this point. The topographic survey which is now being made by the United States Geological Survey will probably not be completed until the summer of 1912.

MINERAL SPRINGS.

The Longmire mineral springs are the that have been discovered in the park. and are noted for their curative powers. patented land. Bathhouses have been employed during the tourist season.

only ones of any importance These springs are well known The springs are located on built and attendants are

AUTOMOBILES.

During the 1911 season 757 automobile permits were issued and 1,053 machines entered the park. The speed limit in the park is 15 miles per hour, and at abrupt curves this is reduced, signs being placed at points along the road indicating the rate of speed allowed. Automobiles may use the Government road in the park during certain hours of the day. The rules and regulations governing their use of the road and admission into the park are rigidly enforced, and the disposition of most owners is to adhere to them without question. No accidents of a serious nature have occurred in the park.

The road is open to automobiles as far as Nisqually Glacier, and it is not considered safe to permit machines beyond this point until the road has been widened or passing places made which can be seen from one to the other.