Claude Ewing Rusk
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Claude Ewing Rusk (November 20, 1871 – February 3, 1931), also known as C. E. Rusk, was an American
mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...
, lawyer, and author from Washington who pioneered routes up Mount Adams,
Mount Baker Mount Baker (; ), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. Mount Baker has the second-most ...
, and
Glacier Peak Glacier Peak or Dakobed (known in the Sauk-Suiattle dialect of the Lushootseed language as "Tda-ko-buh-ba" or "Takobia") is the most isolated of the five major stratovolcanoes (composite volcanoes) of the Cascade Volcanoes, Cascade Volcanic Arc ...
. He also ascended many other peaks in Washington, Oregon, and California.


Personal life


Early life

Rusk was born on November 20, 1871, in
Knox County, Illinois Knox County is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 49,967. Its county seat is Galesburg, Illinois, Galesburg. Knox County comprises the ...
to James A. and Josie A. Rusk. His family emigrated from Illinois to
Washington Territory The Washington Territory was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...
in the fall of 1874. They settled in eastern
Klickitat County Klickitat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,735. The county seat and largest city is Goldendale. The county is named after the Klickitat tribe and contains part of the Y ...
in an area known as Wood Gulch. In 1878, Rusk's only sibling, Leah, was born. Several years later, in 1879, they moved to the foot of the Columbia Hills in the lower Klickitat Valley near Warwick. Over the next year, Rusk's father built the Happy Home stage station. Rusk often went to the top of the Columbia Hills to gaze at the various peaks of the
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
. They lived in this place until Rusk was 15. They then moved to a homestead on the banks of the
Klickitat River The Klickitat River is a tributary of the Columbia River, nearly long, in south-central Washington in the United States. It drains a rugged plateau area on the eastern side of the Cascade Range northeast of Portland, Oregon. In 1986, of the r ...
near Soda Springs in January 1887.


Career

Rusk had received a public school education and in 1888, when he was 17, he began his career, teaching school at Camas Prairie in the Glenwood Valley. Later, he taught at the Crossroads School outside Goldendale until 1892 when he became the editor of the ''Goldendale Courier''. This he did for a year and went back to teaching the next year. He also began studying law in the office of Nelson B. Brooks and Snover at about the same time. On October 30, 1898, Rusk married Rachel N. Gilmore, also the child of pioneers. In 1902, Rusk completed his law training and was admitted to the
Washington State Bar Association The Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) is the state bar association of the U.S. state of Washington. It operates under the delegated authority of the Washington Supreme Court to license the state's nearly 41,000 active and inactive lawyers a ...
. Also in 1902, Rusk became one of the founding members of the
American Alpine Club The American Alpine Club (AAC) is a non-profit member organization with more than 26,000 members. The club is housed in the American Mountaineering Center (AMC) in Golden, Colorado. Through its members, the AAC advocates for American climbers d ...
. Rusk and his wife moved to
Hamilton, Washington Hamilton is a town in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 299 at the 2020 census. It is included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Hamilton was first settled in 1877 by ...
in 1903, but only stayed there for about a year before they moved to
Lake Chelan Lake Chelan ( ) is a narrow, long lake in Chelan County, north-central Washington state, U.S. It is an overdeepened lake and resembles a fjord, with an average width of . Near its upper end, the lake surface lies more than below peaks less t ...
and bought a home along a remote portion of the lake. Rusk became a member of the
Mazamas The Mazamas () is a mountaineering organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1894. Promotion of mountaineering The Mazamas has been an important part of the climbing community in the Pacific Northwest of the United State ...
club in 1904. Rusk practiced law in the town of Chelan until 1910. While they were living on Lake Chelan, on June 10, 1905, their only son, Rodney L. Rusk, was born. In 1910, Rusk led an expedition to
Mount McKinley Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helma ...
and when he returned, they moved to the area of
Grants Pass Grants Pass is a city in and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The populatio ...
in Oregon where his parents were living. There, he helped his parents, working in their Lucky Spot gold mine. In 1912, he moved back to Washington, to the Yakima Valley. He became the editor of the '' Benton Independent'' published in
Prosser Prosser may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places ;United States * Prosser, California, a former settlement * Prosser Creek, California * Prosser, Nebraska, a village * Prosser, Washington, a city ;Australia * Electoral division of Prosser, Tasmania * Prosser ...
, a position he held for a year before selling the paper and resuming law practice. He continued his practice until the spring of 1915 when he was appointed to a four-year term as the receiver for the
United States Land Office The General Land Office (GLO) was an independent agency of the United States government responsible for public domain lands in the United States. It was created in 1812 to take over functions previously conducted by the United States Department ...
in
Yakima Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The ...
. During his time in the Yakima Valley, Rusk became a vocal conservationist. He was an admirer of
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
and started a local campaign to get Mount Adams set aside as a national park. He felt that it was high time that it got the recognition it deserved and in 1919, he wrote the short booklet ''Mount Adams–Towering Sentinel of the Lower Columbia Basin'', in which he laid out his case for the Yakima National Park as he called it. In 1920, Rusk was a founding member of the Cascadians mountaineering club and became its first president. Later, he also served as the chairman of the outing committee. Some of his closest friends he met while a member of the club. In 1922, the members of the Cascadians presented Rusk with a Swiss
ice-axe An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineering, mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow or ice covered (e.g. ice climbing or mixed climbing) conditions. Its use depends on the terr ...
as a gift for being an inspiring leader and being the first president of the club.


Later life

Rusk's father died in 1923 and Rusk moved back to Grants Pass. After the move, he started up his law practice again. In 1924, he wrote ''Tales of a Western Mountaineer'', his only published book. Some time after his first book was published, Rusk wrote another book, ''Timberline Campfires''. This collection of essays and short stories was never published except for one chapter, "The Wonderful Story of Abe Lincoln," which was published in the ''American Alpine Journal'' in 1946. After some time in Grants Pass, Rusk was appointed to the position of justice of the peace. He was known to be quite the
prohibitionist Prohibitionism is a legal philosophy and political theory often used in lobbying which holds that citizens will abstain from actions if the actions are typed as unlawful (i.e. prohibited) and the prohibitions are enforced by law enforcement.C Canty ...
and would throw the book at bootleggers. In addition to being justice of the peace, Rusk worked his father's Lucky Spot mine on the weekends, walking 14 miles there and back. In 1930, Rusk attempted to organize an expedition to Mount St. Elias; however, no one else was able to go with him and he went by himself. During this expedition, he contracted a cold, which lingered and, according to Rusk, strained his heart. Rusk died of
heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is any disease involving the heart or blood vessels. CVDs constitute a class of diseases that includes: coronary artery diseases (e.g. angina pectoris, angina, myocardial infarction, heart attack), heart failure, ...
on February 2, 1931, in
Grants Pass, Oregon Grants Pass is a city in and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The populatio ...
. Rusk, about two months prior, requested that some members of the Cascadians take his ashes and place them in a
cairn A cairn is a human-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehistory, t ...
on The Castle of his beloved Mount Adams. Clarence Truitt and Clarence Starcher completed this request on July 27, 1931. This small monument remains today.


Mountaineering career

Rusk's
mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...
career took him all over the West Coast of the United States, beginning in 1889 and continuing to 1930. He met many other people on his many journeys; however, few people became close friends and learned about his personal life. The few who knew him described him as one of the most expert and daring mountaineers in the
West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...
. While Rusk had some close calls and got himself into some hair raising situations, he had very few accidents while climbing and often saved others from extreme danger. He was not braggadocious about his exploits and in fact would only give the most matter-of-fact answers about them. He was known to be tenacious in his exploits, yet tempered by his good sense and consideration for others with him. Rusk was most familiar with Mount Adams, climbing it many times and exploring the area around it extensively.


Early expeditions

Rusk began his mountaineering career in the summer following the completion of his first year of teaching school. He and his uncle W. A. Maxwell ascended Mount Adams via the South Climb. The next year, 1890, he, his mother Josie, and his sister Leah completed a circuit of Adams. This was the first recorded circuit by white women and likely the first recorded circuit by anyone. On this trip, he named Avalanche Valley and Rusk Glacier; however, the Rusk Glacier name was not official until 1901 when Rusk assisted
Harry Fielding Reid Harry Fielding Reid (May 18, 1859 – June 18, 1944) was an American geophysicist. He was notable for his contributions to glaciology and seismology, particularly his theory of elastic rebound that related faults to earthquakes. He was a pr ...
in mapping Adams. One of the novelties of mountaineering in the late 1800s and early 1900s was to burn a large red fire on the summit of the high peaks and so "illuminate" it. In 1891, Rusk and several others attempted to illuminate Adams, but were turned back at the false summit by a storm with hurricane force winds. In 1895, he joined the party from the
Mazamas The Mazamas () is a mountaineering organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1894. Promotion of mountaineering The Mazamas has been an important part of the climbing community in the Pacific Northwest of the United State ...
mountaineering club for the first
heliograph A heliograph () is a solar telegraph system that signals by flashes of sunlight (generally using Morse code from the 1840s) reflected by a mirror. The flashes are produced by momentarily pivoting the mirror, or by interrupting the beam with a s ...
signaling between the peaks of the Cascades which included, from north to south,
Mount Baker Mount Baker (; ), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. Mount Baker has the second-most ...
,
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
, Mount Adams,
Mount Hood Mount Hood, also known as Wy'east, is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range and is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast and rests in the Pacific N ...
, Mount Jefferson, and Diamond Peak. This endeavor was only partially successful due to smoke and logistical problems and only the parties on Hood and Adams were able to communicate. Also on this expedition, three people from the Mazamas measured the altitude of Adams. Rusk, who had long held that Adams was one of the tallest in the range, was pleased to learn that it was over . Two years later, 1897, Rusk, his mother, and his sister climbed Adams again. Afterwards, they went to the Ridge of Wonders and his mother, awestruck by the scene, insisted that it should be known as such.


Mapping Mount Adams

For 14 days in 1901, Rusk assisted
Harry Fielding Reid Harry Fielding Reid (May 18, 1859 – June 18, 1944) was an American geophysicist. He was notable for his contributions to glaciology and seismology, particularly his theory of elastic rebound that related faults to earthquakes. He was a pr ...
in mapping Mount Adams. Before they began, they ascended Adams with two others, Nelson B. Brooks and Dr. H. S. Goddard, and then circled the mountain with Rusk leading. As they came around the mountain, Rusk suggested names for several of the glaciers. He wanted to name Adams Glacier as Reid Glacier in honor of Reid; however, Reid insisted that it should be named something else because he thought it improper to place his own name on the map that he was making and the Mazamas were trying to name a glacier on
Mount Hood Mount Hood, also known as Wy'east, is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range and is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast and rests in the Pacific N ...
after him. This eventually persuaded Rusk, but years later when he wrote ''Tales'', Rusk repeated his wish that the glacier be known as Reid Glacier. Rusk also recommended that the Lyman Glacier be named as such in honor of William Denison Lyman, who had done some to the first research into Adams. Reid officially named Rusk Glacier after him.


1902 Mazamas outing

The
Mazamas The Mazamas () is a mountaineering organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1894. Promotion of mountaineering The Mazamas has been an important part of the climbing community in the Pacific Northwest of the United State ...
returned to Adams in July 1902 and Rusk joined them with a small group from eastern
Klickitat County Klickitat County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 22,735. The county seat and largest city is Goldendale. The county is named after the Klickitat tribe and contains part of the Y ...
. The Mazamas had some logistical problems and were not able to climb the day that Rusk and the rest of his party did. After Rusk's party reached the summit, one of them, whom he called Mrs. Blank to protect her identity, collapsed. They made use of a human toboggan to get her down the mountain. Two days later, Rusk joined the Mazamas party in their ascent.


Mount Baker climb

In 1903, after the Rusks had moved to
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: * Alexander Hamilton (1755/1757–1804), first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States * ''Hamilton'' (musical), a 2015 Broadway musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda ** ''Hamilton'' (al ...
, Rusk and his wife attempted to climb
Mount Baker Mount Baker (; ), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. Mount Baker has the second-most ...
. They were unsuccessful because poor weather turned them away. Later that same year, Rusk made another attempt with George G. Cantwell and W. A. Alexander. Rusk and Cantwell were successful in making the ascent, which was the seventh ascent of Baker and the first direct up the Boulder Ridge.


Gathering of the Mountain Clans

Rusk participated in a "gathering of the mountain clans" on
Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...
in 1905. Always a leader in the mountains, he went with a scouting party from Paradise Park around to the west side of Rainier, possibly up Kautz Cleaver, in an attempt to find a route that avoided the notorious rockfall on the normal Gibraltar route. Unsuccessful, the scouting party returned and rejoined the rest of the party for the ascent. Over 200 members from the
Sierra Club The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization with chapters in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. The club was founded in 1892, in San Francisco, by preservationist John Muir. A product of the Pro ...
,
American Alpine Club The American Alpine Club (AAC) is a non-profit member organization with more than 26,000 members. The club is housed in the American Mountaineering Center (AMC) in Golden, Colorado. Through its members, the AAC advocates for American climbers d ...
, Mazamas, and the
Appalachian Mountain Club Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains (New Hampshire), White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., wit ...
were attempting the climb. Because there were so many attempting the climb, the clubs divided into two parties and climbed on succeeding days. Ninety-eight people completed the ascent including Rusk who volunteered as a leader of one of the groups.


Glacier Peak climb

Rusk climbed
Glacier Peak Glacier Peak or Dakobed (known in the Sauk-Suiattle dialect of the Lushootseed language as "Tda-ko-buh-ba" or "Takobia") is the most isolated of the five major stratovolcanoes (composite volcanoes) of the Cascade Volcanoes, Cascade Volcanic Arc ...
in August 1906 with A. L. Cool. They were the third party to climb Glacier Peak and the first to climb the east side. The day before the climb, Rusk named Cool Glacier after Cool as he was the first person to set foot on it. The day after the climb, while they were exploring the lower slopes of Glacier Peak, Rusk named Chocolate Glacier after the chocolate colored water the emanated from it. A later mapping error switched the names from what Rusk had intended. With the ascent of Glacier Peak, Rusk became the first person to climb the four peaks of Washington over .


McKinley expedition

In 1910, Rusk led an expedition to
Mount McKinley Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helma ...
sponsored by ''
The Pacific Monthly ''The Pacific Monthly'' was a magazine of politics, culture, literature, and opinion, published in Portland, Oregon, United States from 1898 to 1911, when it was purchased by Southern Pacific Railroad and merged with its magazine, ''Sunset''. '' ...
'', ''
The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...
'', the ''
New York Herald The ''New York Herald'' was a large-distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between 1835 and 1924. At that point it was acquired by its smaller rival the '' New-York Tribune'' to form the '' New York Herald Tribune''. Hi ...
'', and members of the
Mazamas The Mazamas () is a mountaineering organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1894. Promotion of mountaineering The Mazamas has been an important part of the climbing community in the Pacific Northwest of the United State ...
club. Rusk initiated the expedition when he wrote to Charles H. Sholes of the Mazamas and asked Sholes to join him in an expedition to the mountain. Sholes was unable to join him, but shouldered the responsibility of organizing the expedition and raising funds for it. Eventually, there were three others who accompanied Rusk on the expedition, A. L. Cool, Joseph Ridley, and Frank H. Rojec. Cool was a good friend of Rusk's from the area around
Lake Chelan Lake Chelan ( ) is a narrow, long lake in Chelan County, north-central Washington state, U.S. It is an overdeepened lake and resembles a fjord, with an average width of . Near its upper end, the lake surface lies more than below peaks less t ...
who was well known as an expert mountaineer and guide. Ridley was a forest ranger on the Mount Baker National Forest who had done much exploring and mapping in the area around
Mount Baker Mount Baker (; ), also known as Koma Kulshan or simply Kulshan, is a active glacier-covered andesitic stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc and the North Cascades of Washington State in the United States. Mount Baker has the second-most ...
. Rojec, the photographer for the expedition, worked for the Kiser Photography Company and was well known for his pictures of Western scenery. Their mission was to establish whether Dr.
Frederick Cook Frederick Albert Cook (June 10, 1865 – August 5, 1940) was an American explorer, physician and ethnographer, who is most known for allegedly being the first to reach the North Pole on April 21, 1908. A competing claim was made a year l ...
had indeed made it to the summit, as well as to reach the summit themselves. From
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, they took the United States
revenue cutter A cutter is any of various types of watercraft. The term can refer to the rig (sail plan) of a sailing vessel (but with regional differences in definition), to a governmental enforcement agency vessel (such as a coast guard or border force cut ...
''Tahoma'' to
Cook Inlet Cook Inlet (; Sugpiaq language, Sugpiaq: ''Cungaaciq'') stretches from the Gulf of Alaska to Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage in south-central Alaska. Cook Inlet branches into the Knik Arm and Turnagain Arm at its northern end, almost surrounding ...
. From there, they took the
sternwheeler A paddle steamer is a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine driving paddle wheels to propel the craft through the water. In antiquity, paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, whereby the first uses were wh ...
''Alice'' up the
Susitna River The Susitna River (; ; ) is a long river in the Southcentral Alaska. It is the 15th largest river in the United States, ranked by average discharge volume at its mouth. The river stretches from the Susitna Glacier to Cook Inlet's Knik Arm. Ety ...
to the mouth of the Chulitna River and then hired a local to guide them up the Chulitna and then two miles up the Tokositna River where they established a base camp. From there they worked their way to the toe of the
Ruth Glacier Ruth Glacier is a glacier in Denali National Park and Preserve in the U.S. state of Alaska. Its upper reaches are approximately 3 vertical miles below the summit of Denali. The glacier's "Great Gorge" is one mile wide, and drops almost over , wit ...
and then up the Ruth Glacier toward McKinley. It was terribly difficult work because for each mile they advanced, they were required to travel five miles back and forth to get all their equipment up the glacier. They also had underestimated the amount of food they needed for the expedition so Cool returned to the base camp to wait for the return of their guide with more supplies. Rusk, from information given to him by S. P. Beecher, a member of the Cook expedition, and after some exploration up a tributary glacier opposite Mount Church, quickly became convinced that Cook had not actually climbed McKinley, but instead climbed a much shorter peak about 20 miles from McKinley. Rusk named four peaks at the head of this tributary glacier: Mounts Sholes, Mazama, Glisan, and
Lee Lee may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lee'' (2007 film), Tamil-language sports action film * ''Lee'' (2017 film), Kannada-language action film * ''Lee'' (2023 film), biographical drama about Lee Miller, American photojournalist * ''L ...
. Sholes, Glisan, and Lee were named after prominent members of the Mazamas club. From there they proceeded up the Ruth Glacier passing through The Great Gorge and into the Ruth Amphitheater. At this point, Rusk no longer had any doubts that Cook had not summited McKinley. As he wrote in his article detailing the expedition, they "realized that it would require perhaps weeks or months in which to explore a route to the summit, we realized how utterly impossible and absurd was the story of this man
ook Ook, OoK or OOK may refer to: * Ook Chung (born 1963), Korean-Canadian writer from Quebec * On-off keying, in radio technology * Toksook Bay Airport (IATA code OOK), in Alaska * Ook!, an esoteric programming language based on Brainfuck * Ook, the ...
who, carrying a pack, claims to have started from the mouth of the Tokositna on the eighth of September, and to have stood on the highest point of McKinley on the sixteenth of the same month. The man does not live who can perform such a feat!" At this point, their food supplies were too low for them to continue further and they were forced to retreat back down the glacier. There was another expedition led by Professor
Herschel Clifford Parker Herschel Clifford Parker (9 July 1867 – 12 March 1944) was an American physicist and mountaineer. He was one of the original members of the American Alpine Club. Biography Parker was born at Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from the Columbia ...
and
Belmore Browne Belmore Browne (1880 – May 2, 1954) was an American artist and explorer. He was known for his painted dioramas in natural history museums. Early life Belmore Browne was born in 1880 in Tompkinsville, New York, to Ella Haskell and George Brown ...
attempting to summit McKinley at the same time. They also failed to reach the summit due to similar circumstances and later reinforced Rusk's conclusion by finding the very rock that Cook took his famous picture on. The Mazamas expedition had other problems as well. Sometime while they were on the Ruth Glacier, one of the members attempted to kill Rusk by hitting him with a snowshoe, but could not bring himself to finish the job.


Exploration of the East Side of Adams

Rusk returned to Adams in 1918, making a brief visit to the east side with Joe G. Hill and S. E. Sampson and verified the infeasibility of climbing the whole of Battlement Ridge. The next year he returned. This time he spent 10 days examining various possible routes with an inexperienced climber, J. Howard Green. During this trip, Rusk named the Wilson Glacier, Victory Ridge, and Roosevelt Cliff. The Wilson Glacier he named in honor of
Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...
for being the
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
president. He named Victory Ridge in honor of the victory achieved in World War I. Roosevelt Cliff he named in honor of
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
, who had been a champion of
conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manage ...
. In another error in
cartography Cartography (; from , 'papyrus, sheet of paper, map'; and , 'write') is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can ...
, the name was later moved from its intended landform. In ''Tales of a Western Mountaineer'', Rusk describes his original intent as " st beyond the southernmost ice-fall of Wilson Glacier rises a high abrupt precipice and we agreed that it might as well be christened 'Roosevelt Cliff.'" This is the ridge that divides the Wilson Glacier in two. Rusk made three exploratory attempts up the east side of Adams. The first was up Victory Ridge. They climbed up the ridge to over , but were blocked from further progress by a dangerously narrow section of the ridge. Rusk camped here for the night to test how a climbing party that might have to spend the night on the mountain would fare at that altitude. The next attempt was up the northern arm of the Wilson Glacier. On this attempt, Rusk was able to reach an elevation of about , but turned back for fear of
avalanche An avalanche is a rapid flow of snow down a Grade (slope), slope, such as a hill or mountain. Avalanches can be triggered spontaneously, by factors such as increased precipitation or snowpack weakening, or by external means such as humans, othe ...
s and his concern for Green's safety. As Rusk and Green continued to the north, they passed through the area of Devils Gardens and Rusk named it as such because of the curious
lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a Natural satellite, moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a Fissure vent, fractu ...
formations. The final attempt was up the Lava Ridge. On this attempt, they reached the lower extreme of the summit
ice cap In glaciology, an ice cap is a mass of ice that covers less than of land area (usually covering a highland area). Larger ice masses covering more than are termed ice sheets. Description By definition, ice caps are not constrained by topogra ...
somewhere near , but were turned back again by falling rocks that Rusk described as hurtling "down the slope with the speed of a rifle-ball." Rusk felt that it would be dangerous to continue with his inexperienced companion, but he also felt that a well-equipped, experienced party could easily climb the route.


Mount Stuart climbs

Rusk first climbed
Mount Stuart Mount Stuart is a mountain in the Cascade Range, in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is the second highest non-volcanic peak in the state, after Bonanza Peak (Washington), Bonanza Peak and seventh-highest overall. Mount Stua ...
in 1920. When he first saw it in 1894, Rusk desired to climb it; however, other matters, including the
McKinley McKinley may refer to: People *McKinley (name), a page for people with the surname and given name "McKinley" **William McKinley, 25th president of the United States. Places Philippines * Fort William McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio) in Metro Ma ...
expedition, prevented him from climbing it. That same year, 1920, the Cascadians mountaineering club was formed and with Rusk as a leading member, they decided that a record box should be taken to the summit. Rusk climbed Stuart with Rolfe Morse Whitnall in July and although Whitnall was unable to make the summit, Rusk was successful and placed the record box on the summit. Their success inspired the club to send another party later that year on Labor Day. This party consisted of Clarence Truitt, Harold Carey, Vern Mason, Joseph R. Vincent, Rolland Whitmore, Wayne E. and Fern Richardson, Rolfe and Alice Whitnall, and Rusk. The whole party made the summit, even though they had some close calls and were forced to bivouac part of the way down the mountain. Rusk climbed Stuart again the next year with Wayne Richardson, Truitt, Rolfe Whitnall, Max Hiscock, and Jimmie Frisque. That year, they climbed earlier in the season, May 29, than any party before and many thought that there was still too much snow to climb at that time in the season. All but Whitnall made the summit. Rusk led another much larger party up Stuart on May 29, 1922.


Conquest of the Great East Side

In 1921, in addition to climbing
Mount Stuart Mount Stuart is a mountain in the Cascade Range, in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is the second highest non-volcanic peak in the state, after Bonanza Peak (Washington), Bonanza Peak and seventh-highest overall. Mount Stua ...
, Rusk and a group from the Cascadians went on an expedition to Mount Adams. This expedition had as its primary goal to climb the "Great East Side" of Adams. They made their base camp in Avalanche Valley. Fifteen members of the Cascadians completed a climb up the south side of the mountain. However, the main climb was the ascent up the east side led by Rusk. The rest of those in this group were Edgar E. Coursen, Wayne Richardson, Clarence Truitt, Rolland Whitmore, Robert E. Williams, and Clarence Starcher. The route was very difficult for the climbing equipment that they had available, which was limited to two Swiss
ice-axe An ice axe is a multi-purpose hiking and climbing tool used by mountaineering, mountaineers in both the ascent and descent of routes that involve snow or ice covered (e.g. ice climbing or mixed climbing) conditions. Its use depends on the terr ...
s, five
alpenstock An alpenstock ( "alpine" + "stick, staff") is a long wooden pole with an iron spike tip, used by shepherds for travelling on snowfields and glaciers in the Alps since the Middle Ages. It is the antecedent of the modern ice axe. French-speakin ...
s, rope, and
hobnailed boot In footwear, a hobnail is a short nail with a thick head used to increase the durability of boot soles or provide traction. History Hobnailed boots (in Scotland "tackety boots") are boots with hobnails (nails inserted into the soles of the ...
s. Their route took them up the Rusk Glacier to the base of the Battlement Ridge, up onto Battlement Ridge and over The Castle, and finally, through the maze of crevasses on the vast summit
ice cap In glaciology, an ice cap is a mass of ice that covers less than of land area (usually covering a highland area). Larger ice masses covering more than are termed ice sheets. Description By definition, ice caps are not constrained by topogra ...
. The route was very difficult and it took a great amount of time to reach The Castle and required that they bivouac for the night on the west side of The Castle next to the summit ice cap. The route also made it clear that there was to be no easy retreat. The whole party completed the climb. Some climbers who had come up from the south side, who some in the Cascadians party knew, were incredulous and could not believe that they had made the climb from the east side.


Mount Hood climb

Mount Hood Mount Hood, also known as Wy'east, is an active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range and is a member of the Cascade Volcanic Arc. It was formed by a subduction zone on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast and rests in the Pacific N ...
was one of the first mountains Rusk saw when he and his family came from Illinois; however, he did not get to climb it until much later, in 1922. This climb he made solo up the Cooper Spur route. Once he got to the top, he spent a long time with the
fire lookout A fire lookout (sometimes also called a fire watcher) is a person assigned the duty to look for fire from atop a building known as a fire lookout tower. These towers are used in remote areas, normally on mountain tops with high elevation and ...
, Charles A. Phelps, who regaled him of many his adventures as the lookout. On the way back down, Rusk had one of his few climbing accidents, losing his footing and sliding quickly down the slope for a short distance.


Mount Shasta climbs

The last major Cascade Mountain to be conquered by Rusk that he wrote about was
Mount Shasta Mount Shasta ( ; Shasta people, Shasta: ''Waka-nunee-Tuki-wuki''; Karuk language, Karuk: ''Úytaahkoo'') is a Volcano#Volcanic activity, potentially active stratovolcano at the southern end of the Cascade Range in Siskiyou County, California. A ...
. He and four members from the Cascadians made an attempt to climb the peak in 1922. The four from the Cascadians were Wayne and Fern Richardson, Clarence Truitt, and Rolfe Whitnall. They nearly made it to the summit, but were balked by sheets of ice in the last hundred feet or so. The next year Rusk made a solo ascent and this time he was successful. Rusk closed his ''Tales'' by stating " third of a century of
mountaineering Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become mounta ...
was more than rounded out, and, if this should be my last journey to the ice-bound heights, I could not complain."


Final expeditions

While Shasta was the last mountaineering adventure that Rusk wrote about, he would continue to climb peaks around his
Grants Pass Grants Pass is a city in and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5 in Oregon, Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, Oregon, Medford, along the Rogue River (Oregon), Rogue River. The populatio ...
home including
Mount Thielsen Mount Thielsen ( Klamath: hisc’akwaleeʔas), is an extinct shield volcano in the Oregon High Cascades, near Mount Bailey. Because eruptive activity ceased 250,000 years ago, glaciers have heavily eroded the volcano's structure, creating ...
. However, Rusk most desired to return to Alaska and at last conquer
Mount McKinley Denali (), federally designated as Mount McKinley, is the highest mountain peak in North America, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the tallest mountain in the world from base to peak on land, measuring . On p. 20 of Helma ...
. Over the following years, Rusk promoted another expedition, but could not get any financial backing. Eventually, he decided to organize an expedition to Mount St. Elias instead. Several members of the
Mazamas The Mazamas () is a mountaineering organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1894. Promotion of mountaineering The Mazamas has been an important part of the climbing community in the Pacific Northwest of the United State ...
and Cascadians initially said they would go along, but all eventually backed out for various reasons. In 1930, Rusk went by himself to climb St. Elias. When he arrived in Yakutat, he hired a local native to go with him and they set out. However, the boat they took to reach the head of the bay that is the access point to climb the mountain accidentally dropped them off on an island. Rusk and his companion were trapped for weeks waiting for the return of the boat. This was the last expedition that Rusk would go on because he died in February the next year.


Written works

Rusk was a very good writer, with beautiful flowing
prose Prose is language that follows the natural flow or rhythm of speech, ordinary grammatical structures, or, in writing, typical conventions and formatting. Thus, prose ranges from informal speaking to formal academic writing. Prose differs most n ...
and fabulous descriptions that make the reader feel as if they are there with him. His writing has been compared to the English
mountaineer Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...
s
Edward Whymper Edward Whymper FRSE (27 April 184016 September 1911) was an English mountaineer, explorer, illustrator, and author best known for the first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865. Four members of his climbing party were killed during the descent. W ...
and
Adolphus Warburton Moore Adolphus Warburton Moore (1841–1887) (known generally as A. W. Moore) was a British civil servant and mountaineer. Life The son of Major John Arthur Moore and Sophia Stewart Yates, Moore was an India Office official from 1858 to 1887, holding ...
. In addition to his book, ''Tales of a Western Mountaineer'', he wrote several articles over the course of his life. "The Fourth of July on Mount Adams" and "Illuminating Mount Adams" describe the illumination attempt of Mount Adams. "On the Trail of Dr. Cook," published in three parts, is Rusk's account of the
Mazamas The Mazamas () is a mountaineering organization based in Portland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1894. Promotion of mountaineering The Mazamas has been an important part of the climbing community in the Pacific Northwest of the United State ...
McKinley McKinley may refer to: People *McKinley (name), a page for people with the surname and given name "McKinley" **William McKinley, 25th president of the United States. Places Philippines * Fort William McKinley (now Fort Bonifacio) in Metro Ma ...
expedition. "The Snow Peaks of the Cascades" describes the various peaks of the
Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington (state), Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as m ...
. Rusk's other book, ''Timberline Campfires'', was never published except for one chapter, "The Wonderful Story of Abe Lincoln," published in the ''American Alpine Journal'' in 1946. His ''Mount Adams–Towering Sentinel of the Lower Columbia Basin'' promoted creating a national park protecting Mount Adams.


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rusk, Claude Ewing 1931 deaths People from Knox County, Illinois Explorers of the United States 1871 births American mountain climbers 20th-century American explorers American conservationists 20th-century American writers People from Klickitat County, Washington Mount Adams (Washington)