There are still peaks remaining in the Cascades with summits untrod by human feet. These stand as a constant challenge to adventurous climbers. Several summits of heretofore virgin peaks have been added to the list of "Now Conquered." Some of these peaks were climbed last year but were not recorded in detail.

NORTH PEAK LIBERTY BELL--In the last week of September, 1946, Fred Beckey, Chuck Welsh and Jerry O'Neil were in the Washington Pass Area, northeast of Lake Chelan, to climh the north peak of Liberty Bell. After hiking the sixteen miles from Early Winters Creek Guard Station to the pass, they beat brush to the west side of Liberty Bell where a gullv separates the north peak from the rest of the mountain. Following the right fork of the gully, and trading nailed boots for tennis shoes almost immediately, the party with Fred leading, worked along a slab on the north face of the gully until a good belay spot was found. From this point some very steey slab was traversed until a vertical crack was reached, into which Fred drove a piton. Passing this piton the party continued working up the ridge until they made the summit. An excellent view rewarded the climbers for their efforts, but no one had brought along a pencil to start a register. To leave some record, the lettering on a cheese box was cut off and pasted on adhesive tape to spell out the in dividual names. In descending, the group used two 100-foot rappels to bring them to the gully where they had left their boots. A total of three pitons were used on the mountain, two ascending, and one for rappelling. Later, the south peak of Liberty Bell, the highest point on the mountain, was climbed. From this point the party reported a good view of the middle peak, yet unclimbed.

SNAGTOOTH RlDGE--Two days after climbing the north peak of Liberty Bell, Fred, Chuck, and Jerry crossed over the ridge southwest of Willow Creek and attacked Big Snagtooth, the highest pinnacle on Snagtooth Ridge. After climbing the first 100-foot pitch which was both steep and exposed, a six-foot overhang was encountered and circumvented. From this overhang the party walked to the main ridge and the summit, both being relatively level, though exposed. No pitons were used on Big Snagtooth, although a shoulder stand was required to ascend the last fifteen feet to the summit. Following Big Snagtooth, two pinnacles, Willow Tooth and Cedar Tooth were climbed. The party then attempted a fourth pinnacle on the ridge. Trusty Tooth, which proved to be the hardest climb. Halfway up the first 100 feet, Fred required the use of a piton and rope sling for direct aid. From this point, after three attempts while standing on Jerry's shoulders, Fred succeeded in reaching a crack in the vertical rock face to drive a piton. Then traversing to the right. he reached another crack which, though rotten, al lowed passage upward to a point ten feet below the summit where another piton was driven for safety. The top was very small, the party being subject to the same exposure encountered on the rest of tlle ridge. Five pitons were used ir ascellding, two for direct aid. The descent was made with two 100 foot rappels from pitons and rope slings.

SLIPPERY SLAB TOWER -Dave Harrah, Bill Herston, Ruth and Keith Rankin joined forces in early May, 1947 to form the third party to attempt Slippery Slab Tower, a rugged gendarme south of Scenic up Surprise Creek Valley. This year's party made its way up the snow-covered valley to the base of the 250 foot tower at an elevation of about 6,250 feet.

Equipped with tennis shoes, ropes and hardware, they chose the east face to begin their ascent. Progress was blocked 50 feet up by a slippery slab from which the tower derived its descriptive title. Two pitons were used to aid in traversing the slab, for friction alone would have proven somewhat risky. Once over the slab, Dave Harrah accomplished a tricky exposed traverse directly above the slab, climbing to an exposed belaying point. Crossing to a ledge to the south face, the party discovered a steep, shallow chimney which they mounted with care to the 6,500-foot summit. A glass tube sufficed to hold their record of the first ascent of Slippery Slab Tower.

WEST PEAK TEMPLE-In spite of its proximity to Leavenworth, few mountaineers have visited the pinnacled region west of Nada and Snow Lakes. Two peaks in this region, McClellan and Temple were first climbed in 1946. May 7th of this year, Melvin Marcus, Bill Dunaway and Fred Beckey set out intending to climb the unclimbed west peak of Temple. After a seven mile hike to Snow Lake, there spending the night, the party next morning made its way around the north shore of the lake and headed for the saddle between Temple and McClellan overlooking Enchantment Lakes. Dropping to one of the lakes, they headed for the south shle of the ridge about one fourth of a mile from the main summit. With rope and tennis shoes, Bill began the assault on the west face of the 300-foot tower. The granite was very steep everywhere but amply cracked. Belaying continually, the party slowly moved up the high-angle slabs and narrow cracks. At the second rope length a tricky- hand traverse delayed them a little. Near the summit a shoulder stand and a chinning stint were made necessary by a short overhang. The climb, though short, was strenuously exciting. The estimated elevation was 8,350 feet and frorn the tiny summit mists played havoc with the scenery. Retreating hastily with the aid of a rappel, the party descended, crossed to the main peak of Temple and "second ascended" it. This second climb was somewhat hazardous by a light snowfall.

SOUTH PEAK MT. HOZOMEEN--Three miles south of the Canadian border east of the Skagit River lies isolated Mt. Hozomeen. Its 8,030-foot north peak was first climbed several years ago by a survey party; its 8,050 foot south peak was climbed June 14, 1947 by Fred Beckev, Melvin Marcu,. Jerry O'Neil, Ken Prestrud, Herb Staley and Chuck Welsh. Hiking the four miles from the end of the road to Lake Hozomeen by fashlight, the party arrived at the lake at 1 :00 a.m., indulged in four hours of sleep and started the climb next morning with a one and one-half mile brushwhack around the east end of the lake to the gully separating south and north peaks. Running water made travel miserable and often dry clothes had to be sacrified to overcome steep wet cliffs. Their objective, a 6,500-foot saddle, was reached after gaining 800 feet on a 30° snow slope, and 1,200 feet on exposed rotten rock and slabs, after having beaten their way through wet brush intermingled with cliffs. From the saddle the party worked in teams: Chuck, Herb and Jerry in one; Fred. Ken and Melvin in the other first climbing a 300-foot shoulder on the east side, then dropping 50 feet to a knife-edge and onto the south face on the ridge. Accomplishing a series of traverses, chimneys, and several short pitches, and dropping 350 feet through a small notch, a one.hundrcd vard traverse on the sollth face brought the two rope teams to the base of the final 400 feet of summit rock. They worked around a series of overhangs directly above them to gain 150 feet. The final 250 feet required the use of four pitons, a shoulder stand in cluding an overhang which would not be circumvented, and great care, since the rock was rotten and exposed. The six men arrived at the top at 4:30 p.m. with snow beginning to fall lightly. Hastily building a cairn, they descended with the aid of two rappels but were overcome by darkness at 4,500 feet where the night was spent. The mountain got its revenge, for the climbers had to endure a constant drizzle and vicious mosquitoes for six hours. At the first sign of daybreak they covered the remaining distance to base camp. Looking back for a last glimpse of Hozomeen they saw only an empty gray mist where the mountain would have been.

NORTH BUTTRESS MT. SHUKSAN-Mt. Shuksan has been ascended from every conceivable angle but the north, which is the true left profile as seen from Mt. Baker Lodge. From White Salmon Ridge, the steep rock cliffs and hanging glaciers rise to form a promontory north buttress at 8,600 feet which is separated from the summit pyramid by a segment of Price glacier. Bob Craig and Fred Beckey, late on the 20th of September, 1947, began the climb of this north buttress by dropping into White Salmon Creek from Shuksan Arm and climbing to timberline, over 5,500 feet on White Salmon Ridge. The next morning after studying the great rounded face, towering steeply overhead, they attempted an exposed hanging glacier just to the left of a 500-foot slabby cliff which blocked their route. Climbing almost vertically, they worked up a steep ice face, zigzagging between numerous crevasses to an ice finger which led to the steep buttressed ridge above the slabby barrier. Bob crossed a loose, snow-choked schrund, then Fred worked up the ice finger, cutting steps where necessary. On firm, 45° neve, the lead exchanged every few hundred feet. At about 8,000 feet, after a steep ice patch requiring careful belaying, the party emerged onto rock and found easy climbing to the glacier above the north buttress, although the rock was very loose. Crossing the flat glacier, Bob and Fred found a feasible point to cross a large bergschrund from which point they traversed the glacier to the east face of the summit pyramid. Then choosing the rock furthest right, thev climbed the steep, well-broken rock to the summit in tennis shoes, alternating the lead and belaying continually since the climbing was delicate and exposed. At noon the two stood on the summit, elated that the trip had been made so efficiently descending via Winnie's Slide and Lake Ann, Bob and Fred arrived at Austin Pass at 5:00 p.m.