The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Most everyone thinks there are six mountains in Glacier National Park that are over ten thousand feet tall. I don’t agree with that. Actually, there are a few of us who don’t agree with that. This is the story of why we think there are really seven mountains in Glacier National Park higher than ten thousand feet!

First, the six. Let’s see if I can remember them and how to spell them. Let’s start with the tallest of all, Mount Cleveland. Then there is Sieyh, Kintla, Merritt, Jackson, and Mount Stimpson.

It is Mount Cleveland that gives me trouble. You see there is a huge abutment adjoining Mount Cleveland that is over ten thousand feet as well. It is officially called Kaiser Point but has long been called by mountain climbers C 2 which stands for Cleveland two.

In the history of Glacier National Park there are several mountains that abut other mountains but are listed separately. In the long line of mountains forming the south side of St. Mary Lake, Mount Citadel comes to mind. An abutment of that mountain is called Dusty Star and is looked at as a mountain in its own right.

So it should be with C 2 and Cleveland. By the way, Cleveland was first named Kaiser Peak until George Bird Grinnell named it Mount Cleveland for President Cleveland because Cleveland had established the Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve which included all of what is now Glacier National Park.

I will never see my mission get accomplished but just so you know, for a few of us, there are seven mountains above ten thousand feet and C 2 is one of the most beautiful of them all.