Koma Kulshan: The Story of Mt. Baker. John C. Miles. The Mountaineers, Seattle, 1984. 232 pages, black and white photographs, sketches, maps, bibliography. $9.95.

Koma Kulshan was an Indian name for Mount Baker, the 10,778-foot volcanic peak in the northwest comer of Washington State. The name is believed to refer to the fact that the top appears damaged by an explosion or shooting. The name Baker is for a naval officer who served under Captain Vancouver.

John Miles’ story includes not only the mountain itself, but also the entire surrounding region. It is told in comprehensive and highly entertaining detail. Miles goes into the history of the area and of the people who lived or traveled there: explorers, trappers, loggers, developers, foresters, skiers and mountain climbers. Among the activities of the climbers are tales of first ascents, new routes, accidents and rescues.

Mount Baker was first climbed in 1868 by an Englishman, Edmund T. Coleman. The ascent in those days was a two-week expedition. At various times, the approach involved transportation by steamer, railway, horseback, Indian canoe, and a great deal of bushwhacking on foot. Indian guides and porters were sometimes employed. Equipment included ropes, alpine stocks, ice axes and ice “creepers.” Less conventional gear sometimes came into play in these early days. A difficult new route in 1892 was made by a solo climber who cut steps with his rifle!

One of the more astonishing chapters deals with the marathons of 1911, 1912 and 1913, sponsored by the Mount Baker Club of Bellingham. They were part of a tourist festival intended to stir up interest in the area. The races started at the Chamber of Commerce in Bellingham, went to the summit, some forty-five miles eastward, and ended back in Bellingham. Until the first marathon, the record time over this distance was thirty-three hours.

Contestants had a choice of two routes, leaving Bellingham by either highway or railroad. Thereafter, they still had an elevation gain of 9700 feet by trail and glacier to the summit. The race started in late evening and the glacier run was made in the night, when supposedly the snow was in better condition. The eventual return to Bellingham seemed at times more disastrous than the glacier run. One racer lost first place when his railway car was derailed after hitting a bull on the tracks. He completed the route by horse and buggy, horseback and automobile. In the 1911 race, the winner’s time was twelve hours and twenty- eight minutes, and his prize was $100 and a buffalo robe.

Miles has dealt clearly with the sheer multitude and variety of activities in the Baker region. The continuing conflict of interests between developers, commercial interests and conservationists is well detailed and includes various vain attempts to have the Mount Baker area become part of the National Park system.

As for the physical aspects of the book, the pages seem somewhat crowded. The wonderful collection of historical photographs and sketches unfortunately are reproduced in such a way that many of them appear gray, pallid and without contrast. In some of them, important features are barely discernible. Nonetheless, they add greatly to the information and pleasure of this fine work.

Ruth D. Mendenhall