Further on their snowshoes took them to a place where "...the last five hundred feet was done at an angle of fully 85 degrees - just as steep climbing as there is an use for." Today we know that snow slopes seldom exceed 50 degrees, but it was understandable they felt that way.
They were soon to see the Quinault, the ending point for their upward travel. The expedition named the pinnacles to the left of the canyon Mount Christie. They photographed the horizon, knowing their trek would soon be over, then headed down.
The descent was a difficult one and Christie had the men lighten their packs, telling them to leave their blankets and surplus clothing. They cached their remainding supplies in a tree.
The downhill trek was steep in places with six miles of tough terrain. They discovered, on their descent, they had gone to a valley that was opposite where they intended to be. So they had to climb back up and redo their steps to get where they wanted to go, traversing steep rocks in their wake.
"Mr Christie would climb slowly up to some jutting splinter of rock or stunted tree whose roots had a firm hold in the crevices, and then throw down a line. One by one and from one niche or shelf to another we gradually scaled the face of the rocks, some time hand over hand, and at others by means of a loop around the body, each man worked up after the leader."
They finally reached the Low Divide and knew they had "attained the object of the expedition." At the head of Lake Quinault they found a settler who was willing to feed them; their supplies had run out and they were ready for a feed. Low on food at this point, they admitted they were even willing to kill for food.
Soon they were on a sloop for Grays Harbor. On May 21 Christie wired Edmond Meany from Aberdeen stating that the party's expenses to Seattle would be about $125 dollars, expecting the Press to send the money by telegram. A local took their picture and sent the negatives to the Press along with a bill for $5.
Each man quietly went his own way after the expedition, but the Press had their heyday when they published the story on Wednesday, July 16, 1890. This lavish edition was devoted almost entirely to the expedition along with zincograph etchings from photographs on the expedition. Barnes' topographical map was on one page.
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