CHAPTER IX.

"To regions haste,

Whose shades have never felt the encroaching axe

Or soil endured a transfer in the mart

Pioneering the Asulkan pass.-Rocky Mountain goats.-The Dawson range. -Reconnaissance of the Loop valley.

THE acquaintance we had made with the mountains round "Glacier" had enabled us to form a fair picture of the region we were going to explore. From among all kinds of possibilities which had suggested themselves on our first arrival we could now select

those which would be most helpful to our main undertaking. Foremost amongst these were the exploration of the unknown valley (to the southward) which we had seen; and partly in connection with this, and partly for interest on its own account, would be the ascent if possible of Mount Bonney. Having learned by our late experiences that it was useless to start heavily laden with packs until we

had pioneered the route before us, we determined to start as lightly equipped as possible on an excursion up the valley towards the glacier col which we have called the Asulkan pass, and see what it would lead to, and also to inspect the valley opening at the. Loop with a view to getting at Mount Bonney.

After breakfast, at 7 A.M., we started in company with the good dog "Jeff" for the first of these excursions, taking nothing with us but the two cameras, small plane table, rope, axes, and sandwiches. Clouds were still hanging about the mountains and the vegetation was dripping after the recent rain. Several times during the day we were as wet as though we had fallen into the river, but dried quickly again under the breeze and sunshine.

On leaving Glacier we bore away to the right, keeping to the path which had been made to give access to the valley. For about a mile, it was in good order; then we found it obstructed by fallen trees, and soon after it vanished. Following the eastern bank of the torrent for some distance we crossed to the other side on a fallen tree. Farther on we recrossed on a bed of consolidated snow which completely bridged the torrent. Then we traversed a fine tract of coarse meadow land, which ought to have had about fifty head of cattle on it. Steep cliffs, down which numerous waterfalls splashed from the snowfields above, re-echoed the music of streams. Dark

VIII.]

A PERILOUS BRIDGE.

125

pine forest contrasted with the bright green grass levels below and the sunlit glaciers above. It seemed just like some scene in the Engadine, and was in itself a perfect gem of an Alpine valley.

Passing these meadows we returned to the gravel flats near the river, and sought for means to cross to the eastern side once more. A fallen tree lay in the surging waters, part of its trunk under water. With difficulty we made the first step over a deep swirl to this trembling, quivering foot-hold. It was a bridge more fitted for a rope-dancer than for us. Jeff would have none of it. He preferred swimming the torrent, and was consequently rolled over and over, and carried two hundred yards down the stream before he reached the farther shore. Keeping to the level swampy land as far as possible, we were soon stopped by alder scrub which forced us up on to the forest-clad mountain side. We halted for a moment, to admire a lovely waterfall coming down several hundred feet in one leap from the opposite cliffs. Then for an hour we had to struggle through a maze of dense forest and fallen logs, followed by a scramble through the alder scrub lining the cañon, which the glacier torrent had excavated. At last we were clear of vegetation, and crossing the stream for the fourth time, on a snow bridge, we commenced to ascend the high moraine to the glacier. This moraine, like many a one in Switzerland, was

composed of semi-rounded boulders compacted together by pulverized rock, channeled by watercourses, the lower part a perfect garden of flowers, while the upper edge, recently formed, held stones barely poised, and ready to roll down at the first touch. The flowers, among which our course now lay seemed wonderfully brilliant in colour. The scarlet castalleia, the purple-flowered epilobium, yellow asters, and white saxifrages bloomed in masses or in long lines following the ridges not recently disturbed by the last snow-melting. When we came to the steepest slopes, all vegetation ceased, a continued crumbling down was going on, and we had to beware of following in each other's tracks too closely, owing to the showers of boulders which became detached from the mass as we climbed. As for Jeff he would now and then make a most reckless charge ahead, sending down a perfect cannonade of small stones. The moraine, where we climbed it, was about 300 feet high, and on gaining the top we saw that it would not do for us to follow it, but that we must cross the glacier. This we did without much difficulty below the ice-fall, and then ascended the eastern moraine, at the side of the broken

seracs.

came to a

Above the ice-fall the moraine soon termination, and putting on the rope we took to the snow-covered glacier. Here and there crevasses

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VIEW FROM THE COL.

127

made themselves apparent as mere dimples in the spotless surface; others were wide open, and we were much amused at the sagacity of Jeff. He sprang across the open crevasses in the most reckless manner imaginable; but when he came to one only six inches wide, he whined most timidly, and peered down anxiously into the darkness. I don't know whether he had some intuitive feeling of danger, or whether in our greater caution he recognized its presence, any way he showed most distinct evidence of alarm, and relief when the danger was passed.

We soon got clear of crevasses, and after a trudge up a gentle incline, reached the col at 2 P.M. The scene was of course most interesting-deep down before us lay the valley we had looked into from the great snowfield. Our view was now across it at right angles. Some snow slopes flanked our col to the southward. Down these we quickly

ran, and gaining a projecting knob of rock improved our view considerably. The Geikie glacier, with a most wonderfully fissured surface, lay far below in the valley's gloom. From the Dawson range right opposite to us a most typical glacier, with lateral and medial moraines descended and just stopped short of being a tributary. Having taken several photographs and the bearings of the principal peaks, we sat down for lunch.

It was a lovely day, and we planned that this