Chapter I: Preface

The Canadian Rocky Mountains offer exceptional attractions to those who enjoy natural scenery, sport, and camp life. Few regions of the world combining mountain, lake, and forest scenery possess the additional advantage of a delightful summer climate, such as obtains in the Canadian Rockies.

The extremely wild character of this part of the Rocky Mountains, and the very short time since it was opened up to travellers, are probably, in great part, the reasons for the lack of literature and the absence of any thoroughly illustrated publication concerning this region.

During a period of four years, the author has made camping excursions into many of the wilder parts of the mountains and effected a considerable number of ascents. An excellent camera has been an almost inseparable companion in every excursion, so that photographs of the typical scenery have been obtained from every possible point of view. Moreover, throughout all the processes of photographing, no expense of time or labor has been spared in order to obtain true and artistic representations of nature. Nor have these results been obtained without considerable sacrifice, for in many cases the proper light effects on lakes and forests required hours of delay, and frequently, on lofty mountain summits, high winds made it necessary to anchor the camera with stones; while the cold and exposure of those high altitudes made the circumstances unfavorable for successful work.

A map is not included in the volume, as, owing to the wildness of the country, there are no detailed maps covering this region that are entirely satisfactory. The best map, and, in fact, the only one available, is published in Dr. Dawson’s _Preliminary Report_ on this part of the Rocky Mountains.

The author makes grateful acknowledgment of the assistance received from many friends in the preparation of this book. Special thanks are due to Prof. J. H. Gore, of Columbian University, and to the Hon. Chas. D. Walcott, Director of the United States Geological Survey, for the valuable aid and information given by them; to M. Guillaume La Mothe for an interesting letter concerning the first exploration of the Fraser River; and to Sir William Van Horne for the many courtesies extended.

W. D. W.

Washington, D.C., July, 1896.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

_Banff—Its Location—The Village—Tourists—Hotels—Topography of the
Region—Rundle and Cascade Mountains—The Devil’s Lake—Sir George
Simpson’s Journey to this Region—Peechee the Indian Guide—An
Indian Legend—The Missionary Rundle—Dr. Hector—The Climate of
Banff—A Summer Snow-Storm—The Mountains in Winter_ 1-15

CHAPTER II.

_Lake Louise—First Impressions—An Abode of Perpetual Winter—The
Chalet—Visitors—Stirring Tales of Adventure—Primeval
Forests—Forest Fires—Mosquitoes and Bull-Dog Flies—Mortal Combats
between Wasps and Bull-dogs—The Old Chalet—Morning on the
Lake—Approach of a Storm—Sublimity of a Mountain
Thunder-Storm—Cloud Effects—The Lake in October—A Magnificent
Avalanche from Mount Lefroy—A Warning of Approaching Winter_ 16-35

CHAPTER III.

_Surroundings of the Lake—Position of Mountains and Valleys—The
Spruce and Balsam Firs—The Lyall’s Larch—Alpine Flowers—The Trail
among the Cliffs—The Beehive, a Monument of the Past—Lake Agnes, a
Lake of Solitude—Summit of the Beehive—Lake Louise in the Distant
Future_ 36-46

CHAPTER IV.

_Organizing a Party for the Mountains—Our Plans for the
Summer—William Twin and Tom Chiniquy—Nature, Habits, and Dress of
the Stoney Indians—An Excursion on the Glacier—The Surface Debris
and its Origin—Snow Line—Ascent of the Couloir—A Terrible
Accident—Getting Down—An Exhausting Return for Aid—Hasty
Organization of a Rescue Party—Cold and Miserable Wait on the
Glacier—Unpleasant Surmises—“I Think You Die”—A Fortunate
Termination_ 47-64

CHAPTER V.

_Castle Crags—Early Morning on the Mountain Side—View from the
Summit—Ascent of the Aiguille—An Avalanche of Rocks—A Glorious
Glissade—St. Piran—Its Alpine Flowers and Butterflies—Expedition
to an Unexplored Valley—A Thirsty Walk through the
Forest—Discovery of a Mountain Torrent—A Lake in the Forest—A
Mountain Amphitheatre—The Saddle—Impressive View of Mount
Temple—Summit of Great Mountain—An Ascent in Vain—A Sudden Storm
in the High Mountains—Phenomenal Fall of Temperature—Grand Cloud
Effects_ 65-83

CHAPTER VI.

_Paradise Valley—The Mitre Glacier—Air Castles—Climbing to the
Col—Dark Ice Caverns—Mountain Sickness—Grandeur of the
Rock-Precipices on Mount Lefroy—Summit of the Col at Last—A
Glorious Vision of a New and Beautiful Valley—A Temple of
Nature—Sudden Change of Weather—Temptation to Explore the New
Valley—A Precipitate Descent—Sudden Transition from Arctic to
Temperate Conditions—Delightful Surroundings—Weary
Followers—Overtaken by Night—A Bivouac in the Forest—Fire in the
Forest—Indian Sarcasm_ 84-100

CHAPTER VII.

_The Wild Character of Paradise Valley—Difficulties with
Pack-Horses—A Remarkable Accident—Our Camp and Surroundings—Animal
Friends—Midsummer Flowers—Desolation Valley—Ascent of Hazel
Peak—An Alpine Lake in a Basin of Ice—First Attempt to Scale Mount
Temple—Our Camp by a Small Lake—A Wild and Stormy Night—An
Impassable Barrier—A Scene of Utter Desolation—All Nature
Sleeps—Difficulties of Ascent—The Highest Point yet Reached in
Canada—Paradise Valley in Winter—Farewell to Lake Louise_ 101-118

CHAPTER VIII.

_The Selkirks—Geographical Position of the Range—Good Cheer of the
Glacier House—Charming Situation—Comparison between the Selkirks
and Rockies—Early Mountain Ascents—Density of the Forest—Ascent of
Eagle Peak—A Magnificent Panorama—A Descent in the
Darkness—Account of a Terrible Experience on Eagle Peak—Trails
through the Forest—Future Popularity of the Selkirks—The Forest
Primeval—An Epitome of Human Life—Age of Trees—Forests Dependent
on Humidity_ 119-136

CHAPTER IX.

_Mount Assiniboine—Preparations for Visiting it—Camp at Heely’s
Creek—Crossing the Simpson Pass—Shoot a Pack-Horse—A Delightful
Camp—A Difficult Snow Pass—Burnt Timber—Nature Sounds—Discovery of
a Beautiful Lake—Inspiring View of Mount Assiniboine—Our Camp at
the Base of the Mountain—Summer Snow-Storms—Inaccessibility of
Mount Assiniboine_ 137-157

CHAPTER X.

_Evidence of Game—Discovery of a Mountain Goat—A Long Hunt—A
Critical Moment—A Terrible Fall—An Unpleasant Experience—Habitat
of the Mountain Goat—A Change of Weather—A Magnificent
Panorama—Set out to Explore the Mountain—Intense Heat of a Forest
Fire—Struggling with Burnt Timber—A Mountain Bivouac—Hope and
Despair—Success at Last—Short Rations—Topography of Mount
Assiniboine—The Vermilion River—A Wonderful Canyon—Fording the Bow
River_ 158-182

CHAPTER XI.

_The Waputehk Range—Height of the Mountains—Vast Snow Fields and
Glaciers—Journey up the Bow—Home of a Prospector—Causes and
Frequency of Forest Fires—A Visit to the Lower Bow Lake—Muskegs—A
Mountain Flooded with Ice—Delightful Scenes at the Upper Bow
Lake—Beauty of the Shores—Lake Trout—The Great Bow Glacier_
183-204

CHAPTER XII.

_Sources of the Bow—The Little Fork Pass—Magnificence of the
Scenery—Mount Murchison—Camp on the Divide—A High Mountain
Ascent—Future of the Bow Lakes—Return down the Bow—Search for a
Pass—Remarkable Agility of Pack-Horses—The “Bay” and the
“Pinto”—Mountain Solitudes—Mount Hector—Difficult Nature of
Johnston Creek—A Blinding Snow-Storm—Forty-Mile Creek—Mount Edith
Pass_ 205-219

CHAPTER XIII.
HISTORICAL.

_Origin and Rise of the Fur Trade—The Coureurs des Bois and the
Voyageurs—Perils of the Canoe Voyages—The Hudson Bay Company and
the Northwest Company—Intense Rivalry—Downfall of the Northwest
Company—Sir Alexander Mackenzie—His Character and Physical
Endowments—Cook’s Explorations—Mackenzie Starts to Penetrate the
Rockies—The Peace River—A Marvellous Escape—The Pacific Reached by
Land—Perils of the Sea and of the Wilderness_ 220-236

CHAPTER XIV.
HISTORICAL.

_Captain Cook’s Explorations—The American Fur Company—First
Exploration of the Fraser River—Expedition of Ross
Cox—Cannibalism—Simplicity of a Voyageur—Sir George Simpson’s
Journey—Discovery of Gold in 1858—The Palliser Expedition—Dr.
Hector’s Adventures—Milton and Cheadle—Growth of the
Dominion—Railroad Surveys—Construction of the Railroad—Historical
Periods—Future Popularity of the Canadian Rockies_ 237-257