HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Clinton New Era, 1910-12-15, Page 11aubsott--2\ Tunquerrii Wing
BY THE REV. G. R1 B. KINNEY
WE l'UT in three seasons trying to conquer the grim, scarred old. peak, Mount
Robson, and it took every packhorse, and every blanket, and every ounce of
grub, and every bit of muscle and nerve we could rake out of our inner conscious-
neses—not to mention shuttles --to look abroad from his naked horns on the wrinkled
valley of the Fraser.
Yes, we had that look —had it on Friday', August thirteenth, 1009—had the ascent
of the highest peak in all the Canadian Rockies for 'Canada and the Alpine Club—and
between you and me and the piebald bell -mule,' it took most of our faculties to do it.
It was in August of 1907 that I first saw the old bench -mark of 1875 on a bigDouglas fir
at the summit of Vellowhead Pass; where the waters of the continent divide and turn.
towards two oceans.
. The summit of Yellowhead Pass is not a popular resort by any means. Only a very
rude trail marks the progress. of civilization there, yet. We knew all about that rude
trail, It had been
worse than rude to
us for two hundred
miles—ever since
weleft Lagganwith
the gay intention'
of climbing Mount
Robson; We had"
hauled our ten
horses, individually and collectively,
out of • the Pipe -
stone intiskegs; we
had hewn our way •
and scratched our
faces in the fallbn
timber of the Sask-
atchewan and .the
Brazeau, and tum-
bled off and into
thingsinnurnerable
times; wehad seen
the -• big-, Columbia
Glacier, were inti-•
mately acquainted '
With Mounts Wil-
son, Coldinan - and
Athabasca.; had fed
our. beasts in the
high pastures • Of.
the Big Horn and.
the Goat and ,the
Cariboo. • „Yes; we,
knew that t?ail to
the:point of calling
it by its first name,
and•Whenwelinally
camped oti. the
bank of the Miette,
ancl'•after building
a raft,..girigerl.y.
'trusted ourseiveS.
and our outfit. to
the .mercies of its
.
tumbling- wat er s; -
we _almost sighed
' ' with. relief.' - .- . •
•.• For ••a• score . or
._.more of - •niiles we
•••foilowedtheMiette.•
FIERE Is THE DIVIDE of THE CONTIENT. THE WATERS OF BERG LAKE PLOW
TOWARDS THE PACilqc; THE STREAMS FED BY LAKE ADOLPHUS
IN TEl DISTANCE REACH THE ARCTIC SEAS
. , .
. .
MOUNT
• •
•
AROUND THE SHOULDER OF NfousT RossoN TW.cans A MIGHTY TONGUE OF ICE A MILE WIDE
'•AND SEVERAL MILES LONG . .
• :I
•
The Rainbow Mountains, in alt their gorgeous colors,' flanked us on either'lland, and ,
brooded over us. while we tumbled with the current, or toiled:across timbered bottoms
and sunny meadow's' where the wild pea -vine grows as high as the horses' girths.Up
here is the lair of all the rivers of the, continent. We .were constantly fording them— •
-wetness was the habitual condition of our collective trouser -legs, and a good share of most
of our possessions. Personally, 1 could -have got along very comfortably with\a few less
rivers, and I fancy the .rest of the party felt the same way, after the three hundred and
•.
sixty-first ford. •
The' party was an Alpine Club party, hOwever, used tosuchincidents, and we had a
definite purpose in view, which no amount of fords could discourage: to climb Mount "
t
andUniversity,. had organized, us from• he members of the
Robson. .No white.men had ever been.known to reach the king of the Canadian Rockies,
Dr. Coleman, of -Toronto
Alpine Club, with this intention. •
Finally we passed the last barriLl, crossed the last ford, and ss ung into the valley
of the. Grand Forks. Eight or ten Miles away the great limestone ivedge of the king,
13,70(1 feet up in the air, buttressed acros's the Whole valley, withs'a fall bigger than
Niagara roaring unnoticed at his. feet, and the%whole north side of .him one gigfintic, sheer,
unbroken .roc;k4aced slide from pinnacle tO io nCif' snow; 'towering far above f.1.11 the other
peaks of its range, its high -flung crown. Iltriost thuehing heaven, its pci pi slicul,.0 a1h
overhangiiig glaciers brooding over the deep valleys. with awful Win, is one Of the
grandest sights inutginable to man..
We did not make the summit that year, for Mount Ruhson eloaks.hinisc.lf in storms,
and is not syinpathcqie towards venturesome human ants, but We did a great deal of
:investigation 'around his lower slopes. I, from my roving: disposition, became the •ex-
• • • ' .••
•
TUMBLING (iI.ACIER Co'. TA' my 1)(155.15.1 5515 11,E-11F:110g WITH TIII:NIiIIR()US CRASI;INti§' INTO BERG
piorer of the: party, and. was constantly 'Wandering off on Solitary, jatints:•. MY tirSE
• ' discovery wa.S the beautiful lake that bears mY hameand nestles at the foot ol:RebSon
• •on his western sick It rivals L ikc. Louise for be and in fact; the whole icion
Ake _Louise, 'Yoh() tinel Glacier are to.. the heart .of the
• mountain-lpver,:without doubt surpasses thebeauties of all the known Canadian Alps:
- So fearful is the Height of Mount this valle.Y, and so Slieei•.is its Whole. • •
face, that the avalanches slide from itSvery highest peak to within 'i few yardS of the lake, .
where they lie the ea,r around, at art altitude oft
not more than thousand five hundred .
•
.
• On every side of the:great "Valley Of a Thousand Fall.";,a huge Wallaperpendicular
cliffs, thousands of feet high, hems the Valley. in closely. 'Here and lhere, on sheltered
ledges, patches • of spruces relieve with their dark greens, the grey'1. of the rocks, while .
everywhere the numerous streams from the great glaciers all around plunge Over the high -•
precipices in countless falls of spray. •A mighty tongue. of icebusover a cliff at the head
of the valley and,curves so .bow as to maththe valley floor, While..here.ancLthere in the
bottom- of thc. valley are huge. springs from which flow full Ilcdged streams A high-up •
glacier on the weat side has such 'ilarge .field of snow at its source and flows down so steep .
. an .incline that huge .chunks of ice are constantly breaking off its precipitous front and •
erashirig into the valley Leto*: • The, most fearful avalandhe•I ever saw came from this
glacier, and it tobk ten minutes by my watch for tile foremost Chunks of ice to reach
the valley bottom.. . . • . . .
At the head of the valley and to the north, rises- Aroma Turner, a.,splendid peak of,
some twelvethOusand feet altitude., while to the:right, at an altitude of between two and
three thousand feet above the valley, the Grand Forks, swift flowing from Berg 'Lake,
.leaps from the cliff and forms a superb falls -as high as Niagara, .then. plunges in:a, number.
.of beautiful cata,r- • -
• •
.• acts- down very .. .
• narrow gorge, till •
it sweeps across
the floor of.. the . -
valley: And from.
the Goat Trail,that
winds in and out
among these over -
the "Valley of a
Thousand Falls" lS
a marvel of. Alpine
.scenery.
Failing to climb
Mount Robson 'in
1907, owing to
climatic conditions
ourparty returned
the next summer,
and made several
„ heroic attempts up
RoRsON ON THE H NORTfs OE NSHIM Swam, OP IstAKRo ROCK FROM SASEd.TO SUMMI'F. TOWERING 13,70(, -FEET IN THE AIR Anovit FALLS 1-110118R THAN NtAOARA. TIM CROSS MARKS TIM SITP, OP CAMP the east side of
tCHIP.S1-1•P, PROM WHICH MR, I<INNRY MADR ills CLIMB TO THEPRAK M0.1.1 rit;rib
tOSOIl.
TIM SNOVil, MAD o MOUNT ITELAIRT RisILS 12,000 PERT IN TNR AIR, AND Is CLOsisLY
ATTActilin TO MoVNT ItolisON 0 TO SEEM ALMOST &PART
OP THU MAIN PRAlc
We Carry one of the LargIst and Rest Assorted
Stocks ot Watches, Clocks it efewelery to the County
WATCHES
. Ladies' and 'Genes Gold
Filled , Cases, stem Wind,.
with a good, reliable move7,
rnent, fully •guaranteed, $19
- Others from $1 to $10
Boys Watches LOO
Clocks of all descriptions
Special la nes for
Christmas-
tIMBRELLTIS
Vmbrellas with gold, silver
and gun metal handles'
Ip3ONY poops •
GOLD RINGS
k A Ring makes a very ac-
cePtable gift for either lady
or gond( man, Set •with
Diamonds, PearIs,
Emeralds, Opals and Sap
phires,
Signet Rings $1,75"Ito $10
• A special line of single pearl
14k rings at .... and $5
Wed i n9; Ring's
•
BRooeims
Brooches "of. all descrip-
tions and price:3, We carry'
a beautiful line of Pearl i•ik .
Gold Brooches at $t to $14)
.•
• •
Lockets
Bracelets..
,Coff Links
::Ne.aklets
-Uhains
Scant Pins
SILVERVVARE
Is always popular for presents
It is Artistic and Useful
We .put all articles of Jewelery inrrik'e'bo:)ces
and engrave initials free of charge...
Oar Prices are Right and Goods are Inst
as we Represent Them. • .• •
We:will be .plcased to see you and will treat you ,well
ISSSUER. 9F MARRIAGE
(No Ni)iitnesses Required)
AmiminsamEress,
pr
rancyriainittlt( .for 1 I
.iIuu. Cabinets,' Chairs. and Tables in 'mahogany
.China Cabinets, Buil I
—esis in quartercut oak
Large rm Clnurs, Contlics,'Rreiars in leather':J
Rattan Honker:4.h t • 3(0 •€.00 ', (10
Arm Chairs br;lvien''.... . .. .. • . .. –LW 200 • 200
hall Alirrois . • *. .. • • • 4 (10 4.50 5,00
14 die Dreshing-Taldes., Reception Chafirs and iliesks
Very Cheap.
.A line of beautiful gift pieturr s in. decorated oval ft tunes at 35e
1 Atrke P sintssij.,sitr fancyf rn es at•,. • • • 1,50
•
• Pianos and Organs make very acceptable'presenst
and this store is the place to buy them.' : We have
fine stock of Flutes, Mouth Crgans, Violins, Bows, -
Strings, Music Bags, MetronOrnes, etc.
LOW, PRICES FOR Q2ISH
When in Town --Drop in. ,
J. H. Chellew, Blyth
Aomikwir.!•••••••••••ww.amo.000.1.
CLINTON BOWLING GREEN