New-York tribune., 1899-07-30
found In any other part Of the worid. ~ -
,,ni,,,,e and neculiar to the State Of Maine.
THE SELKIRK GLACIER
A SCENE OF WONDERFUL GRANDEUR FhoI
IT'S SUMMIT.

Droner pIaces in guide books, biographies anu
books on the various productions OF h hatu
NJ yersonaI interest u and special knoWledse
of the glaciers of the Selkirks Deslh WIN
decision to spend day in their VicIni.y' .ha
passing These took form ana shape upon ~, ~,
cffectlng Of an engagement with guide 10 m H.
me on the following morning FOR the purpoS,
Of plotting me to the most interesting pai. "a "a
that great Selkirk glacier which the hotei at al, i
foot advertses as covering an area "a ""'1
thrty-eight square miles ,,
NV travelling sut was Just about as Wen
adam for glacier climbing as II Woud " ~. iu
a presentation to the queen OF fihSlahu puI
the chief essential was supplied by the gulue
in the shape Of a pair Of shoes. "hch were 90
heavy as A guilty conscience, ana ohiy one 9-AS
smaller thar the sleeping car Which DIousp ~ ~
10 the pace. They were hlsh IN the dHNt
broad IN the sole. and shod with heavy anu
protrudiny iron nails. Above them me sIa,
ful curves Of my shlnbones were uhnuy do,,n
tuated by being wound with heaVy Woo'r"
mutt es those admirable baudageS Wnlch 'dA'
the place Of leggings with the Enghsh army ~
India and with some Of the mouhtdiIeelo , - -
Europe My travelling bag gave up s"ea'1''
and my finished appearance led a bystandei ~
compliment me upon my close resemblance ~
a Corscan brgand Of the most maieVoleht 'yl-1.
But an attractive personal appearance Is Vey
far from 4 sine qua non on that kind Of trip
and five minutes walk from the hotel put US
where there were none TO see or 20 cIltIcise any
way A possible exception 70 that eHisteu III
the shane Of some possible mountain Sheep or
goat which the guGe told me were to be seen ia
the vicinity occasionally. -
The anomaly or tne Notel SUI t'u''t"o.
lost as we entered the woods. At the bulldlngs
we left a combination Of warm sunshine, green
grass wild flowers, fountains ana occasional
snow heaps Under the tail fir trees all was
winter The snow lay in depth varying ro'h
two to any number Of feet The spring warht"
had reached il sufficiently for meltihs III - -
posed spots, and for turning al me surface I,,S
moist mass Of coarse granulatoh' INTO "h',n
even the big boots sank 10 A depth Whch maui
heavy walking. Occasionally, by reason III
melting underneath. caused by running Watet'
Al and avon
plunge which was by no means pleasant Inc
way followed up the valley along the coutse u
rushing torrents whose source was the ga go
above They roared and fumed down theF
steep bed.
Flashing in foam and spray.
TO find their way eventually into the Columbia
River and 50 On into the Pacific Ocean
About one and three-quarters miles from the
hotel a large rock bears a painted inscription:
sixty feet % 5nOut" BY this euphOnlous ttle
is meant the terminal point IF the glacier our
Iath to It had taken us through forest OF tan
frs straight Indian arrows. We crossed the
pl Inging streams rude bridges. and emerged
at last upon the snow and rOck-cOvered morane
at the foot Of the ''snout." which appears TO he
a variable point Some years IL advances other
years it recedes. But always behind II, push-
ing its mighty mass downward 70 be melted and
transformed from picturesque ice structure INTO
even more picturesque tumbling and Whlrlins
mountain streams. comes the snow-moving buik
Of the glacier
Although | strongly suspect that there was
a
Of the snow-cOvered slope the guide unlimbered
the coil Of rope which ne carried. and We were
duly rOped up. Somehow it gave me the teellhg
of being led along like little dog on the END
of a string The rope may have been desirable,
and il may have been cessary The guide
said that there were covered crevasseS which
might be dangerous. We did pass number ot
spots over which he felt his way with caution.
and crossed two or three narrow but deep
assures which were anything but inviting hiding
places.
The time at my disposal did not permit
ascent to the crest Of the range. but did attain
a point which the guide said was three thol:-
sand feet above the hotel. The hotel itself is
given as 4 I'D feet above the sea level The
view from our halting spot was superbly grand
IN all directions were snOw-cOvered peaks. domes
an ranges. Facing northward in front OF us
stretched the Hermit Range: on the right, the
towering peak of Sir Donald and the only less
lofty Eagle Peak; to the left rose the pyramid or
CheOps glistening white the MONDAY sun.
Il was a scene of marvellous grandeur. There
was no long-range view. All lowered near at
hand and hid that which lay beyond. Around
us as we stood the huge masses OF up
teaved ice forms in rough and fantastic blocks
some white with snow. some OF clear. pale emer-
aid ice. Wherever the eye rested. near or tar,
there was beauty. marvel and grandeur. 1t was
one Of those scenes from which one turns be-
cause he must. but turns with unspeakable
reluctance
The ascent had been slow process of going
I'D steep flight of stairs. and making the
stairs as must upward. by stamping the
toe Of ones boots into the yielding snow. The
descent was more rapid sometimes we walked
in long strides: sometimes we leaped. on steep
or slopes, with still longer strides. The cover
ing of snow was too soft and deep for the glls-
sade but we had occasional opportunity to do
toboggan in proper toboggan atttude-but
minus the toboggan We took one drop OF tfty
feet bank which needed but smart kick
at its base to make il perpendicular That slide
consisted OF A few minutes of careful prepara-
tion the brink yell Of excitement. whizz
and the extrication from a snowbank at the bot
tom Ascent. descent and the halt at the top
consumed only four hours.
The appetite which | acquired was soon