Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1905-12-04
with sides smoothed by avalanches,

with ever increasing surprise as
mountain after mountain presents
itself to view, and the number and
the variety of rivers to be found il
this region seems equally surprising
The Bears, The Kicking Horse, Co.
lumbis, Iilecillewait and the Frazer
The Kicking Horse we had the longest
| acquaintance with; it is a beautiful
glacier colored stream dashing along
it's rocky way with many twists and
turns.
At Field a hotel managed by the
railway company is built in the style
of a Swiss chalet. 1 tried to imagine
myself in Switzerland, or rather, i'm
agine Switzerland set do Nn in this
! vast area, and it seemed to me as il
no part of the country would be Wis
ible unless it were the topmost pima
Gle of the Matterhorn. And yet thous-
ands of people from the United States
cross the Atlantic yearly to gee the
fne mountain scenery Of Switzerland.
Something's the railway follows the
river at the bottom of the gorge.
sometimes spanning its depths from
shore to shore If the turns in the
stream were too abrupt, sometimes it
skirts the eide of one mountain range
climbing at the rate of 116 feet to the
mile, while we view the opposite
range with the river winding it's in
tricate way hundreds of feet below
us when we reach Selkirk Summit. an
altitude of 1900 feet. On one of the
peaks in this locality a hated Napo-
leon is seen. On another a cowled
figure with a dog. From this point
the railway begins it's descent by a
series of extraordinary curves, doub-
ling upon itself again and again when
by a sharp curve the train brings up
in front of the Great Glacier. The
railway in many places is covered
by snow sheds, CIR rather tunnels of
massive timber, dovetailed and bolted
together and backed with rock, and
fitted into the mountain sides in such
a manner as to bid defiance to the
avalanches. At the station and hotel
at Glacia we are within thirty min
utes' walk of the Great Glacier, one
of a number of outlets to an ice field
embracing about forty square miles.
Here also arc to be seen eight famous
peaks, of which Sir Donald is the high
est, rising abruptly to a height of a
mile and a quarter above the railway
while we are already at an altitude
OF 1872 feet. Unfortunately for us a
heavy fog rested on the top of the
Great Glacier and the other peaks of
t lis i Interesting group, and we had to
imagine what others had seen and
tried to picture to us, that is the sun
light on the glacier, tinting it with
coos indescribable. In summer time
the railway company employ Swiss
guides to conduct parties over the
glaciers. The Great Glacier with i'm
mense crevasses cutting across it's
face is only a few hundred feet above
the level of the hotel. Several trails
have been made to it, and It's expIo-
ration is not only practicable but quite
easy. Continuing the descent from
the Glacier House the Loop is soon
reached, after which the line makes
many sharp twists and turns, doubl-
ing back upon itself, and at last shoot
ing down the valley parallel to its
former course. In looking down
upon the road with it's sharp and in
turns it does not seem posi-
BILE that a train could make good time
and not be hurled from the track and
yet we seemed to glide down with
and rapidity.
From here on some of this mar
velous scenery was lost to view in
5he nighttime. One should traverse
,hese vast mountain ranges in summer
lime when there are two passenger
rains daily with observation cars,
that one could stop off at night and
the whole by daylight. But
low n would be obligedl to stop
;wenty-four hours and u the
Quincy at the same hour next day.
the early morning hours our ewes
we're greeted by a sight of the beau
iful Fraser River, which flows
through green valleys with lofty
on either hand, and rude
indian huts give place to well culti-
zated fields. AS we near the Pacific
coast nature takes on a more summer
ike and luxuriant appearance. The
charm of this whole mountain trip is
n it's variety. When We pass from
he Rocky Mountain range to the
then, in the valleys and
It the base of the mountains;