Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1911-09-02
MOUNT MCKIN-
LEY REGION
First Exploration by United States
Geological Survey Party in 1902,
Described by Alfred H.. Brooks.

lie SItdI CTtSCeHtlC sweep Oh Al
aska's southern coast line is broker
at its most northerly point by Cook
Inlet, named after the famous explor
er of the eighteenth century, an EN-
payment which penetrates the main
land for nearly 200 miles. The drain
age basin tributary to Cook Inlet is
cut off from the Yukon and the Kus
kOkWim waters on the north anC
west by a chain of rugged mountains
known as the Alaska Range, at the
heart OF which towers majestic Noun
Mckinley, the highest peak of North
America, and its sister peak Noun,
Foraker. Previous to 1902 this re.
gion constituted a great block of UNI
known territory. When in 1898 the
United States Geological Survey be.
gan it's task of exploring, surveying,
and studying the mineral resources
OF Alaska, the first work was of ne.
cessity merely exploratory, for until
the larger features of drainage and
relief had been outlined it was impos-
sible to plan topographic and geo.
logic surveys. The demand of the
prospector was for maps and infor-
nation to guide him in hazardous
journeys. From 1898 to 1902, there
fore, the Alaskan work of the Geo
logical Survey was largely series
of reconnoisances, covering wide a.
reas and outlining the larger physio-
graphic features-a skeleton to be
gradually filled in by detailed map
ping. But the Mount Mckinley re-
gion remained untouched. Plans for
dts survey had been considered as
early as 1899, but it was not possible
to put them into effect until 1902.
Into an Unknown Wilderness.
THE Mount Mckinley Region of
Alaska" by Alfred H. Brooks, just
issued by the Geological Survey as
Professional Paper 70, describes this
work of early exploration of vast
tract of territory absolutely unknown
and incomparably wild. The report
is a large volume describing the
geologic, geographic, and mineral re-
sources of the region, but Mr.. Brooks
brief description of the trip itself is
a tale of real adventure. In LOS days
the party, consisting of men, pene-
trated 800 miles of an unknown Wild
ernes with almost impossible swamps
unfordable rivers, and lofty snow-cov-
cred mountains. These men depend
ed largely ON their guns for proven
der but finally accomplished their
purpose of striking through the Alas
ka Range and coming out into the in
terror Yukon Valley, feat which
was looked upon by the natives as i'm
possible. Starting from Tyonek on
Cook Inlet on June the party struck
inland.
Although the Indians and traders
agreed" says Mr.. Brooks, that with
good luck we might be able to get
across the Alaska Range no one be-
lieved 1t possible that we could ex
tend our work to the Tanana, much
less to the Yukon. 1t was the gen.
eral expectation that the party would
return to Cook Inlet in the fall.
This might have discouraged us had
we not known that few of the longer
explorations of the Geological Survey
in Alaska had been regarded as prac-
ticable by traders who were the most
familiar with the locality"
Mr.. Brooks describes a series of
marches, with topographic and geo.
logic work enroute, weary days of
trail chopping through dense thick
cts, and experiences with swollen riv-
ers which taxed the ingenuity and
hardihood of the members of the par
ty to the utmost to get themselves
and their pack animals across.
Moose, wild sheep, and other game
occasionally fell to the rifles of the
men and served as most welcome
changes in diet.
At the Base of the Great Mountaint |
Finally, Mount Mckinley and Mount
Foraker, which in clear weather had
been visible for most of the time,
doomed large and majestic and on
August fourth, camp was made only
Ia miles in an air line from the sum-
NIT of Mount Mckinley Here"
says Mr. Brooks, "a days delay per-
mitted the writer to climb spur of
the mountain to snow line and to OBJ
tain some clue to it's geologic struct-
lre; but satisfaction at standing on
It's slope miles from the summit,
which had never before been ap-
preached by white men, could not
but be tinged with regret that there
was neither time nor means for
a higher altitude"
The position of Mount Mckinley
was accurately determined as also
ts altitude 90 900 fapt Mount For