The Ordway new era., 1922-04-14


Society. Washington, d. c.
The completion of the government S
Alaskan railway makes reasonably
accessible for the first time the Mount
Mckinley National park which con-
tains the highest point on the North
American continent. The total area
of this great playground which hith-
erto has been seen by so few people,
is about 2,400 square miles.
In scenic grandeur the stupendous
mass of which Mount Mckinley is the
eliminating peak has no rival. The
snow-line here lies at about 1000 feet,
and above that elevation only few
sharp crags and seemingly perpendic-
uIar cliffs are free from the glistening
white mantle. From the valley Of Me
Kinley Fork, which is at the north base
of the mountain and lies at an eleya-
ton of only 1900 feet. the bare rocks
of the lower mountains extend upward
for about $500 feet, and above them
Mount Mckinley rises in majestic
whiteness to a height of 10000 feet
the loftlest peak on the continent.
The upper 1900 feet of the noun
tain is clad in glaciers and perpetual
SHOWS, thus offering TO the noun
taineer the highest climb above snow
line in the world. The rise of 1900
feet from the lower end of Peters
Glacier north of the mountain, to the
highest peak is made in a distance of
only 13 miles. In no other mountain
mass do we find so great a vertical
ascent in so short distance. The
peaks of the Colorado Rockies, though
wonderful. rise from a high plateau,
so that at most points from which
they can be seen they stand only 1000
or, at most 5000 feet above the OBJ
server. Mount st. Elias, an 1S,O0O-foot
mountain, may be seen from sea level,
but the peak stands 50 miles from the
coast, and so loses in height to the
eye by the distance from which it
must be viewed.
Similarly the high volcanic peaks of
Mexico and South America and the
worlds loftiest mountains in the
Himalayas rise from high plateaus,
which diminish by their own elevation
the visible magnitude and towering
height of their eliminating peaks.
Southwest o. Mount Mckinley, Is
miles away from 1t, stands Mount
Foraker, only 1890 feet lower and al
most equally imposing. If it stood
alone, Mount Foraker would be IA
nous in its own right as a mighty
peak. having few equals; but in the
presence of its giant neighbor 1t is re-
duced to secondary rank.
These two dominating peaks, stand
Ing side by side and known to the in
terror natives as Denali and Denall's
Wife, far outrank the fianking noun
tains to the northeast and southwest,
among which, however, there are a
score of other peaks that rise to
heights between 1000 and 1900 feet
well above snow-line, and that are the
gathering ground for many glaciers.
In 1902 the first surveying party
that actually reached the vicinity of
Mount Mckinley was conducted by
Alfred II. Brooks and D. l.. Raeburn
of the geological survey. This party
entered the park at its southwest bor-
der and traversed it from end to end,
bringing out the first authentic infor-
nation in regard to an unexplored
area of many thousand square miles
and determining the position, height
aSd best route of approach to the
base Of Mount Mckinley.
Swarm With White Bishorn Sheep.
The mountains at the head of
Toklat and Teklanika rivers literally
swarm with the magnificent white
bighorn sheep. which are elsewhere
extremely wary and difficult to ap-
proach, but which in summer are here
so little disturbed that they move off
only when one comes to close range.
A days travel along one of these val
leys will usually afford the casual
traveller view of many bands Of
sheep. The sheep range on the low
er slopes of the mountains. especially
in the upper reaches Of the streams,
near the glaciers at the valley heads,
or even In the valley bottoms.
The bighorn sheep prefers the
slopes of high, rough mountains for
its range. and may be found only in
the mountains, within easy reach of
rugged crags, to which 1t may retreat
for safety from its enemies. Its
range, therefore, lies between timber
line and the level Of perpetual snow.
1t h difficult to make an accurate es-
innate Of the number Of sheep within