The Cordova daily times., 1922-08-07


 Society, Washington. D. @
 The completion of the governments 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 2,40O 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- uar 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 e!eva- tiOn of only 1,5O0 feet, the bare rocks of the lower mountains extend upward for about $500 feet, and above them Mount Mckinley rises in majestic whiteness to height of 20,30O feet the loftiest peak on the continent.
 The upper 13,OOO feet of the noun tain Is clad in glaciers and perpetual snows, thus offering to the noun talneer the highest climb above snow line in the world. The rise of 1S,OO0 feet from the lower end of Peters Glacier, north of the mountain, to the highest peak is made in distance Of only 13 miles. In no other mountain mass do we find so great vertical ascent in so short distance. The peaks of the Colorado Rockies, though wonderful, rise from high plateau, so that at most points from which they can be seen they stand only TOGO or, at most 5000 feet above the ob- server. Mount St. Elias, an 1S,0OO-foot mountain, may be seen from sea level, but the peak stands 55 miles from the coast, and so loses in height to the eye by the distance from which 1t must be viewed.
 Similarly the high volcanic peaks of Mexico and South America and the worlds loftlest mountains in the Himalayas rise from high plateaus, which diminish by their own elevation the visible magnitude and towering height of their eliminating peaks.
 SouthW est of Mount Mckinley, 15 miles away from it, stands Mount most equally imposing. If 1t stood alone, Mount Foraker would be ia nous in its own right as mighty peak, having few equals; but in the presence of it's giant neighbor 1t is re- duced to secondary rank.
 These two dominating peaks, stand ing side by side and known to the in- teriOr natives as Denali and Denal's Wife, far outrank the f1anking noun tains to the northeast and southwest, among which, however, there are score of other peaks that rise to heights between 1000 and l4,O00 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 and best route of approach to the base of Mount Mckinley.
 Swarm With White Bghorn 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 a view of many bands of sheep. The sheep range on the low CT 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 It's range, and may be found only in the mountains, within easy reach of rugged crags, to which 1t may retreat range, therefore. lies between timber line and the level of perpetual snow. It is difficult to make an accurate es-