The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1922-04-21

Society, Washington, Il. CO
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 2,4oO 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 1900 feet,
and above that elevation only a few
sharp crags and seemingly perpendic-
ular cliffs are free from the glistening
white mantle. From the valley Of Nc
Kinley Fork, which is at the north base
Of the mountain and lies at al eleva-
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
wilderness TO a height of 10000 feet
the l~oftiest peak on the continent.
The upper 1900 feet of the noun
tain Is clad in glaciers and perpetual
SHOWS, thus offering 10 the noun
taineer the highest climb above snow
line in the world. The rise of $4,000
feet from the lower end of Peters
Glacier, north OF the mountain, 70 the
highest peak is made in a distance Of
- Z - Ill. T. ~ nrhAr N
mass do we find so great a vertical
ascent in so short q distance. The
peaks Of the Colorado Rockies, though
wonderful. rise from a high plateau,
so that al 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,OOO-fOot
mountain, may be e 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 1t
must be viewed.
Similarly the high volcanic peaks Of
Mexico and South America and the
worlds Hottest mountains In the
IIllIldldNdS IlSc hISh DhheS"N''
which diminish by their own elevation
the visible magnitude and towering
height of their eliminating peaks.
Southwest Of Mount Mckinley, Is
miles away from it, stands Mount
Foraker, only 1900 feet lower and al
most equally imposing. If it stood
alone, Mount Foraker would be IA
nous in it's 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 Denaifs
Wife, far /outrank the thanking noun
tains to the northeast and southwest,
among which. however, there are a
score of other peaks that rise to
heights between 1000 and $4,000 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 vas conducted by
Alfred III. Brooks and ID. l.. RaebuYn
of the geological survey. This party
entered the park at its southwest Dor
der and traversed it from end to end
bringing out the first authentic infor.
nation In regard to an UNEMPLOYED
area Of many thousand square miles
and determining the position, height
cnl boot ra,,tn 90 onnrnonh m rho
base Of Mount Mckinley.
Swarm With White Bighorn 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 of
ONLY when one m to close range
A days travel along n Of these val
leys Will usually afford the casua
traveller Il view Of many bands q
sheep. The sheep range on the low
err slopes Of the mountains. especial,
In the upper reaches Of the streams
near the glaciers at the valley heads
or even In the valley bottoms.
The bighorn sheep prefers tn
slopes of high, rough mountains TO
its range. and may be found only
the mountains, within easy reach G
rugged crags, to which 1t may retrea
for safety from its enemies. II
range therefore, lies between timber
line and the level of perpetual snow
II Is difficult to make an accurate e
innate of the nurrher Of sheep With