The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1922-04-13

(Prepared by the National Geographic
Society, Washington, ID. e.
The completion OF tie 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 2,400 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-
ular cliffs are free from the glistening
white mantle. From the valley Of Nc
Klnley Fork, which is Mt the north base
Of the mountain and lies at an 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 height Of 20.900 feet
the Hottest 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 q distance Of
only ID 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 a high plateau,
so that at most points from which
they can be seen they stand only 1000
or, ut most 5000 feet shove the OBJ
server. Mount st. Elias, an 18,000-fooi
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 II
must be viewed.
Similarly the high volcanic peaks OF
Mexico and South America and the
worlds Hottest 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 Of Mount Mckinley, IL
miles away from II, stands Mount
Foraker, only $500 feet lower and al
naoaf a0uallv lrnnn~fn0 TO a. ~kaad
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 It Is re
duced to secondary rank.
These two dominating peaks, stand
ing side by side and known to the In
terror natives as Denall and Denali'l
Wife, far outrank the thanking noun
tains TO the northeast and southwest
among which, however, there are q
score OF other peaks that rise Il
AeiEhu between 1000 and 1900 feet
we'll above snow-line, and that are thu
gathering ground for many glaciers.
In 1902 the FIRST surveying part,
that actually reached the vicinity o.
Mount Mckinley was conducted b,
Alfred II. Brooks and ID. L. RaeburI
u the geological survey. This part,
entered the park at It's southwest Dor
der and tInversed II from end to end
bringing out the nrst authentic infor
nation In regard to an unexplore,
ares OF many thousand square mile
and determining the position, helEh
and boot route Of approach to tn,
base Of Mount Mckinley.
Swarm With White Bluhorn Sheep
The mountains at the head o
roklat and Teklanika rivers LITERAL,
swarm with the magnificent whit
oighorD sheep, which are elsewher
extremely wary and difficult TO an
proach' but which In summer are her
30 little disturbed that they move Of
only when one comes to close range
a DAYS travel along one of these val
leyS VIII usually afford the casua
traveller view OF many bands O
sheep' The sheep rAnge on the low
er slopes OF the mountains, especial
Ia the upper reaches Of the streams
near the glaciers at the valley heads
or even In the valley bottoms.
ns bighorn sheep prefers IN
slopes OF high, rough mountains "a
II" range, and may be found only /
1he mountains, within easy reach q
ragged erags, TO which It may re.res
I" SAFETY from It's enemies. II
range therefore, lies between timbeI
nhe and the level OF perpetual snow
u " oinicult % make an accurate e,
Innate Of the -pmber Of sheep With