168 BULLETIN UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA 



Placid lake is hemmed in on all sides by abrupt slopes, save toward 

 the southeast, in which direction the small stream leaving the lake flows 

 toward the South Fork river. At the upper end of the lake is a small 

 and densely wooded flat. The trees are beautifully formed, tapering to 

 a point, tall and stately. It is a flne place for camping, and game ap- 

 pears to be abundant in all the timbered slopes and valleys. The trail 

 is traveled very rarely, and the life of the lake and adjacent territory is 

 unknown, save from the collections made at the time of our visit, and 

 which will be reported later. It appears that the Indians have made 

 this a halting place in earlier days. 



From Placid lake the trail ascends a ridge to the northeast, the as- 

 scent being about 800 feet. The view in every direction is very flne, 

 and for this reason the ridge was named View ridge. At the time of 

 our visit the vegetation was very luxuriant. A storm was ap- 

 proaching from the east, across the miain Rockies, the backbone of the 

 continent. Heavy clouds were rolling over the peaks, enveloping them 

 one by one. It was a rare sight to stand at a distance and see the 

 ranges slowly wrapped in a mantle of mist. Behind, almost a thousand 

 feet below, was to be seen Placid lake. Beyond it was the main ridge of 

 the Swan range; to the left was Dodge mountain, bold and rugged. Be- 

 tween View ridge and Dodge mountain is a creek of considerable size, 

 unnamed. This creek we called Trail creek, because the old trail is not 

 far from it during its entire course, and crosses the creek again before 

 it flows into the South Fork river. Let us again follow the trail, 

 down View ridge; between it and the next ridge is another beautiful lake, 

 larger than Placid lake, and more interesting. The trail passes close 

 by the lake. The shores of the lake have no doubt been the camping 

 place of Indians, as evidenced by the large number of tepee poles. Tha 

 age of these poles shows that they were used many years ago. Game 

 signs are abundant. Collecting is good, but owing to lack of facilities 

 the life of the lake was not examined. From this region many rare bo- 

 tanical specimens were secured. 



Again the trail makes the ascent of a ridge, to the northeast. It fol- 

 lows the summit of the ridge southeastward, and keeps on the ridge until 

 it drops off to the South Fork river. For this reason the ridge 

 was named Trail ridge. The lake is likewise named Trail lake. 

 The names Trail creek. Trail lake, and Trail ridge seem very 

 appropriate. The waters from Trail lake flow in the opposite direc- 

 tion from those of Placid lake, and reach the South Fork river by an un^ 

 known and unexplored creek. The waters of Placid lake flow into 

 Trail creek. Trail creek originates in the snow banks and glacier on 

 MacDougal peak. 



The view from Trail ridge is excelled only by that from View ridge, 

 and the territory one may inspect is considerable. The ridges and val- 

 leys are well wooded, and to leave the ridge is to plunge into timber 

 where a view of the surrounding country is seldom had. 



