ON BIRD MOUNTAIN 69 



closer to the river, and will average about 7,000 feet 

 elevation." 



** Farther up the Elk River, on the east side, in the 

 neighborhood of Sparwood, the elevations are the same 

 as near Fernie. On the west side, however, the moun- 

 tains reach a higher elevation, probably 10,500 feet above 

 the sea, and the distance of the summits from the Elk 

 River is increased to about ten miles. North of the 

 mouth of Michel Creek I cannot give you any close fig- 

 ures for the elevation. The valley of the river for the 

 most part is occupied by a narrow band of cretaceous 

 rocks, and the mountains on either side, at least the 

 higher ones, are composed of Carboniferous and De- 

 vonian. On the west side of the river, from what I could 

 see of the mountains, they seem to increase in elevation 

 as you go northward, and on the east side the lower 

 hills, which are composed of cretaceous rocks, seem to 

 dwindle into insignificance." 



Judging from the facts stated above by Mr. McEvoy, 

 we estimated the height of Phillips Peak at about 10,000 

 feet, and the average elevation of timber-line at 8,500 

 feet. We think that the goats we found and shot high 

 up on the south-western side of the peak were feeding 

 at a height of about 9,000 feet. 



Even on the rugged and forbidding summit of Bird 

 Mountain, we found bird life. While Mr. Phillips was 

 busily manoeuvring for mountain photographs, stagger- 

 ing over the cruel rocks, camera in hand, a flock of 

 willow ptarmigans flew up almost from under his feet, 

 crying " cluck-cluck-cluck-cluck." Their snow-white 



