DOWN AVALANCHE CREEK, AND OUT 323 



is plentiful and cheap, we speak of any small body of it 

 as a "pond"; but in deserts and on mountain summits, 

 where a body of water of any size is something to be 

 petted and made much of, people call it a " lake." And 

 very properly, too; for no meek and lowly " pond " is a 

 proper associate for Nature's grandest works. One of 

 the most beautiful lakes in the Elk River country is Lake 

 Monro, a few miles north of Goat Pass — named in honor 

 of Mr. G. N. Monro, of Pittsburg, who has hunted big 

 game in this region. 



Charlie was right. We found a lovely sheet of water, 

 walled in by a dense green stockade of spruces and bal- 

 sams. Toward the south and west, a high cliff of rock 

 loomed up, and southeastward were several immense 

 ridges with broadly-rounded tops. 



The lake is a gem of green and blue, lying in the lap 

 of Nature. For a few yards outward from the shore 

 the shallow water showed the clear green of an emerald, 

 but suddenly it plunged into unknown depths and be- 

 came " deeply, darkly, beautifully blue." 



Near the outlet of the ^^^_ . _ , . . .._.,. 

 lake, we found big tracks ^^^ . - ~\~---^^^^^ 

 coming up from the blue ,^8^-^5=£^~-I^rlE>i"r%- 



water, and at the head of it ^fc:rrM^,o.nM4H 



we found where the maker ^fe^^~-;^i«^v'^:^I:^-^^L 



of those tracks had gone in. ^^to^^t'%T|K^^5^ 



About two weeks previous 



to our visit a large bull elk 



had entered the southern end of the lake, and swam the 



entire length of it. Having read this bit of history, I 



