PREFACE 



" When the book of Hfe falls open at the jia^^e of sj)rin;;," 

 who does not long to enter the kini:,^clom of Nature and wan- 

 der therein, with bri<^ht-hued flowers abloom about his feet 

 and the silent, scintillatini;- i)eaks standin,-;- eirelewise above 

 his head ? 



High up where the snow-crowned mountain monarchs rule 

 over an enchanting land of foliage, ferns, and fungi, outspanned 

 in sunshine beneath the broad blue tent of the western sky, 

 the alpine meadows are ablaze with starr\- blossoms. Held 

 close in the curved arms of the cliffs, these i)atches of \crdure 

 and wondrous-tinted flowers are a revelation to the tra\eller. 

 From the mountains of the Yukon and Alaska to the hills of 

 Nova Scotia and New England, in the Rockies, the Selkirks, 

 and the vast mountain ranges of Montana, Dakota, Wash- 

 ington, Oregon, California, and other western states, one will 

 find that the same miracle has been wrought. On the lower 

 levels, white-flowered, scarlet-fruited shrubs stretch out long 

 branches, weighted with clustered loveliness, across the liny 

 ribbon-like trails that man has cut deep into the heart of the 

 primeval forest. Over the valleys the water wa\ s ha\e sjiread 

 an emerald tide of verdure, set with islands of tlaming I'ainled- 

 cups, blue Gentians, and purple X'etches ; while higher uj) the 

 slopes of the mountains are carpeted with mvriads of \ellow 

 Lilies, Gaillardias, and Arnicas, — a glorious l''ield ot the 

 Cloth of Gold. 



As the traveller climbs upwaid the scene changes; e\er\- 

 where there are barren rocks and lowering cliffs, huge escarj)- 

 ments and frowning j^recii^ices, for here Xaluie stands rexealeii 

 in one of her most majestic moods, and all the lines ot the 



