'92 The Forest Region of Northern Idaho — Leiberg. 



The only hard-wood tree (with deciduous leaves) seen was 

 Acer circinatum, Push, and that only attaining a low bushy form. 



The country west of the summit of the Cceur d'Alenes, and 

 •extending nearly to the plains of the Columbia, is almost wholly 

 composed of steep, rocky ridges and a multitude of deep narrow 

 canyons or ravines, at the bottom of which, during the melting of 

 the snows in April and May, a small and rapid stream winds its 

 way. The sides of these canyons, though very steep, are usually 

 covered with deep rich soil, supporting an enormous forest growth. 

 Along the larger streams are occasional pieces of meadow land, on 

 which grasses and flowers flourish luxuriantly, but the valleys are 

 generally as heavily timbered as the hillsides. The bottom of 

 the smaller canyons are dark, gloomy places, hidden by the tall 

 pines and spruces from the rays of the sun, and chuked up by fall- 

 en timbers. Through these woods it is a very difficult matter to 

 make one's way. The fallen timber lies everywhere in prodigious 

 quantities, and the living forest stands as thick as the trees can 

 grow. Only by constant use of the axe is it possible to get 

 through . 



To give an idea of the enormous amount of fallen timber I 

 will mention that one morning I counted within a radius of fifty 

 feet from my camp one hundred and thirty-five fallen trees, vary- 

 ing from one to six feet in diameter, and from fifty to two hun- 

 dred and fifty feet in length, and this was not an exceptional 

 place. Notwithstanding this great quantity of fallen timber, the 

 living forest at this point was not appreciably less dense than the 

 average. 



The intense silence and gloom in these forests is remarkable. 

 Scarcely a sign of life, except an occasional woodpecker hammer- 

 ing on the standing dead trunks of the tall pines, and the ants re- 

 moving the decayed logs. It is quite different, however, in the 

 few open places. Here life is in abundance. Herds of deer and 

 elk are quietly grazing, birds ol many species flutter about 

 everywhere. In the spring strange contrasts are seen in such 

 places. In one part of the meadow hugh snow drifts are rapidly 

 disappearing under the influence of a hot sun. Gay flowers are 

 blooming up to the very edge of the retreating drifts, and among 

 them hover numbers of humming birds, while swarms of butter- 

 flies alight on the traveler, regardless of danger. 



