208 HUNTING IN THE ARCTIC 



sleeping blankets. After we established ourselves within 

 range of the game, Fritz was to come back to the lake and 

 bring up additional goods as they were needed. We left 

 in the cabin, therefore, as a base of supply, most of 

 our food and all the duffle which was not absolutely 

 necessary for the first few days. 



Sheep were to be our first object, although in reaching 

 their habitat we should pass through country frequented 

 by moose; for we desired to have our work among the 

 mountains finished before snow fell and made the going 

 difficult. 



Accordingly all four of us took loads on our backs 

 and began to scale the mountains which rose immediately 

 behind the cabin. At first the path led through the 

 dense wood at an easy grade. It grew so warm here that 

 soon we stopped to take off most of the clothing which 

 covered our backs, leaving only a thin flannel shirt. 

 The Cottonwood, birch, spruce and hemlock graduafly 

 thinned out to spruce and hemlock, until we reached the 

 timber line. Here juniper, alder and moss replaced the 

 larger trees. Much of the path was now extremely 

 steep and sHppery. When we reached the open upper 

 slope of the mountain the cold wind whirled a heavy 

 snow storm down upon us and we stopped in the shelter 

 of some alders to strip and put on the clothing we had 

 removed below. A short distance higher we arrived at 

 the smnmit of Bear Pass, some twenty-five hundred feet 

 above the sea level, having marched about four miles 

 in as many hours to attain it. Below us spread a splendid 

 panorama of Skilak Lake, but the full beauty of the more 

 distant view was shut out from us by the falling snow. 



Ten miles of barren upland, crossing two ridges and 

 passing a couple of lakes, succeeded the stiff climb. Our 



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