the trees climb up almost to twelve thousand. 

 Most of the trees at timber-line are distorted 

 and stunted by the hard conditions. Snow 

 covers and crushes them; cold chains their ac- 

 tivity through the greater part of the year; the 

 high winds drain their sap, persecute them with 

 relentless sand-blasts, and break their limbs 



and roots. Bancroft Ubmy 



Among glacier-records in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains those on the slopes of Long's Peak are pre- 

 eminent for magnitude and interest. On the 

 western slope of this peak the ice stream de- 

 scended into the upper end of Glacier Gorge, 

 where it united with streams from Mt. Barrat 

 and McHenry Peak. Here it flowed northward 

 for two miles through the now wonderfully ice- 

 carved Glacier Gorge. Beyond the gorge heavy 

 ice rivers flooded down to this ice stream from 

 Thatch-Top, Taylor, Otis, and Hallett Peaks. 

 A mile beyond the gorge it was deflected to the 

 east by the solid slopes of Flat-Top and Mt. 

 Hallett. It descended to about the altitude of 

 eight thousand feet. Along its lower course, the 

 lateral moraine on the south side dammed up a 



34i 



