My First Summer 



these cleared gaps. It would be interesting 

 to ascertain the age of these saplings, for thus 

 we should gain a fair approximation to the 

 year that the great avalanches occurred. Per- 

 haps most or all of them occurred the same 

 winter. How glad I should be if free to pur- 

 sue such studies ! 



Near the summit at the head of the pass 

 I found a species of dwarf willow lying 

 perfectly flat on the ground, making a nice, 

 soft, silky gray carpet, not a single stem 

 or branch more than three inches high ; but 

 the catkins, which are now nearly ripe, stand 

 erect and make a close, nearly regular gray 

 growth, being larger than all the rest of the 

 plants. Some of these interesting dwarfs have 

 only one catkin, willow bushes reduced 

 to their lowest terms. I found patches of 

 dwarf vaccinium also forming smooth car- 

 pets, closely pressed to the ground or against 

 the sides of stones, and covered with round 

 pink flowers in lavish abundance as if they 

 had fallen from the sky like hail. A little 

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