418 AJSr EXPLORATION TO MOUNT MrKINLEY. 



thought be3'ond tlie desire of lindhig gold; but in the hi.st three decades 

 they have been carrying ci^'ilization northward and converted an 

 unknown hind into a populated territory which is now yielding millions 

 of gold. 



From the forest we now entei-ed a belt of foothills, which formed 

 a northern spur of the main range, and once more ol)tained a clear 

 view of Mount McKinle}', still almost as far distant as when we first 

 saw it from Mount Sushitna six weeks before. This Avas no cause for 

 depression, however, for then we were separated from our goal by an 

 apparently impenetrable swamp and a great, snow-covered range, 

 whereas now there seemed no serious obstacles to our achieving our 

 purpose. 



Among these foothills, averaging a height of 3,000 or 4.000 feet, 

 dwelt large luimbers of mountain sheep, their pure white color, which 

 in this region remains unchanged throughout the year, making them 

 conspicuous ol)jects on the l)are rocks or moss-covei'ed slopes. In the 

 course of one morning's roaming over the hills I counted more than 

 100 of these mountain dwellers. In fact, the abundance of sheep, 

 bear, moose, and caribou found along the noj'th slope of the Alaskan 

 Range rank it as one of the finest hunting grounds in North America. 



Our descent from the foothills ])rought us to a gravel-floored plateau 

 which abutted directly upon the l)ase of the range. Its smooth, moss- 

 covered surface afl'orded such excellent footing and so few obstacles 

 to progress that for days we hardly varied our direction a degree, 

 heading straight for Mount McKinley. That mountain and its twin 

 peak. Mount Foraker. now oidy 50 miles away, seemed to us to rise 

 almost sheer from the gravel plain. We passed man}- large glaciers 

 "which de})ouched from the mountain valleys upon the plateau and dis- 

 charged roaring, turl)ulent, bowlder-filled rivers, which were our most 

 serious impediment. 



The other members of the party seemed to have no dread of these 

 dangerous crossings, but for my part, I crossed every one we sighted 

 a dozen times before we reached it. Late in the day, after the glaciers 

 had felt the full influence of the sun's rays, the streams would often 

 be so high as to be practically impassable, but morning would generally 

 And the water fallen 1 or 2 feet. The large rivers were always 

 reconnoitered on a horse stripped to the halter; then, if a crossing 

 proved feasible, each man would mount on the ])ack of his favorite 

 horse and essay the perilous passage, guiding the unmanageable steed 

 as best he could. The feat was ever exciting, with the animal plunging 

 shoulder high in the muddy, surging water, swaying from side to side, 

 and occasionally slipping on some hidden bowlder. More than once 

 a horse was carried ofl' his feet, and sometimes rolled quite over. Nor 

 was the ludicrous aspect entirely wanting, for often when the farther 

 bank was reached the horses would make a sudden leap for it and a 



