i 5 6 



The National Geographic Magazine 



selecting safe routes, and after six hours 

 of hard work camp was made near a 

 large stream which enters from the east. 

 The altitude here was 4,980 feet, con- 

 siderably below Dawson's estimate for 

 the Kananaskis Lakes, a fact that made 

 us first suspect that we were not in the 

 Kananaskis Valley. The tents stood on 

 a former Indian camping ground, and 

 in fact our men used their poles to 

 stretch the teepee. At this place we 

 overlooked a trail of great importance. 

 The narrow and wild valley opposite 

 our camp, with its muddy torrent, which 

 indicated a glacial source, seemed a most 

 unlikely place foran Indian trail. More- 

 over, the vast multitude of logs and the 

 rank growth of false hellebore, standing 

 seven or eight feet high, and other 

 weeds, sufficientl}' disguised the already 

 faint trails and led to a complete change 

 in all our subsequent movements. 



Though the weather remained clear 

 a strong wind swept clouds of smoke 

 from forest fires into the valley and 

 added to the dreary aspect of our sur- 

 roundings. However, a slight change 

 in the direction of the wind during the 

 night moved the smoke clouds a great 

 distance to the south and proved that the 

 fire was not nearer than the Kootenai 

 Valley or Selkirk Range. 



The march next day developed no 

 change until after about five miles of 

 very rough country had been covered. 

 A large stream then came in from the 

 west, and the valley is wider, with open 

 gravel beds for many miles. We had 

 now given up the idea of finding the 

 Kananaskis Lakes in this valley, which 

 we thought must be that of the Palliser 

 or some tributary thereto. Stead3' pro- 

 gress was made by marching over the 

 waterworn stones, which were very try- 

 ing to our ponies, and fording the river 

 constantly. Meanwhile a constant out- 

 look was kept for some opening on our 

 left that might be the Kananaskis Pass. 

 Nothing appeared till about noon, when 

 a gap was disclosed in the hitherto un- 



broken range of mountains to the east. 

 As we drew nearer, the gap seemed to 

 close again, and a more promising open- 

 ing was seen about three miles down 

 the valley. We had, however, already 

 come too far south, and it seemed best 

 to camp here and investigate. Though 

 there was not much grass for our horses, 

 a partial compensation was felt in the 

 almost total absence of the bulldog flies 

 which had made the charming country 

 near the source of the Spray River al- 

 most unendurable, and there was, as is 

 almost universally true in the Canadian 

 Rockies, an abundance of firewood and 

 excellent water for our camp. Proof 

 that the country abounded in game was 

 given by the presence of wooden frames 

 used by the Indians for scraping and 

 drying the hides of mountain goats and 

 other animals. 



The afternoon was spent in a general 

 reconnaissance. Tom Lusk was sent 

 downstream to investigate the first val- 

 ley on the east. Meanwhile Br}*ant and 

 I made a direct line through the woods 

 toward the gap which we had seen. We 

 soon came to a canyon and a large 

 stream, which descends from a green 

 valley above. A steep mountain of 

 moderate height appeared ahead, and I 

 proposed to climb it to get a better view 

 of the surrounding region, but Bryant 

 did not think it worth while, and turned 

 back. In an hour I reached 5,700 feet, 

 but could not safety go farther on the 

 almost precipitous limestone cliffs. I 

 got a fine view and made a sketch of a 

 promising green valley which runs south 

 and ends in some high red hills. 



As no trail had been discovered in the 

 canyon, we felt confident that Lusk's 

 trip would give better results. He re- 

 turned later, however, and reported 

 that there was no evidence of a trail in 

 the first valley on the east, and that it 

 seemed quite impassable for horses. 

 This was our first geographical problem. 

 To follow the uninteresting Palliser 

 River farther seemed fruitless, as it was 



