60 The National Geographic Magazine 



Bryant and I climbed a mountain 8,400 

 feet high south of our camp. From this 

 point a fine panorama was disclosed, 

 and even Mt. Assiniboine could be seen 

 far to the northwest beyond the Palliser 

 River. A very high peak lies just north 

 •of the new pass, one that had been seen 

 for two days, and that eventually proved 

 quite a landmark in our travels. We 

 were glad to see that the new valley 



one came directly across our peak. We 

 sought shelter from cold wind and hail 

 among some crags just below the sum- 

 mit. When the storm was at its worst 

 I noticed a curious sensation in my hair 

 and mustache. Standing up I felt a 

 tingling and heard a faint crackling- 

 sound. Bryant, who was quite near, 

 said he observed nothing. However, 

 we were almost on the summit of the 



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Photo by Wilcox 



" Lanes of green meadows and Alpine flowers " 



running south was covered by green 

 timber, a feature that adds very much 

 to the interest of a country and to ease 

 of travel. On the east side of this valley 

 is a double range of mountains, the lower 

 of which flanks the stream with abrupt 

 precipices, while the higher makes a 

 jagged line of sharp needles, now partly 

 concealed by clouds, with their strata 

 vertical. While we were on the summit 

 a number of thunder-storms were sweep- 

 ing over the mountains, and at length 



mountain, and I have little doubt but 

 that during the storm a large amount 

 of electricity was passing between the 

 clouds overhead and our peak, as there 

 was frequent lightning and heavy thun- 

 der on every side. 



The weather cleared in the evening 

 and became colder. We were camped 

 at tree-line, which in this part of the 

 Rockies varies between 7,000 and 7,500 

 feet. Our camp was in open country 

 intersected by long ridges of red stone, 



