﻿TYFE 
  FIRST 
  ALASKAN 
  AIR 
  EXPEDITION 
  

  

  541 
  

  

  Photograph 
  by 
  U. 
  S. 
  Air 
  Service 
  

   THE 
  ROCKY 
  MOUNTAINS 
  AT 
  8,000 
  FEET, 
  FROM 
  THE 
  SOUTH 
  AND 
  WEST, 
  AFTER 
  

   CLEARING 
  YELLOWHEAD 
  PASS 
  (SEE 
  TEXT, 
  PAGE 
  53/) 
  

  

  a 
  mile 
  or 
  two 
  from 
  the 
  town, 
  I 
  procured 
  

   a 
  Ford 
  car 
  and 
  a 
  guide 
  and 
  proceeded 
  to 
  

   scour 
  the 
  countryside 
  for 
  miles 
  around. 
  

   The 
  roads 
  were 
  execrable. 
  Bottomless 
  

   gorges 
  and 
  steep 
  mountain 
  slopes 
  covered 
  

   with 
  timber 
  were 
  threaded 
  by 
  trails 
  lead- 
  

   ing 
  to 
  small 
  clearings 
  made 
  by 
  the 
  In- 
  

   dians, 
  or 
  occasionally 
  the 
  pasture 
  lot 
  of 
  a 
  

   white 
  man. 
  

  

  REAPING 
  AN 
  OAT 
  CROP 
  TO 
  MAKE 
  A 
  

   LANDING 
  FIELD 
  

  

  The 
  only 
  field 
  approaching 
  adequate 
  

   size 
  for 
  our 
  purpose 
  was 
  the 
  farm 
  of 
  a 
  

   Mr. 
  Bierns, 
  which 
  was 
  the 
  site 
  originally 
  

   suggested 
  for 
  our 
  use 
  and 
  recommended 
  

   by 
  Lieutenant 
  Nutt. 
  But 
  this 
  I 
  found 
  

   covered 
  with 
  three 
  feet 
  of 
  standing 
  oats 
  ! 
  

   Another 
  tour 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  convinced 
  

   me 
  that 
  we 
  must 
  either 
  land 
  on 
  Mr. 
  

   Bierns' 
  oat-field 
  or 
  else 
  turn 
  back. 
  

  

  Accordingly. 
  I 
  called 
  to 
  see 
  Mr. 
  Bierns 
  

   and 
  explained 
  the 
  situation 
  to 
  him. 
  To 
  

   my 
  surprise 
  and 
  gratification, 
  he 
  imme- 
  

   diately 
  offered 
  to 
  cut 
  a 
  runway 
  through 
  

   the 
  oats, 
  and 
  furthermore 
  declared 
  he 
  

  

  would 
  roll 
  the 
  runway 
  until 
  it 
  became 
  

   firm 
  enough 
  to 
  give 
  us 
  a 
  smooth 
  surface. 
  

  

  Leaving 
  details 
  in 
  his 
  hands, 
  I 
  hastened 
  

   back 
  to 
  Prince 
  George, 
  where 
  I 
  found 
  all 
  

   necessary 
  repairs 
  had 
  been 
  completed. 
  

  

  On 
  August 
  13, 
  after 
  a 
  delay 
  of 
  eight 
  

   days, 
  we 
  left 
  Prince 
  George 
  at 
  9 
  o'clock 
  

   in 
  the 
  morning, 
  and 
  after 
  a 
  flight 
  of 
  3^ 
  

   hours 
  we 
  landed 
  in 
  the 
  Bierns 
  oat-field 
  

   without 
  accident. 
  

  

  Across 
  this 
  most 
  forbidding 
  landscape 
  

   we 
  bucked 
  against 
  a 
  thirty-mile 
  wind. 
  

   The 
  reputation 
  of 
  the 
  Liberty 
  motor 
  can 
  

   never 
  again 
  be 
  immoderately 
  criticised 
  

   within 
  our 
  hearing, 
  for 
  we 
  most 
  certainly 
  

   owed 
  our 
  lives 
  and 
  the 
  subsequent 
  suc- 
  

   cess 
  of 
  our 
  expedition 
  to 
  our 
  motors' 
  

   fidelity 
  that 
  day. 
  

  

  Over 
  twisting 
  mountain 
  gorges 
  filled 
  

   with 
  rushing 
  torrents, 
  over 
  forests 
  of 
  

   standing 
  timber, 
  over 
  mountain 
  ranges 
  

   and 
  peaks, 
  we 
  flew 
  with 
  anxious 
  eyes, 
  

   seeking 
  an 
  inviting 
  spot 
  on 
  which 
  to 
  land, 
  

   should 
  our 
  engines 
  cease 
  their 
  labors.. 
  

   Our 
  imaginations 
  caught 
  frightful 
  sounds 
  

   from 
  the 
  motors' 
  roaring. 
  Onlv 
  when 
  

  

  