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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



of Cook Inlet, thence into the interior 

 past Mt. McKinley by rail and up the 

 Yukon by steamer, returning via the 



White Pass. 



To reach Katmai from the route of 

 this tour would require the steamer to 

 travel only a few hours out of her course. 



But it is self-evident that no great num- 

 ber of people can ever enjoy the Katmai 

 National Monument if they are com- 

 pelled to land in small boats through the 

 surf, as we have had to do. Until our 

 discover)-, however, it was not known 

 that a safe harbor existed in such a posi- 

 tion as to furnish a feasible route from 

 the sea to the Smokes. 



A large place in the plans for 19 19 was, 

 therefore, given to the thorough explora- 

 tion of the coast-line in hopes of finding 

 a suitable harbor. One party, under the 

 direction of P. R. Hagelbarger, spent al- 

 most the entire season in this work, and 

 was able to report that they had found a 

 harbor that was all that could be desired, 

 and that there was a good route from it 

 back into the reservation. 



The new harbor, which we christened 

 Geographic Harbor in honor of the So- 

 ciety responsible for the discovery of the 

 wonders of the district and for its reser- 

 vation as the Katmai National Monu- 

 ment, lies in an arm of Amalik Bay, in 

 an area hitherto shown as dry land on all 

 charts (see map, page 222). 



Boldly entering a narrow canal at the 

 head of the charted portion of Amalik 

 Bay, one steers a straight course for 

 about a mile, when he finds himself in a 

 broad inner bay, completely landlocked 

 and secure from all manner of tempests. 

 The inner bay is bisected by a chain of 

 islands thrown across it, but there is a 

 good passage around them, admitting one 

 to the innermost harbor, which measures 

 about two miles in diameter. 



We had no apparatus for making com- 

 plete soundings over the whole bay, but 

 found the channel by which we had en- 

 tered so deep that we got no bottom any- 

 where with nine fathoms (54 feet) of 

 line. There is thus both plenty of water 

 and room for the largest ships. 



From the head of the bay an easy pass 

 of 1.200 feet leads over the divide into 

 Soluka Valley, which is entered close to 

 a fine hot Spring and sightly waterfall. 

 This valley leads directly into Katmai 

 \ alley, to which it is tributary, thus af- 

 fording a favorable route for the con- 

 struction of a road through the whole of 

 the district. 



The length of road necessary to reach 

 the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes and 

 to connect with navigation on Xaknek 

 Lake is not more than 50 or 60 miles. 

 When this road is built it will be possible 

 for a tourist to leave his steamer in the 

 morning, traverse the Valley of Ten 

 Thousand Smokes, and return to the boat 

 before night. 



Few there are, to be sure, who would 

 be content with a single glimpse of the 

 wonders of the place ; but, as far as 

 covering the distance is concerned, a few 

 hours would be all that was required for 

 the actual travel. 



GEOGRAPHIC HARBOR A PITTING ENTRANCE 

 TO SUCH A WONDERLAND 



Not only is this a safe and commodi- 

 ous harbor, but it is a fitting entrance to 

 such a wonderland as the Katmai Na- 

 tional Monument, for it is one of the 

 most picturesque bays along the whole 

 Alaskan coast. It is surrounded on all 

 sides by the most rugged mountains, ris- 

 ing more than 3,000 feet out of the 

 water. 



With the exploration of a route into 

 the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, the 

 field program of the Katmai Expeditions 

 has been completed. Although there re- 

 main many scientific problems yet to be 

 solved, the general features of this region 

 may be said to have been made known. 

 It has been set aside as a part of our 

 great national park system, for the per- 

 petual use and enjoyment of the nation. 



A route for a road by which the region 

 can be made as accessible as any other 

 of our national parks has been explored. 

 It remains for the people to decide when 

 such a road shall be constructed and the 

 region opened to public travel. 



