A Little Known Region in Northwestern Montana . 19J 
deep narrow valleys down which swift torrents, from the snow-fields and 
small glaciers above, roar and tumble over their rocky beds, or plunge 
from ledge to ledge in beautiful cataracts. At intervals in these valleys 
the falling debris from the canyon walls has dammed the stream and 
beautiful lakes are formed. The river we ascended takes its rise in one 
of thesepakes, lying in a beautiful amphitheatre at the very foot of the 
continental divide. The lake is about two miles long and a mile wide. 
It is supplied wholly by three small glaciers which cling to the side of 
the mountain 2,000 feet above it. The amphitheatre contains about 
eight square miles. It is the result of a loop-like bend in the dividing 
ridge. Its walls are almost vertical, save one portion on the southeast 
sideband are from 2,000 to 3,500 feet high. The new pass is at the head 
of this amphitheatre, 7,250 feet above sea.* The dividing ridge itself’ 
the backbone of the continent, is surprisingly narrow and quite sinuous 
It is terminated at the summit by a thin wall varying from 50 to 300 feet 
in thickness and surmounted by pinnacles and chimneys which em¬ 
phasize its wall-like appearance. It is in many places so narrow and 
rugged that it would be impossible to travel along it without the use of 
ropes and ladders. It preserves this peculiar mural character for at 
least 50 miles. 
Aliern Pass .— Ahern Pass is 2,000 feet above the lake at its foot, and 
the summit wall on either side of the pass was estimated to be at least 
1,500 feet more. The entire force had worked two days in making a 
trail from the foot of the talus slope to the summit of the pass. The 
assent is very steep and was made with difficulty.! 
The Western Slope .— The western slope is in strong contrast with the 
eastern. A gentle grassy declivity, down which we could indulge in the 
rare luxury of riding, stretched away for a couple of miles, after which 
it rapidly became steeper, following the changing dip of the strata, until 
we were obliged to dismount and lead our horses through the thick tan¬ 
gle of brush with which the steeper slopes were covered. We passed the 
summit in a biting wind accompanied by rain and sleet, with a tempera¬ 
ture of 39°. As we descended the rain increased. We marched in single 
file through the dripping beech brush, halting every few yards for the 
* It was here that the services of our Indian guide came in play. One of the prospectors 
with us had three years before camped at this very spot with three other men and had 
tried for a week to find some means of scaling the rocky wall which barred their way. 
They were used to the mountains, but were obliged to give up and retrace their steps. 
t “ Aug. 22. As I led the pack-train out this morning I felt extremely anxious as there 
were several places on the trail where a misstep meant certain death. At the north end of 
the lake the trail zig-zags up a very steep grassy slope for 800 feet and then over 
loose slide-rock—talus — for 1,100 feet higher to the cut-walls, which loom up 2,000 feet 
above the slide-rock. The trail now follows narrow ledges straight for the gap, which is 
on the same level and 500 yards west. At one place we climbed a narrow and very steep rock 
fifteen feet high, in which we had to cut steps. We led our most troublesome animals over 
this. My feelings were indescribable when I started up this rock, not knowing what the horse 
would’do. The ledge was about eighteen inches wide, the upside wall sloping back. On 
the lower side was a fall of 1,900 feet.” — From Lieut. Ahern’s official report. 
