>38 
FOREST AND STREAM. 
[Jan. 23, 1909. 
SWIFT CURRENT RIVER. 
Mount Grinnell in the distance — (ilacier National Park. 
The Glacier National Park.— IV. 
While the bill to establish the Glacier Na¬ 
tional Park has not come up for action in the 
House of Representatives, those interested in 
the measure believe that it will be acted on and 
will not fail to pass. 
We take pleasure in printing below a descrip¬ 
tion of the area of the proposed park written 
by R. H. Chapman, of the Geological Survey. 
The area of the 
northern Rocky Moun¬ 
tains, which lies to the 
north of the Great 
Northern Railway and 
to the south of the 
Canadian boundary, is 
one of the most beauti¬ 
ful mountain regions in 
the world. To the east 
of the mountains the 
plains region, drained 
by the Missouri and 
Saskatchewan River 
systems, stretches mile 
upon mile of open grass 
land, practically treeless. 
In sharp contrast to 
the plains rise the 
mountains, which, seen 
from the distance, pre¬ 
sent a rock wall of 
great steepness, extend¬ 
ing apparently unbroken 
for miles. This, the 
eastern face of the 
range, is actually cut by 
long, deep U-shaped 
canons, which have been 
largely formed by the 
great glaciers which 
once flowed from the 
mighty snow - covered 
peaks and ridges form¬ 
ing the divide between 
the waters of the Atlan¬ 
tic and Pacific oceans. 
In the canons are 
roaring streams, which 
head in the melting ice 
and snow, flow into 
placid lakes and event¬ 
ually into the arroyos 
of the plains. Between 
the canons the long, 
finger-like ridges rise to 
considerable heights, the 
timbered t covered foot 
sloping until a region 
of brush-covered rock 
is reached, which in 
turn leads to the base of precipitous cliffs. 
The canons at the head usually terminate in 
great amphitheaters, rising cliff over cliff in a 
stairway of tremendous proportions, many steps 
of which retain an ice mass slowly flowing across 
it, each fed from a large ice field above, until 
a region of huge snow banks is reached. The 
main Rocky Mountain mass is actually made up 
of two principal ranges, generally parallel, with 
axis in a northwesterly and southwesterly direc¬ 
tion, the easternmost of which is the Lewis 
Range, which extends but a short distance across 
the Canadian boundary. The western, or Living¬ 
The whole region is inhabited by wild ani¬ 
mals. The streams and lakes abound in fish of 
many varieties. In the higher barren rock areas 
the white goat is found in great numbers, while 
on the slightly lower ridges, where some protec¬ 
tion is afforded by stunted timber growth, brush 
and slide rock slopes, the bighorn Rocky Moun¬ 
tain sheep has his haunts. In the valleys and 
on the lower spurs are many deer and moose; 
in places a few elk are found, and over the 
whole area, from high 
glacier and snow field 
to huckleberry bush of 
valley and flat, the griz¬ 
zly roams. 
All the game animals 
use the higher moun¬ 
tain districts for sum¬ 
mer range only, as the 
area is too high and the 
snowfall too heavy to 
permit of winter use. It 
would seem advisable to 
have a protected area 
include at least part of 
the North Fork Valley 
which lies to the east 
of the river in order to 
supply feed under all 
circumstances. This 
would not prevent the 
use of the west side of 
the valley for railway 
purposes, as later sug¬ 
gested. A portion of 
the plains to the east of 
the mountains might be 
added to facilitate this 
condition. 
The experience of the 
Government in the Jack- 
son’s Hole, in relation 
to the animals of the 
Yellowstone Park, need 
hardly be referred to. 
The rocks of the 
whole region are largely 
of sedimentary origin 
— limestone, sandstone 
and shale—and the con¬ 
ditions are particularly 
adapted to the study of 
the structure and history 
of mountain ranges of 
these materials, as great 
folding of the once hori¬ 
zontally bedded rocks is 
frequently evident and 
faults of some import¬ 
ance are plain. 
At one time prospec¬ 
tors for copper flocked to the region, but no 
finds were made that warrant the belief that 
the region is one of any value for this metal. 
Indications of oil have been found on both 
the east and west sides of the range, but none 
of the explorations have proved productive. 
There are numerous passes through the higher 
ranges. Across these the game trails lead from 
valley to valley; following the game came the 
Indians; the hunter and the trapper, looking for 
easy routes of travel, followed the Indians; then 
the Government engineers exploring and map¬ 
ping, and finally the hardier of the tourists and 
ston range, persists much further northward. At 
a point about eleven miles south of Canada it 
becomes the watershed of the Continental Divide 
which has previously followed the ridge of the 
Livingston Range. 
These ranges are the remnants of what was 
once a much wider plateau-like region of rock 
which has been carved and shattered by the 
forces of erosion, principally those of the 
glaciers. Upon this great mass are the higher 
peaks, huge pyramids and blocks, with cliffs and 
precipices hundreds and sometimes thousands of 
feet plunging away to the roaring streams of the 
valleys, or ending in the great crevasse at the 
head of some glacier. 
To the westward the mountains break precipi¬ 
tously, and from the foot of the steep, long tim¬ 
ber-covered ridges reach out toward the valley 
of the Flathead River. 
Between these ridges and extending up the 
canons of the higher range are many miles of 
lakes joined by rushing streams similar to those 
on the eastern side. 
