as i f 1 f f S f if i w V w wast Y v f x t va V some it Is called tha switzerland L of america true it had the ma jostle snow topped mountains crowd ed closely together the glittering f ice fields of glaciers the sparkling little lakes lying cupped between the 1 heights and the magnificent foreste 1 of pine and fir dut not as in switzerland are there towns and hamlets and scattered cottages the must gain the summits afoot or on or without the aid of funicular or cog alawa over and through and about it there are ot the immense swarms of grippers trippers trip pers that infest the old world country hordes of guides do not dog your footsteps and ravenous hotelkeeper a vw ire not found at every turn others have dubbed it uncle same newest aery long so some writer with a vivid jon must find a new name for the glacier na lonal park about 14 persons visited glacier park last ummer and in the coming season it is probable ully twice as many will view its beauties and wonders although as a national park it is only fwu art vv 4 wy ahrea years old its name is already familiar in his country because of the advertising it has and of the enthuse y accounts of those who i bave seen it and it seems to become one of he most popular regions for dersons who like to spend heir holidays in some ahat unconventional way nd at moderate expense f occupying 1400 square allea near the northwest orner of montana glacier ark Is right in the heart f the and in the latter of mountain scenery yields to no place doz a ns of magnificent peaks bowd the landscape some to heights of more than 10 feet on ie upper slopes of many of them anine the gla that give the park its name and from these yer lasting beds of snow and ice are born scores F torrents that dash down the mountain sides and uri among the mountains are deep lakes that lie like burnished mirrors in the calm of a sunny day or are lashed nto black rage when the storm sweeps down on them from the heights perilous passes esteep and rocky climbs slippery scrambles across glaciers and miles of dense forest are there for those who like the more strenuous life for the others there are automobile coach launch and horseback trips rest and recreation in an excellent hotel delightful chalet camps and always mellow day and cool nights if one wishes to get away from hotel life entirely he can have camping trips in the wilderness and it Is really wilderness in which he can wander foi weeks without seeing a human habitation dig game Is there in abundance bears mountain sheep mountain goats and various kinds of varmint but of course it Is strictly protected by uncle sam but fish are there too especially trout and the visitor la tree to catch them it he can adding their own touch of are the indians of the Black teet tribe whose home Is in the reservation immediately east of the park the usual entrance to the park Is at its southeast corner where at glacier park station Is one of the most remarkable and attractive hotels in the country the main building is constructed largely of immense logs from washington and oregon and the spacious lobby is flanked by these natural pillars which tower three stories to the root enormous fireplaces scores of pelts of wild animals and the beads of buffalo and deer add to the attractions and more comfort and better food cannot be obtained in metropolitan hotels tourists guides and indians mingle here and formality Is discarded I 1 haven t the slightest intention of writing a guidebook to the glacier national park but I 1 do wish to tell of some of its wonders and beauties that can be seen in a visit of a few days so first lets climb into this big touring car aud go to lake st mary our chauffeur Is a breed capable courteous and well educated who knows the country as you know your back yard for some 20 miles our route lies through the indian reser and we skim along the boulevard road across sweeps of prairie up bills and along the edges of now dipping down into lovely valleys now crossing rushing streams with the mountains ever growing more imposing and fascinating twisting up a climb and ing to the west we come to the continental water shed near triple divide mountain thence the waters flow on one side to hudson bay on another to jhb pacific and on the third to the mississippi valley and the gulf this la truly the roof of the continent now tor 16 miles the road runs through the gibat pine forests and winds gradually downward oa the slopes of the mountain until with a loud honking our motor car draws up beside the charming log chafets chalets of st mary camp that cling to the steep shores of the lake whose waters sparkle and ripple under the midday sun dinner awaits in the biggest chalet plain food well cloud and plentiful served by attractive waitresses it Is eaten with a and without formalities and then after a few minutes in the recreation chalet with its player piano and dance floor we all pile aboard a powerful launch and bead up the lake for going to the sun camp on the right stretches the long ridge of single shot mountain and on the left rise citadel al most a doe lovely name and other fine peaks but our eyes are fixed forward to where going to tho sun mountain rears ite magnificent snow topped head it Is one of the most picturesque mountain in america and hanging near it urn mil Is a larse glacier whose stream falling bead long la constantly blown upward into spray by the never ceasing winds from the camp built biffl on a tory abat far into the 2 lake the view of this mountain of Black teet gla cler of citadel reynolds and fusillade mountains and of the heights about pass far beyond la most impressive while we linger here marveling at the upside down waterfall the vivid colon of the mountains and the ice green lake spread at our feet the sharp peak of fusillade Is veiled by clouds that pour swiftly over and about the nearer heights and away up there a snowstorm Is raging for us it Is rain however and driven to shelter we crowd into the cabin of the launch and hustle back to st mary camp from st mary camp the automobile road has lust been extended some 20 miles to many glacier camp on lake mcdermott this in itself fine enough Is the headquarters from which we make short trips to some of the park s greatest attractions morning eagle falls cataract creek swift current pass and most wonderful of all iceberg lake this little body of exquisitely blue water Is almost wholly surrounded by serrated splintered ridges that tower 3 feet above its surface on a kind of shelf lies what is left of the ancient glacier that scooped out this basin ages ago and from its edges icebergs large and small are continually breaking off to go floating lazily about in the lake iceberg lake Is the habitat of the polar trout discovered by hoke smith who says they have fur instead of scales now back to the glacier park hotel tor mall and a little rest for we are seeing the park in a lazy leisurely fashion and what next well suppose we give at least one day to two medicine lake a region that tor sheer beauty can hold its own with any in the park the trip is made by stage in about three hours and on the way up the lovely valley we tie up the horses and are led through the forest to the trick falls here in high water times two medicine river plunges over the edge of a mass of rocks down among huge boulders but in the dry season it drops into a hole above and emerges more quietly through a cavern in the rocky wall the mountain that especially domi nates two medicine lake Is rising wolf and it Is almost as handsome as going to the sun here too is another of those delightful chalet camps and what with the view the food and the air it is hard to tear one s self away from it if there are any real fishermen in our party the best thing they can do Is to go to st marys camp again and from there by trail to red eagle lake three hours distant this beautiful acen lake only a mile long and haka mile wide Is from to feet deep and fairly with cut throat trout while in the streams that flow anto and out of it the dolly varden trout I 1 found in great numbers these fish are good fighters and the angler who gets one on his hook and undertakes to yank it from Us ice cold home has a task that delights his soul since ther Is a stretch of shallow water in front of the camp the fisherman often rides out on horseback to deeper water and there still astride his steed casts for the trout the first time you sit on a horse and try to land a ten pound cut throat you will forget there Is anything else on earth except that little lake surrounded by a dozen magnificent mountains that horse and that trout being still somewhat averse to strenuous exer else we are now going to board the train at gla cler park station and ride luxuriously over the continental divide in itself a trip well worth tak ifer i feU U 11 ing alighting at the village of belton we hare a delicious meal in the great northern a pretty swiss chalet hotel and climb aboard a stage coach for the ride to lake mcdonald for an hour we travel a boulevard cut through a dense forest of pine spruce and balsam and then where a group of cottages are clustered on its shore the lake opens out before us this 11 mile stretch of water is so beautiful in setting and color that no words are adequate to describe it lake mcdonald was a popular resort long before the national park was established and there are several hotels and camps about its northern end to one of these the glacier hotel we are taken by launch to be greeted cordially by its proprietor J E lewis who for years has been taking care of fishermen and other folk who wanted to spend a week or a summer in the open so near that it seems but a walk from the shore the mountains of the park tower to the skies casting their jagged reflections in the still waters of ahe lake A ten mile ride through the forest that clothes their lower slopes brings us to avalanche lak green in color reflecting the spruce and pine and hemlock that crowd to its very edge it lies like a precious gem in a ducep basin that Is a veritable mountain garden at one end the rock wall rises almost perpendicularly for 6 feet and over its edge and down its face dash four torrents die charged from sperry glacier two miles away not very easy of access but wonderfully impressive when you get to it after some five hours of climbing is sperry glacier just a great field of ice and snow about three miles in extent and of unknown depth it lies glittering ara sparkling under the midsummer sun crevasses Cre cross its expanse here and there and the tourist must be exceedingly careful if he ventures out on its sur face indeed the authorities do not permit thi unless with guides and ropes on any af the ela alers in the park the wind Is always high up there and snow and rock slides are frequent the mountains and glaciers and lakes and passes we have seen are only a fewox the wonders of this wonderful park only a few indeed of that part that Is open to ordinary sightseers almost halt of the park the northern part 1 known to few except forest rangers guides andl ans and bome scientists doubtless before many years the whole region will be opened up and the remarkably satisfactory system of camps established by tho great northern railway company will be extended to the canadian border within the last year these accommodations have been en barged greatly to meet the demands of the rapidly increasing stream of visitors one more thing must be said for glacier na park it is a pleasure ground for the people not tor the millionaire no fine clothes no expensive luxuries there all charges are regu by the government and it Is the ambition of louis hill chairman of the board of directors ot the great northern to keep the necessary expenses of visitors down to the minimum glacier park is his hobby and his pride and he is as familiar with its trails and passes as are the guides and the indians of course tourist travel to the park helps his railway and at some time in the tar future the company may begin to break even on its lavish expenditure of money to make I 1 things comfortable for those who go all the waya to montana to see the switzerland of america haven t yet devised a better name for it