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Show jMHyvfeSnowjWl Mount McKlnlsy, the Top of ths No rth American Continent fl (Prepared by the National Oeographlo Society, Washington. D. C.) The completion of t-e government's Alaskan railway makes rcasonnbly accessible for tho first tlmo the Mount McKlnley Notional park which contains con-tains tho highest point on tho North American continent The total area of this great playground which hitherto hith-erto has been seen by so few people, Is about 2,400 squnre miles. In scenic grandeur the stupendous mass of which Mount McKlnl6y is tho culminating peak has no rival. The snow-line here lies at about 7,000 feet, and above thnt elevation only a few sharp crags and seemingly porpendlc-ular porpendlc-ular cliffs ore free from tho glistening white mantle. From the volley of McKlnley Mc-Klnley Fork, which Is nt the north base of the mountain and lies nt an elevation eleva-tion of only l.COO feet, the bare rocks f tho lower mountains extend upward for about 5,600 feet, and above them Mount McKl'nley rises in majestic whiteness to a height of 20,300 feet the loftiest peak on the continent. The upper 18,000 feet ot Uio mountain moun-tain Is dnd in glaciers and perpetual snows, thus offering to tho mountaineer moun-taineer tho highest climb above snowline snow-line In the world. The rise of 19,000 feet from the lower end of Peters Glacier, north of the mountain, to tho highest penk Is made In a dlstnnce of only 13 miles. In no other mountnln mass do we find so great a vertical ' aseent In so short a distance. The peaks of tho Colorado Rockies, though wonderful, rise from a high plateau, so that at most points from which they can bo seen they stand only 7,000 or, at most 8,000 feet above the observer. ob-server. Mount St. Ellas, an 18,000-foot mountain, may be seen from sea level, but the peak stands i)5 miles from the coast, and so loses In height to the eye by the distance from which it must be viewed. Similarly the high volcanic peaks of Mexico and South America and tlM world's loftiest mountains In the Saimalayas rise from high plateaus, which diminish by their own elevation the visible magnitude and towering height of their culminating peaks. Southwest of Mount McKlnley, 15 miles away from It, stands Mount Fornkor, only 8,800 feet lower nnd almost al-most equally Imposing. If It stood alone, Mount Fornker would bo famous fa-mous In its own right ns a mighty peak, having few equals; but In the presence of Its giant neighbor It Jfl re-dnced re-dnced to secondary rank. These two dominating peaks, stand-tag stand-tag side by side and known to tho In terior natives ns Dennll nnd Dcnall's Wife, far outrank the flanking mountains moun-tains to the northeast and southwest, among which, however, there are o sctre of other peaks thnt rlso to helghta between 7,000 nnd 14,000 feet, well above snow-line, and thnt are the gotlierlng ground for many glaciers. Ib 1002 the first surveying party that actually reached the vicinity of Mount McKlnley was conducted by Alfred H. Brooks and D, I ltneburn f the geological survey. This .party entered the park nt Its sonthwest bor-' dcr and traversed It from end to end, bringing ent tho first authentic information infor-mation In regard to an unexplored are, of many thousand square miles and determining the position, height and bcot route of nppronch to tho base of Mount McKlnley. Swarm With White Bighorn 8htep., The mountains nt tho head Of Teklat and Teklnnlka rivers literally swarm with the magnificent wh.Ho. bighorn sheep, which are olaewhore extremely wary and difficult tQ,,MK proach, bnt which in summer are hero so little disturbed that they move off only when one comes to dose range. A day's truvel along ono of these valleys val-leys will usually afford the casual traveler a view ot mnny bnnds of sheep. The sheep rnuire on the low-er low-er slopes of the mountains, especially in the upper reaches of the streams, near the glaciers at the valley heads, r even In the valley bottoms. Vle bighorn sheep prefers the i"Ps of high, rough mountains fo s range, and may be found only1 In the mountains, within easy reach ef rugged crags, to which 1 may retreat or snfftgr from Its enemies. Its range, therefore, lies between Umber- W? .".! ,he ,ev!, of Perpetual snow, t U difficult So make an accurate es- Mnwte of the timber of sheep within tho new purk, but there are proUfc!, B well over 5,000. vwwjbbbj Great herds of cnrlbou or Wld rta. B deer are to bo seen-as muj fl 1,500 dt once. Most of these ha fl frequent the v bare grovel !,, the strong winds' afford soniWwfl from tho, attacks by flies aniwH dultoes. Other herds rangoTZ fl high i ragged mountain rtdgei, taifl sovernl largo, droves have been ZU served far up' m the gledira, tM toward snow-lino, seeking Uttufl resplto from Irisect pests. ri U In -other parts of Alaska e&rfiiegB at times appear In hugs drOTN um they migrate from phce to ptoe, hill they stay only a short time In tnj t locality. In tlie Toklat basin tnd to the vicinity bf Muldrow cUdif.ito ever, tho caribou oro at home, uj they remain there throughout ttd tn nfer to rear their young. Thoro Is abundant Indication that this Is a permanent range. Deeply worn trails form a veritable labjrtoti alpng tho stream flats, and beddlnj ground,1 old nnd new) ccsr everj-Wherc. everj-Wherc. Tho miners from the KintfsV na report that caribou may alviriU seen la great numbers oa this raaje, There Is a striking difference t (ween the actions of caribou and im of tho bighorn sheep uhen itirprW by man. A sheep, Aice aroused kaon exactly where he 'wants too, u4 usually starts, without a moment'i to-Ration, to-Ration, co tho shortest route to test rugged mountain mass. e mi; stsf to look around and appraise Ik I danger, Itit ho Is sure to follow the route he first chose. fl Moose Are. Plentiful Bl Mooae are very plentiful is ctrU&B fl parts of the uew patkvbM ('! "HI commonly seen as sheep and ctrteiBTIB As their food supply consists I tH;BIb low and birch twigs and ItatM Bfl th succulent roots of water ptoflH they stay much of the time la KsflB bered and brushy areas, where t!flB are UconsplcuouB. B The best nioose country in tiUfrfljVj gioa lies In the lowlands berth of rflfl mala Alaska range, ouUld of boundaries of tho proposed Ptl!JB some raooso are to be scea wltWoBflJ park lines, and doubtless airi efJfl will tako refugo In this game P?flB when they ore more vjtsly tBBJ la tho neighboring regtoai '' ' flV There are some black, brow Bfl grlsriy bears la this district, bj"BB bear hunter has a much better ""Sfl f obtaining n hide in othar pir Alaska than he has here. ujflj Tho new park lies almost M above timber-lino. Trees. ffWjfB the volleys of tho main strcxttlVB elevation of about 3,000 ''!IBfl tho sca-level, but the V?r,JsivB compriso only a small M'?lBB whole. Tho only trees of '"JJfl nre tho Bpruce, birch and. fBB and none 'Of these are '".rafB patchc of trees afford logs 1 WBBJ for making log cabins, but '""OBJ no merchantable timber P Tj'SiBB Willow brush and some TVLfll somewhat farther up the wWJBBJ the trees and enable , find fuel for his fire la " ""VBI where trees are lackrns". -jaBI Tho completion of the niB ment railroad makesi Ihtl f'j-BJ dlately accessible ssJB runs within a few 5. JBB pn,ric lino. On leaving ScttUiBB then plan tc- reach BX",iflB ago within a week, at0 "tJaBB on ,the raUroad to Jr -jBB ond'lrt another TVSBM horse, penetrate well W , .fjB tlntotho midst Pf Its StB With a completed rMiBB from tho railway, fwJ half day'B Journey o W" eflB tomoblle from the rnllroafl v ter of tho Prk. 3rfoliB versing mountains of won" henut,y,nnd teeming ' BJJ,Bi At tfte western tJ,VS on road there will : urUW B for tho Bccommodatlon w . m mountain climber j efl terminus of MuldroW M stsnt view of Ike "fVBI monarch to the u';,Bl,.f'fl able to find complete rww rj est of natural surroun VBI haVtv-eJose at band tM ,tStm cllmbln-gthat wlllt" of the aturdlMt .J3,ul W . Inducements to the I can be found hero. fl |