REPORT OF 1907 CAMP.
Paradise Valley is situated about six miles easterly, by road and trail, from Laggan Station on the Canadian Pacific Railway, and about three miles from Lake Louise. A characteristic glacier-fed stream dominates the valley for the greater part of its length—some six miles. The source is in the Horseshoe Glacier, a glacier of the piedmont type, surrounded by the towering precipices of Mts. Lefroy, Hungabee, Temple, Eiffel and Pinnacle; from whose hanging glaciers the supply is received.
The valley was so named in 1894 by S. E. S. Allen, D. W. Wilcox and party, who climbed to the summit of the Mitre Pass from the Lake Louise side upon a day that was gloomy and depressing in the extreme. As they reached the summit the sun broke through the clouds and flooded the valley on the eastern side of the pass with light, bringing out so charmingly the varied contrasts in color, of forest and alp-land, veined by glittering silver streams, of rock and snow, that it was promptly named "Wastach" or "Paradise" "Valley.
It was on the borders of these alp-lands, where the bright green larches grow sparsely in a park-like fashion, and pink and white heather carpets the ground, that it was originally intended to place the Club Camp for 1907. Unfortunately the heavy snowfall of the previous winter and the late spring had left this part of the valley still covered at the time when it became necessary to select a camp ground. An expedition for the purpose was made on the 22nd of June, when the President was accompanied by J. P. Forde and C. W. Rowley. It was now too late to change the locality, so a site was selected lower down the valley, immediately below the slopes of Mt. Aberdeen, and a camp-ground literally carved from the virgin forest, which luckily at this altitude, 6,300 feet above sea level, is not very dense.
Valuable assistance in making the camp-ground was rendered by a trail-gang of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, sent in by the Resident Engineer, Mr. J. P. Forde, to improve the pony trail up the valley and construct bridges where it crossed the stream. Owing to limitations of space, the camp was divided into two parts: the Main Camp, Official and Ladies' Quarters being on the west side and the Gentlemen's Quarters on the east side of the stream. Official Square was arranged in symmetrical order, as at the Yoho Camp, but the sleeping tents were scattered promiscuously through the woods, and paths leading to them cut through the underbrush.
Everything was in readiness on the opening day, July 4th, and although the morning opened with sleet and rain, from then on the weather was perfect throughout the entire week, and left nothing to be desired in that respect.
In all one hundred and fifty-seven persons attended the Camp, inclusive of the staff of assistants.
