Page:The Selkirk mountains (1912).djvu/58

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
46
Guide to The Selkirk Mountains.

days, spending a night at the Caves. Owing to the varied and striking scenery along the entire route, the expedition is one of deep interest. It may be made either way: starting from Glacier and going to Rogers Pass, then up Bear Creek, over the Pass and return down Cougar Creek and the Loop-trail to Glacier: or vice-versa.

Distance: The route encircles Mt. Cheops and is about 15 miles long, as follows: Glacier to Roger's Pass, 3 miles; Roger's Pass to Caves, 5½ miles; Caves to Glacier, 61/2 miles. In hot weather Roger's Pass and Bear Creek: make the best going route, being cooler for the heat of the day.

A Swiss guide is not necessary but it is better for ladies riding the circuit to have a pony guide. To avoid trouble be sure to make an early start. On the north-west side of Baloo Pass a long easy shoulder of broken rock leads to an outlying peak of Mt. Ursus Major: on the east side an easy climb takes you to the crest of the north-west shoulder of Mt. Cheops, from which the summit is readily reached.

Baloo Pass is open alpland with outcrops of glaciated rock. It is bordered on its south-west side by forest. The alpine flowers follow each other: in season the ground being gay with pink and white heath; in August the east slopes are thickly covered with the large and delicate yellow dog-tooth violet (Erythronium gigantium) which flowers in the Selkirks from June to August according to the elevation. Near the summit of the pass, on its western slope is an excellent sheltered site for a camp, with plenty of wood and water near by.

Battle Glaciers—Name: Bv Topographical Survey with reference to Battle Creek.

Altitude: 5,700—9,500 feet.

Location: At the head of Battle Creek between Mts. Purity, Kilpatrick, Wheeler and Grand Mt. These are two unusual and very interesting glaciers, the western one flowing from immense snow-deposits lying between Mts. Purity and Kilpatrick, and the eastern one from like deposits between Mt. Wheeler and Grand Mt. They soon converge and form a broad stream of ice flowing down the valley for 2½ miles. Having no névés (snowflelds) at their heads and being fed by hanging glaciers, Battle Glaciers belong to the type called Piedmont. No other glaciers in the Selkirks afford so striking an example of this process of nourishment. The glacierettes feeding Battle Glaciers hang in fantastic confusion along the upper rock walls, those on the western walls of the valley being of marvellous beauty and wild irregularity of form. Owing to numerous flows of ice that come together not far distant from their heads, the main glacier presents three well formed medial moraines, which parallel each other for the entire length of the main flow. It is smooth and easily travelled below the convergence.

Distance: Two days' journey south-easterly from Glacier House.

Route: To reach Battle Glaciers, it is necessary to cross the Asulkan, Donkin and Purity Passes to the head of the western glacier. A second route is to ascend Bishop's Glacier from the foot of Donkin Pass and by way of the Deville Névé. then to cross between Mts. Wheeler and Kilpatrick.