Banff / \ IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES AND THE GLACIERS 5Fthe SELKIRKS REACHED BY THE Canadian Pacific Railway. 1900. - f ■ ; Banff the Beautiful. IN the Canadian National Park, a large reservation chosen by the Dominion government for its beauty and sublimity and healthfulness as the great breathing place of the nation, Banff is charmingly situated. It is in the very heart of the Rocky Mountains. Few places have found such speedy recognition of their attractive novelties, and none have better deserved the encomiums of enthusiastic tourists, for of all the lovely spots that gem the American continent, it stands alone without a rival. Its surroundings are the mountain steeps, beside whose immense, jagged heights the crags and peaks of the Alps sink into insignificance. It is not a question of one mountain or of two, but more than can be counted, for they stretch far away as the eye can follow them, and roll upon one another in chaotic disorder. The very acme of sublimity and grandeur is reached, and in its natural beauty Banff finds no counterpart in other lands. In the centre of this magnificent panorama are the Banff hot springs — some natural wells of mineral water having peculiar medicinal qualities — and here the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, whose transcontinental lines traverse the park, has erected a large and well appointed hotel, perched on a lofty promontory, commanding not only an uninterrupted view of the Bow Valley, but of peaks and stretches of the Rockies in other directions. In the surrounding country, for many miles, science has availed itself of nature's lavish gifts to create, out of the wilderness, a mountain park, twenty-six miles long by ten wide — a public pleasure ground without an equal. Streams have been bridged, roads laid out and trails cut, penetrating for miles into the solitudes, so that in many directions the visitors may drive, ride, wheel, or wander afoot, inhaling the health-giving mountain air, or seeking the most favorable spots for brush, pencil, kodak, rod or gun. There is fairly good trout fishing in the bright and rapid Bow in the valley beneath the hotel, and good trolling on Devil's Lake, a pleasant drive of nine miles from the hotel. Steam launches, besides boats and canoes, have been placed on the Bow River for the use of visitors, enabling them to make excursions on the river and to Vermillion Lake. It is of the Bow River that an eminent English author writes : " A marvelous river is this Bow, as turquoise as the Limmatt, where it leaves the Zurichsee, on the Lake of Zug — a deep, willful river, leaping in one place through ridges of rock with a mighty cataract, which approaches a waterfall in altitude, and, just below/rolling floods of fabulous depth, .like the mighty Fraser." In the immediate vicinity there are numerous lakes at which in season, good duck shooting is obtainable, and; for the more adventurous, the mountain sheep (big horn) and BANFF HOTEL FROM OVER THE BOW RIVER mountain goat, at some distance, offer a temptation to which men who have gained other laurels in the sporting world are glad to yield. An excellent museum, containing innumerable specimens of the flora, fauna, etc., of the park, has been established by the Dominion government, and in its pleasant rooms the student of nature will find many objects of peculiar interest to him. Of this institution, Lord Lister, physician extraordinary to the Queen, and ex-President of the British Scientific Association wrote, on the occasion of visiting it: " We have been much interested in the museum, which has supplied us with valuable information regarding the birds and animals which we have observed in the districts of the Rocky Mountains." In a large enclosure near the railway station are a herd of buffalo, being among the last of the pitifully few remaining bison that once roamed the great western plains in countless thousands, and a band of elk. The Medicinal Hot Springs* Though Banff is chiefly a resort of tourists and pleasure seekers, its waters have properties that are commended strongly by medical men. Dr. Danter, a former president of the American Health Resort Association, says : " The springs are natural hot sulphur water, combining other chemical ingredients, and while the air is a restorer to the pulmonary diseased, the springs are particularly beneficial to rheumatic patients and to those afflicted in some other ways." Mr. McGill, assistant analyst of the Canadian government, who recently made a full analysis of the Banff water supplies, reports : " The water is very free from organic impurities and gives no albuminoid nitrogen. * * * Each gallon contains dissolved sulphuretted hydrogen to the amount of 0.3 grains (equivalent to 0.8 cubic inch). " The dissolved solids are as follows : ■— 1 Chlorine (in chlorides) 0.42 grains. Sulphuric Acid (S Os) . • • 38.50 " Silica (Si O2) . . . . _ . 2.31 " Lime (Ca O) . 24.85 " Magnesia (MgO) . . . . 4.87 " Alkalies (as Soda, Na20) . 0.62 " Lithium . . . . . . A decided trace. Analyst McGill reports that the quantity of lithium present is at least one hundred times as much in the Banff water as in some of the so-called lithia waters placed on the market. The temperature of this spring is 114.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Patients are sent here to bathe in the hot sulphur baths; and these are none the less appreciated from the circumstance of their being an annex of a hotel which, though situated in the wildest part of the continent, is, in its appointments and luxurious accessories, as if in the midst of eastern civilization. There are many hotels, indeed, in the leading cities of this continent, which, pluming themselves upon being distinguished houses, are excelled by Banff in many things that make the reputation of a hotel. The Climate* The climate of Banff during the summer months is delightful, and while, as in all high altitudes, the nights are chilly, the days are warm and pleasant, with plenty of genial sunshine and very little wind or rain. The following table is taken from the official records of the local meteorological station: — THE BASIN MONTHLY AND ANNUAL SUMMARIES. Banft, Alberta, N. W. T., Lat. 510 10"; Long. W 115° 35'. Height above sea level, 4,542 feet. Months. January .... February . . . March . . . . April May June July August .... September. . . October . . . November . . . December . . . Year Pressure. Temperature. rain. SNOW. 2 c EXTREMES. EXTREMES. *_5 rt Mean. 25.22 Max. Min. Max. Min. In. In. 25 91 24.90 16.4 30.2 -8.9 ______ ________ 25.I9 25-73 24.63 19.3 44.2 -23.2 — 24.65 25.25 25-63 24 89 17.9 41.8 -27.3 — 9 95 25.32 25-71 24.80 36.6 65.1 7.8 0.81 — 25.3I 25.67 24.96 44.9 72.4 20.8 3.08 — 25.35 25.87 25.09 5i.i 80.1 30.2 2.15 — 2538 2563 24.96 56.2 85.3 30-5 4-54 — 25-39 25.59 25.12 59 9 85:2 32.0 2.37 — 25.32 25-79 24.94 48.0 73 3 24.8 i-73 — 25-39 25 79 24.89 35.o 49.6 15.8 1.09 — 25.20 25-63 24.76 20.9 41.8 -15.8 0.07 8.65 2536 2585 24.76 19.2 4J.0 -25-5 0.09 1.08 25-3° 25-71 24.89 35-5 85.3 -27-3 T5 93 44-3 precipitation. Total. 2 47 0.99 o 81 3.08 2.15 4-54 2 37 i-73 1.09 o.93 0.20 20.36 Note.— Barometer not reduced to sea level. The Banff Hotel. In his book entitled " The Land of Contrasts — A Briton's View of His American Kin," Mr. James Fullerton Muirhead writes of Banff and its hotel: " The only hotel that, to my mind, contests with the Del 5 Monte, the position of the best hotel on the North American continent, is the Canadian Pacific Hotel at Banff, in the National Rocky Mountain Park of Canada. Here also magnificent scenery, splendid weather and moderate charges combined to bias my judgment, but the residuum, after all due allowance made for these factors, still after five years assures me of most unusual excellence. Two things in particular I remember in connection with this hotel — one is the almost absolute perfection of the waiting, carried on by gentlemanly youth of about 18 or 20, who must, I think, have formed the " corps d'elite " of the thousands of waiters in the service of the C. P. R. Co. The marvelous speed and dexterity with which they ministered to my wants, the absolutely neat and dainty manner in which everything was done by them, and their modest readiness to make suggestions and help one's choice (always to the point) make one of the pleasantest pictures of hotel life lurking in my memory." Around About Banff* Nine miles from the Banff hotel is Lake Minnewanka, or the Devil's Lake, a drive to which, over an excellent road, affords a pleasant outing. The lake is deeply set in a mountain fastness, the bare rocks rising sheer from the water's edge to great heights. There is a capacious launch, under the charge of experienced boatmen, and there are boats and canoes on the lake. The sail on the lake is a most delightful outing, and the fishing is particularly good. The natural cave and basin in which are sulphur springs; the Bow Falls at the confluence of two mountain streams in the valley beneath the !_§§§: '.■'■ ?'■ ::" e.'.^.yei-e-e. e':,eveee*eee''-e... -. ■ ■.■■- ■■ : e . :■■.. ■ ' ■ . . ■ ■■ ■::■■:■ ■' ■ ■ ■ e.e I /■ ee" ■ . . '. ;....- e . . ,M^m^»t% ■:■ ■■ : A GROUP OF SWISS GUIDES IN THE ROCKIES. hotel; the hot springs on Sulphur Mountain; the Loop, a beautiful drive around the Bow Valley; the Spray ride up the Spray Valley and through the virgin forest to the Spray Canon at the foot of Goat Mountain; the Sun Dance Canon, a remarkable cleft in the mountain; and the crest of Tunnel Mountain, reached by a spiral drive, are some of the more noted points that attract the tourist who rests awhile at Banff. Those who like making little scenic discoveries for themselves, or fishermen who love to work in solitude without fear of companionship, can find numerous spots where they may indulge in unbroken reveries, and by a little exercise of fancy imagine themselves discoverers of the wilds before and around them, and monarchs of all they survey, and this within a short distance of the hotel. For the more adventurous there are still more pretentious trips — to Mount Assiniboine, which is called the Matterhorn of the Rockies, an unsealed height twenty miles south of Banff, and reached by Simpson's or the White Man's Pass ; or up to the Bow Lakes and past the ice-fields due west of Laggan and through the Howe Pass to the culminating heights of the range. Guests at Banff, in addition to riding, driving, wheeling, fishing, boating, bathing and mountain climbing, also find amusement in lawn tennis, golf, billiards, bowling, etc., and an orchestra from the Boston Conservatory of Music plays during the evening. Connected with the hotel are new and elegantly 7 MAP OF LAKES INlTHE CLOUDS. appointed bathing houses and a large plunge bath supplied with water direct from the sulphur springs, and in the hotel a dark room is provided for the use of photographers who desire to finish their pictures before returning home. Alpenstocks for mountain climbers can be purchased at Banff, Lake Louise, and Glacier, at each of which places there are facilities for branding upon them the names of the different peaks in their neighborhood, thus converting the staffs into interesting souvenirs. Guides and the necessary outfit for parties exploring the mountains or shooting in the Selkirks and foothills of the northern Rockies are procurable at Banff. The hotel opens on May 15th and closes October ist, and the rates are from $3.00 per day and upwards (with a reduction for those stopping a week or longer), a moderate charge for such a hotel in such a locality. Swiss Guides* Experienced Swiss guides are stationed at the hotel during the tourist season, and under their personal guidance systematically planned excursions 8 will be made daily to several of these or other points of interest, so that in a comparatively short stay the visitor is enabled to explore the region hereabouts under the most favorable auspices. Each day's programme will be posted in the rotunda of the hotel on the evening previous, and will be so arranged that the greatest number of interesting places will be visited with the least amount of travel. No charge is made for their services except when specially employed to accompany parties on difficult ascents or to distant points, when the fee is $5.00 per day for each guide. The same rule prevails at the other places where they are located in the mountains. The Lakes in the Clouds* Not far from the Banff are the Lakes in the Clouds. So near and yet so dissimilar are these two charming spots that, one having been 1 seen, there is naturally a desire to visit the other. If Banff is beautiful, 9 KEF£RENC£ HailtrayLine. sAomi thus. mmmmmmm Water Route _....„ „ _.».—...... Park Jjrires „. „ - Tot* Road* „ „ v«a,„»ik«»„-i,aw1ssM Park Trails „ 1 . •■•" .' • LAKE LOUISE AND CHALET. these lakes are enchanting. There is nothing like them on the face of the earth elsewhere than here in the Rockies, where they lie like a string of jewels in the clefts. The trip from Banff is through one of the grandest parts of the whole mountain region — up the forested valley of the Bow, skirting the Vermillion Lakes and passing out of the National Park past Castle Mountain, a sheer precipice of 5,000 feet, with views of the Saw- back range on the right and the Bow range on the left, and Lefroy lifting its whitened head above the surrounding heights. The station on the Canadian Pacific line for the Lakes in the Clouds is Laggan (thirty- four miles west of Banff—about an hour's ride), where choice can be made of driving, riding or walking up to Lake Louise (altitude 5,645 feet), the first to be reached of the three sheets of water hidden high up above the valley. Lake Louise* The drive is two and one-half miles through a pine forest, in which a good carriage road has been cut, following up Louise Creek, which carries off the water of the Cloudland Lakes to the Bow. Although the most graphic word-painting does not adequately convey the effect of the approach to Lake Louise and its sudden burst on the sight of the traveler, for mental pictures involve themselves with actual sights, it may be worth while quoting one writer : — " Nestling at the foot of two great mountains, which seem to guard against the encroachments of the vast glaciers resting on the sides of a third, canopied by a sky like the petal of a soft blush rose, its great depths reproducing, with mirror-like fidelity, the green forests, bare 14 peaks and motionless seas of snow-mantled ice — Lake Louise is a dream of loveliness. The delicate colorings of its waters are an irresistible charm. The lake is about one and one-half miles in length, with a width of half a mile, and is between 500 and 600 feet deep. To the right is a vast amphitheatre of spruce, whose tall heads rise up in a terraced evenness to the foot of the Beehive, and through whose intricacies are passes to the upper lakes. Between the two great mountains is Mount Victoria, a backsetting of gray and white — the ice-fields, the one at the base being covered with the drift of centuries. These glaciers are of enormous thickness and of great area, and with the coursing of the sun or the passing of clouds, present new shapes and fantastic forms, and, as the rays of old Sol pour down, the stillness of the air is broken by the crunching and grinding of the ice beds. The base of Goat Mountain, on the left, is clad with spruce on one side, and beautiful fresh foliage embellishes another, which, in the fall of the year, is rich with the autumnal tints peculiar to American woods, while above there are huge precipices of bare rock, which come sheer down for thousands of feet. These walls are vari-colored, resembling marble in places, whose tinted hues are in pleasing contrast with the dull dun and gray rock and the dark slate." " The row out on the lake in the early morning," adds another visitor, "is a never-to-be-forgotten experience. The boat seems poised in mid-air, surrounded above and below by the mountains and sky. Away from it, stretching out on all sides, is the wonderfully clear, silvery, blue-green water. The oars touch its sheen, the boat moves gently forward, and grounds at length on a tiny sandy beach, at the opposite end of the lake from that on which the chalet is situated. On the shore just beyond the beach and below the glacier is a flower garden of blue forget-me-nots. As we gather them we are frequently startled by peals like those of heavy thunder, though we are under clear skies; but we soon discover that the sounds are caused by the falling masses of the hanging glaciers plunging over the distant cliffs of Mount Victoria." Still another visitor, a prominent physician of New York City, says : — " Lake Louise and its environments is the most beautiful bit of natural scenery I ever saw." On the margin of the lake the railway company has built a chalet, which^is under the same management as the Banff Springs Hotel, for those who desire to remain either to explore the mountains or to fish or hunt—the region abounding in mountain goat, which require all the skill and perseverance of the Swiss chamois hunter, and numerous coveys of ptarmigan grouse, duck, and other feathered game — and at Lake Agnes and the Saddleback sheltering resting-places have been erected for the accommodation of visitors. Streams have been bridged, and over twelve miles of trails have been constructed, which render many points of vantage easily accessible. One leads around the west side of the lake to the base of Victoria Glacier, three and one-quarter miles, from which the entrance to Abbott's Pass can be reached by way of the glacier; another to Saddleback Mountain, overlooking Paradise Valley, and to Annette Lake in the Valley itself giving magnificent views of groups of rugged peaks and clusters of smaller glaciers ; others lead to the upper lakes — Mirror and Agnes. Ponies are available for these ascents for those not desiring the walk; but the delights of mountain climbing, which are here lavishly offered, prompt many to indulge in that pleasurable experience which, except to the feeble, is unattended with difficulty. The charge for ponies is $1.00 per day. Experienced Swiss guides can be engaged by persons who desire to visit the more inaccessible points. The chalet is open from about June 15th to Sept 15th, the rate being $2.50 per day. Conveyances meet all trains at Laggan, and by pre-arrangement the round trip can be made from Banff at single fare, tickets being issued on presentation of certificates from the managers of the Banff Springs Hotel or Sanitarium. / 15 : In the chalet is a dark room for the use of photographers, and there is telephonic connection with the station at Laggan, by which communication with Banff is had. Miiror Lake* The ascent to Lake Mirror (altitude 6,550 feet) and Agnes (altitude 6,820 feet), the one on the breast and the other on the shoulder of the mountain that confines Lake Louise on the southern side, is usually on Indian ponies, but with sturdy climbing powers one can scramble up the steep ascent without any great waste of time or exertion. A trail which brings Mirror Lake within two miles of the chalet and Lake Agnes two and one-quarter miles, leads on to the summit of the Beehive, and by this trail the summit of Mt. St. Piron is scaled; another branches off near Mirror to the right to the Lesser ■llli; VICTORIA GLACIER AND HAZEL PEAK. Beehive and the base of St. Piron, from which its summit can be reached. Four hours are occupied from the chalet to the crest of St. Piron and return, and two hours to Lake Agnes and return on ponies, or by walking in two and one-half hours. Mirror Lake, which is one-third of a mile long by a quarter of a mile wide, has no visible outlet, its shallow waters escaping through an underground channel into Lake Louise. They rise and fall as the inflowing streams pour their floods more rapidly than they are carried off. Its still and clear surface, differing in color from that of Lake Louise and of Lake Agnes, reflects in a peculiarly effective way its encircling walls, and suggested the appropriate name of Mirror Lake. Anxious to reach the highest point, the visitor shortens his stay at the intermediate water, and, remounting his pony or grasping his alpenstock, continues his ascent to Lake Agnes, there being 16 two trails, one which is usually taken being a ten minutes' climb, and the other rounds the sloping side of the mountain, which, while not at all dangerous, is at times attended with all the pleasurable sensations of excitement. Lake Agnes* Rare is the beauty of the crystal pool known as Lake Agnes, although its surroundings do not possess that loveliness which characterizes its sister lakes. It is about a third of a mile in length, with half that breadth, and its great depths have not yet been ascertained. It is fed by several waterfalls, dropping from the heights above, and from numerous springs and great banks of snow which line the mountains that enclose it. Near its outlet, where its waters pour in a pretty cascade over the rocks and fall into the gorge which leads to Mirror Lake, is a clump of trees, in whose shade is Table Rock, affording a splendid dining-table for picnickers. Like sentinels, on the other side, stand grim Mounts Whyte and Niblock, and irregular peaks, running back, tell of the succession of violent eruptions in that awful day of the great upheaval, far back in the dim, misty ages of antiquity. The peaks rise up in terraces, reaching far above the timber line, and at the base are huge heaps of moraine. Further on is a vast amphitheatre-shaped basin, in which lie the accumulations of the snows of ages past. Here, even in the warmest weather, it is always cool and pleasant, and by a few further steps (for you are nearing the verge of vegetation), the pastime of a snowballing match can be indulged in — not five minutes after revelling amongst the mosses, the forget-me-nots and the gentians which, with the heather of pink and white, dot the mountain side. Beyond the snow basin again the spruce, mixed with the tamarack, which here first shows its head, clothes the hillside at this height; the wood anemone, the sweet little blue bells of the Scottish highlands, the fern, the Alpine edelweiss — the bridal flower of the Swiss mountaineer — and the heather that reminds the sons and daughters of bonnie Scotland of their native land, and other brilliant-hued flowers, add beauty to the scene. The shortest and not least pointed description of these lakes was given by the lady who called them " a necklet of gems on the bosom of the mountain." The return to Laggan is of course made in comparatively short time, and the east-bound Imperial Limited transcontinental train is either taken for Banff, to which the tourist returns charmed with his excursion, and thoroughly appreciative of the comfortable home that awaits him, or the west-bound Imperial Limited, if one purposes exploring the other splendors of the mountains, which can be best done from Field, the Great Glacier of the Selkirks, Revelstoke on the Columbia, and North Bend on the Fraser, where the Canadian Pacific Railway company has erected capacious chalet hotels, as they are called, at any of which a tourist will find such comfort as is not generally dreamed of in the mountains. Field. From Laggan, the railway leaves the Bow and climbs up the summit of the Rockies, crosses "The Great Divide," and ten miles down the western slope reaches the first of these chalets—the Mount Stephen House at Field. It is a delightful spot. The loftiest mountains of the Rockies are grouped all about, many of them bearing glaciers of great size, and they tower on every hand as far as the eye can see. These steeps are the haunts of mountain sheep, bear and other large game. In the background of the hotel is Mount Stephen, the highest point of the Rockies along the line (8,000 feet), which 17 has been ascended and the return home been made in fourteen hours, and around here artists, amateur and professional, find ample choice for the exercise of their brush. Near the base of this giant, and easily reached by a good trail, is an extensive fossil bed from which rare specimens can be obtained. Another walk takes one to the Crystal Cave, a place worth visiting, and to the silver mines perched 1,500 feet up on the side of the mountain; and to the west is a curious natural bridge, Other outings give grand views of the Ottertail range. Emerald Lake, a few miles away, which is reached by a foot-bridge over the Illecillewaet River, is a scenic gem of rarest beauty, not only attractive to the lover of nature but to the angler, for its waters and those of its tributaries are filled with lake and mountain trout. The Wapta Falls, flowing out of the Bow glaciers, which have a sheer drop from stupendous heights, are reached by trail. Swiss guides are also stationed at Field. The rates at the chalet at Field, and those at the Great Glacier, Revelstoke and North Bend, all of which are open throughout the year, are $3.00 per day; special arrangements, however, being made with those remaining a week or longer. The Great Glacier. In the heart of the Selkirks, the second great range of mountains, is the Great Glacier, one of the grandest marvels of nature, eighty-six miles beyond Mount Stephen. Within thirty minutes' walk of this won- '"I •: LOOKING OVER MIRROR LAKE AND LAKE LOUISE TOWARD BOW RIVER. 18 MOUNT STEPHEN AND MOUNT STEPHEN HOUSE AT FIELD. derful sea of ice is the Glacier House, the popularity of which is such that the railway company has found it necessary to enlarge the original hotel, erect new buildings and increase the capacity of the annex, until now over one hundred guests can be comfortably accommodated. One distinguished visitor — a Surgeon-General in the Royal Army Medical Corps — writes in the guests' book at the hotel: "My wife and I have traveled for nearly forty years all over the world, and are both agreed that the scenery at Glacier House is the finest we have seen in Europe, Asia, Africa or America. We have been most comfortable here and only wish we could make a longer stay." The many attractions of the Great Glacier will doubtless puzzle the traveler who for the first time visits this most charming of spots. Visitors come year after year, so delighted are they with the splendour of the scenery, and one of them, Mr. George Vaux, Jr., of Philadelphia, furnishes a description which is of such general interest and usefulness, that the following excerpts are made from it: The Great Glacier naturally claims attention first. The distance to the forefront of this frozen river is one and one-half miles, there being a good trail crossing the Asulkan River, and following the Illecillewaet River, to which birth is given by the glacier, till the moraine is reached. One can here see how slowly but surely the icefield has receded in the last ten years. A trip over the ice itself, under the protecting care of one of the Swiss guides, is not only novel, but reveals much that is interesting and beautiful. Another trail leads to Lake Marion, where a shelter is erected, and thence to Mount Abbott. The lake is about 1,750 feet above the hotel, and the distance by the trail, which is good, though steep in some places, is less than two miles. On the way up, exquisite views of Eagle Peak and Sir Donald are had 19 through the trees, while a trail, skirting the north end of the lake, leads to Observation Point, whence superb views of Rogers Pass and the Loop Valley are obtained, with the silver thread of the Illecillewaet, flanked by the railroad, winding through the latter. The ascent from the lake to the summit of Mt. Abbott should be made by everyone at all equal to the exertion of a day's climb. With the improved condition of the trail and an early start the ascent may be made in a single day with ease. Another excellent trail is that to the top of the Cascade, and thence to the grassy slopes which culminate in the fine twin peak of Mt. Avalanche. The view is a superb one when the points outlined against the sky just above the snowsheds are reached, and in many respects rivals that from Abbott. The most striking object is, perhaps, Mt. Sir Donald, which rises as a square pyramid. Two sides are visible, and it thus presents an entirely different aspect from that seen from any other point. From an elbow about half way up the Cascade, where the trail reaches its most southern point, a fine view of the Great Glacier and its rough ice fall is had, and throughout, where it can be seen through the trees, the Asulkan Valley is most exquisitely beautiful. This trip should have a day devoted to it if possible, and the visitor is strongly urged on this, as on the other more extended trips, to make an early start. The morning light discloses beauties not dreamed of, and should the weather be warm, as it sometimes is, one gets the advantage of doing the hardest part of the work in the cool of the day. An early breakfast and a substantial lunch are always obtainable without difficulty. The ascent of Mount Avalanche itself affords all the delights of a true Alpine climb, and whilst not difficult from the standpoint of the mountaineer, THE GREAT GLACIER OF THE SELKIRKS. 20 MARION LAKE, NEAR THE GREAT GLACIER. s,hould not be attempted without a guide except by experts. From the summit laterally hundreds of snowy peaks are visible, all sinking into insignificance below he towering height of Sir Donald. The trip is an exhilarating one, is varied with rock and ice work, and on the descent a glissade can be enjoyed over the steep neve of the Mt. Avalanche Glacier. Possibly the most charming of any of the excursions is that up the Asulkan Valley, a gem of Alpine beauty which was first explored in 1888. The name " Asulkan " given to this valley with the glacier and pass at its southern end, is Indian for the mountain goat, which is at times found here in large numbers. The Asulkan Valley is hemmed in on its eastern side by Glacier Crest and the ridges running from it to the southward, which form the western side of the great Illecillewaet Neve, or snowfield. On its western side the valley is bounded by the long range which is comprised in order, beginning at the north, of Mount Abbott, Afton, the Rampart, the Dome, Castor and Pollux. A series of glaciers sweeps down from all of these except Abbott, and the streams flowing from them form a number of most graceful and beautiful waterfalls. The Seven Falls, so far unnamed in detail, at other places would be considered worthy of special attention. The rich meadows would prove tempting pastures for herds of cattle or flocks of goats. At the distance of two and one-half or three miles the river is contracted between narrow rocky walls, and the canon sides here show no striking signs of glacial action. Emerging from 21 s the gorge, the path leads over an old moraine, across the stream flowing in from the east, and thence up a very steep, grassy slope to the shelter erected for the accommodation of tourists. This point is about 2,000 feet above Glacier House, and about five miles distant from it. From about this level superb views of the Asulkan Glacier are had, while the glaciers covering the sides of the Dome, Castor and Pollux are exceedingly striking. The ice-towers, pinnacles, obelisks, minarets and turrets are of surpassing grandeur and beauty, and the sight of them is an ample recompense to anyone who takes this trip, which, in fact, includes more variety than any of the others now easily accessible. Looking from near the shelter to the north, the Hermit Range is most beautifully set out, while nearer at hand and passing eastward come in order the summits of Mt. Avalanche, Eagle Peak and Sir Donald, the latter manifesting quite a different aspect from that seen from other positions. From the shelter the ridge may be followed upward for a mile or more, till sufficient elevation is obtained to observe the peaks of the Dawson Range. The total distance of the round trip is some twelve or fourteen miles, and the time occupied about the same number of hours. A variation of this trip is to follow upward along the crest of the great moraine just east of the Glacier, instead of climbing the grassy slopes to the shack. Later the neve is crossed to the Asulkan Pass proper. The trip to Glacier Crest is not so often taken, but the view from the summit is well worth the excursion. At an elevation of about 300 feet above the last bridge on this trail there is a very beautiful mossy waterfall. It lies to the right and may be heard plashing over its velvety bed. A faintly marked path leads to it, and rejoins the Glacier Crest trail a little higher up. mMSS^ms il LLECILLEWAET VALLEY AND HERMIT RANGE. 22 LOOKING UP THE ASULKAN VALLEY FROM MT. ABBOTT. Other obvious walks are those along the Loop and to the snowsheds, whence the changing panoramas of peaks are ever new and ever attractive. The view of Mt. Bonney, which lies to the south of Ross Peak, as seen from the top of the Loop, is very beautiful. The visitor who spends a week or more will have his time pretty fully occupied if he includes all of the foregoing, and he will then find other and newer fields for his investigations. During the tourist season a corps of Swiss guides is stationed here, who, as at Banff, Field and the Lakes in the Clouds, will personally conduct mountain climbers who desire to make expeditions to places difficult of access. Ponies, which are generally used here as pack animals, are obtainable at reasonable rates. At the hotel are many sources of amusement for guests— a tennis court, croquet lawn, billiard hall, bowling alley, and swings for children. An observatory has been erected, and a large telescope been placed at the hotel. There is a dark room here for photographers. The rates are $3.00 per day, but rooms can be had en suite up to $5.00 per day. Special arrangements are made with those remaining a week or longer. 4 Hotel Revelstoke. ;t§ Revelstoke is a newly-created city at the second crossing "^A of the Columbia River, where the railway company has erected the fine new Hotel Revelstoke, which occupies a high bench immediately in the rear of the railway station. It is a delightful stopping place for those making the tour of the great West Kootenay mining region to the south, whose principal 23 i points aie reached by the branch railways of the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. and its splendid fleet of modernly equipped steamers on the Columbia River and the Arrow, Slocan and Kootenay Lakes. The site of the Hotel Revelstoke commands splendid views of the Columbian Valley, of massive Mount Begbie and the Selkirk and Gold ranges. The Fraser Canon House* At North Bend, on the Fraser River, is the last of these mountain hotels—the Fraser Canon House — and it is in all respects similar to the others. Here the incomparable wild flowers for which British Columbia is famed reach the highest perfection, and grow in wonderful profusion, making the spot one of unparalleled loveliness. The gar dens and lawns of the hotel are perhaps the finest in Canada, and are a great attraction to the tourist. The hotel is in the immediate neighborhood of some of the most remarkable and furious reaches of the Fraser River, which for over 50 miles rushes through narrow and picturesque canons, before reaching the fertile country of its delta below Yale, and makes a convenient base from which these wonders can be explored. There is a pretty series of cascades a short fifteen minutes' walk back of the hotel, and one mile west is a favorite spot for salmon spearing, it being an interesting sight to witness the Indians engaged in this occupation, and even more interesting for the tourist to participate in it himself, as he is, in the season, easily enabled to do. At Scuzzie, four and one-half miles west, and Salmon River, four miles east, there is capital trout fishing, and a trip to Hope by rail, for a day's fishing, is a popular outing. Hotel Vancouver. At Vancouver, a short distance from the harbor, and commanding a series of views of the bay and the surrounding country is the Canadian Pacific Company's Hotel Vancouver, the principal hotel of the city, and one unsurpassed in its appointments and general comfort by any on the Pacific Coast. It is at all times well patronized, summer and winter, but on the arrival and departure of the Japan and China or Australian steamers, is more than usually bright and busy. Almost adjoining it is the Opera House, one of the most charming theatres outside of New York, and this, with other attractions, has served to make the hotel so popular that it was found absolutely necessary to increase the size of the building. This series of hotels, with the Chateau Frontenac, on the famed Dufferin Terrace at Quebec, and the new Place Viger, facing Viger Square, at Montreal, two of the finest hotels in America, enables the tourist to cross from the Atlantic to the Pacific through Canada, and to spend whatever leisure time he chooses in fishing, shooting or wandering amidst the magnificent scenery of the Rocky Mountains, wdth all the comfort that capital and enterprise have provided for the tourist by this route. The rates at the Vancouver are from $3.00 per day and upwards, with special terms for a week or longer, on application to the manager. Further information as to accommodation, rates, etc., can be secured by writing the managers of the different hotels, or J. A. Sheffield, Superintendent and Manager of the Company's hotels, Montreal. The Route. Banff, Field, the Great Glacier, and the other resorts in the mountains, and the Pacific Coast, are reached from New York, Boston, and other Atlantic Coast points by way of Montreal, and thence by the Canadian Pacific Railway, or by Niagara Falls, Hamilton and Toronto, and thence to North Bay on Lake Nipissing, where connection is made with transcontinental trains, an alternate route being offered during the season of navigation by the company's magnificent steamships through Lakes Huron and Superior from Owen Sound, on Georgian Bay, and connecting with the Canadian Pacific at Fort William, at the head of Lake Superior. From the middle-western states the route is by the Soo-Pacific Railway, from St. Paul and Minneapolis, connecting with the Canadian Pacific trains at Moose Jaw, in the Canadian Northwest. THE GLACIER HOUSE, GLACIER. The return trip can be made through the Kootenay gold region and by the Crow's Nest Pass Railway to the Plains of the Canadian Northwest, and by the main line of the Canadian Pacific, the Soo-Pacific Road and the Great Lakes. For further particulars or information, apply to any agent oj the Canadian Pacific Railway, or to E. V. SKINNER, General Eastern Agent, 353 Broadway, New York. H. J. COLVIN, District Passenger Agent, 197 Washington St., Boston. A. J. HEATH, District Pass'r Agent, St. John, N. B. A. E. EDMONDS, City Passenger Agent, n Fort St., W., Detroit. J. F. LEE, Gen'l Agent Pass'r Department, 228 S. Clark St., Chicago. M. M. STERN, Dist. Pass'r Agent, San Francisco. W. R. CALLAWAY, Gen'l Pass'r Agent, Soo Line, Minneapolis, Minn. W. S. THORN, Ass't Gen'l Pass'r Agent, Soo Line, St. Paul. G. W. HIBBARD, Gen'l Pass'r Agent, D. & S. S. Line, Marquette, Mich. C. G. OSBURN, 129 E. Baltimore St., Baltimore. H. McMURTIE, 629-631 Chestnut St., Philadelphia. W. MERKLE, 1229 Pennsylvania Ave., Washington. A. H. NOTMAN, Ass't Gen'l Pass'r Agent, 1 King St., E., Toronto, Ont. E. J. COYLE, Ass't Gen'l Pass'r Agent, Vancouver, B.C. WM. T. PAYNE, Gen'l Traffic Ag't for Japan, 14 Bund, Yokohama. Japan. THEO. H. DAVIES & CO., Honolulu, H. I. BURNS, PHILP & CO., Sydney, Australia. ARCHER BAKER, European Traffic Manager, 67 and 68 King William St., E.C, and 30 Cockspur St., S. W., London, Eng.; 9 James St., Liverpool, Eng. ; 67 St. Vincent St., Glasgow, Scotland. C. E. E. USSHER, Gen'l Pass'r Agent Lines East of Lake Superior, MONTREAL. c. e. Mcpherson, Gen'l Pass'r Agent Lines West of Lake Superior, WINNIPEG. ROB'T KERR, Passenger Traffic Manager, MONTREAL. 26 IN THE CANADIAN ROCKIES AND THE i~* A OTT?r\P iiiiiiiiiiii.muni „„■„, (jLACIERS of the SELKIRKS REACHED BY THE Canadian Pacific Railway 1900.
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Banff in the Canadian Rockies and the glaciers of the Selkirks Canadian Pacific Railway Company 1890
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Title | Banff in the Canadian Rockies and the glaciers of the Selkirks |
Creator |
Canadian Pacific Railway Company |
Date Created | 1890 |
Description | Pamphlet describing Banff, the Selkirks, and the Canadian Pacific Railway Hotels in these areas. |
Subject |
Tourism--Canada--Alberta Hotels--Canada--Alberta |
Genre |
Advertisements |
Type |
Text |
FileFormat | application/pdf |
Language | English |
Identifier | CC-TX-196-11-3 CC_TX_196_011_003 |
Collection |
Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection |
Source | Original Format: University of British Columbia. Library. Rare Books and Special Collections. The Chung Collection. CC-TX-196-11-3 |
Date Available | 2017-10-10 |
Provider | Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library |
Rights | Images provided for research and reference use only. Permission to publish, copy or otherwise use these images must be obtained from Rare Books and Special Collections: http://rbsc.library.ubc.ca/ |
DOI | 10.14288/1.0357003 |
Category | Travel and tourism on the C.P.R. |
RBSCLocation | Box 196 |
AggregatedSourceRepository | CONTENTdm |
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