North of the Yellowhead Pass there are no blocks of mountains to the east of the main chain, and definitely separated from it, of a character at all comparable to those found between the G.T.P. and the C.P.R.; but there is a considerable area lying just outside the limits of Mr. Wheeler’s map, and shown as a blank on Dr. Collie’s map, closely connected with the divide itself, which would certainly repay farther exploration, and is within fairly easy reach of Jasper. There are three possible lines of attack: First it may be possible to approach it from the west, by the Miette River; secondly, there is the valley of the Snaring River, which joins the Athabasca a few miles below Jasper: whatever else he may find there, all the charm of the unexpected awaits the first visitor to its mysterious upper basin. It is said to be very difficult, if not impossible, of access, but the attempt would be well worth making. Anyone contemplating it should, before starting, make the ascent of Pyramid Peak at the head of Jasper Lake, and carefully note what he sees from there. Lastly, there is the much larger Stony River,[65] which enters the Athabasca below Jasper Lake, and should provide a happy hunting-ground to a climber with topographical inclinations. The southern branch already referred to calls most urgently for attention, but higher up the main valley several fine glaciers offer tempting roads to the skyline. A pass at the head of the main Stony leads to the Smoky River, which it strikes just opposite the Chown group, and thus supplies an attractive though lengthy alternative route to the Robson region. There are some wild and striking rock peaks on the right hand of the traveller crossing this pass from Jasper, but apart from these, there is nothing beyond the Stony River of any interest to a climber.
An attempt on that remarkable mountain, the Roche Miette, is recorded in the Canadian Alpine Journal, ix. 141.
Modes and Manners of Travel.
Travel away from the railway, as has already been indicated, means travelling with a camp outfit and a pack-train. The business of ‘packing’ is a highly organized one, and it is a vocation which, in untrodden country at least, makes as severe demands as that of a guide, and more varied in character, on the courage and resourcefulness of those who follow it. The packers, indeed, hold a position which presents many analogies to that of guides in the Alps, and a first-rate packer, like a first-rate guide, is a treasure beyond all price. It may be as well to mention here, for the benefit of those who have not visited the Rockies, that they are a very independent set of men, and that the social distinctions which are universally taken for granted in Europe simply do not exist for them. The sooner and more completely the traveller can get himself into the same mental attitude on this point, the more pleasantly will he fare. He will also discover, if he keeps his eyes and ears open, that there is a very well-defined, unwritten code of camp manners, of which the outstanding rules are: Never grumble; never be impatient; never tell anybody to do anything, always ask him.
The usual way of making arrangements with a packer is to inform him, as long as possible beforehand, of the number of the party and the proposed duration of the trip. He then takes charge of everything, providing saddle-horses, pack-horses, tents, cooking equipment, provisions, etc., for a fixed sum per day: the only thing which the traveller is expected to provide is his bedding. In the C.P.R. district packing is now almost wholly in the hands of the Brewster Transfer Co. Ltd., whose head-quarters are at Lake Louise. They have a good reputation, and are said to provide good men. Their usual rates are—for one person $15 per day; for two persons $12.50 for each person; and $10 per day for three persons, “with liberal reduction for larger parties.” Outside the C.P.R. district packing is still a matter of individual private enterprise; some of the packers who formerly worked in the C.P.R. district have migrated to Jasper, and probably others will make it their head-quarters as time goes on; but at present the principal centre of the packers of Northern Alberta is at Lac St. Anne, near Edmonton. Their ordinary charges are about the same as those of the Brewster Company. (N.B.—Written in 1913; charges may now be higher.)
Outfit.
A few suggestions with regard to some of the above-mentioned items may be useful.
1. Having once tried the experiment of dispensing with saddle-horses, partly on general ascetic principles, partly with a view to getting into training, I have no hesitation in saying that it is a great mistake. If one keeps with the rest of the outfit,[66] it is dreary work; if one goes at one’s own time and pace, trouble arises when rivers have to be crossed—either the traveller has to wait for the outfit or the outfit for the traveller (and to check a lot of pack-horses when on the move is a tiresome matter); while it is surprisingly easy for the unwary pedestrian to lose touch with the outfit altogether, even on such a well-trodden trail as the Jasper trail in pre-railway days.
2. The traveller should make sure that one of the tents is a teepee.[67] During a spell of cold, wet weather (and even snow is sometimes encountered in August at quite low levels) a teepee makes things much less intolerable. A packer with a large and varied experience of both summer and winter travel told me he preferred a large ordinary tent with a stove. I have no personal experience of this, but one or the other is essential. The other tents provided by the packers satisfy all ordinary requirements, but are sometimes inadequate under stress of prolonged wet weather. I once took a Whymper tent made of extra light material, which, besides being absolutely watertight, possessed two great advantages: first, it had a floor; secondly, it could be put up immediately on arriving in camp: other tents have to wait till the necessary poles can be cut down, and a good many other things have to be attended to before this can be done. The drawback to it—a serious one—was that the poles were inconveniently long for packing purposes: this might perhaps be got over by making the poles with two joints instead of one. A small Mummery tent for making a flying camp is not required so often as alpine experience would lead one to expect, but on the whole it is worth taking.
3. As to clothing, the same sort is required as in the Alps. It is well to bear in mind that one spends more time—generally much more time—‘on the trail’ than in climbing, and heavily nailed climbing boots are not very suitable for riding; they are apt to stick in the stirrups, which might easily be a source of great danger in case of a fall. Shooting boots with ordinary (not projecting) nails are much better for an ordinary day’s travel. Gloves are useful in riding through thick forest, and a silk neckerchief is some protection against mosquitoes. Fortnum & Mason, Jermyn Street, London, have a good camp boot which is also useful for this purpose.