Page:Canadian Alpine Journal I, 1.djvu/227

152 principal source of the stream of that name. Section No. 3 contains the Continental watershed and drains in small part to No. 2, but chiefly to the east by the Bow glaciers, forming the main source of the Bow river, and by Peyto glacier, a source of the North Saskatchewan river. There are a number of minor overflows, but those named are the principal.

Owing to its position, balanced astride of the Continental divide, the Wapta icefield is of exceptional interest. It feeds four good-sized streams. Two lead through mountains and rolling plains to the Atlantic ocean and two, by a wilder and more broken route, through canyons and dense forests to the Pacific: on the north the Blaeberry river, on the south the Kicking-Horse river, both tributaries of the mighty Columbia; and on the east the Bow river, flowing to the Saskatchewan by a devious southern route, and Mistaya river, flowing direct to the Saskatchewan and thus to Hudson's bay.

The Yoho glacier is the largest outflow from the Wapta icefield. It has little length—less than two miles,—breaking almost directly from its neve between the rocky steeps of Mt. Gordon on the east and Yoho peak on the west, the latter separating it from the Habel glacier. On account of the short run be- tween rock-bound sides, the glacier carries a very small amount of debris and is of remarkable purity. For the same reason its moraines are poorly developed. A short distance above the tongue, the ice stream divides and flows around a knob of rock or "nunatak," which it covered at an earlier date and has now almost wholly encircled by a moraine. The eastern arm is small. At the head of this rock outcrop the main flow breaks into a series of beautiful séracs, reaching across the entire channel in chaotic confusion. The rock sides of Yoho peak, show very distinctly the "plucking" or stripping action of the ice when the glacier