Page:The Selkirk mountains (1912).djvu/161

Rh THE SPILLIMACHEEN MOUNTAINS.

Location: South in the lower Selkirks, between the great Columbia Trough and the parallel trough made by the Beaver and Dimcan Rivers.

Except to prospectors, the Spillimacheen Range is an unknown country awaiting exploration by the mountaineer. In September, 1910, Mr. Wheeler and Dr. T. G. Longstaff made an expedition into these mountains by way of reconnaissance; and though the season was late and the weather variably bad, somewhat was accomplished in a photographic survey of the route followed. (See later History of the Selkirks). This was the first exploratory expedition under the auspices of the Alpine Club of Canada.

Thus the Spillimacheen Mountains are unmapped, unmeasured and unnamed, save for an occasional local name by prospectors whose country it has hitherto been. These have tales to tell of alpine sights there worth seeing. Mr. Wheeler has heard old prospectors describe a cataract falling 2,000 feet down a precipice into a valley rimmed by high cliffs, the exit of the stream being through an impassable canyon—ingress or egress for man and beast being only over the high rock-rims. Thus, here in the Occident has been discovered the literal counterpart of that fabulous valley of the Orient which Rasselas found so nearly impossible of egress. Prospectors tell of other waterfalls, notably one falling 800 feet in a series of striking cascaues. Of course when actual measurements are obtained of mountains and waterfalls alike, the poetic arithmetic is always reduced by relentless science. Mr. Wheeler himself, saw a wide snowfield from whose centre a group of snow-clad peaks in pyramids, cones, towers, pinnacles, "rise superbly." He saw deep valleys leading up to beautiful park-like alplands in the heart of the range—all virgin ground for climber, scrambler, botanist, photographer. From the heights of the Dogtooth Range this new mountaineering ground can be seen to advantage.

Route: The South Fork of Canyon Creek offers a pass opening to the Spillimacheen, and a trail now leads almost to the pass. A connecting trail is needed from the summit of this pass down the slopes of the Spillimacheen. (For route to this pass, see "'Unknown Trails Between Golden and Glacier.")