Page:The Selkirk mountains (1912).djvu/166

114 The climate is temperate, the winters never severe, and the evenings are cool in the hottest summer months.

Behind the town is Mt. Revelstoke on which a bridle-path leads to the park—locally Victoria Park—the fine flowering alp-lands well gladed and well watered, fomnianding wide views of the surround ing mountains (see Revelstoke Park).

Some interesting roads radiate from the town and are being extended from year to year. One running along the Tonkawatla River through Eagle Pass will pass Three Valley and Griffin Lakes and follow the Eagle River to Sicamous and Shuswap Lake. Another attractive road leads through cedars and giant conifers down the Columbia Valley, and one follows the Illecillewaet River to Greely Creek. A long road up the Columbia will, when completed, run as far north as Tête Jeune Cache to a junction with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. These roads by rivers and lakes through mountain forests where there is scarcely a sign of humanity except the road itself and where the small game chatters under the boughs, are not only desirable for riders and drivers of horses and motors, but for the immortal walkers akin to Hazlitt and Stevenson. And many a road in these mountains of the newer world await the walkers who will not only give them "understanding and a tongue" but the written word. Tourists will find a three-hours' tramp going and coming with dinner waiting at the end, a good experience of these forest roads.

The same is true of the trails blazed by trapper or miner, or by the Government for holiday seekers. Among trails recommended for interest and beauty are one to Downie Creek and thence to Canoe River and Tête Jeune Cache on the upper waters of the Eraser (a good country for moose); one up the Jordan River and its tributary, locally named Canyon Creek from the steep forestcrowned gorge through which it flows; one to the park already named, and various trails to old placer-mines.

Visitors should not miss an excursion by steamer up the Columbia towards the Big Bend, from Mosquito Landing (local name) to Downie Creek. Its interest is partly of the grandeur of the high mountains rising almost from the river's margin, and partly of associations. Much water has run past these mountains since the early voyagers. Indian, French-Canadian, English, Scottish, American, for discovery and for the fur trade, and even for art's sake and religion's, paddled round the Big Bend down stream and up stream. This old River, ever replenished with new waters, these old mountains clothed with the old forests and crowned with the new snows must forever retain their associations of those daring men who conquered the wooded passes and this turbulent waterway long before the railway was a dream, and made it the trade-route across the dividing mountains.

There are over half a dozen hotels in Revelstoke all conveniently situated. The C.P.R. Hotel, which has accommodation for over 100 guests, has the choice of situations on a bench looking towards the rising mountains and receding valleys. Its one drawback is the noise at night from shunting engines, and visitors would do well to avoid rooms on the near side of the hotel. There are excellent shops and several liveries where horses and traps can be hired