Page:The Selkirk mountains (1912).djvu/50

38 the stream, then descends to the floor of the valley and leads to a mine (silver-galena) near its upper end.

Albert Peaks—Name: By the Topographical Survey in relation to Albert Canyon.

Altitude: Albert Peak, south. 9,998 ft.: Albert Peak, north, 9,562 ft.

Location: Six and seven miles south of Albert Canyon Station, the north peak being nearest the railway. The first ascent of S. Albert Peak was made by R. R. Copeland and H. Siegfried in 1909; the second ascent by G. L. Haggen and W. A. Aldritt in 1909.

Route: These peaks are reached most conveniently and easily from Twin Butte Station, ten miles west of Albert Canyon Station. Follow the railway track eastward to the trestle-bridge crossing Twin Creek. Here descend to the stream and take the slopes on the east side opposite the junction of the two branches of the creek; then follow the ridge. Both ascents are easy rock climbs and are best made from the small glaciers at their base. The North Peak may be climbed in one day. For the South Peak it is better to make camp at timber-line in the Aalley leading from the glaciers. For novices one guide is necessary.

View: From the north Peak there is an excellent view of Clach-na-Coodin Snowfield and the many summits surrounding it. From the south Peak, looking south and east, is disclosed a wild panorama of snow-clad peaks, icefields, glaciers, deep forested valleys and rushing torrents, all unknown. Directly east, in the near foreground, are the Albert Glacier and Snowfield. In the Canadian Alpine Journal, 1910, Mr. Copeland gives an account of the first ascent of north Albert Peak by himself and Mr. Siegfried, without a guide. About 1.30 p.m. they made the attack on a shoulder of the mountain which touches the railway half a mile east of Twin Creek, reaching its plateau at dusk after a climb of about 4,000 ft. Here they bivouaced for the night, having some lively diversion with a bear, "a huge, lanky, old silver-tip." At 5.30 next morning they started across the meadows to the foot of the glacier which terminates on an upper step of a natural winding stairway reaching to the valley below. They kept to the step immediately below the glacier's snout and ascended the face of the arete on the far side, a troublesome but interesting climb of 800 feet. Once on the firm arête "an exhilarating scramble of 2,000 feet brought them to the summit." For over twenty hours of the climb they had no water. And Mr. Copeland points out how and why they did not suffer from thirst: '"With a calm mind, the actual craving need be little more than a slightly unpleasant experience." Do not think about it. Thus does mind triumph over matter.

In 1901 Mr. A. O. Wheeler made his topographical survey station on the slopes of the Albert massif at an altitude of 8,033 ft., being 6,050 ft. higher than the railway. This station is called North Twin.

Albert Canyon Station—Name: By C.P.R. Co., in reference to Albert Canyon.

Altitude: Rail level, 2,227 ft.

Location: 22 miles west from Glacier by the railway. The village of Albert Canyon is picturesquely situated on a small flat on