THE CLIMB OF CROW'S NEST MOUNTAIN
By P. D. McTavish
The discoverer of Crow's Nest[1] pass is Mr. Michael Phillips, now of Elko, B.C. In the early sixties he came as a Hudson's Bay Company's employee to Fort Sheppard, and subsequently went to Wild Horse, near the present town of Fort Steele, when that place was in the midst of its gold excitement. In the latter sixties he spent his time trapping along Morrisey and Michel creeks, and it was while thus employed that he discovered the pass. Standing at its summit, he looked out across the quiet, forest-clad valley, which lay so calmly beneath him, the whole presenting the appearance of a great basin. Mr. Phillips thought it resembled a huge crow's nest, and in speaking of the pass thereafter, he referred to it as the "Crow's Nest" pass. It is quite natural that the mountain of striking appearance that stood near by should receive the same name.
Like the sacred Fuji Yama of Japan, Crow's Nest mountain rises abruptly out of the earth, with no other mountains within miles. In fact, so striking is this that the Peigan Indians had a beautiful legend as to its origin. According to this legend, the Great Spirit, with his daughter, the Spirit of Water, was walking near where the mountain now stands, when the Spirit of Fire saw them, and at once became enamored of the fair maiden and determined to capture her. But the Great Spirit divined his intention, and caused the fair Spirit of Water to descend into the bowels of the earth. Thus eluded and disappointed, the Spirit of Fire be-
- ↑ Now written "Crowsnest" by a ruling of the Geographic Board of Canada.
