NRC Expeditions: Third Expedition
Five months after the completion of their second expedition,
the Novasola Research Corps set out for a third and final expedition through
Novasola, this time through the Paramounts, the island’s large central chain of
mountain ranges.
As with the previous voyages, Corps members had spent the
prior months preparing for the journey. Like before, preparations included
compiling and organizing their observations and records from the past trips, researching
or compiling information for the upcoming trip, and much logistical planning.
The third expedition was to be significantly different from the first two in a
number of ways which affected planning. To start, the third expedition was
expected to be much shorter. The route would take the NRC through high
elevation mountains and could only be carried out during the summer months when
enough of the snow had melted. The Corps would not be able to travel through
the Paramounts until mid-May at the earliest and hoped to be out of the
mountains by October to avoid harsh winter conditions. Because the regions they
planned to explore were so rugged, remote, and difficult to traverse, the NRC
would significantly increase the number of pack animals and gear they would
take, and had to scale back the number of people traveling. As a result, a fair
number of Corpsmembers that had explored with the first two expeditions were
released, and a greatly reduced NRC would carry out this last journey. While
over 50 people travelled as Corpsmembers before, this expedition would include
only 29 Corpsmen, to say nothing of the support crews.
The Paramounts are a collection of mountain ranges
stretching north-south across Novasola forming the island’s central mountain
divide. They dominate much of the island’s horizons, but in 1904 they were
relatively unexplored. While they were well-known to the many indigenous groups
whose territories included the mountains, the Paramounts were known to white
settlers mostly as an enormous obstacle near-impossible to traverse.
Fur-trappers and hopeful miners were they only whites that regularly travelled
the Paramounts, and their records or memories were the only sources of
information on the mountains the NRC had prior to the expeditions. By the third
expedition, however, the Corps did have some experience in the Paramounts and
had acquired more information from interviews and conversations with native
peoples.
The lack of reliable information combined with the harsh
conditions of the Paramounts to make the third NRC expedition the most
challenging. The route took the Corps through extremely difficult terrain,
mostly steep, alpine regions covered in snow, ice, rock and talus, and dense
conifer forest, often in extreme winds and cold. It was during the third
expedition the Corps saw their first and only death: William Pollard, aged 41,
fell over 200 feet to his death when crossing what is now called “the Pollard Traverse”.
As with the other expeditions, the NRC had specific goals
for the third. Firstly, the Corps intended to approach the Spadapazzo Canyon
from upriver and determine where, if at all, it would be possible to build
hydroelectric power stations along the river. Secondly, they were to compare
Agdaka Pass to the recently discovered Elkhorn Pass and determine which might provide
a better location for a trans-territorial railroad. Lastly, the Corps was
hopeful to explore the Sasan Glacier in the northern Uludaqs. The glacier had
only been discovered three years prior and was thought to be the largest
glacier on the island; the NRC would chart it and be the first to cross it.
The NRC left Cape George on May 15, 1904, hoping this would
be late enough into spring that snow would have begun to melt in the Towers,
but not so late that the expedition would face difficult conditions in the
fall. Crossing Charlotte Sound, they traveled up Atka Atka Creek into the
Northern Tower range, where they spent 11 days before returning to the sound
via Cascade Creek. They then travelled up Madera Creek to the Southern Tower
range and spent 19 days before descending through the Spadapazzo Canyon. At the
outlet south of the Weeping Wall the Corps met up with the SS Newport
which took them to the small but growing settlement of Artemis. From there they
ascended the Artemis River to Agdaka Pass, then travelled through the Arrowhead
Mountains north to Elkhorn Pass, and finally down the Elkhorn River to Fairweather
Sound where the Newport was waiting for them to restock. The NRC then
travelled to the Keedak River, Novasola’s northernmost permanent river, and
ascended into the Steller Range. The Keedak is fed by the Sasan Glacier, which
the NRC climbed to until they reached Mount Sasan, at which point they headed
south into the northern Uludaq mountains and eventually crossing the divide and
descending to Great Shadow Lake. At the lake the Corps traded with natives for
a number of large dugout canoes they used to flow down to Vodograd, where they
picked up the Newport and headed for Cape George. They arrived, back where they
started, on September 15, exactly four months after they departed.
Though the shortest expedition by far, the third expedition was the most physically demanding and challenging. Much of the route took the Corps through extremely rugged mountain wilderness, and the distance the Corps was able to travel in just four months is astonishing. Once back in Cape George, NRC members disbanded rather unceremoniously. Each member was responsible for compiling their notes, observations, and collections and sending them to Washington DC. Some stayed on Novasola, but most returned to the mainland. Many of the Corps members wrote and published about their discoveries or their experiences during the expeditions. 100 years later, in 2002, all members of the Novasola Research Corps were posthumously recognized and honored in a memorial service and dedication at the opening of the Novasola Exploratory Expeditions Interpretive Center, located in Cape George. The Museum of Novasola, located in Artemis, has an entire exhibit dedicated to the exploratory expeditions, and now the Birds of Novasola exhibit. The Novasola Research Corps has left innumerable marks on Novasola
Below is a map of the first expedition’s route along with
marked notable locations.
1.
May 19 – 23
Northern Towers
The Corps spent 11 days in the Northern
Tower mountain range, five of which were spent at what the crew termed “Frozen
Toes Camp”. The campsite was situated at the base of Mount Polk, and as its
name would suggest was quite cold. Temperatures in the northern Towers in May
are rarely above freezing. This was also the Corps’ first time above 7,000 feet
in elevation, so many of the crew were not just cold, but exhausted and ill
from altitude sickness.
“The cold gnaws its way into my bones
with an unyielding grip. The wind howls like a beast, relentless and
unforgiving. The icy fingers of winter manage to creep through my clothes,
finding my skin and leaving me shivering in its wake. My breath hangs in the
air, each exhale an effort against the biting cold. The men are in low spirits,
their faces pale and worn from the ceaseless battle against the elements. With
our fingers stiff and uncooperative, our bodies weary from the constant fight
to stay warm, even simple tasks are monumental.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition
log, May 20, 1904
“The altitude is proving to be a far
greater foe than many here had anticipated. Each step feels like a battle
against an invisible force, the thin air leaving me wanting for breath. The
simplest tasks have become Herculean efforts—tying a knot, lifting a pack, even
speaking requires more energy than I seem to possess. The men are equally
affected, their faces flushed with exertion, their movements slow and
deliberate. I can see the strain in their eyes, the way they pause more
frequently, hands on their knees, chests heaving as they try to catch their
breath. Conversations are few and far between now; words are saved for
necessity, as each one takes more effort than it’s worth.
The higher we climb, the more the
landscape changes, becoming more desolate and forbidding. The sky, usually a
source of comfort, feels distant and unreachable, a cold expanse above us that
offers no solace. At night, sleep eludes us, not just from the cold but from
the altitude itself. Lying down feels like suffocation; the pressure in my head
is a constant, throbbing reminder of the heights we’ve reached. Dreams, when
they come, are feverish and unsettling, filled with images of falling, of
endless drops into nothingness.
Yet, we press on, driven by the
knowledge that turning back would be an admission of defeat—a thought none of
us is willing to entertain.” – Captain Virgil Dyer, Expedition log, May 22,
1904
2.
June 5 – 15
Southern Towers
The NRC spent 19 days in the southern
Towers and had an even more challenging time. In a matter of days the Corps had
camped at over 7,000 feet in freezing cold, returned to sea level and warm
temperatures, then climbed again to camp at over 6,400 feet. Their bodies struggled
with the (relatively) sudden changes, let alone the difficult terrain.
3.
June 21
Spadapazzo Canyon
On June 21 the Corps reached the top of the
Spadapazzo Canyon. The canyon is the largest canyon or gorge on Novasola and is
an astounding sight to behold. Over 70km long and an average of 8km wide, the
canyon, over 4,000 feet deep at its deepest, is an imposing, steep-sided canyon
of basalt cliffs carved by the Spadapazzo River which cascades violently from
the Towers down to the Francis Strait at the Weeping Wall. Too dangerous for
the Corps to navigate by boat, the NRC had to traverse through the canyon on
foot.
The NRC hoped to determine whether there
were any spots along the river that could be used for new hydroelectric power
stations. While Captain Dyer did recommend two sites, neither was ever
developed, in part due to the difficulty of building and maintaining facilities
within the canyon. Now, the entire canyon is protected within the Spadapazzo
Canyon National Monument.
“After weeks of arduous travel over
rugged terrain, we have met our destination in high spirits. The Spadapazzo
stretches before us in a grandeur the Almighty would compete for.” – Wyatt
Taylour, Expedition log, June 21, 1904
“At dawn the sun's rays pierced through
the morning mist, illuminating the massive walls of rock that rise up on either
side of the river. The gorge itself is a colossal chasm, carved over eons by
the relentless force of the river, which winds its way through the landscape
like a shimmering ribbon. Beyond the canyon walls the high peaks of the Towers
poke up. The sheer scale of it is overwhelming; it feels as though we have
found a world lost, careening toward the underworld as its surroundings scrape
the heavens. It is as if the earth itself has opened up to reveal a secret, a
hidden treasure that few have ever seen.” – Virgil Dyer, Expedition log, June
22, 1904
“Towards the river the air grows damp,
filled with the sound of rushing water. Towering cliffs, draped in moss and
ivy, frame the river on both sides, their jagged edges softened by the greenery
that clings to every crevice. Waterfalls cascade from the heights, their white
foam is stark against the dark rock. The river itself is wide and powerful, its
surface broken by swift currents and eddies. Liverworts, horsetail, ferns, and
mosses abound amid the basalt.” – Terrence Bonet, Expedition log, June 22, 1904
Spadapazzo Canyon, "The Narrows". Photograph taken by NRC photographer Samuel Atlas Beach, 1904
4.
July 4
Agdaka Pass
After exploring the Tower Peninsula, the
NRC stopped in the small town of Artemis, then a far cry from the capital it
would become, from which they embarked up the Artemis River to Agdaka Pass. The
pass is a stretch of lowlands that separate the Tower Ranges from the Arrowhead
mountains and the rest of the Paramounts. It is the only spot on Novasola where
one could easily cross the Paramounts or the mountain divide and has served as
a major route for people crossing between Novasola’s east and west for millennia.
From here the NRC would hike into the Arrowhead Mountains, but not before
celebrating Independence Day on the Pass’ summit.
“Nutcrackers abound! Our camp awoke this
morning to a cacophony of crowing and cawing emanating from all around us. By
the time the sun had risen fully over the Mornings, I could count nearly thirty
Nutcrackers flitting about the ridge, swooping like woodpeckers across the
clearing, and some so bold as to land near our campfires to sneak away with
discarded food scraps. I watched as twice a bird flew to the ground with a
bulging throat. This bird then dug a small hole in the grass and regurgitated a
large pine nut into the hole before burying it and flying off.” – Expedition
log, July 6, 1904
5.
July 16 – 25
Elkhorn Pass
It took the NRC nearly 20 days to hike
180-so kilometers from Agdaka Pass to Elkhorn Pass. Elkhorn Pass was only
recently discovered by gold miners, and it was thought at the time it may
provide a better route through the Paramounts for a railroad than Agdaka, based
on the miner’s reports. Located between the Arrowhead and Uludaq mountains, the
pass is low, but still quite steep. It did not take long for Captain Dyer and
the NRC to deem it unsuitable for rail development. At the Pass the Corps spent
two days carving dugout canoes to float the Elkhorn River.
6.
August 1 – 2
Elkhorn River, Mouth
The NRC travelled down Elkhorn River and
arrived at the mouth on August 1. The Newport was already waiting for
them. They spent two days there resting and loading onto the ship, which was
restocked for the next leg of the journey.
7.
August 8
Keedak River
The Corps disembarked from the Newport
on August 6 and begun travelling up the Keedak River in canoes. The Keedak is
the northernmost river in Novasola to remain navigable year-round, though even
it becomes treacherously icy in the cold months. Even in August the water is
exceptionally cold, as the river is fed mostly by glacial meltwater. Two days
upriver, on the 8th, the NRC made camp at a large series of rapids
which impeded their progress. The Keedak Whitewaters sit just downriver of a
major confluence where the Keedak, originating from the Saasan Glacier in the
Uludaqs, is met by the Steller River, originating from the Steller Range.
Forced to disembark, the Corps hiked twelve miles alongside the Keedak before
they could put back in.
“The sound reached us first, a low
rumble that grew louder with each step, until it became a deafening roar that
drowned out all other noise. The river, which had flowed calmly and steadily
for miles, suddenly transformed into a frothing, churning mass of water,
crashing violently over boulders and through narrow channels.” – Benjamin Farr,
Expedition log, August 8, 1904
“The whitewater stretches as far as the
eye can see, the water twisting and leaping as if possessed by some wild force.
Great waves rise and fall with an unpredictable rhythm, throwing spray high
into the air, where it catches the light and forms fleeting rainbows. The
rocks, slick with moss and water, are jagged and treacherous, standing like
sentinels in the midst of the chaos, directing the river’s fury.” – Richard Reichwald,
Expedition log, August 8, 1904
“The men stood in awe, their usual
bravado tempered by the realization of what these rapids present. Any thought
of continuing up the river without landfall was quickly abandoned; it would be
suicide to attempt it. Even the strongest swimmer would be no match for the
strength of these waters, which would dash a man to pieces in an instant.
We spent hours working our way around
the rapids, but the terrain is unforgiving. The cliffs rise steeply on either
side, once leading our party to an impasse. A steep cliff left us with no
choice but to retreat and find another route. It was a bitter disappointment,
knowing we must backtrack and lose valuable time, but there was no other
option. These rapids are a barrier that we shall, with grit, conquer.” – Virgil
Dyer, Expedition log, August 9, 1904
8.
August 14 – 18
Mount Sasan
On August 14 the Corps reached the Sasan
Glacier situated on the southern slope of Mount Sasan, separating it from Mount
Lassaq. The glacier had only recently been discovered, in 1901, and never
explored. The Corps intended to be the first group to study the glacier and to
cross it. With an average width of 1.7 km and length of 19km, the Sasan glacier
was then thought to be the largest on Novasola and crossing it would be the
most dangerous part of the entire expedition. The NRC set up base camp on the
north side of the glacier and stayed there for four days. During that time, some
members could rest and acclimatize to the 9,000 feet elevation or explore Mt.
Sasan while a forward party was sent to scout the glacier and establish a route
across and another party led a mule train to the other side without crossing
the glacier itself. The glacier, though slow, moves downslope at roughly two feet
per day and thus features countless and unpredictable cracks, crevasses,
seracs, snow bridges, and other hazards that could spell disaster for unfortunate
climbers. Thankfully the NRC had by coincidence timed their arrival at the glacier
with a long spell of excellent weather conditions and after three days the
scouting party had confidently prepared a route across. It took an entire day for
the full NRC to cross the two-kilometer-long route, and miraculously the only
thing to go wrong was when Patrick Jackson, NRC Ichthyologist, accidentally
dropped a length of rope into a crevasse. Farther south in the Uludaqs the NRC
would not be so lucky.
Lower Sasan Glacier. Samuel Atlas Beach, 1904
9.
September 5 – 7
Great Shadow Lake
After crossing Sasan Glacier, the NRC
trekked southeast through the ___ Range, probably the most remote and least
explored mountains in the Uludaqs and likely the entire Paramounts. This leg of
the journey would be the when the NRC faced its greatest tragedies. Much of the
route was above 11,000 feet in elevation, and many of the NRC members were
constantly ill with altitude sickness. On August 28th, as the Corps
was crossing a particularly jagged and steep arête, William Pollard, suffering
from altitude sickness, slipped. The 41-year-old guide tumbled over 200 feet to
his death into what is now called Pollard Valley. His was the only death of a NRC
member during an expedition, and his body was never recovered. The arête is now
called the Pollard Traverse, and often crossed by climbers attempting to summit
Mt. Cuskaq, though 17 people have died on the traverse since 1970. The next
day, poor weather conditions rolled in and the temperature dropped
significantly. For the next week the Corps were blasted with harsh winds,
occasional snow flurries, poor visibility, and freezing temperatures. Two mules
were lost in blizzard, along with the supplies they carried. By the time they
found Cutthroat Creek, which they could follow down to Great Shadow Lake, the
NRC had been hiking through at least two feet of snow for the past two days.
On September 5 the NRC made it to Great
Shadow Lake, thankful to be out of the mountains. Despite the worse-for-wear
conditions of most of the crew, Captain Dyer wasted no time securing a way to
Vodograd. Soon after arriving at the lake the Corps encountered a group of Alayuk
fishermen. Dyer traded them a number of firearms and cookware for their five
large dugout canoes. In just two days the NRC, minus a few men and the mule
train, were boating down the lake and the lower Chidkayook River to Vodograd.
“Perhaps there is no greater a relief to
men so tired and so worn than the sudden and unexpected arrival at their
destination. This feeling I now share, as from the days of miserable trekking
our party has emerged, faced now with the oasis of the Great Shadow. We have
spent much of our energies hiking down from the Uludacks to arrive here on the
shores of the lake, so grand in scale I fail to see across it.
Not only does the lake provide a needed
repose from the bitter climate of the mountains, but also our first glimpses
into more familiar terrain. Our Corps has already once before been on these
shores, and we know this lake to be frequented by boats piloted by both whites
and natives in great numbers. From here our journey to Vodograd is sure to be
easy.
I cannot help but marvel at the Great
Shadow’s waters now glowing with the mirrored sunset. Above the waters swarm a
multitude of swallows, flitting high and low before vanishing into the forest
behind me and reappearing over the water moments later. I am happy to have the
swallows here, as a great number of mosquitoes has begun to burden us.” – Richard
Reichwald, Expedition log, September 5, 1904
10.
September 10
Vodograd
The NRC arrived at Vodograd on September 9
just as the sun was setting. They had little time to rest, because a violent
storm was expected to hit the town which would prevent the Corps from departing
on a ship. Captain Dyer decided to try and load the entire NRC onto the SS
Newport, which was already docked, as quickly as possible and embark. They
managed to load the ship in a day, and the Newport was underway at 1:21 on
September 11.
11.
September 14
Southwest coast, near Hope Creek
As it would turn out, violent thunderstorms
would hit much of the western range. Dyer did good to insist on leaving quickly,
as Vodograd was battered by storms for the next week. Farther south the island only
experienced a day or two of storms, but their effects would be witnessed. Early
on September 14 the Newport was travelling southeast along the coast when the
crew spotted an immense pillar of smoke inland. The pillar was coming for an
enormous wildfire that had likely been caused by a lightning strike during the
earlier storms. The wildfire was near enough to the coast that people on board
claimed to be able to see the orange glow in the morning light. The clouds of
ash were so vast and thick they were clearly visible as a plume from miles away
and ash filled the air as far as Cape George. Though no one went ashore, many
members of the NRC took notes, observations, illustrations, and photographs of
the fire. The experience inspired NRC artist Albert T. Hudson to paint an,
albeit fictionalized, vivid painting.
The NRC arrived at Cape George the next
day, on September 15, 1904, and the third and final exploratory expedition was
officially complete.
“The fire radiated in arms east and
south. A wave of scorching air made it difficult to breathe, stinging our eyes
and searing our skin. The sky, once blue, was now choked with thick, brown
smoke that muted the sun, casting the land in an eerie, orange twilight. Ash
rained down on us like snow, covering everything on deck in a fine, gray powder
that clung to our clothes and filled our mouths with grit.” – Virgil Dyer,
Expedition log, September 14, 1904
"Wildfire". Albert Thomas Hudson, NRC artist, 1905