An American, Howard Palmer climbed widely in the Selkirks in the company of E.W.D. Holway. The two did much of the early exploration in the Selkirks from 1908 to 1912, completing the first ascent of Mount Sir Sandford, the highest mountain in the Selkirk Range. These trips involved incredible struggles through devil's club and other thick underbrush in order to reach their objectives. Following his years in the Selkirks, Palmer climbed extensively in the Canadian Rockies, often with J.W.A. Hickson and was involved in twelve first ascents. Like many of the other early mountaineers, Palmer had a wide variety of interests. He was said to be an authority on Capt. Cook's voyages and was an expert in the repairing of antique clocks, having over one hundred in his collection. He was the author of "Mountaineering and Exploration in the Selkirks," one of the classics books of mountaineering in Canada. Mount Palmer in the Sir Winston Churchill Range was named in his honour. Another peak and a creek in the Selkirk Range were named in honour of Howard Palmer in 1914. [Additional Information: Palmer, Howard. "Mountaineering and Exploration in the Selkirks." G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1914]