Option 1 -> The passage doesn't indicate he paused to admire the scenery; he merely observed his surroundings.
Option 2 -> The passage explicitly states there was "no sun or promise of sun" and "the sun was absent from the sky."
Option 3 -> The passage clearly states "he paused to breathe at the top" after climbing the high bank, and he "excused the act to himself by looking at his watch."
Option 4 -> He had already chosen his trail before climbing; he "turned aside from the main Yukon trail" and climbed this specific bank.
Hence, Option 3: To catch his breath -> The text explicitly mentions "he paused to breathe at the top" after climbing the steep earth-bank, indicating physical exertion from the climb. He then pretended to check his watch as an excuse for this pause -> correct