The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1880-08-01
TO SAN JUAN.
A Hard Road and a Hard Country,
A Land of Sand, Sandstone, Big
Rivers, Deep Canyons, Little
Water, and Wild in the
Extreme.

On the "a of May last we, three OF
US, left Salt Lake on business trip
to the new County of San Juan. Ar
rived at Juab we experienced some
difficulty in getting transportation for
ourselves and luggage 10 Richield,
where our horses ana pack animals
we're. We finally procured the ser
vices OF Mr., Bertelsen, Of Monroe,
and reached Rocky Ford without 40.
cident, but all having psrtaken
pretty freely OF Jas. Robbins liquid
grub we became careless and the
team was left with nose eacks on
without being unaitched from the
wagon. They ran away and tipped
the wagon over, broke the wagon
tongue and doubletrees, and scattered
our outfit over the prairie. Then the
fun began. The professor" With
chunk OF bread and cheese in either
hand, slowly arose to his feet, and
staring after the running horses with
q most lugubrious coun;enance, said:
Pm id if l don't believe they're
running away"
We finally got our luggage to-
gether, lsshed the tongue, etc., and
reached the ranch without further
accident. But We did not stop
laughing at the ludicrous remark of
the professor" that day.
After one weeks delay we started
again and took trail near Gunnison
leading directly across the bills for
the head of Salinas Canon, intending
to strike Gooseberry Valley and
Green River route, but finding there
YVES no feed nor water before reach
ing Grand River, we retraced our
steps TO Lost Greek, and thence up
and over to the head of Grass Valley:
from there We next reached the
ranch of Major Anderson, where we
we're Hospitality received.
From this place. On the east fork OF
the Sewer, we worked hard to reach
Escalante, Iron County, where the
real trouble commences. We now
enter q country called the Potato
Valley Desert, sixty miles from
the Colorado River. The wagon road
runs through heavy sand and over
deep washes snd raVines the greater
part OF the way, and only leaves the
sand 70 take to solid sandstone noun
tsins.
The first watering place after leav-
ing Escalante is called Ten.mile
Spring, and It is necessary to dig into
the sand to get enough water for
camp use, and that is strongly aka
line. The next is Twenty-mlle
Spring, and no better than the
former; in fact there is no running
stream until the Colorado River Is
reached-sixty miles from Escslsnte.
The springs are simply the seepaee
from alkali beds, and the water is
bitter. Travellers should be well SUP
piled with Jsmsica ginger who intend
travelling over this route.
On coming in sight of the Colorado
River we find ourselves situated On
the summit of pIecipice some l 500
or 1000 feet above the water. The
road enters the top of a crevasse or
split in the rocks, extending to the
river below, which has been hewn
wide enough at the bottom to admit
of the passage OF a common wagon,
yet the hubs almost touch on either |
aide. This is called Hole in the
Rocks" aud ia go steep that it take |
an average horse team $50 pulls to |
haul an empty wagon from the river
TO the top-s distance OF but three
quarters of q mile. Yet the ferry
man told US very nonchalantly that
"a right good team could do it in
eighty pulls." So much for "Hole
in e Rocks"
The ferry is very coed, yet there
being but one man IN charge, travel
srs are required TO assist ID towing
the beat to the starting point and in
rowing across the river. Mr.. Hall,
the proprietor, is very painstaking
and accommodating gentleman, and
ass done and is still doing everything
q bic power to assist and advance
he interests OF travellers. In crossing
be river we had just about reached |
be middle of the stream when a gust
Il wind came down PowelPs Canon,
md, added 10 the swift current, car
led US away below the landing place,
nd caused Us to think we would have !
n unwelcome opportunity of explor-
ng the Grand Csfion OF the Colorado.
fortunately in rounding a bend in
be river one OF the party caught an '
verhanging willow and wrapping it 1,
uickly around an oar-lock and ef1ec- !
lslly "snubbed" her to the bank. .
liter efectiDg landing OF the horses :
nd traps We helped to tow the boat u
D stream and row back to the north \
de, when the ferryman returned us
} our horses IN skif
Leaving the river we ascend more
but much higher, than the q