The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-03-24
INTO NORTH PARK.
HARD THIr TnHsuGH IN SNOW
A ssry I-afsre-ti.E Letter frs4 solo.
nlrEe---Mis E~xpsFiease An rAsk-
iaE-Maki.G sasss shoes-A
TeaIous Journey.

irom SCION burgess 70 w. ,. IoDey,
will prove very interesting. II describes
the hardships Of 4 trip through the
snow 10 North Park. The letter was
dated Michigan River, March II.
The morning Of the 9th broke clear.
and we again started, hoping TO reach
Owl mountain that day. We had left
the road 10 the west, and were keeping
along the crest OF ridges at the base Of
the eastern foothills, encountering but
little snow until IL became necessary for
Us to turn west and cross the table land
ON the eastern bank OF Owl creek.
Across this table the snow was heavy
and hard, and about two feet deep.
Forcing u way through 1t vas ex-
tremely tiresome for both men and
team, and II vas nearly shutdown when
we descended the bluffs on TO Owl creek,
and now trouble commenced in earnest.
The willows were almost covered with
snow. not sufficiently hard TO bear the
weight Of a man without snow shoes.
Examining ahead, the men found the
drift TO be from four TO six feet deep
for a distance OF a hundred yards, and
from two to four feet deep from there
on TO the timber, n distance Of about
half a mile. To reach the mining
cabins was simply impossible, rs the
drifts lay much deeper In their direc-
ton. In fact their roofs were just
visible above the snow. A consultation
was held and 1t wal decided impossible
to reach the thinker that night with
our load. The labors Of the day had.
been extremely fatiguing, and the men
had eaten nothing since early In the
morning, but a biscuit apiece, which
they took while shoveling through the
drift. 1t was known to some OF our
party that there was n cabin somewhere
In the timber to the right OF the
road. So we decided to leave the sled
and the bulk OF our load until morn
ing, open Il narrow trail. pack the
horses with bedding and food to do US
until morning, and try and reach the
timber, and II possible the cabin that
night. While the rest set to work
opening a trail, AL. Sutherland packed
himself with provisions and started in
search OF the cabin. Smith and Atch-
ison had camped in 1t at some former
time while hunting and gave AL. about
the locality. lie oon returned bring
ing information OF finding the cabin,
and that its occupant, Mr.. Mitchell,
would have u good fire ready for us to
cook supper on our arrival. But II was
nearly nine when we reached the cabin.
and about noon next day when we got
the entire load over. II was now fully
apparent TO all that we must abandon
our present mode of travelling. The
now WIS from two to four feet
deep all along the eastern slope Of the
Owl mountain divide, and the mail
carrier reported 1t nearly as deep along
Indian creek, and across the table lands
10 Cushman's camp. Those Of our
company who were not supplied with
snow shoes spent the remainder Of the
day making them, and Dexter. a hunter
and trapper, who Joined us Mt Pink
hams, made n pack saddle. Next
morning Dexter and I packed the
horses. and the rest Of the company
took packs on their backs, and all
started for Cushman's on snow shoes,
a distance Of about twelve miles. The
men all reached Cushman's that night.
Dexter and myself, after numerous re-
packings, found ourselves, about sun
set, not more than two miles from
where we started in the morning, and
being perfectly satisfied with the ex-
pertinent Of trying TO keep packs on
animals fioundering through deep snow,
threw. them of and returned with the
horses to the cabin.
The prospect certainly looked blue
for the men TO pack the entire load over
the SHOWS the remainder of the distance
to the mines, seemed too great n hard
shi-, II any other course could possibly
be devised. Next morning Dexter and
I commenced building q light one
horse sled, with wide, thin runners.
BY noon we had 1t finished-it was a
success-would not weigh more than
twenty-five or thirty pounds, and would