National Republican., 1880-02-18
MISCELLANEOUS.
uA1F a nII,E 4 MINUTE.
a Rapid aud Pcriious Descent on snow.
Shoes.

Rapid aud Periious Descent on snow.
Shoes.
The Loadyillo (Col) Chronicle gives the fol.
lowing account Of the pcrilous Journey of Mr..
f. O.. McCHndloss, WHO made the trip from Ute
City, in the Roaring Fork district, to Lead.
vile, on snow.shocs--n ninety milcs-in four
days and Il half:
The first eighteen miles occupied three days
of hard labor, ana brought him to lndopen.
donco camp Two days Of this three he was
without food having taken but one days sup.
ply on starting. The difficulties in the road
were appalling. Heavy, wet SHOWS had laden
the trees in tho canon, and soaked them full
Of water. Cold weather had frozen them solid,
and strong winds cracked them of their stumps
like so many matches. This caused the narrow
gulch to be completely flied with dense
brush or thickct of snow-laden branches
Tho high, perpendicular and heavily
timbered walls of the canon forbad,
any attempt to scale them; and to pass thii
all but insurmountabo obstruction McCand,
less saw he must cut his way through or re
turn. lie chose the former course. A light
"squaw axe" was his only tool, aud was al.
most useless, as the wood was nearly equal 20
rock in hardness. He had calculated on max.
ing Independence Camp the first night. His
provision was gone, and there was nothing "a
do but toll on or lie down aud die. Night
came on, dark and cold. No wolves howled
the mountain lion heard. Nothing broke the
dcath-liko silence save tho thud of his little
axe as ho cut his way, inch by inch and foot
by foot, through tue gloomy dehle So passed
the night, the day, the second day; aud late
in the afternoon McCandless haggard, pale,
starving and completely worn out. crawled up
TO the door of cabin in Independence Camp.
He was warmly welcomed aud tonderly cared
for so that on the next morning lie felt like
pursuing his way.
After hearty break fast he started again
reaching the foot of the range at the head O,
Independence Gulch at $3.50 o'clock Tuesda,
morning. Another hour took him to th,
summit. He had draw-knife with him
aud ho stopped to fix his snow.shoes. Th,
edges were shaved down and the pole wa
slarpcned. Then, securing everything abou
his person carefully and bracmg himself io
the perilOus descent, he made the start Tn
crust on the snow was like ice, and neithG
shoes nor pole made any impression upon il
This rendered any attempt at steering o
slowing up useless, and an idea Of the rapidit!
with which that descent was made may b,
had when we state that it was Just 10 o'clocI
when ho left the summit, aud four mile
below, where he passed cabin, hI
pulled out his watch and IL marked
seven minutes past, showing II speed of over
mile in two minutes. 1t was while on thii
descent, and at the speed attained, that Nc.
OAuulCsS phbsBu LnfOuSn the most imminent
peril of the whole trip. As he drew near IA
timber, tall and sturdy pine fully three feet
In diameter, loomed mp directly in his course.
His hair stood on end, as every effort to swervs
TO one side of it proved vain until when,
within few feet of the tree the snow had
become little softened by the sun, and
slight grip was taken by the shoes aud pole.
Expecting instant death, and with the mem
tally.uttered prayer of Goodbye, Mac tho
man threw himself over until his shoulder
touched the snow. A sharp zip and the trea
was passed in safety. On down through tho
timber flew the slider, and soon tho foot OF
the range was reached in safety. From
there on lie used his legs with such
good effect that Twin Lakes were reached al
3 o'clock i'll the afternoon of Sunday, McCand.
less having made 3S miles that day. Monday
morning at 1890 ho left the Lakes, and at
1880, two hours later, he was eating dinner at
the Grant Hotel III this city.
The snow-shoes on which this trip was madn
are worthy OF mention. McCandcss hewed
them out himself at his cabin. Their length
is thirteen feet nine inches each, while the
guiding'pole is thirteen feet long. McCand-
less Is an expert in their use, having Travelled
dition to his travels in all the noteworty min-
ing regions Of America, he has visited and
mined in the gold fields of Australia, tho
diamonds beds of Africa and other notable
foreign countries. lie unreservedly declares,
however that his last trip, as detailed above,
is by far the hardest and most perilOus he has
over made. lie will return TO Roaring Forks
in few days by tho same route aud means"