The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-05-12
an INTERESTING ADVENTURE
As Related BY Our Fellow Citizen, Nj: ".
kLaV,gat, The Here Of the Story.


I've always had a penchant from
boyhood up, for climbing over rocks
and mountain gorges and seeking to
su'lnount inaccessible precipices. But
have had "my satisfy" if not for.
ever, at least for while.
Last week Mr.. ]. S. Taylor, a pros
pestcr of many years experience
twf of which have been spent in
clslbing over the Elk Mountains
persuaded me to accompany him on a
trip to Poverty gulch, where he was
going to look after some claims. A
bonanza which he would show me
where to stake, was to be my reward.
So, on Monday, April 25th, we got
out our toboggan, stored into it three
days rations, a Ratchet, shovel. pick
and blankets, shouldered our snow
shoes and struck out.
r Westward ho! down Anthracite
creek, on the Ute reservation, our
route lay, for we were to make circuit
around Mount Owen-to travel twenty
FIVE miles around-to make point six
miles north of Irwin.
When six or eight miles on the route
the toboggan began to pull heavily,
while just a little ahead large bare
spots, covered with grass. and where
v'e afterwards plucked some beautiful
wild flowers, began to show themselves.
These spots, contrasting beautifully
with the dazzling white.snow, made a
picture for landscape painter. On
one of these spots we camped for the
night, cooked and eat our supper and
stretched ourselves upon our bed of
pine boughs to sleep, perchance to
saEs.-4n the dssaho1ksft the Big.r
when the campfire burned low, when
visions of far off home and friends
and childhood scenes were fitting in
panoramic succession through our
ever active brain, a hideous yell and
then a growl broke the stiffness of the
night. 1t raised US perpendicularly in
an instant, guns in hand, ready for the
fray. Two sharp reports rang out on
the night air, for we wanted to show
the mountain lions that we could make
noise as we'll as he. We were not
afraid. Who's afraid? We only
wanted to keep the lions from eating
our grub. So we sat up the balance
of the night, threw limbs on the fire
and told "bar" stories to while away
the dragging hours.
In the morning we left our tobog-
gans and blankets, and with our DAYS
rations in our harversacks continued
our journey, still gong west. Shortly
after starting, we came upon two pros
pectors, who directed US to 60 Forth.
This course took up the mountain to
the snow, over which We passed into
Gold basin on the north side of Mt.
Owen. From the summit of the RIDGE
before descending into Gold basin,
looking west We saw the line of the
Buckskin range, in Utah, eighty miles
distant as the crow flies, with Mt. Mar
celina, a few miles distant, thrusting
its conical peak far up into the clouds
In this basin we found two men
shovelllng snow from claim they said
lay underneath. They. directed us
still further north. Onward we went
climbing over bluffs and snow, and
about 4 O'Clock entered Silver basin.
Taking birds eye view of the situa-
ton generally, we soon discovered a
column of smoke short distance off
which We soon reached, and found
that it proceeded from the cabin OF
Mr.. ]. w. Sayles, where we were cor.
daily entertained for the night. In
the morning Mr.. Sayles directed Us
north and we proceeded, but in short
time concluded that unless we had the
claws of a cat and the wings of an
eagle, we had better take some other
direction, so We turned west towards
vale that appeared free from snow
We didn't 60 far before we saw two
men approaching us around with
Sharp's rifles. They were guarding
some claims. We explained matters
and proceeded on.