The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1886-11-26
Green Mountain Boys ADJ
venture.

Four of us started on camping triI
to the Rocky Mts., hunting and flshin,
about one o'clock p. m, on horse back
packing our tent and grub as 1t is call
ed here, on pack horse for the noun
tains. AS the trail was rough we hat
towalk our horses all of the way. W.
rode about ten miles that day ant
pitched our tent about five o'clock p
m. near the Creek, fine stream OF
water with mountains on both sides.
After we had got our tent up and thu
horses picketed, we unpacked. W.
took our fishing rods or poles to catcl
some fish for supper and just as fast az
we could drop our lines in we would
pull out trout and large ones. After
Catching what fish we could eat we
started big camp fire and think We
had the best supper | ever ate. We
were very hungry up in the mountains
It was very cold and after supper we
cot lots of dry wood and soon had a
large fire, we told stories until a late
hour then we turned into our blankets
and slept soundly until daylight, when
we came out of our tents, and 10 and
behold there was four or five inches of
snow on the ground and cold too, but
we had big fire soon, but we could
not travel any farther that day on ac-
count of the snow. After breakfast
nv brother and myself started on a
hunt. We went about mile up to a
deer lick's, they are of salty taste
full of alkalie. The park consists of
about 25 acres and after looking very
carefully all around the yard we found
that the deers were not there. We
went down and saw the tracks as thick
as sheep tracks but we tailed to get a
fresh one. We were so tired and
hungry we went back TO c: mp and af-
ter eating our supper | thought |
would 60 fishing. | went up to the
Greek and in a short time had nice
strinRuOf trout as was ever seen i'll
Verii7ont. Then back to camp went,
thinking | would 60 buck hunting. l
travelled until late in the afternoon
but failed to find any game and started
for camp, and as | was walking very
slowly struck the forest, when just
ahead of me in the trail sat Grizzly
bear, savage looking fellow tell
you, as was alone l knew it depend
ed Oh myself, so drawing my rifle l
took as good aim as | could and fired,
as it was little dark was rot sure of
hitting him but it seems | did as he
started around clump Of bushes and
! thought he was going to run away,
but he did not, for in shorter time
than | can tell about it he was after me
with a growl and jump, l knew to
run would be certain death, so taking
it as calmly as possible l took careful
aim. had five shots left in my rifle
as best the exciting times would admit
gave him the second shot but he did
not stop, did not know whether had hit
him or not that time but kept firing as
fast as possible, knew it would be
nv last chance as the bear was very
near, so glancing very carefully along
the barrel, and aiming at his breast |
pulled that time, it told, for with a
Rrowl and howl of pain he dashed in
to the forest and in less time than it
takes to tell the story he was out of
hearing. l think was never SO calm
in my life, but when it was all over |
was little weak to tell the truth and
l started back to camp. They had
heard me shooting and as | did not
come in they were worried and started
for me. The next morning | was up
IS soon as light and went up where l
shot at the bear the night before, |
found plenty of blood but old bruin
lad gone and as we were going to
start on our trip right away | did not
follow the trail of blood, | have wish
ID since that ] had. Packing our
equipage we started on
ramp, travelled four or five miles over
What an Eastern man would call bad
Dad but they call it very good trail
lere. 1t seems almost impossible for
horse to 60 where we went, and
where our eastern horses could not
ave gone. After going about mile
We passed through what is known here
S He'll Gate. 1t is pass or gap wide
nough for buggy pass through. The
ocks on both sides were some 200 TT. J
Ugh. Then going few miles farther
7e came into large park consisting
f good many acres, and such fine !
rass, it would make nice place for {
arge village. We were then at what
called here the Forks, the Greek di-
ides one-half up one canon and {
he other half up the other. Stop !
ing few minutes to fix our saddles !
We took look at the grand scenery be-
ore us, nothing but mountains and
orests as far as the eye could extend
IS vision, then taking the right hand
ork we commenced to travel up into
he high mountains, the canon grew
arroWer and Oh each side | should 8
udge the mountains were nearly 2OO0 I
t. high some of the way and not any
nance to get out or pass any one only I
he way you went in it and to keep
tra,ght ahead. The trail was very ,
ifficult one for the horses there were {
ocks and lodges in the way, but
hey were sure footed. After going {
bout four miles of such road we
cached the summit aud unpacked our
ent. tell you it was cold for the
ime of year, we could see snow, plen- {
Y of it. After getting everything !
lone in the camp took my rifle and /
tarted to explore the country, going
own to the Creek, the first sight that