The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-03

cnaiElnx most OF lfghtfoo. Indians we turned
g .le direction from which the sound came
a.1u saw one Of the zrandest sights il has ever
oecn ny good fortune 70 see.
nesaed Dy on enormous bull, charging down
me slope, came band OF n least sixty elk
until within thirty feet Of us. when thew
nheeied eight and ten abreast round clump Of
FRS 10 our left -
90 eugrossed had been in watching them
snsk hed forgotten we were wanderers in an
unknown country, and should not lose an op-
poIsaulty foreplenish our larder. But luckily
M companion was more practical. and the
Track OF his rsaa called me to my sense& The
next thing knew ne was going through . Wild
sAudanzo 70 rid himself of his pack, and a.
once proceeded 70 initiate him, aSd in q few
moments | was racing alter him over the
neAtner. my shotgun in one hand and camera
10 the other, and arrived good second, !" in mt
the death OF yearsing COW. After cutting up
the COW we went into camp and smoked the
meat, and this occupied the rest of the day.
insf night We lived high on elk liver and
broiled grouse.
August Dive were up at sunrise and found
that the band OF elk had passed back close 70
our camp during the night Our meat was not
ofy but was sufficiently smoked, so after max
ing up our packs we strung il on the outside of
them and started queer sight we mus. have
been, but there no one 10 see us and one
wes IS bad as the other 10 we could laugh at
each other
We now found ourselves in q deep basin con-
tanning TWO large lakes from the backs of which
loose rock slides ran up in every direction. the
only outlet being by the way we had come in.
and this accounts for the elk passing us IN the
night remarkable feature of these lakes il
that they al swarm with frogs and their young,
but not another living thing is found in them
Following up this basin to it's northern extrem-
ity we climbed to the summit and found our
he r>f
olympic noun tains, known a. the Jupiter hills
On our left hand and almost below as flowed
another large river that we afterwards found to
be the DocewsIiIps while in the mountains
around us we could see Eve large glaciers glis-
tening in the sunlight.
To the southeast of US we could see the seven
beautiful lakes that form the head aters of the
river we had orcers to descend. The first part
OF our mission was now executed, we had found
the rivers rise, we had now to descend it and
ascertain what river IT was
Descending to lower saddle OF the ridge we
saw lake in deep pocket the waters OF which
were of q beautiful indigo In color and on this
account We called il Indigo lake. To get down
to this lake was not an easy matter. for it was
ct least 500 feet below us, and the walls OF the
basin in which ft lay were almost perpen-
dicular. but by careful climbing we were able
TO make the descent in safety. BY this lake we
bad dinner, and after dinner tried to find way
ulthS tie Ellke, Out G001l not. anu so were
obliged TO climb down. This we did, hoping
TO be able to find route at the lower elevation,
but we soon fund that we were on the edge of
the large slide seen on our second day out and
that it was impo ssible to pass.
There was now nothing to be done but to
make our way straight down to the river again.
This we did by so steep route that by the
time We reached the stream we were both sore
and tired by the many bumps and bruises we
had received Crossing the stream we made our
way back to the point at which we first had
struck 1t, and here We made camp for the
night.
All that night we slept the sleep that only
those who labor can enjoy, and awoke the next
morning feeling ready for another hill. For
breakfast we had the remains of the Elk liver,
resolving 70 save our dry meat TO the last
For the FIRST three miles the trail led through
lightly timbered bottoms, over light. rocky
soil that bore no Hnderbrush, and we were able
to travel at good round pace. Our first obsta-
Gle was g good-sized landslide and this and an
other smaller one was the only trouble met in
che forenoon.
But while at dinner our luck changed, and 1t
began to rain in torrents. That afternoon was
the most miserable we either of us have ever
experienced since we have been in these noun
tains. Slide after slide We clambered over, and
had to ford the river four times until at
O'Clock, cold, wet and hungry, We stopped to
storm in the woods is no easy job. but to
make q camp 10 worse, and il may in
terest the reader to know how we
made q shanty against q large fallen log
by driving two uprighis into the ground, then
to these we tied another pole, then
cutting two more poles. we laid one end on this
aud the other on the log. This we covered by
pulling the bark off q cedar tree and placing it
shingie-asnion, bark side down, the smooth
under surface shedding the rain splendidly.
In front OF this we made very hot fire, and,
cutting fir limbs, dried them over the fire and
made 9 bed of them.
Angus. 23-The morning sun making a sickly
attempt to penetrate the damp, gloomy woods.
aroused Us from our morning nap. Our fire had
been put out by the rain, and q more dismal
prospect could hardly greet the waxing vision
OF two lone travellers. About ten minutes after
starting we were again wet through, bat il now
began TO clear up and the sun shone ont strong.
The canyon now began TO get very narrow
and rough, but by following the game trails we
were able to avoid the worst places.
About 10 o'clock we came 10 place where the
trail turned up very steep hill. and the cause
OF it was very heavy landslide that 1t was i'm
POSSIBLE TO pass. Thinking the trail led up and
round the head of the side we started up it.
All that forenoon we climbed up a slope of about
] to /. and 81 noon had not got TO the top. The
afternoon was the same, until about O'Clock
we arrived at a small grassy plateau about 200
feet below the summit OF the range. Here we
dropped our packs aud climbed TO the top OF
the ridge. Here we again came on the trail of
the .Banner party which We knew by finding
leaf from that well-known novel, Put Yourself
IN His Place"
After watching the sunset and picking out the
route TO travel next day we went 10 our camp
again On the way we killed marmot for
supper. for these rodents can be eaten.
Sunrise Camp, Aug. 24-This morning the
er,, sonrai the divide with A srnilfnr face nd
il was with light hearts weshouldered our packs
and climbed to the summit of the ridge. In the
valley below US lay solid banks of white fog,
and nothing was visible. Travelling along the
ridge we found il to be composed of slate forma-
ton, lying in perpendicular layers, while al
most all the loose rock was OF a beautiful white
hne-erained sandstone. After travelling along
The ridge for an hour came to a rugged
p.nnaele, over which we had 10 Climb This was
very dangerous work, the crest was not wide
enough TO walk upon. 80 we were obliged 10
climb along the side, hanging TO the upright
ribs of slate, while below US was q clear drop OF
several hundred feet.
After an hours climb we landed on the other
side. aud here the ridge was broad and tolerably
Level. but ut the other end wss high pinnacle
simiiar to the one we had climbed over. only
tina, on one side was g grassy ledge, so that
passiug 1t was compare lively easy; coming
round a sharp corner on this ledge we came
onto A band OF three Whitehall deer, and, as
had eaten all our elk meat we shot one and, as
the others did not move, resolved to take a
photog raph; so, dropping on my side, called
10 Sergeant Yates TO get out my camera from my
mack. which he did. and, having got all ready,
/ commenced 10 approach the two remain
ing deer by walking up TO them in full view
The dead buck lay between me and them, and
Al thirty feet took picture OF the group. and
then walked up closer until within fifteen feet