The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-24
OLYMPIC EXPLORERS
First News From The Government EXpe.
dition.
Tough Experience OF Lieutenant
O'Neil's Party Up the LIiiewaup
Trail-lake Cushman and
the Grand Canyon.

tains, under The charge OF Lieutenant
O'Neill Of Vancouver barracks, comes TO
the Seattle Press, through It's correspond
ent, Il. j. Church, who is also the guide OF
the party. Mr.. Church writes:
On the morning of July 2 the steamer
bearing our explorers stopped ut the
mouth of the L%illewaup creek, where they
were told that was the proper beginning
of the trail To Lake Cusbman.
Lake Cushman, paradise for the follow
ers of Isaac Walton, is one of the most
beautiful spots in this glorious land of
ours. Nestled among the foothills of
the Olympic range, at n height OF
400 feet above the sea, with the
rocky crags and snow-peaks hang
ing over il, and rejecting them
selves in its placid bosom. The Skoko-
mish river, forming outlet and inlet, runs
through a valley of the most fertile agri-
cultural laud and covered with forests of
gigantic fir timber. The lake itself is a
mile and n half in length by half a mile i'm
breadth, being of almost perfect oval
shape, and abounds in two species of
brook trout, which grow TO a gigantic size.
the red-spotted variety running as high as
Is pounds.
The trail from the lake runs up the
VI tthith va nv v ioT III lpIE
miles to the famous copper deposits, aud
from there all signs of civilization cease;
the valley being a succession of fine bot
toms and precipitous mountain Sides,
which in places approach the grandeur of
a canyon.
On July G, ColonelN Z. Sinslcy. the geo.
logist, n Mr.. L. j. Church, his assist
ant, were sent by the commanding officer
as an advance well up toward the Grand
divide. The course led up { he river bot
tom for some five miles, naught of inter
est being seen until an impossible canyon
was reached, the water rushing forth from
between two perpendicular cliffs at least
100 feet in heighth. Our travellers then
breasted the side of the mountain on the
left, following the well beaten elk trails
where practicable, and ascending the
ridge To a height of LOO feet above the
lake, or l,52D feet above the sea. according
To the barometer.
Last September a party of six followed
the river to its source or rather thought
they did, but u mineralogist proved
them wrong, for IL was simply a small
fork of the river hat they followed up
h main stream flowing from the north
west through a canyon inexpressively
grand. Black perpendicular rocks, drip
ping with moisture and covered with
mosses and fern rise on either side, while
far, far beneath the river roars, its waters
at one time as blue as the sky above and
then amor tossed about the rocks in sheets
of foam as white as the driven snow.
The explorers crossed the smaller fork ON
a small and slippery DOT log, skirted
the mountain and went up the
main river, being forced tn keep at a high
altitude on account OF the inaccessible
canyon beneath. After proceeding con-
stantly upward and onward for a distance
OF three miles. passing through forests of
fir and hemlock, with yew tree and white
pine scattered here and there. "a descent
was ordered, and down they went, down,
down, for fully two hours. being SO situ-
ated that IA single misstep would ~
meant instant destruction. At last the
bottom was reached, and all that was
found was now-snow in huge drifts and
snow in patches, n the river, naught
but melted snow, tearing its way through
b midst of the little narrow valley.
The whole valley was full of the most
beautiful white cedar and red fir, trees
that would cut 1900 or 1000 feet each;
such monarchs of the forest as one does
not often meet with. AT daylight the next
morning We were up and onward, cross
ing the river on a log jam, and then for
two or three hours. walking in the virgin
forests with nothing to bar our progress
except an occasional windfall. About
moor thisl lovely valley was left behind
for lovely IL must be when grim winter
has loosened its hold-and climbing up
over the mountain n descending the
other side, we came To another u still
larger fork, set i'm a canyon Of black. for
bidding rocks, much resembling the Others
that we had passed before.
There was nothing for IL but "A descent,
which was easily made-at times much too
easily-and then came the tug of war.
For two continuous hou we climbed that
cliif. helping one another along, and lift
ing up Tige, the canine member OF the
party, he finding il absolutely impossible
tn follow us. Forced TO bear our whole
weight OF n small huckleberry bush or "A
branch Of a yew tree, while every few mo-
moments some boulder, dislodged 10y our
e~xertions, Numbered down the mountain
side and plunged into the cataract be-
meath. We found no sign of life Of any
description, even the small gnats aud mo-
squitoes seeming to have deserted this
barren region. At last the top of the can
yon was reached, and after a long
rest we once more held on our way, our
direction being southeast. With the
Black canyon we left all trouble behind,
the remainder of he journey being coru-
paratively easy.
The only game We saw on the whole
trip was one blue grouse, who , head the
colonel knocked of with "a bullet i,Sm his
Winchester, although we passed elk al
deer signs in plenty. The highest point
reached was some 400 feet above the sea
and the distance travelled over only some
II to ID miles but the difficulties TO be en-
countered may he imagined in that the
very inhabitants of the river valley
supposed that the main body Of
the river above The Grand canyon
was the small fork explored last
summer and as far as can be found out
the regions above described are abso-
lutely unknown 10 the civilized world, at
least, the copper regions above the lake
are too well known To need a description.
Above them were found principally basal
tic formation In the cliffs and lodges.
Above the Grand canyon IA belt OF red
slate containing iron, black oxide Of man.
ganese ant some copper was crossed.
while still further up the river we discov-
cred alternate belts of slate and porphyry
with here and there "A boulder az meta