The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-09-03
THE DUCKABUSH.
! Il 4 Camping Party in
the Olympics.
= oe,Nc THE DocEwALLiPs.
-, 4 whIsfling sfarmots-An Hi
x.s,ked-Notes on Geology and
Botany.

- n WhIsfling Hfarmots-An xlk
x.Ssked-xotes ON Geology and
Botany.
u,orr. Sept Lon the morning Of
800 a the writer. in company with Sergeant
4 rstaa. left the headquarters of Lieutenant
8 n1Neil with Instructions 10 find the river
- 81 Colonel n. L Linsley; 10 locate IT'S
a ~ foI;ow il down TO lis mouth. or what
- tais vas, or how long we wuuld be In
s1,r il mouth we had no idea. except that
- from its general direction that il
y inio hoods canal somewhere.
, ~sppll9s consisted OF esch twenty pounds
rscdn, I'VE pounds; sugar, two pounds;
~ a16und; salt, four ounces, and Q little
Nudes our supplies. we carried be-
u = 6ne army earbiae and twenty -fiye
4 ammunition, one 16-bore shotgun, q
lY61ze camera, skinning tools, curat.ves,
- case and blankets, frying pans, etc.
4vM be seen that we were not lightly
8 alter leaving camp We commenced
800 b . north westerly diret tion- For the
- hours our work consisted of climbing
n6<h, dease thickets of young ar, wi h an
toaai suaie of vine, maple and devils
- variety. bat after gaining an elevation
1fee5 500 ieet We were able 60 follow up
II grass meadow, through which q small
- mn
- meadows are formed BIZ heavy land
IL me winter. which carry all the timber
MIA 10 the valley below, leaving q bare
s vheFe the slide started; over this, in the
- 81 time grows, what st hrsE appears to be
III mesdow. but on close inspection proves
l1ain very little grass but a great proiu-
4 Wild flowers and a sort of wild bean OF
= These meadows are very plentiful in the
9nnges of these mountains, forming at
n6oon OF the year the chief feeding grounds
~ btrds and animals.
k51wing MP these meadows, which lay in
I'm the noun Tain side. separated by small
1ued bluffs, we kept on until noon, when
Eepped for dinner. TIE view from here was
~ grand, below us in panoramic view lay
z1iley OF The skokomish river with all its
ches and tributary streams, while around
- the rugged monarchs of the Olympics.
q jngsed SUBMITS towering towards the
5IH dinner we again pursued our journey on
xmd in the course of about one hour arrived
J " summit Below Us and about three
- distant lay the river we were IN search Of,
lie nearer TO as ran one Of its tributaries.
nNndiug We came on 10 q small plateau, In
Etch we're situated two small lakes, and at the
|ulem end OF one OF them we found q camp of
: .Bsnner Party" indicated by the following
[nipsion on tree:
36nner expedition, July %, 1890. Soldier
Nj James wickershsm, Deborah wicker
N Clyde wickersham, Chas. Il. Taylor, May
1sylor. Charles w. Joynt From Lake Cush-
y 70 Port Angeles
|tsd under this the register of one of our own
usiex - follows:
|n1 E. August IL, 1890 Colonel. N. z. Lins-
:. b. Fisher. Alt. 4.250."
y person not understanding its use this sys-
y Of registering and naming camps of small
fs may ~ first seem foolish, and so viii
ain When small party is sent oat in any
zion every night they blaze tree, and Civ
Itne camp some name. they write 1t, together
= ihe date and their own names, on the tree.
! use Of this is obvious. Should man not re-
p % camp in o reasonable time search party
= trsce him by his camps; or, should II be
I1essary to send any one 70 place on their
pc afterwards, by giving him general direc-
Ins and telling him which OF their camps to
"a - Is then able to tell for certain when
bon The right ground.
&FU By this means that we were able TO tell
mich direction to proceed. Climbing down
naihwest slope we came to q snow lake
in large, loose rsck basin, which was
with whistling marmots, sometimes called
tain beaver This member of the great
~ OF rodents. though OF repulsive appear
i b very interesting in It's habits. In size il
~ the badger. attaining weight of about
y pounds. In its winter coat Ii is a yellow
I'D, and the hair Is very long and shaggy.
ting In summer to Q dark silver-gray and
Aair becoming short and thick. Its DWELL
. turrow in the ground, the entrance
[hslly being situated between large rocks
an herbiierous animal, collecting a supply
I'D for the winter, which it first dries and
stores away. On the approach of danger
eeir warrens they give q shrili scream Of
~ that so much resembles the whistle IF
nuto give the animal its name Here we
= three grouse, aud also obtained some dne
dnens OF the crossbill (Loria curpirostra
r<ana), this bird now being very plentiful
III leaving the snow lake we had q smart
p down to the creek bottoms below, and
xhlowing down the creek for some time
uuped on small grassy island
| y through the day the writer had suffered
fae sings of insects. and could not sleep
easquenee. for the pain aud itching was
iof, 20 he was obliged 10 spend the greater
lef The night bathing his arms and face in
k1sek.
Asust Batter breakfast we took some
zossapns and then wendell our way down
ssi'eAn. The geological formation here is
~ slate, and q eonglomerate of sand and
81 and the timber is FIR, pine. hemlock and
1kx cedar
hxf travelling down stream for about an
Ke came 10 where il entered a deep
yen, and al further progress was barred in
aifeciion. 80 We had TO take to the ridge,
Which We found good travelling. In the
lse Of al hour we arrived at the river and
ear route on the right bank, at noon
veg Tor dinner on a sand bar. After
laef, While took some pictures OF the river.
Sssns iates, who is an expert fisherman,
70 caleb some trout, but without success;
hfssrn being seemingly too cold for the fish,
e another feature of this stream Is that il il
Aiky white color. feature not met with
et Cher streams.
We iaieF hat of the forenoon we had trsv-
"a good game trail; so after dinner we
nok to II and travelled steadily until
On our way We passed many large
a'os& one IN particular attracting our at
va ana me conclusion we arrived at in re-
was rs follows: Sometime in the
- Worms spur OF the mountain had be-
aached and started down the hillside,
saas speed as it went and carrying every
= <iore II, trees, shrubs ana earth, so that
nae nothing but the bare rock was left,
ashiag through the river had spent itself
= epposite hillside, there raising miniature
sssaa Valleys. 500 o $50 feet in height
aisat We made camp in the "Docewaliip
- o. TIE Ansey party. and in the morn
800 ear way ap the game trail, which now
shgss np the bluff 10 our right. After
-lno OF several hours we came 10 the crest
.1.a plateau, and here in the soft mud on
We found the print of lady's foot and
ga sais must have oeen the route OF the
- ssEs. THIS plateau lay about !, 900 feet
~ -s summit Of the grand divide and con-
eeauaial, round lake with al island
- esaser, while its banks were covered
profasion OF wild flowers
- Ase TOOK two pictures. and here we
sssa Col Linsley's register on q tree.
~. sle lake the name al Marmot lake, ami