The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-07-01


impossible and impracticable at the
same time as usual. We had under
stood there was but one pass through
this range near here and the chances
of losing it in this lowering weather
was good, even if we conld now get
through at all, as the Indians said we
could not. The 3lst was rainy through
out. The forenoon we forded
swollen glacial stream that required
over half an hour to make across it's
many swift channels, and in the after
noon late came to the largest of them
all, full mile in width, a half-hundred
channels, and rapids SO deep we often
had to seize the same pole to fight our
way over together, an undertaking of
over an hours severe labor. Our legs
were numbed with cold, SO we went
into camp, building a big fire. That
night we were literally drowned out
by the downpouring rain. So at 3 a.
m. we made a fire under tree, warmed
some tea, put on our soaked packs,
weighing fifteen to twenty pounds
more, and started. The dense brush
was ''wringing wet and we
were glad to get into the
lev streams waist-deep to escape
its perpetual shower baths. That even
ing we sent mp signal smokes again, for
it seemed little brighter. and think
if an exacting Indian or two had come
along about then they could have
named their price as packers The I'd,
the bush was SO wet we decided
to strike for the river bottom to our
right, preferring its gravel bed and al
ternate wadings. Its bed was fully two
miles wide, and we could see that it
probably determined at its head the
mountain pass through which we must
pass: and that night we camped where
it came out from under an enormous
glacier of the great range. The cold
wind off this icy river was chilling to
the bone in our damp condition. The
Sd our course lay across this glacier,
the pedestrianism being perfect pun
ishment on the moraines, while the
white ice was a little better. 1t was
nearly ten miles over this hummoclly
highway, but we made it that day and
camped on a stream which we believed
and afterwards proved to be a tribu-
tary of the Copper. Glaciers were
everywhere, and at noon, the 4th, we
lunched at the foot of one
of unusual size. While lunching
the doctor remarked there was
large grizzly bear picking
huckleberries on n ridge some $50 yards
away Russell, with the Winchester in
hand. started over to intercept him and
at abouthalf way got his first shot. The
rear sight had been raised, in some I'M
known way, and the best chance was
thereby lost, while all the other shots
at the flying beast were equally in
effectual. The river bursting out from
under this big glacier gave us our first
serious repulse. 1t was not very wide,
but deep and fearfully swift, and worse
than all. carrying huge blocks of ice
that would have been utter destruction
to encounter. We retraccd our steps a
mile and crossed the main stream in
stead. All afternoon and night we
could hear the laundering of mighty
avalanches that shook the ground like
SO many earthquakes We were now
in the very heart OF the heaviest
range of our continent The 9Th gave
us a morainc under foot again and
more rain overhead again. We thought
we had encountered every conceivable
obstruction known 10 Alpine climbing
during that summer. but we were now
treated to a con, blnation o: rounded
slippery boulders o-ergTown with
twisted blacl1-alder hr-ieh OH The steep
mountain slopes that :oo.S Tho first
prize; while we took for the river bot
tom, intending TO wade down it or
drown. We got hardly three-quarters
of mile on a gravel bar before the
roaring river forced us TO the banks
again. but we were thankful for that,
as the great Alps We're now piuching
into the mountain torrent extremely
tight and we were fearful that its little
valley, rough as it WAS, might be oblit-
Grated by the gloomy precipices loom
ing over Us, meeting in mighty canon.
Every yard counted now in a struggle
that few miles would probably termin- i
ate in our being forced back or opening
a more agreeable aspect. We camped
on large lake in the course of the
river caused by glacier from the other
side damming it up. 1t was stocked
with icebergs, most of them being at
the upstream end showing, | think. a
steady wind up the pass. That davis
nine miles was one of the memora Die
journeys of the trip. 4 fearful struggle
with icy torrents, slippery rocks, muddy
moraines. hummocky glaciers, willow
and alder ebapparels, soft mountain
turf knee deep, dizzy heights on rock
slides: and in every way one long to be
remembered. The next day was an
other hard struggle with Alpine diff
culties. We struck well-defined trail
early. but whether game or Indian was
hard to tell: probably both. with great
preponderance towards the animals as
judged by the relative signs. Mountain
goats were seen on the high southern
cliffs at noon An animal with palat-