Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1892-03-22

travelled by the Indians, as the fur
bearing country it taps Is given up
wholly to the Chilkats, who reach it by
another trail. The weather was yet
heavy and threatening the morning Of
the 9TH, as we got away. The white
men had been obliged to repair the
pole bridge the evening before, the
rains having brought down driftwood
that damaged it. Il was good
morning for duslky grouse on the
trail and a number We're secured
with the Winchester shotgun by men,
bers Of the party. The junction of tie
two trails proved to be on wide
stretch of rokcn, angular gravel. The
proper trai. for us-the northeastern.
here led sharply up the mountain slope,
the northern path being much the
palmer Of the two; hence our packers
mistake. These numerous gravel
slides were exasperating to travel over.
The gravel wa, of an uniform angular
character as il it had come from a rock
ballasting or the macadamtzing of a
ballasted the whole length Of the
Canadian Pacific railway, the longest
road in the world, and plenty to spare
for constructing all the county roads
that could be made in Yavapai county,
Arizona, the largest county in the
United States. If a railroad ever cuts
through this country-which think
not unlikely for reasons / will give
later--it certainly will be well supplied
with this nc, c.ssary and usually eXpen-
sivc material OF construction.
! AS we rapidly assembled the noun.
tain slope by well defined trail
after the gravel cones were left behind
we had the best view OF the country
that tie route had yet presented.
Between the two trails lay great bald
mountain, with rounded top crowned
with two conspicuous black objects,
looking not unlike two houses, and
these could be seen for miles on either
side. l think they were huge erratic
boulders even at this high altitude.
named this butte the 1.-THE Trail Split
ter" from it's position with regard to
the two trails already described. That
night we camped on the high SLOPE,
/ 1850 feet above the river, and where it
was not easy work to find enough ia.
space to even make our beds, so as not
to roll down the hill.
Sure enough Robert joined us as he
had promised, and which had hardly
| CAPeCtcN IIOiu VIC SfedC ulSIduCc Hc
had had to travel. At this camp the
Indians found small pine squirrel in
the stunted spruce, and the way they
turned out en- masse after it would
have led one to believe that they w r.
on the verge of starvation. After
an exciting chase of ten minutes
or SO they secured the two-ounce affa. 7
and proceeded to cook it. l knew a
native, at another time. to shoot one
with lO-guage Winchester shotgun,
the cartridge used weighing more than
the carcass. There were great many
snow banks on the trail the next fore
noon (7th) which still led upward until
the ancroids showed 1862 feet above
river level They were not very bad
in the early forenoon but later, when
it is warmer. they are very eyaspcrat ting
to encounter. Despite the melting
snow through which we floun.
dercd we found no drinking water
anywhere. the grayelly and loose
: soil absorbing it all us rapidly as it was
formed. AS we descended the slope,
T however, the springs reappeared and by
the time the valley was reached it was
quite swampy in many places. Old
moose signs We're seen everywhere
but not a hair OF the animals them.