The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-24
WHATSNOWED-IN ISLIKE
AN EXPERIENCE IN TaE HEAsT OF
THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS.

THE CASCADE MOUNTAINS.
WskinR in the Morning to Find seven
Inches Of Snow That Grew to Nearly
Four Feet on the Level-An Ex-
haustins Journey.
from the New York Times.
Fourteen miles above Lake Chelan, in
Northwestern Washington. Bridge creek. a
roaring torrent Of ice water, flows into the
S.ehekin river. The point of juncture Of
these best Of trout streams Is in the heart Of
the Cascade mountains. Two score of snow
and glacier capped mountains wall in the
delightful spot. Glaciers Of extensive area
glisten in the bright light Of day thousands
Of feet above you or shine as banks of silver
in the soft light Of the moon O. nights.
The highland region that drains into Lake
Chelan Is a natural game,preserve. Mount
ain goats by thousand feed on the rugged
and almost inaccessible mountain TANKS.
Blsck-tailed deer, brown, silver-tpped and
black bears, mountain lions. blue, gray and
ruffed grouse, and many small fur-bearing
animals abound. In t5e summer and late
into autumn the sun ever shines brightly
and the days are glorious. but all too short
The valley that leads from the junction Of
DTluRo CTeek anu Tue OLeDeklu river 10
Lake Chelan is really q canyon that Is four
teen miles long. and through it the cold,
treat ladon water of the Stehekin boils and
foauls aud swirls Whitley along its bowlder
strewn bed.
Early last December, while on an alleged
hunting trip, really business trip, into a
newly discovered and very promising min.
ing region my party arrived at Bridge
creek. The region had been abandoned by
To- To- 4 4
scampered out Of the highland frightened
BY an early and heavy snow storm. Since
their departure the warm breath Of the
Japan stream called chinook had swept
over the region and the snow had disap.
peared from the valley land. Herds and
fiocks of game animals. no longer fearful Of
man, had descended from the rugged tanks
OF the mountains to graze in the valleys /
love the highlands, and ash sat on bo wider
and gazed at the region and listened TO the
roar Of falling water and the signing OF the
pines, | determined to build house at
Bridge creek and TO pass the coming sum
mer In the district mining and trading.
We unpacked our animals and pitched
our tent. Dan Devour, the packer, tied the
unburdened animals together, the tail OF
one to the head of another, and so on down
the column, then taking the lead horse by
the bride he led them down the trail and
into the forest. Four OF us began to build
the house. The afternoon was perfect. A
soft, warm wind blew down from the glist-
ening glaciers. Toward evening the air be-
came hazy, as though IL were Indian sum
mer on the Western Kansas plains. BY
supper um9 the house was two logs high
We all thought We could finish il in three
days.
That night; after hearty supper Of trout
and venison, we sat around the fire 10
smoke strong tobacco in pipes and to talk
OF the work OF the morrow. Twice while
we talked we threw sticks at young bear
that desired to. make our acquaintance. He
disappeared into the darkness. Presently
one of my Comrades grabbed rifle, and
raising 10 hpickly fred at mountain lion
that saw indistinctly among the trees, and
was plsasad,t TO hear the beast snarl like
hugh cat as the bullet tore its bloody way
through his TANKS. The lion followed the
baby bear into disappearance.
We want to sleep at o'clock. A 3o'clock
a. m. awoke with "A start. as though had
encountered one Of those famous man-eating
mares thatriifiat nights only, and sat up
In nay bianketp to listen. The air was filled
with low elear, metallic sound, as though
thousands 81 Thy serpents were Kissing dis
approvalok4& thrust my hand out of
the tent-,S9ass ground was covered with
snow. tHtessnred it with my bare foot. Il
was two jnches deep. struck match and
looked atsnowfiakes that had caught on
the backs lmy hand. They were very
small. / besitated to awaken my comrades.
That hesitation was fatal, as l rolled into
my blaukets murmuring, Hang the
storm" audepeedily was in the land where
night horsssfp exciting races and where
beezleguns and unicorns cavort.
At 6 O'clock we all awoke. The snow was
seven inctles deep and falling in an APP
parently Sold cloud. We lighted the camp
fire, cooked reakfast and ate it. After
ward We sat for q few minutes smoking our
pipes and watching the sno " fall and think.
ing seriously OF the morrow.
"Well, old man." said Mac, a Montana
miner. addressing me, what do you think
of itfn
FRANKLY. Mac" Ireplied, NJ think we
are 10 scrape. and In a dangerous one,
toon
$50 say we ALL" the three miners said as
one man. And they were silently thought
full and anxious, too.
Talk it out, boys. Say what you think"
said, land say it plainly" added.
With almost brutal frarkness they said:
"You are very heavy. Your right knee is
lame. This remote valley will be under
three feet Of snow before sunset, We are
young and active and can get out if we
have to crawl, but can you get out? We
have only four days supply of fcod. Eight
feet of snow is likely to fall before this
storm ceases. We cannot hunt game in
this deep snow. We must get to the lake
and to food. And we must go out at once
and before this snow is deeper.n
1t was decided that should travel light:
the other we're 60 carry packs Three packs
of blankets, food, and coffee were rolled
and strapped preparatory to boing swung
on stalwart backs. Our spare provisions
and tools and guns were caoled. The tent
was struck, to lie buried under snow till
spring, and at 10 O'Clock we took the trail,
BY this time the snow was twenty inches
deep. The extreme limit of vision was
about twenty-five yards The loaded men
who took turns in breaking the trail,
walked in single file ahead of me- Our in
tention was TO reach deserted cabin at the
mouth Of Agnes creek, distant Az miles, by
2 O'Clock that afternoon. Arrived there we
hoped the snowfall would be less, and we
could stay there the coming night and walk
out the next day.
What q weary walk that wasl We toiled
slowly up long divides to slowly slip and
fall and staggar down the other side. The
trail we folio wed was that used by the In
dians who. for ages, have passed from the
head waters of the Skaget river into the
bunch grass region that lies east of the Cas-
c6de mountains to trade, and, like all Indian
trails, 1t led over every divide and down
into every canyon aud ravine possible. The
snow continued to fell in misunderstanding
clouds, and seemed TO grow deeper aud
deeper every minute. At q o'clock we ar
rived at the deserted cabin in a thoroughly
axhauStad Stata | was too triad fO aat apd