The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-11-23
LOST HORSE CLIFFS
Evidences Of an Ancient Logging
Camp Away Up There.
TREES CUT SO YEARS AGO
1t Is a Difficult Task to Reach
These Heights. but II Is an
Interesting Journey,
Says Mr.. Ward.

those who have hunted or prospected
in the rugged mountains on the west
side Of the valley. are familiar with
the precipitous cliffs which rise on
either side of Lost Horse canyon. This
gateway through the mountain wall
which separates the Bitter Root and
Clearwater valleys Is one of the land
marks of the picturesque range.
Through 1t winds a rough trail which
has been used by miners. lumbermen
and hunters for many years. The
scenic beauty and grandeur OF the
pass is wonderful. A trip over the old
trail is one which. once taken, will
never be forgotten.
Tall cliffs rise abruptly on either side.
in some places to a height of a thous-
and feet, rugged and forbiddlng. SO
steep are these walls that they cannot
be scaled and only where a rift in the
rocky walls makes 1t possible to wind
with difficulties uD the hillsides can the
traveller leave the canyon by a side
route. In fact, the lofty peaks on both
sides OF the pass are comparatively
unknown. except to a few venturesome
hunters and hardy prospectors who
have worked their way up the steep
trails in quest OF game or treasure.
1t Is almost an unbroken wilderness
that Is seldom visited these days. The
forests of fir and lodge that grow
dense upon the SLOPES above the cliffs
are seldom disturbed and the region
exists in its native wildness.
For years past there have been stor-
les current among the older residents
of the upper Bitter Root. regarding
traces which exist in this forest of
logging operations which must have
been carried on at least so years ago.
These stories have been repeated by
Of
whom claimed to have seen the
old stumps and felled logs,
while others had simply heard of their
existence from guides and fellow hun
tiers. Hon. George Ward OF Hamilton
had heard so much about this felled
timber. away up on the mountains
that he determined to investigate the
matter for himself. He accordingly
gathered all the information he could
regarding the location of the place and
set out to find IL. To Standard re-
porter yesterday. Mr. Ward gave the
following account of his trip aud dis
covery:
For a long time old man Planken-
ship had told me that he had seen a
place on Lost Horse mountain where
the timber had been felled and the
logs cut up as IL for building and had
heard from one or two other men SINH
lar stories. / started out this summer
with Plankenship. but he couldn't find
the place where he had seen the curl
Gus sight that he had reported and I
began to think that the whole thing
was a hoax. We returned and not
long after this the Hayes boys, who
were working at my ranch. told me of
a similar discovery that they had
made. They had seen the stumps and
the felled trees but they said that the
latter were lying as they had fallen
and that they had not been cut up
into logs at all. They were able TO
locate the place so that i found II
readily when went out again.
"A journey OF about eight miles from
my ranch brought me to the rugged
cliffs which the boys had described,
and I found an old trail above them
that led up the hill by a roundabout
route to a point at the top OF the cliffs.
These rocks are almost vertical and
rise abruptly nearly a thousand feet.
1t is impossible to climb them with a
horse anywhere. although there are
places where a man might possibly
pick his way up alone.
II took the old trail. however. and
after a hard climb. was In the fir for
est that grows above the cliffs. I took
my bearings and pushed up the hill
through the timber After the hard
climb from the creek. this travelling
was easy and / soon reached the line
WncTc the III tIluc anu the rouge pole
growth begins. At this point. in the
edge OF the fir forest. i beheld the
strangest sight that l ever witnessed.
"A space of 20 acres was entirely
cleared OF its timber. the trees lying
on the ground just as they had fallen
before the axes of the ancient woods
men or whoever IL was that cut them
down. The limbs and branches have
decayed and broken OFF in some places,
but many of the trees retain their
original form. The bark, of course,
has fallen off. but the branches are
still on many OF the trees. The stumps
are all the way from 10 inches to three
feet through. In some cases the cut
ting was done from both sides. while
IN others. the chopper had cut clear
through from one side. The chopping
is OF a very inferior quality, the stump
ends being very jagged and showing
the axe marks very plainly.
''One peculiar thing about the cut
ting is that some OF the stumps are
six feet tall. showing that the trees
were cut when the snow was deep on
the ground. while others are cut close
to the ground. Between these two
heights there are all degrees. Some
stumps are three feet high. others are
four and so on. In no case have any
limbs been cut from the trees and none
OF the trunks have been cut into logs.
The trees lie just as they fell. except
for the effects OF exposure to the
weather during the long years that
they have lain there.
when were they cut? That can
not say. / believe. though. that this
queer logging must have been done at
least SO years ago. probably even be-
fore that. / am convinced of this by
the fact that some OF the largest
stumps. three feet and more in diam
eter. have so thoroughly rotted that
a man can kick them over. AS you
know. FIR resists the action OF the
weat Their longer than any other wood
that we have. and do not believe that
these huge stumps could have decayed
so completely in less than 90 years.