The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-10

Dimculty Of Travelling With Pack
Horses.

A DAT OF MIsHAPs.
Di6lculty OF Travelling With Pack
Hor<e~.
Sa,. Pei r-.n. Nav THE rain having
stopped and the clouds cleared OF last
evening. we sa5died and packed early this
morning and made days tourney marked
by a series Of rishaps which give one
fair idea OF what mountain travelling Is.
hut we are now encamped fifteen miles up
from PYRAMID mount, al safe ard sound
and drying out
The frs. few miles were as good riding
as any man can desire. with bright sky
overhead and hard level trail urderfoot.
an occasional climb or descent from one
bench to another being the only variations
The mountain tops were sim wreathed In
mist and their sides were hidden midway
By vapory hards. but the sun fast sucked
them up ard left the opposing sfeers ex-
posed to view. the great pines and mrs
casting long shadows on the green turf be-
meath in the frightening light. The enen
timber gave place 70 dense forests or big
trees which would have done credit TO the
sound country their erdrve for-rr~ = NJ
gree work on the background Of the blue
stv above and allowing only an occasional
rlsrnnse of the rocky heights behind.
pr,.sh ard sspi'rvs forced the horsemen
to duck and dodge as they meardsr~d
tail. ouakirg einns told where the river
flowed in the deem Jungle beneath. At
times we could look down from the tran
80 feet right into the swollen stream: at
others we cisrbered along the rocks at
the foot OF great slides hugging the noun
fains to avoid the swsr,pv. overfowed bot
TOMS But as We advanced the carvol
narrowed. the walls though no htzhef.
were perpendicular but for the piles OF
Aah~ <tafr h1< VI
short Of the rerna-di~uisr. and II WAS but
a STRIP Of level tunele-raverei land shut
IN by precfrires from en- 20 mn feet hsrh.
Ahead morning hnt mountains could be
SEEN and II seemed though we were
shut In a cul De sac with TO war OF esca,e
except the ore AZ which We entered. But
the way cnn.truslv orered among the
mountains and at times the canvor broad
e-ed on. ard more rrht was admitted
where a roaring stream came down q
gloomy gulch.
At last after crossing a great slide Of
giant granite hcr'ders which the horses
traversea rainfuliv and SLOWLY. the tran
led down into fre bottom, ard was found
to he orcunsaf nv swift. deep stream.
the river. swollen 10 dnuhle 'ts volume OF
three DAYS hefnre bv the torrents OF rain
and fhe melted snow having spread out
IN rev channels from wall to wall az the
ranvon. There was no foctbold on the
roets. which were piled ioose and steep
agairs. great cliffs. ard the horses had
20 wade through me water which zane
half way IN their tanks. After emerging
10 the unfooded trail for 40 wards or so.
thew rad TO cross another flooded nlace.
where the y ster was even deeper. There
Grey Eagle Sam Bright's pack mare. foun-
dsred ard fell on her side AGAINST a snag In
the water and the procession had 10 stop
while sha was rnnarked and mt on her
st-f. 49, ltr
pectIng outfits. which were packing when
we passed them on the high benches below.
had come up and there were now ahou.
afteen men and nearly twice as many
horses strung along the trail Grey Eagle
was parked again and led across a borry
plare along the hank only tn como TO grief
again get begged and roll into the water
again she was unpacked. lifted TO her feet
dripping with black mud and renacted
The other horses were led through with
out accident and Sam Bright went ahead
on foo, TO examine she trail and report
He took the cavaicade short distance
further to another flooded place. where
the bottom was found so soft that II was
feared the heavily laden pack animals
could not get through Il. So all hands
turned to and chopped tran through the
timber which grew wherever II could take
root among the great granite boulaers
which lay piled up right from the rivers
narrow. swampy margin. two-foo. log
was chopped SO that the horses could step
over Il. an ei-ht-inch fir tree was sent
crashing into the water. and many smaller
trees were cleared away. This opened a
pathway among the rocks. hut n was so
narrow IN places that corners had to be
Clipped on 20 let the packs through Mr.
Neeiy's pack mare Nell positively refused
TO pass one Of these Immense boulse-s
though every means Of persuasion, from
fr4s~ e.. hr 4F-
EAGLE and Mr.. Bright's saddle horse Bniy
went past this place without much trouble
hut thu former siii OF rock lust beyond
and fell on her back IN the water her
feet wildly kicking IN the air Somehow
or other she roundered or her feet again.
but had TO be rsnarked for the third time
Meanwhile the struggle with NeIrs OBJ
sfinssy bad been going on. and was only
ended hy the removal OF her pack After
stumbling past the big rock she rolled into
the creek ss a grand finale. MI Neely's
saddle horse. surnamed the Indian - he
with ore eve blue AMI ne other black
passed the bad place with a little Juggling
ard q few touches with switch NV own
horse. Rcrspsrte-so named after the prir-
oipai mountain - the reservation not
after the eunPsTo--hehaved rchly and well
bore out the character given him by ria
former owner. He never baked a, bad
place. hu; seemed eager 20 overcome OBJ
deliberate caution worthy % horse who
knows his business he g Al equine angel
Thus g zen 70 E7y lot - watch over tho
cAesslent hcrses while ne others were hang
gotten out OF their difficulties. which oce,,-
pied taliy an hcur- During this time the
Other parties. With better fortune went on
past as. To adj 20 our other iuxn-iez II
eegaa - rain during that hour-not MID
Puget soazd rain. but big drops coming
down with as much Impetus and as ,hIckiv
rs though they had been shot out Of a
Calling Eu1. Rsin from above, a Szar1n
covered with dripping fcre~. around A
mountain wall behind. another IN .ro-..
wiia river Sowing hetve~n-these were
The makeup os truly ENJOYABLE day. PAT
At least ore could smoke. for the matches
were rot wet
However. the scattered packs we're gath
ere9 M from atarx the trail s-a were
again tisi o. their bearers. now r-acsah,.
mere through WEAKNESS than an a--lahr.
di<rrsis .onH-unliEA Bozzpsrre who Is a.
~sT= gentle AMI never gets ra;tieS. IRE
rS1a ceased sooH sitter another start x.s
sns&e sra CLEANS % sunshine A-v-ss
through me c5cats- TIE gsaa-aw. 5-,.-,s-
cns=E walls h-pke S0~r - Lesser bssvAt.
ard h-nad~rs-f re aeid % vision bx s--sxa-
sn< or and allowing r-exsy si1rss ~ssh
on nsae Ki2dss - take fse place 81 N.
piles % sorsy SeAr5s whseh haa Astha-so
s%e1 banked aaif way 40 .hssr sides. n.
oo11ntn< mountains on the west ceasN.