Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1897-08-12

lie VIII locate here Tor the winter
While this town is wonder at present
and growing fast, l think its life will be
short.
At Dyea, one hundred miles from
Juneau, the actual journey begins and
this is the most difficult and discour-
aging part of the many miles to be
traversed. The most favorable time for
going into the interior is before the
snow melts from the mountains, which
does not occur till the middle Of April,
for the abrupt passages and what is
known as the summit" are better ac-
complished by hauling supplies on
sleds, while the pass is covered with
snow. After leaving Dyea goods must
be hauled six miles over the Dyea
Flats. From this point the route lies
through what is known as the canyon
where the trail leads up the steep and
rugged sides of the mountains along
timbered shelf overlooking the can
yon until Sheep Camp is reached, dis
lance of twelve miles. Here a rest is
taken to await favorable weather,
which at best is something terrible
with the thermometer as low as 60 to
80 degrees below zero. This stop is to
prepare one for the summit which is
eight miles further up and $500 feet
high and the most difficult and tedious
part of the journey. The trail leads up
narrow and PERCEPTIONS defile to
Stone House, another well-known rest
ing place, with a purely imaginative
name. This place is at the beginning
of the more abrupt climb and is three
miles from the summit. In fact, it is
nothing more nor less than a ledge.
An extract from one of Mr.. Metcalf's
letters describing his first trip over the
summit is interesting.
Il had ten men working at the sum-
NIT hauling up goods with a windlass,
which We made, and about 1000 feet of
rope which | brought for the purpose.
The work had been delayed quite a
time by storms, which are very fire.
quent on the mountains, but on Sun
day night last | concluded that the
work was far enough along so that we
might break camp the next morning
and come TO Lake Lindeman. | had
taken the precaution to send over a
small tent the day before in the event
Of trouble in getting down on the other
side, but did not expect any. | had
not been over here up to that time but
the trail was being used constantly and
was hard and well marked. Well, Mon
day morning came and with it a clear
sky and no wind. / was up at 3: 80 and
while Booth was getting breakfast l
had one load of our camp outfit and my
dog team ready to start. Breakfast
consisted of fried bacon, cold bread,
coffee and beans. Soon after 4 o'clock
/ started for the summit, three miles
away, up the steep mountain side.
was early at the foot of the summit
or last great rise, which is so steep that
everything must go up on mems backs
or by windlass. The angle is so great
that one might think the mountain was
leaning over and would fall that way.
OF course everything is covered with
many feet of snow. No men were
WI hIuB yet, 81 lClJ NY lOdu " Dt
taken up when the windlass started
and returned to camp. The round trip
had taken four hours. Booth had been
taking down the big tent and getting
the last things ready while was away.
Breaking a camp takes some time so
that 10 o'clock found us but just ready
to start. The sun was quite warm and