The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-03
Mecca o. Ill nOIIIkTRS.
CenAftfsn-Excellen Records Are
Made with Sseas-Quickest Trip
Made ~ Pest-IntellageneesP nrty.

BARGE. March Stake Iseharge sS
just now the Mecca of all Kiondikers
who. with heavy outfits are painfully
struggling with the elements and bad
trails on the Dyea and Sksgway scutss.
The Ice on this lake is supposed 20 break
several weeks ahead OF that on the chain
OF lakes south Of here. ending with
Lakes Bennett and Lindeman. This point,
which is 30 miles from the coast. and 90
from Dawson City, Is as Ear as the pio-
neers can go with pack animals. and the
last place where they can find ample
camping grounds and suitable timber for
boat building. hence their anxiety to set
through this far and prepare for float
down the river early in May. So far.
however. the number that has succeeded
in working its way to this point Is nrs-
tied to q beggariy few. owing largely to
the February and March storms. render
ing the trail for many days impossible
and tha open winter weather flooding
the Ice on the Divers in many places max
ing IL brittle and dangerous to man and
beast.
Trail Fairly Good.
For the last three weeks the TRAN pe-
tween Lake Bennett and this place. a
distance of 80 miles. has been fairly good
and some excellent records have been
made by individuals with sails on thesr
sleds. but nefse has 50 far beaten ours,
which for time and amount of outfit car
ried stands at the head of the list. Our
party. made up of FIVE men, had three
cxen. with five sleds 10 each animal. the
whole carrying a total weight OF 1000
pounds. comprising this entire outfit of
each man in the party. The trip was
made In eleven days without having to
uncoupie q Sled over the toughest trail
or steepest hill. and without a misnap
TO anybody or loss OF any OF the outfit.
As We carried our entire outfit with us.
We did not have 80 double the trail at any
point, SO that II proved a decidedly pleas
ant experience for once to BE able TO con-
tinue forward on our journey from day
to day. The trip down this chain Of
beautiful lakes and wild, romantic rivers.
was q delightful one. the weather being
comparatively mild. the thermometer not
going lower than 20 degrees below zero,
and In the middle Of the day going up 10
"a degrees above zero. Snow, however.
made the trail heavy and as one Of our
oxen was decidedly ancient and corre-
spondingly slow. Cur progress was re-
tarded to an extent that caused us to lose
over two days during the journey down.
All the lakes OF this chain, with the ex-
ception OF Lindeman, are large and wide,
ranging in length from twenty-five to
thirty miles. and from one to five miles
in width. while the rivers that divide
these lakes are narrow, tortuous and dan
gerous to navigation. After passing down
h~r 4 ,i-A
nature OF the scenery changes agreeably
instead of the frowning granite noun
tains that wall in the trail from Skagway
to Lake Bennett on either side the coun-
try opens up more cheerfully; the noun
tains change their formation. they stand
further back from the lakes and have
openings made by cross ranges that fur
nish grand vistas OF distant ranges OF
snow-capped peaks and mountains. The
timber line Is clesr.y marked all along
the route. Tagit.. lake affords the
grandest and most expansive SEEN
cry OF all the lakes, and here the traveller
first notes gradual decrease IN the
depth Of the snowfall which, excepting In
few drifts, averages twelve to fifteen
inches. The ice on the lakes, clear as
crystal. now ranges in thickness from
three to eight feet. and our first nights
camp on Lake Bennett was somewhat
disturbed by succession of duh detona-
tons ike the distant firing of heavy erd-
mace which proved TO be the working Of
the fee, causing immense cracks. with
their accompanying sounds. As We had
that on every lake. day and night. we
soon became accustomed TO Il, but our
oxen never did, and any explosion little
louder thar the rest was sure TO frghten
them and cause them to stop In fear and
trembling.
Scenery and Soil.
Lakes Bennett, Mud. Tagish. Marsh and
Lebarge each have distinctive character
istics in point OF scenery and nature os soil.
rock and mountains. although all are
fr!nged on either side with a heavy bel. OF
sombre timber, mostly the fragrant bal
sam fir that furnishes all campers such
delightful feathers Tor tired man and
beast to rest on after a hard days tramp.
Birds are plenty all along these lakes. and
the sight of them with the sounds OF their
chirping on all clear days was delightfully."-
suggestive Of an early spring. Blue jays.
snow birds and camp robbers were the
most numerous. The latter is n little
larger than a robin and his boidness n
A.