The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1903-07-28
CAMPING PARTY.
Delights Of Lake Mcdonald and Sur
rounding Country.
Communicated

Were you ever at Lake Mcdonald?
If not go mere and take the route
the Hoo Hoo party travarsed and you
will always say life is worth living.
| went 20 the lake to rest and fish.
| fished and did not rest.
On my arrival went out to try my
luck with the piscatorai tribe and in
less time than it takes to write this,
caught enough for our party for two
meals. After that the lake was my
ideal spot, and vowed that | would
not lsave until time to go home, but
my vow came to naught when, on
Saturday morning our entire party
made for the hills, accompanied by
three pack horses and a saddle. c. l..
ONeil was chief of the commissary
department, and to begin with. per-
haps, at my suggestion, did not take
enough rations along. and purposely
forgot the wash basin for the ladies
toilet. We started out in great spir-
its, no other kind, and went along
|
creek. where our troubles began to
| begin. In trying to ford that body
of water, we came near drowning two
rackhorses and saddle horse, and
| only by the hardest kind of hard work
averted that catastrophe. Finding it
impossible TO cross at that point |
| went back after Ed Cruger. guide
and packer, and brought him to the
scene. Then came some more work
Ernest O'Neil and myself cut new
trail. (did you ever cut ona?l. and
renewed our journey After going
one mile we came to a hill. not a hill
like Conrad's hill. but great big
him, our first good climb: we made it
all right. but had evil thoughts for
the man who cut out that trail Sun
day night we camped at the big pine.
and the size so delighted c. l. O'Neill
yell. fell fiat on his face. making it
appear as if he went through a
threshing machine.
Monday we started for Granite
park. After walking through ferns
higher than your head, jumping trees.
crossing streams, getting wet. and
many other things too numerous to
mention, we began to climb. The
bench mark here registered 1854 and
after three hours onward and up
ward with shot from Ed Cruger's
revolver. we reached the cabin at the
o. Of 10 oil ip,th oV,1x-
1000 feet. Here we met Mr. Rey-
nolds death on the TraiD, his son
Dexter, and Frank Liabig. another
forest ranger. Were We tired? Well,
| don't know. only we did not have to
be rocked to sleep that night But
Tuesday was the day of days for
climbing. Led by Mr.. Reynolds. who
reminds one of mountain sheep. we
started. I thought Mondays climb
tough one, but it was like going up
in an elevator in comparison. After
crawling on our hands and knees for
about 1000 feet, we reached the
ledge on top of Swift Current pass,
and then had to follow a goat trail
along the ridge for five miles. after
which stood on the topmost pinnacle
Of Mount Grinnell nearly 5000 feet
above the seas level. The upward
climb was a tough one, but you
| should have seen us go down. Here's
where I made my reputation. Taking
charge of our chaperone. Mrs. Lep-
pard, and led by Mr.. Reynolds, we
walked, slid, crept, jumped. fell and
rolled down. But before l tell you
more of our descent. would like to
laphsodise on what we saw from the
top of Grinnell's peak We all felt
repaid for our hard work, for when
we reached the crown of the cont
nent and could see from where we
were. mora than the average man
can who has four-times jag on.
We have a historian with our party,
so | won't tell you what we saw, only
Mount WILDER, Mount Abbekunny
Blackfoot reservation, Lake Melon
add Goat mountain. Cleveland peak
Heavens peak. Mount Brown, Mount
Reynolds, Grinnell glacier Swift Cur
rent glacier and SO other peaks, all
| III.
To hagin going down again. it was
fun, lost about seven pounds laugh
ing. and when We all slid down on
about 500 feet of snow. came near
going into commissions. could not
begin to tell you how funny it was.
but on reaching camp several had ITO
change clothes. and Mr. Reynolds
borrowed a needle and some fishing
line, to make repairs. That night
never slept SO good in my life. On
Wednas day we started back for camp
and too much cannot be said about
the pluck and endurance of the la
dies, especially plucky Mrs. Brown
and Jessie Modessit. Earl Brown
Ed Cruger and myself had charge Vt