Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-10-01
AN INTERESTING HUNT
IN That Great Canyon in Central Idaho
Where Salmon River Flows
]. 8. pANFoRTH IN SHOOTING & FISHING.


in central Idaho where the Salmon river
finds its way through the mighty canyon
there is but very little known. There
is a section containing some 2O0,Ooo
acres located some miles east OF the
south fork which is almost UNEMPLOYED
owing to the roughness of the country.
This rock-ribbed section is drained by a
creek known as Big Five Mile. Thls
creek uses up all the bottom OF the
canyon for it's bed, which is made up OF
boulders worn perfectly smooth BY ice
jams in the spring, driven down by the
torrents of water from the melting snow
thousands of feet above. On each side
of this rushing stream the cliffs rise so
sharp that 20 man wi thout ropes and
ladder can climb them. and to ascend
this stream is not only'very hard work,
but also very dangerous.
At the time of war with the Sheep
eater Indians. this great rugged country
was where they made their home. They
lived almost entirely on the mountain
sheep, which gave the name of the war
with that tribe, and also to the great
snow-capped peak called Sheepeater
butte.
1t has since been known that some
where in the rock-ribbed canyon of Big
Five Mile there was wonderful forma-
ton, which the mountain sheep used as
lick, and many attempts have been
made to find it. In course of CORE
spondence with a celebrated doctor of
New York spoke of the rumors about
this lick, and he offered to forward the
necessary funds if / cared to ascend
this UNEMPLOYED section and, if possible,
locate the wonderful place. His object
was to obtain some of the composition
and ascertain what it was. carefully
thought the matter over and talked to
all the old-timers and also interviewed
many of the old Indians. From the
Indians got no information whatever,
yet l knew well they could tell more
than they would. The old-timers had
many curious yarns to relate. inform
ed the doctor would tackle the job.
l then engaged 10 Eakin, one of, if
not the best mountaineer in all Idaho,
who, with his faithful dog Curley, was
ready to start with me early in June;
earlier than that would be useless, as
the mighty snowslides would surely
catch us and the world would lose two
hunters. We could not use horses, so
our kit must be limited to just the es-
sentials. We took fifty feet of half
inch Manila rope. knotted, two scaling
hooks, small pick and an ak, which
with our grub gave us about thirty-five
pounds each.
A fter leaving the Salmon river we
found good travelling for the first mile,
although it was steep, but most of the
way was where the mountain laurel and
bunch grass grew, and occasionally a
mountain mahogany. Then came slide
rock for another mile, which was very
treacherous and hard climbing. This
brought us to the base of the great jag
ged cliff, where our great danger lay.
We followed along the base of this
mighty fortress for long time toward
the Big Five Mile canyon, hoping to gel
some rift which would let us further ur
the slope. In this way we used up the
first day and was obliged to spend the
night on bed of coarse slide rock, with
ice from a cave for our coffee, From
this point we could see the Salmon river
seemingly just at our feet, and with the
starry-decked heavens for our cover We
passed the night.
Just at break of day Curley gave {
low growl. which to 10 was as an oper
book. He put his forefinger to his lip:
and shook his head to me, at the same
time reaching for my 1903 Savage, the
only gun we had, and glancing at the
action looked in the direction the dos
told him. The body of the dog showed
plainly that there was danger, and JOS
action also showed that good shooting
was most necessary. 1t was moment
when the whole world was forgotten b,
us. Slide rock bound and forced to fgh-
made all eyes turn to the point which
Curley plainly showed was the danger
point. All that was said was, 80, re
member the pull 1t was my rifle
and it was not JOS hard pull. 10 bowet
his head, but did not move his eyes from
that point where his faithful dog plainl,
told him there was danger. 1t was MOI
long to wait, for we soon saw the mas
sive face, then the shoulders of thai
animal which all hunters fear, a grizzl,
bear. Both bear and dog showed out