Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-08-29
A SCENIC COUNTRY.
A Wausau Citizen, Visiting in the
West, Writes Of Scenic Conditions
in That Country.
BEAVER CREEK, WYo.

Friend 1hnysr:
| On recent Monday afternoon a
party of FIVE persons, three ladies and
two men, left this ranch with car
riage, a light wagon, in which were
tents anu weeks provisions and five
horses, the fifth horse to be used in
towing the heavier wagon up the
mountain, the destination being upon
Shell Creek basin. Driving down
Beaver creek, up Shell creek, crossing
over to Trappers creek and up that
stream couple of miles we
camped for the night. At Shell we
were blockaded nearly an hour by a
band of five thousand sheep, being re-
moved from one range to another,
which disputed our way and not be-
ing amenable to the law Of right of
way held their own as long as suited
their pleasure.
At 6:15 Tuesday morning we were
on the way, being reinforced by three
persons, lumber wagon and four
horse team. The way soon led up a
long, steep hill and from there on, till
the top of Black mountain was reached
about mid afternoon, the track led up
and down, more up than down, over
series of 'hogs backs" each higher
than the one last passed. At one
point in the ascent the track led
around the point of a very steep "hogs
back" with an almost perpendicular
descent of nearly hundred feet on
one side and as steep and high an
ascent on the other with only the
narrow wagon track for safety, all of
which made the situation decidedly
'pokerish" to "tenderfoot." The
scenery all the way up the mountain
on the west side is picturesque, with
it's varied formations, the different
colors of soil, varying from a sort of
light yellowish grey to an almost
crimson red, with all the different
shades of colorings between the ex-
tremes which are, of themselves, rath-
er pleasant to the eye, but the absence
of all vegeta tion, save only the ever
present sage brush and grease wood,
mars to a great extent the otherwise
pleasing effect.
The drive across the summit was
but short one, then came the de-
scent into Shell Creek basin. The
ascent on the west side is series of
"hogs backs' but the descent on the
east side is a different proposition.
While the west side is destitute of
timber except an occasional grove Of
fir pines, the east side is covered with
a dense growth of the pine, the trees
varying in size from three to ten
inches in diameter with very few
larger. The descent is an unbroken
down hill, varying from a five per
cent. to more than fifty per cent.
grade. The trail, for it's nothing
more, though wagons by skillful
maneuvering Go manange to go down
and up without serious damage, is an
opening, bending. twisting, curving
around, made by chopping down trees,
leaving stumps just low enough for
wagon axels to pass over without
humping too hard and often rocks of
the same height. The successful
drive down the mountain advanced
the writer here of two grades above
that of "tenderfoot." A drive of two
miles up the creek brought US to the
camping ground where we pitched
tents, hobbled the horses and turned
them loose, ate supper, turned in and
slept the sleep of the just.
Shell Creek basin, is by the course
of the stream, probably thirty-fve
miles above Shell p. o. but across the
mountains is not more than twenty
five miles and at the camp is rapid
stream running down grade of at
least five per cent. and whose bed is
partially filled with granite boulders
of from one hundred tons, or more
in weight down to goose egg size.
Gravel is piled up on sides of stream.
Black mountain descends abruptly to
the south bank of the stream and is
covered with dense forest except
where descent is of rocks. On the
north side is succession of bluffs
reaching to another mountain, and
just enough vegetation for scant
pasturage.
There were other campers in the
vicinity, and sociability was indulged
in to the extent of having impromptn
dances in the evening while the days
were passed in visiting different
camps, trout fishing, etc. On Satur-
day morning we struck tents, packed
up and started for home which was
reached at $50 p. M, tired but happy
in the experience and enjoyment of
the weeks pleasure.
Mr.. and Mrs. ii. @. Wheeler, form
erly of Wausau but now of Fremont,
Wis, recently spent a night and
day at the III. p. ranch, renewing old
and forming new acquaintances.
d. A n.