The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1917-03-09
PIONEER SECTION OF THE RECORDER
EARLY DAY HISTORY COMPLIED az JOHN E RgEs.

II
for me on account of my living in.
doors all my life, and Insisted on
carrying all the grub and cooking
loutfit
Shortly after We left Leesburg II
began to snow. Ny shoes being so
highly seasoned, slipped right along
although the other boys shoes stuck
making 1t very laborious for them
While | got along very easily. When
We got out on the ridge by Deep
creek the wind blew very hard and
the snow drifted so that we would
back our packs against a tree until
the blast would go by and then strike
lout for another rtee. That evening
PED the boys to camp and in the
morning. very much against their
viii, got some more added to my
pack. The next morning we started
up big creek. As we got up the can
yon We found the snow had slid in
several places, making II so hard
and steep along the trail that We
mad TO get down In the creek and
wade in the water under some trees
and over others that were brought
down by the slide. We had several
miles of this kind of trail and work.
ed very hard to make ten miles that
day. Our next stop was on Silver
creek where we found Charley Bar.
clay and laid over a day To rest up
MY shoes gave me great advantage
over the other boys so that by this
time | had secured my full share of
the pack and led the boys to camp
each night. In going over Lightning
point we found small piece of ba-
con and about a cup full of -four
that looked very good to us as our
supplies were getting very short
These were lost by John Cant, who
had come out from Loon creek and
told Barclay that he had found
hard crust on the snow at Hot
Springs divide which was good news
for us.
When we came to the foot of the
divide We eamped in a patch of tim
Der and in the monring the boys
started out ahead of me, and when
got in sight of them they were start.
ing up on a zig gag. called for
them to wait for me. After Cant had
passed over there had been a fail of
eighteen inches OF fresh snow and
they told me that we could not climb
up the mountain any other way.
replied that we would have 10 camp.
got of my shoes and tried to see
II the crust would bear me up and
found that II would not | then took
= fshoe in each hand and got on my
knees and found that II would bear
me in that manner, and proceeded
up the mountain in a straight line.
knowing that IL we should cut the
snow across we would start SNOW
slide, for the timebr had all been
stripped off by snow slides. | push.
ed on quite a ways and stopped to
rest and asked the boys to come on.
When wallowing on our knees Il
made quite large trail. Joe and
Ed started to follow up and by the
time they came up, | was rested and
started up again. Neryed by the
fear of snowslide. ! kept on going
until | had to rest. Then | would
wait for them TO catch up On the
summit ahead of US the snow was
blown over the top of the divide
forming an arch projecting over the
mountain about thirty of forty feet
in height. A short distance below
there was a depression and timber |
on the mountain and some distance
TO the feft When about a third OF |
the way up / felt little jar and |
rumbling noise with the snow set
going TO start. / looked back down |
the trail TO see where my partners
were. They were falling behind par. |
ucularly Ed, who had a lame knee |
No one said a word and ! renewed |
my efforts in climbing: when about |
two thirds of the way up the snow /
settled again with a rumbling noise |
and | expected IL to start every min /
ute. looked down to see where my
friends were. Joe was not a great /
way behind and said, THAT sounds /
bad. Mae" | replied Yes" Ed had /
fallen long way behind and stop /
ping looked up heavenward and ex
claimed, Send her down, old man.
If you want to. We will all 20 to,
seiher." This added TO my alarm i
and / pushed on until Joe and Ed
came. We stopped there long enough
for Ed to get rested before starting |
for the timber to the left OF US, and
let me tell you there was no pleasure
in the waiting under that bank OF
snow that was oyerhanEing above
us. When rested we got on our shoe
along side of one another In the last
run we succeeded in gaining the
timber without starting the snow
and were three OF the happrest boys
you ever saw.
When over the summit we went
straight down the canyon II was
very straight and crooked and |
we had several falls before
reaching Warm Spring creek. The
time il took AS 20 climb the noun
tain made IL late for us getting down
the creek. The sun was hot and our
shoes became soft and stuck so
that we had to fry the last piece oi
bacon we had and mix IL with pitch |
from the pine trees OF make dope
for our shoes. We had no grub left
bur we expected to get to Morruw's
cabin on Loon creek and find some
there Joe was badly snow blind and
was suffering a great deal with his
eyes. Night overlook US in the can.
yon and I was ahead. Ed kept en
Joe and telling him that /
at the next turn we would strike
Loon creek At last Joe became com
plstely exhausted, threw himself
down in the snow and asked Ed 70