The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-09-21

A great many people say they
would like to 60 to the summit OF
Mt. Putnam, and occasionally
party goes up. Nobody seems to
have published anything showing
people how to make the trip, which
side to 60 up on or what may DE
seen from its summit. 1t has been
variously reported to be from 1900
to $4,000 feet high, and neither OF
these figures is correct. 1t Is said
to be very easy peak to climb, q
very hard one OF climb, and various
intermediate comments have been
made about 1t, but It Is neither one
All peaks are hard to climb, but
ascending Mt. Putnam presents no
particular hazards, and good days
effort will make the trip IN COM
parative safety, II the start Is made
from the foot Of the mountain early
in the day.
This paper tries to keep its read
ers informed as to the places OF IN
terest that may be visited by sight
seers and picnic parties in the Black
foot country, and In this, the thirty
eighth year of his residence here,
the editor decided to 60 up and give
report on Mt. Putnam. The way
to get to the mountain, the things
needed for the trip, the particular
roads and trails to take, and some
thing of what may be seen from its
summit, and such other things as
would enable the reader to Judge
correctly in advance, as to what at
fractions the trip has, are given in
this article.
In order to have the readers un-
derstand 1t better, and to know how
it may be done, recital is made OF
some Of the details Of the trip made
by the editors party, not that it is
Of interest because of the persons in
the party; not that it matters who
the people were or when they went,
but what has been done by some
body on certain plan and certain
set of roads and trails may be done
by others more easily. if they have
correct information to start with,
and log Of the roads.
William Twitchell has a stock
ranch near the foot of Mt. Putnam,
and he was engaged to furnish sad,
die horses and to act as guide, using
his ranch as a base to start from.
The party left Blackfoot by auto at
8 O'Clock in the afternoon and got
back at 7.30 the following evening,
having travelled 56.2 miles to the
Twitchell ranch, going by one route
and returning by another, and hav-
ing travelled twenty miles by auto
and horses and on foot from the
ranch to the summit, the horses be-
ing able to ascend to South Putnam,
and North Putnam being reached on
foot, by scrambling three quarters
of a mile along the crest. About
four miles of the ascent Is made
thru canyon rich in natural growth
Aand beauty, made gorgeous at this
time by the touch of the frost upon
the vendure.
People sometimes ask how re-
porter handles his information to
have it ready when he wants to put
it into an article, whether he uses
pencil and notebook along the way
or Just remembers the events that
might be worth reporting, and car
ries them in memory. Well, 1t may
be done either way or both, but the
easiest way is to make the events a
part of ones self, to soak" UP the
facts and see all he can correctly
In this case the writer had pencil
and note book, but did not have
them out of his pocket from the
time he left home until he got back.
An auto driver starting on a trip,
sets the record Of miles at zero,
reads it at landmarks along the way