, 1923-01-22
EARLY SPRING COMING, SAY SCOUTS BACK FROM HIKE
ON MOUNTAIN TREES READY TO BURsE IS CLAIM

Troop -Four scouts say an early
spring 10 coming In this region this
year. The scouts returned yester-
day from one of the most strenuous
hikes In the history Of Casper scout
Com and brought with them sprigs of
trees that grew I'D on top of the
mountains and which are showing
buds partly open although the scouts
found these trees standing in snow
several feet deep.
Troop fou left Casper last Friday
evening and through the kindness of
Lihl Branson of the Branson Auto
company and Harry Ward of the
Mammoth Oil company. the scouts
were taken out TO Garden Creek and
were able to reach Camp Rotary with.
out being tired out with the sIx-mils
! o Casper to tho cabin.
Saturday morning the troop rose al
$50 O'Clock and got an early break
fast while Il was still dark, then pro-
ceeded to make preparations for the
main hike. The couts left the scout
cabin and tramped over to Aliens
canyon with ease as there was little
snow along this part OF the route but
the road uo the canyon was blocked
with drifts ten and twelve feet deep.
Sometimes the crust was har1
enough to bear but in many cases the
snow was soft and the scouts had to
wallow their way through.
After making their way uD the
canyon for about two miles the
scouts decited that the trail ahead
was too deep with snow and the
troop started IN the mountain SIDE.
gaining the top after an hours siren
uous climbing. After reaching the top
Of the range. the troop rested for -
time and then crossed tho divide be-
tween Allen and Garden Creek can
vons n started down the front of
the mountains between the two can
yons. Here some very deep SHOWS
were encountered and the troop was
forced to turn back as II would have
been impossible to take some of the
smaller lads through the deep drifts.
On the north side OF the mountains
where there was timber and trees.
the snow had lodged until drifts of 20
feet Fro common. The scoutmaste-
n the 'arger scouts broke trail for
the smaller boys and at last the troop
worked its "a out TO the foothills
AM maze the caD!n.
-hC troop noted many indications
Of wild life n saw some grouse anI
abbits anG: at one point the boys
'oupd n big ~porcupine on a sapIIn"
md only about ten feet off the
round Perky did not appear to
ny any attention to the boys and
made no move to escape even when
the whole troop gathered about him.
The scouts left him enjoying a meal
" bark on the sapl'ng and the last
Of the troop asked him to look after
the trees while they were gone. The
'Porky" paid no attention to their
bandinage however, and seemed to
think the scouts were beneath him
The budding tvigs from the diff
terent trees n the scouts found or
top OF the mountains and which the
boys base their belief that we are to
have early spring, are OF pussy will
'ow anc aspen.
Besides the hike. troop four also
7et IN the stove at Camp Rotary and
Fixed the roof Jacks for both the heat,
'ng stove and the cook range at the
cabin 20 that now both stove can
be used as needed.
Barry Mahoney and Pete <ieaE
aney have added another dish to the
menu Of the Casper scouts. The new
fish is called Muck and is a con-
bination of chilli con carne. pork an
hears, mea end other ingredients
The lads Of troop iorI claim It to b
he best dish for camping ever in
Ycnted.
The scouts also cleaned the road
! rom Montgomery Hill to Garden