Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1946-11-28
Hears
|a|es Of Winter

Clacier NatloIidA PoA NA"J ohAe
sov had an early and happy end
'"hat may have become a dramatic
WIZ VIII FOR lost mail carrier, Earl
r a., so families up the North Fork,
lies to Trail creek rural post Of
had been snowbound for a week,
IN Sunday morning, Ryan left
~ The mail from Bolton, driving a
wv -, tractor. This Army type of
S;cle with skis in place of front
asls had proved itself in Alaska
ring the war.
nr,a,,,s route took him first
ro,,oh 80 miles of virtually unin-
s;,ed mountain snowed-in wilder
&c to Polebridge store on the
stbead's North fork. He didn't ar
70 Sunday night. Word was tele-
med to Park headquarters at
Elton.
Rangers Fred Hodgson and Dave
Innavina left Monday afternoon on
;ie over three feet of snow, to find
lost mail carrier. Ranger Hugh
,cbanan started south on skis
Nm Polebridge, and he was to join
enoer John Lindahl from Logging
btion.
[Wbat would have been dramatic
orv comes to swift, happy conclu-
bn Ryan had arrived at Logging
sneer station. Phone lines were
vn to the outside world. He started
h for Polebridge the next morning,
i North Fork families now have
- cir mail.
Each winter, rangers are stationed
isolated stations over the one mil
n, acres of Glacier National park.
snowshoes Or skis, they patrol
{ park to protect wildlife against
bachers, and generally guard the
Rtions great alpine playground for
|mmer-time vactioners. Many rang
k average 300 miles month on
Ills or snowshoes.
Winter is much more severe on the
|st side of Americas continental
wide which is Glaciers mountain
Ickbone. Going-to-the-Sun highway |
Lar Logan pass, last spring had one
Irticular snow drift that was SO
let deep.
Dramatic winter stories of Glacier
|clude that of Ranger Ben c. Miller
bw stationed in Alaska. In Febru-
", 1888, Miller patrolling the side |
Scalplock mountain on snowshoes
as caught by a snowslide. He was
FRIED, rolled and finally buried in
solidly packed mass of ice and
low, 200 feet down the mountain.
1om 1920 am. on a Tuesday until
80 am, Wednesday, he whitfield,
lg and clawed his way for Is hours
It Of the snow mass toward light,
It'll finally he was free.
Elmer Ness, one of Glaciers pres
t three assistant chief rangers, was
trolling in the northeastern section
the park. 1t was November, and
ernate freezes and thaws had CIV
an ice glaze to the high mountain
ow The wind was blowing, for
long the peaks winter winds may
ast away at more than so miles an
ur; on the eastern side of the park,
are known to drop to
below zero. .
On November is, while crossing
bile pass, Ness slipped on an icy
3wbank, and slid down into a rock
tn such force that badly sprain-
hip was the result. Unable to walk
thout support, he crawled to the
areSt timber, about one-half mile
ay. Two small pines we're cut, and
ID for crutches, and the three re-
lining miles were made to the
lger station by the afternoon of
vember II, two days later.
sanger Ness simple report gives
le of the drama of the incident,
ates newly appointed chief ranger, i.
* Alton, who a few years ago :
crlbed the incident. "Out on pa
with no food, no warmth, and
y courage and stamina, Ness had S
roken pelvis bone and splintered
socket. It took him more than (
November days to make three c