Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains: An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far WestDrannan, William F.
History
Thirty-One Years on the Plains and in the Mountains, Or, the Last Voice from the Plains: An Authentic Record of a Life Time of Hunting, Trapping, Scouting and Indian Fighting in the Far West
Drannan, William F.
Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.); Indians of North America -- Wars
The third day after leaving Fort Hall we reached Snake river, and
were successful in getting across without any mishap whatever.
This new ford is near where Pocatello, Idaho, now stands. The
first night after crossing the river we camped on a little stream,
which I gave the name of Rock creek, and I am told that it is
still known by that name. That night the snow fell one foot deep.
I told the wagon-boss the next morning that he was at his
journey's end for the present fill. We unloaded one wagon and he
took one wagon to haul his camping outfit and provisions for the
winter, and returned to the river bottom for the purpose of
wintering his stock there. Another man and myself went to work to
make two pairs of snow shoes, for which we had to use the side-
boards of a wagon, there being no timber suitable in reach for
that purpose. We were three days preparing for this trip, by which
time the snow had settled.
All being in readiness the morning of the fourth day in this camp
I, accompanied by two other men started on horseback, one man
going along to bring the horses back, and the other to accompany
me across the mountains. We rode to within ten miles of the summit
of the mountains. Here the snow was nearly two and a half inches
deep. Our horses were unable to get anything to eat except the
branches of quaking asp trees that we cut and carried to them. The
next morning we saddled our horses, one of my companions started
back again, and we mounted our snow shoes and started to climb the
mountain, this being my second attempt to travel on snow shoes. I
was somewhat awkward at this new undertaking, and you can rest
assured that I was tired when I reached the summit of the
mountains, which took the greater part of the day. Each had a pair
of blankets and enough provisions strapped on his back for the
trip.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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