Part 1 (1/2)
The Young Alaskans in the Rockies
by Eh
I
ROB, JOHN, AND JESSE IN CAMP
”Well, here we are, fellows,” said Jesse Wilcox, as he thren an armful of wood at the side of the ca to be about the best trip we ever had”
”That's what I was telling Rob to-day,” said John Hardy, setting down a pail of water near by ”But I hope I won't have to carry water up a bank a hundred feet high every night”
”We are not as far north this time as ere last su the sa east and farther away fro west to the Rockies and across the closer to home all the time”
Rob McIntyre, the oldest of our friends who had ether in the wilderness, sat silent, as was often his custo out of his frank blue eyes at his companions
”What do you think about it, Rob?” asked Jesse
”I agree with you, Jess,” replied Rob ”I've alanted to get into this part of the Rocky Mountains The Yellowhead Pass, over yonder, is the place I've alanted to see It's an old pass across the Rockies, but no one seems to know et plenty of ga”
”Surely ill, for this is a country that no one visits, although we are now on the trail of the old fur-traders who cah ridges in here you can see the old trail cut down a foot deep And it was o”
”Besides,” added John, ”we can see where the engineers have gone ahead of us”
”Yes,” said Rob, ”they've pretty much followed the trail of the old fur-traders”
”Didn't they coood way up here?” asked John
Rob answered by pulling out of his pocket a long piece of heavy paper, aout for themselves in advance the best they kne the route which they were to follow and the distances between the main points of interest ”Now, look here,” said he, ”and you'll see that for once we are at a place where the old voyageurs had to leave their boats and take to the land
We're going to cross the Rockies at the head of the Athabasca River, but you see it runs away northeast from its source at first, at least one hundred ustus in the old days, and the voyageurs went all the way up there from Montreal by canoe Soht them into the Rockies away south of here They went over the Kootenai Plains there, and over the Howse Pass, which you know is between here and Banff”
”I know,” said Jesse, eagerly ”Uncle dick told us they used to go down the Blaeberry Creek to the Coluo near the Wood River to the Columbia River For instance, here on theBend of the Columbia That's the old Boat Encampment, of which the old histories tell so et there?” said John, doubtfully ”It looks a long ways off from here”
”Of course ill,” said Rob, firmly ”When we've pushed up to the head of the Athabasca River and gone over the Yellowhead Pass it will all be downhill We'll go fast e hit the rivers running south
And we'll come in but a little way from the Boat Encampment, which was a rendezvous for all the old traders who crossed by the Saskatchewan trail below us But, you see, we'll be taking a neay; and I agree with Jess that it will be about the best trip we ever had”
”Those old fur-traders were great fellows to travel, weren't they?”
said Jesse, looking curiously at the deep-worn, ancient trail which ran close by their ca When they got to Fort Augustus they had three choices of routes west over the Rockies
They could go away north to the Peace River--old Sir Alexander McKenzie's trail, which we followed last suo up the Saskatchewan the way David Thoo to the Columbia River; or they could strike west by cart or pack-horse fro country until they struck the Athabasca, and then follow up that to the Yellowhead Pass I shouldn't wonder if old Jasper Haas one of the first trail-, those who came this route had to leave their boats at Edmonton Here at Wolf Creek we are about one hundred and thirty ood wagon trail as far as Saint Anne, and, as you know, it has been pretty much like a road all the way out here”
”I like the narrow trail best,” said John; ”one made by feet and not wheels”