Winter Reconnaissance. S^7 



too much time and energy would be used in going to and from 

 work which is strenuous enough at best. 



One of the principal difficulties encountered was the hauling 

 of bedding and supplies. With a good, hard surface on the snow 

 such as usually comes in March and April in this locality, and 

 with but a slig-ht up-grade, one man could haul on a sled in the 

 neighborhood of one hundred pounds. But when the snow is 

 freshly fallen, sinking in often one to two feet, together with a 

 rather heavy up-grade, from fifty to seventy-five pounds was 

 considered a good load. With soft snow and heavy up-grade, 

 the men found that it was easier work to pack supplies on their 

 backs than to haul the loaded sleds through the snow. This ex- 

 perience taught us to haul, during the preceding fall, all of the 

 supplies it was possible to get in at that time. All of the canned 

 goods and other supplies, except meat and eggs, were sent by 

 team and wagon to the camp from which the work was to be done. 

 The canned stuff and vegetables were buried to prevent them 

 from freezing". Enough wood was cut and hauled into camp to 

 supply the crew while they were there. In this way, one of the 

 greatest problems and difficulties was overcome. One day's 

 work for all sufficed to bring in the rest of the supplies and bed- 

 ding. 



The tying in and checking of distances and courses was an- 

 other matter that confronted us. Although the snow around the 

 trunks of the trees does not reach the same height as in the open 

 places, it is often high enovigh to cover up the blazed witness 

 trees of survey corners. It is a very simple matter for the 

 ranger, on whose district the work is to be carried on, to blaze, 

 during the open field season, the several corners, placing the 

 blazes high enough on the tree to be found easily in the snow. 

 This can be done without any extra cost, as the ranger is sure to 

 be on the ground some time during the field season and the find- 

 ing and blazing of corners is but the work of a few minutes. 



The question may very well be brought up as to how, with the 

 snow seven to eight feet deep, can one estimate accurately the 

 diameters of the trees. As mentioned before, even though the 

 snow reaches a depth of eight feet, it very seldom reaches four 

 and one-half to five feet around the bole of the tree, thus allow- 

 ing the d. b. h. to be estimated. 



The tendency to underestimate is perhaps a little stronger in 



