FROM FORT HALL TO HEAD OF HELL GATE RIVER. 337 



found it three inches deep. Our course for a distance of five miles lay along the base of the 

 mountains, when we entered a gorge or cafion of these mountains, through which flows the High 

 Bank creek. Here we encamped, having travelled thirty-five miles not finding a camping 

 ground till we had travelled this distance ; and even here we had a miserable camp, wood and 

 grass being poor and scarce. Our bed lay on the snow ; the thermometer at sunset being 20, 

 and at 9 p. m. 10. The day has been warm and pleasant. No game seen to-day. 



December 24, 1853. Commences cold and snowing, the thermometer at sunrise being 3 above 

 zero, and continues cold throughout the whole day ; at noon the thermometer being 22 and 

 still snowing. Our course to-day lay up the cafion of the High Bank creek, which we found to 

 be covered with the artemisia, or wild sage, growing two feet high ; the mountains on each side 

 being perfectly destitute of timber, and covered with snow, the cafion being covered with snow 

 six inches deep. The High Bank creek we found to-day to be well-timbered with the cedar, 

 the spruce-pine, and the quaking aspen, the latter predominating. No game or living thing was 

 seen to-day to break the stillness and dreariness of our road. Having travelled ten miles, we 

 encamped at the head of the High Bank creek, finding good grass and water, wood being at some 

 distance, which we packed to the camp. This cafion is travelled by wagons from Fort Hall, 

 having been first travelled by Father De Smet in 1840. 



December 25, 1853. Commences cold and gloomy, the thermometer at 7 a. m. being 14 below 

 zero. Last night was exceedingly cold, with a strong wind from south-southwest, and snowing 

 during the whole night. Thus was Christmas ushered in for us cold, gloomy, and exceedingly 

 disagreeable. After many delays in camp in finding animals, &c., we resumed our march at 10 

 a. m., ascending a low ridge dividing the main stream of the High Bank creek from a small 

 tributary, which ridge we followed for three miles, over a very excellent road, though the ground 

 was covered with snow eight inches deep. The mountains on each side continue very high, and 

 all covered with snow from base to summit, their chief characteristic being the entire absence of 

 timber. At a distance of nine miles from our camp of last night, we fell upon the waters of the 

 Missouri river, crossing a low ridge of very easy ascent and descent so gradual, that you leave 

 the Columbia and strike the Missouri waters without noticing it, were it not for the direction 

 taken by the streams. We were all rejoiced to find ourselves once more on the waters of the Mis 

 souri. On the ridge we found the snow twelve inches deep, though it had drifted in many places 

 much deeper. The snow was still soft, and not frozen, as we expected to find it. The day was 

 exceedingly cold; the sun shone quite bright at noon, and though the thermometer was in the 

 sun, it stood as low as 8, with a strong, cold wind blowing from the south-southwest. After 

 journeying eleven miles we found the cold so intense, that we were compelled to halt and build 

 a fire by the wayside to keep warm. Travelling a distance of sixteen and a half miles, we 

 encamped on a small mountain stream, a tributary to the southeast branch of the Jefferson fork 

 of the Missouri; here we found good grass for our animals, the snow being only six inches, leav 

 ing the top of the grass uncovered, which, however, they very soon totally exposed with their 

 hoofs. Here we found the ice twenty inches deep. Our fuel at night was poor and scarce, con 

 sisting solely of willows. The thermometer at sunset was 8 above zero ; at 8 p. m., 14 below 

 zero. This was by far our most disagreeable day, and all with one accord were willing to re 

 member the Christmas of 1853 in the mountains. 



December 26, 1853. Commences cold and windy, the thermometer at sunrise being 11. The 

 wind, which had been blowing cold and strong from the south-southwest during the night, con 

 tinued with unabated force this morning, and so continued throughout the day, drifting the snow, 

 and rendering travelling very disagreeable. Our road to-day continued to be very exceUent, with 

 much less snow than we had met with during the last three days. It seems that the farther we 

 travel along the waters of the Missouri, the much less quantity of snow do we find. It is true, 

 that on leaving Fort Hall we did not meet with snow through the whole of the Snake River valley 

 till we reached the base of the mountains ; but through this whole ridge or range we found snow, 

 43 f 



