1879 



I left Bozeman in the early spring, intending to 

 make a bear hunt in the Crazy Woman Mountains. 

 Nelson Catlin was my packer. We had three pack 

 animals. We were provided with a 9 x 9 wall tent 

 with a small box-shaped sheet-iron stove to go 

 inside the tent. The day was bright and cheerful, 

 and we passed through Bridger's Canon, up Bridg- 

 ets Creek, toward the Bridger Pass. William 

 Martin, whom we met and who had just come over 

 the pass, reported it impassable, unless the snow 

 should be sufficiently hard to bear up the pack ani- 

 mals. I determined to make an early start, so as 

 to pass over the deep snowdrift before the sun 

 should thaw the crust. We did not get started 

 until 8 o'clock, and were soon in trouble with the 

 snow. Two pack animals went down at the first 

 ravine that we crossed and we were obliged to un- 

 pack them. Finally we determined not to attempt 

 any other snowdrifts, but to ascend the mountains 

 on the east of the pass, which appeared free from 

 snow, and to try to go down some bare ridge on 

 to Brackett Creek, a fork of Shield's River. 



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