
ONGESNOWTSHOLS IN ALASKA. 
our stuff in it, gathered plenty of dry wood, 
and were once more comfortable. 
On the first trip out of camp, we ran 
across a wolverine, but before I could get my 
six-shooter out, he was about 4o yards away. 
I fired several shots at him, and finally got 
him. We stayed about there for some time 
and, having put everything in shape, took 
an 8 mile spin up the flats on our snow shoes, 
and put out several traps. We killed some 
ptarmigan, which are abundant everywhere 
in these hills, and afford the most welcome 
change from bacon and bread. 
On the 12th, we again went into the moun- 
tains in search of a pass that would lead us 
to Bartlett Bay. We went up the canyon 
for several miles, and were surprised to see 
the bay at the foot of the range at the other 
side. We were then about 10,000 feet above 
the sea. The tollowing day we crossed the 
summit at II o'clock, went about 3 miles 
down on the other side, and pitched the 
camp. It grew steadily warmer and on the 
15th the snow softened to such an extent 
that it was difficult to travel; still we made 
about twenty miles, and landed at salt water. 
At 5 o’clock on the morning of the 16th, 
we started back to our hunting ground. A 
Siwash took us about 7 miles in his canoe, 
and from there we made the trip over the 
mountains where we landed in time for sup- 
per. On the 18th, we climbed the mountains 
again to look for bear. A warm wind was 
blowing, from the ocean, and the snow had 
softened rapidly. I started down the moun- 
tain side, when a snow slide started with me, 
and carried me about 200 feet, burying me 
some 8 or io feet under the snow. I was 
not hurt, and managed to dig out before I 
suffered any damage from want of air. 
During the next few days we visited our 
traps regularly, but got nothing larger than 
some martens and wolverines. 
On April 29th York took his blankets and 
some grub and went on our back trail for 
6 miles to look after some traps he had put 
out. He spent 4 days on the trip, and 
brought back several wolverine and marten 
skins. 
_ The next day the sun shone warm, and 
the snow melted rapidly. That was the first 
day for bear. York sighted a big brown bear 
on the mountain side, went after him and got 
2 shots at him, one of which wounded him, 
but he made his escape down through a big 
canyon. I made a tour of my traps and 
found 2 wolves and a wolverine had been 
around to inspect several of them, but the 
animals were all too shy to take the bait. 
On the first day of May, with clear and 
almost hot weather, the bear hunting became 
_ interesting. That was what we really had 
come for, and what we had been waiting for 
all the time. I put out some more traps, 
and followed a bear trail about 3 miles, but 
without success. York returned, and to- 
gether we built a temporary cabin. 
On the 2d of May the weather was cloudy, 
425 
and threatened rain, so we did not go far 
from camp. York cut down a big tree and 
started to build a canoe. On the morning 
of May 4th, we leit camp at 5 o'clock and 
before going a mile York killed a black 
bear. I went across a low range of hills, to 
look after my traps, and returned to camp 
in the afternoon. York had skinned the 
bear, and in the evening we scraped and 
stretched the skin. The next day we put out 
some bear traps and took some small furs 
from the smaller traps we had out. On the 
6th we saw a bear from the cabin door, and 
after a climb of about 1.800 feet up the moun- 
tain we finally got him. On the evening of 
the 1oth, while York was looking after his 
traps, I caught sight of a bear, but failed to 
get him; but later, while loafing about the 
foot hills near camp, I killed another. 
We were having more or less rain, and 
during the wet spell we remained in the 
cabin, cleaning and stretching our furs. 
Bear skins require a great deal of care and a 
great deal of hard work to get them in shape 
for packing home, for market. Every pound 
of weight counts on a trip, so we fleshed the 
skins down carefully, and dried them until 
the minimum weight was reached. On the 
15th, I killed another bear, and 5 mountain 
goats, all before noon,and was in camp again » 
at 2 P.M. York reached camp about 7 in 
the evening, having killed one bear. I 
brought in with me a saddle of young goat, 
which made another welcome change of diet. 
On the 18th we were together returning to 
camp from our regular tour of the traps, 
when we saw a bear on a ridge above us. 
We went up a small canyon about 200 feet, 
got within 200 yards of Bruin, fired at him. 
and missed. York followed him up the 
mountain, while I went down, and waited 
for him. He came in my direction, and I 
killed him. 
On the 19th, York added another bear to 
the string and several grouse and ptarmigan. 
A good many days we were in camp the sun 
shone too brightly for bear hunting. These 
animals travel in cloudy weather. On the 
20th York killed a big brown bear, while 
I worked on the canoe. In the evening I 
made a short hunt up the mountain, and 
saw 2 bears and a wolverine, but didn’t get 
a shot. On the 22d York made the round 
of his traps and found a bear in one, which 
he killed. On his way back to camp he 
shot another, making 2 to his score for the 
day. On my rounds I killed one bear. The 
3 skins were worth nearly $100. Good bear 
skins sell in Juneau at $35 to $40. On the 
23d I killed another bear that was a good 
300 hundred yards away. I had to shoot 
him 5 times before I got him. On the 26th 
York killed 2 more, one of which was in a 
trap. 
On the 27th, having finished our canoe 
and burned it out on the inside, we put it in 
water for the first time, and found that it set 
well. On the 28th we shot 2 more bears. 
