RECREA TION 
Volume XX. 
FEBRUARY, 1904 
Number 2 
G. 0. SHIELDS (COQUINA), Editor and Manager 
HUNTING WHITE GOATS IN THE SELKIRKS. 
ELEANOR SCHAVOIR. 
In planning our annual hunting trip 
for the fall of 1902, my husband, Doc- 
tor Schavoir, and I decided to entrust 
matters to Mr. W. H. Wright, of 
Spokane, Wash., whose acquaintance 
we had made at the Sportsman’s Show 
in New York. An editorial in the 
September number of RECREATION de- 
scribes Mr. Wright’s qualifications, 
and we both endorse every word said 
in his praise. We started from New 
York City for British Columbia Au- 
gust 17 and reached New Denver, 
B. C., Friday, August 23. A prettier 
place can hardly be imagined, and it 
is properly called the Luzerne of 
America. Slocan lake is a magnifi- 
cent sheet of water, abounding in pic- 
turesque shore scenery. Fishing is 
excellent, trout of 5 different varieties 
being numerous and easily taken. 
At New Denver we made up our 
outfit, consisting of 6 pack and 4 sad- 
die horses. On striking the trail, the 
difficulties of hunting in the moun- 
tains were brought home to me at 
once, and I became convinced that it 
would be no child’s play to obtain 
game in such a wild region. The dwel- 
lers in a flat country can never 
imagine what traveling -in the moun- 
tains means. The trail was never more 
than 2 feet wide; in some places not 
half of that. On one side a steep cliff 
arose, while a bottomless pit yawned 
on the other, and a stout heart or long 
habit is required to retain calmness. 
If only the trail had been clear and 
unobstructed our hardships would 
have been less; but the storms of win- 
ter and the snow slides of spring had 
played havoc with it, and many a 
85 
weary wait did we have while Mr. 
Wright cleared away tree trunks 
lodged across our path. With his 
usual luck, my husband got the quieter 
horse, which stepped carefully over 
obstructions; while my mount, with 
probably a life's ambition to become 
a steeplechaser, persisted in clearing 
everything with a bound. Imagine 
the thrill of jumping over stumps, 
rocks and other obstacles on a nar- 
row trail! However, the brave little 
horse always landed on his feet and 
the trail at the same time, and as he 
seemed indifferent to my feelings I 
concluded I might as well let him have 
his own way. After a while I grew so 
accustomed to that style of locomotion 
that I began to notice the scenery, and 
it was grand, indeed. Glaciers and 
enormous mountains surrounded us in 
all directions, a wild, rushing torrent 
dashed at our feet, and beautiful 
wocds grew all around us. 
We covered 32 miles in that fash- 
ion, and arrived in the afternoon of 
the second day at a charming spot 
about 7,000 feet above sea level. Dur- 
ing the last 12 miles of our ascent the 
trail was conspicuous by its absence. 
In crossing a stream I tried to follow 
Mr. Wright, who descended the bank 
by clinging to some alder brush in 
order tc choose a place for us to cross. 
Feeling sure, after what I had seen, 
that a horse can go where a man has 
passed, I rode to the bank and slid 
down about 20 feet to the river bed. 
Mr. Wright was startled, and both he 
and I motioned to my husband not to 
follow. He, however, imagining that 
I had slid down the bank for a dare, 
