Volume XXI. 



DECEMBER, J904 

 G. 0. SHIELDS COQUINA , Editor and Manager 



Number 6« 



SNOW SHOEING IN THE SIERRA NEVADAS. 



B. P. NOLAND. 



In the winter of 1892 I was in the 

 Sierra Nevada mountains with a gold 

 mining company. We were working 

 a number of men and had to get in 

 our entire winter supply of provisions 

 before the snow came. How it did 

 snow, up in those mountains, when 

 once it began ! Just a white mass, 

 through which one could not see 25 

 feet, and woe to the man who was 

 caught out in it ! 



Our supplies were late in being 

 shipped, and the teams were caught 

 in the foothills by the snow, so we 

 had to store the supplies there and 

 shut down the mine. Four of us 

 asked the manager of the mine to give 

 us a contract for the winter. We pro- 

 posed going on our Norwegian skis 

 to the place where our provisions had 

 been stored, building a sled and haul- 

 ing the food 12 miles to camp. The 

 manager of the mine consented, so we 

 started out 6 strong, all on skis, for 

 our base of supplies; and a jolly party 

 we were. The snow was 13 feet on 

 a level, every small bush was covered, 

 and overhead was a beautiful blue 

 sky ; such a blue as only California 

 knows. 



There is no more delightful motion 

 than skiing, over good ground. 



We made excellent time and on our 

 arrival built our sled, using an extra 

 pair of skis for runners. We had in- 

 tended to spend the night and start 

 back the next morning, but as it looked 

 like snow we concluded to make a 

 start that night. We had a large 

 jug of coffee made and started with 

 all 6 of us hitched to the sled. 

 There was a crust on the snow, so fin- 



ally we took off our skis, as we found 

 we could pull better without them. A 

 novel sight we made ; our sled loaded 

 with provisions and 6 pairs of skis 

 piled on top of it. Thus we pulled 

 until midnight, and if you think it was 

 not hard work it is because you have 

 never been there. Sometimes we 

 broke through the crust. At midnight 

 we stopped for supper, built a fire, 

 heated our coffee and made a jolly pic- 

 nic of it. 



Just as we had our pipes going well 

 it began to snow, a little at first, but 

 we realized that this meant trouble, 

 so we made our preparations to start. 

 Fortunately we were on the top of a 

 divide which led near our own mine. 

 We started, and the snow fell heavier 

 and heavier, piling in front of our sled 

 and making the travel worse and 

 worse. Finally, we were all exhaust- 

 ed and came to the conclusion that 

 we would better wait for day- 

 light. 



We got under a large tree and tried 

 to build a fire, but everything was so 

 wet from the snow that we could not 

 start one. It gradually grew colder 

 and colder. Some of the boys wanted 

 to lie down and sleep, but we knew 

 what that would mean, so we called 

 an Indian dance, and formed a circle 

 around the tree, dancing and singing 

 every kind of song we knew, in a vain 

 effort to keep warm. Just before day- 

 light the storm lulled, the clouds broke 

 and the full moon burst forth with 

 almost the brilliancy of a morning sun. 



We kept from freezing until day- 

 light, and with what joy it was hailed ! 

 We tried to move our sled, but about 



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