Mollie Adams Diary of Her Journey in the Canadian Rockies July 10, 1908
Chaba Camp
July 10
We had all the horses with us at breakfast, as W. gave them salt to make it more attractive to them to stay here while we are away. Two tents, beds and grub went with us and we reached the lake and had the cargo aboard by 10:30. M. and I were ignominiously picked up and dumped on too, as H.M.S. "Chaba" drew too much water to be brought quite up to shore, or even near enough for a long jump. W. took the horses back to put them with the others --- and we started on the voyage, to pick him up at the mouth of the river, where he would come by a short cut not practicable for horses. They had hewed out two long oars about 12 ft. long, and one sat on the edge of the forward deck, and one aft, to row, with a wooden pin stuck up to pull against for a rowlock. The decks were about 2½ ft. wide and stuck out over the sides a little so they were about 7 ft. long. The bottom logs were about 2 inches under water when all of us and all the impediments were stowed away on board. At 11:30 W. came and we were really off. They tried making a bee line down the middle of the lake for a distant point. A head wind came up, however, and it was soon evident that H.M.S. "Chaba" would have to hug the shore if she was to make any progress. It took nearly an hour to worry her in, and then we coasted along till we reached the point about 2 P.M. Landed and ate lunch. Cameras busy during the carrying act. On again. We passed point after point, thinking each one would give us a look up the length of the lake. Finally came to the one where U. had come down to the lake on his long walk, then saw miles of water still ahead of us and a fine range of mountains opening out. Propelling the raft was not child's play. As there were three of them to do it, each one got a rest by frequent changings off, but they were all pretty tired all the same. At about 5 P.M. we could see what looked like the end of the lake, although we had not yet come to anything which seemed like the narrow place about three quarters of the way up the lake which Sampson told us about so particularly. At 6:30 W. said, "hold, enough," and we made for a point on the n.e. shore near where a stream came into the lake from the valley leading to the double peaked snowy mountain we could see from Chaba Camp. It proved to be a very pleasant camp ground and we were soon settled and devouring supper. It was fine and sunny all the morning; cloudy afternoon, --- mares' tails, mackeral scales, pink sunset, and all bad signs, but barometer hight --- giving the lake 5550 ft.
July 10
We had all the horses with us at breakfast, as W. gave them salt to make it more attractive to them to stay here while we are away. Two tents, beds and grub went with us and we reached the lake and had the cargo aboard by 10:30. M. and I were ignominiously picked up and dumped on too, as H.M.S. "Chaba" drew too much water to be brought quite up to shore, or even near enough for a long jump. W. took the horses back to put them with the others --- and we started on the voyage, to pick him up at the mouth of the river, where he would come by a short cut not practicable for horses. They had hewed out two long oars about 12 ft. long, and one sat on the edge of the forward deck, and one aft, to row, with a wooden pin stuck up to pull against for a rowlock. The decks were about 2½ ft. wide and stuck out over the sides a little so they were about 7 ft. long. The bottom logs were about 2 inches under water when all of us and all the impediments were stowed away on board. At 11:30 W. came and we were really off. They tried making a bee line down the middle of the lake for a distant point. A head wind came up, however, and it was soon evident that H.M.S. "Chaba" would have to hug the shore if she was to make any progress. It took nearly an hour to worry her in, and then we coasted along till we reached the point about 2 P.M. Landed and ate lunch. Cameras busy during the carrying act. On again. We passed point after point, thinking each one would give us a look up the length of the lake. Finally came to the one where U. had come down to the lake on his long walk, then saw miles of water still ahead of us and a fine range of mountains opening out. Propelling the raft was not child's play. As there were three of them to do it, each one got a rest by frequent changings off, but they were all pretty tired all the same. At about 5 P.M. we could see what looked like the end of the lake, although we had not yet come to anything which seemed like the narrow place about three quarters of the way up the lake which Sampson told us about so particularly. At 6:30 W. said, "hold, enough," and we made for a point on the n.e. shore near where a stream came into the lake from the valley leading to the double peaked snowy mountain we could see from Chaba Camp. It proved to be a very pleasant camp ground and we were soon settled and devouring supper. It was fine and sunny all the morning; cloudy afternoon, --- mares' tails, mackeral scales, pink sunset, and all bad signs, but barometer hight --- giving the lake 5550 ft.
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