Mollie Adams Diary of her Journey in the Canadian Rockies, August 8, 1908

Rock Bluff Camp
Saturday, Aug. 8.
              
I was waked at 5.10 A.M by footsteps at our front door, and opened my eyes to see a shadow picture of U and Pinto going by.  We thought him getting in so early did not look as if the quest had been successful, and W. told us a tale of woe at breakfast, U. having gone to have a sleep.  He found a good trail, leading into the river and out the other side.  The water was clear and harmless looking, just as it was where he tried it before at the outlet of the lake; and it treated him in just about the same way, tipped them over and he and Pinto got a bath in the Athabasca instead of walking out on the other shore of the Maligne.  So then he tied up Pinto and went around by the canyon by falling a tree across the narrow part, finding it an unexpectedly long and difficult way, but possible to get horses around with a good deal of cutting.  Having found out this much, and Pinto having been already tied up quite some few hours, he started to return to him.  He was then quite near Pinto, but on the other side of the Maligne, and thinking of the miles of weary climbing and clawing through burnt timber he would save if he could cross the river, he decided to fall a tree.  There were two in an appropriate position and he chose the smaller one, which thought would probably reach across.  It didn’t – and was carried away down the river like a straw.  So then, nothing daunted, he attached the other, a tree about two feet through.  By this time night was falling and he was working by the light of the moon.  The big tree shivered its timbers and letting off snaps and cracks like rifle shots, it came smashing down.  It reached across all right, but the force of the current was so great against the branches, that it, too, was carried out, and went sailing away into the Athabasca, and with it U’s. hope of avoiding the canyon.  So he was stodging along all night, except about 1 hr when it was too dark between the setting of the moon and dawn.  And that hour was not a very happy one, for having been swimming in the Athabasca, he had no dry matches to light a fire, and the food he had was insufficient, to speak mildly.  W. said got things together and ready and we would pack and move off down to the mouth of the Maligne when U. woke, and see what next.  Hot sun and bugs were not conducive to naps, so we got started about 10 A.M.  Passed several robins’ egg blue lakes, teepee [sic] camps near them.  Saw a large fish which looked like a pike in one.  Camped at 12 o’clock just opposite the ruins of Henry House, nothing left of it now but two fallen stone chimneys in a little clearing.  Thermom. 80° in the shade.  An. 3200 ft. at 2 P.M.  A good breeze during the afternoon, but sand flies fierce towards sunset.  Horses came in for their smudge brining millions with them.

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