Trailing & Camping in Alaska: Tales of the Valdez Copper River Gold Rush

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1909. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER V Prospectors occasionally eat beans, but their habitual diet is hope. Mentasta Pass Is a low, timbered passageway through the Alaskan Range. The divide is so flat that it surprises one to find the water running in an opposite direction to that pursued a short distance behind. We traveled several miles in this pass and camped near a pond of water, where we killed widgeon ducks, and where deep sloughs coursed through the timber. A man from California overtook us there. He was on his way to the Yukon and among his packhorses was one that I had brought up to Alaska. He camped with us, and something interesting, which relates to his trip, will be related further on. We were a day here, felling trees side by side for bridges, and placing boughs, then moss and dirt, on them. Although these bridges were high above the water, our mustangs willingly crossed on them. At one place a large lake was formed by a beaver dam across a small creek. A pile of three-years-old brush had been placed near by, and more two-yearsold brush was on top of this, then more that was evidently one year old, and on top of all was brush that had been freshly cut and was yet green. As this brush represented annual cuttings, and was close to the dam, it was for no other purpose apparently but to stop a leakage if one should occur. We saw stumps of large trees which the beavers had cut down, but the whole of the trees had disappeared to the bottom of the lake. If I could talk the beaver language I would submit a standing offer to help them a month with an ax, if they would allow me to see them move one of those large trees after they had cut it down. They evidently fall the trees true and as near where they want them as would the most experienced woodsman. We left the ponds, sloughs and thickly-grown forest for...