‘We got up early - 7 am, had our ‘left over
stew and pancakes for breakfast, makina
our -own syrup with the borrowed brown
sugar and were aoina to set a real early
start. We had a hard time findina the
horses and didn't break camp until 10 am
Then we started out on the wrona trail and
lost 14 hours searching and backtrackina.
Had to cross a real swampy creek but the
trail was quite qood on the other side.
\le made aood time to- Boyer Creek where
we had lunch ( 1 can of prem and 1 can of
beans, shared amonast us all) and there
our troubles beaan.

\le had to ao through a burn
had obliterated the trail. We lost four
hours trail hunting that day. By then we
knew we would never make Atlin that day
and everyone was pretty downhearted. We
met Douan (the fellow from Teysen Lake) late
that afternoon. He had walked from Teysen
Lake to Dixie Lake in 6 hours and we had
only qone about 6 miles in 8 hours. We
came to a small lake just before Dixie
and aaain lost the trail. We rode in cir-
cles for about an hour. Rick fiaured it
out and 39 horses went through one mud
hole - all ours. \e finally made camp
and while | made supper Bill and Rick
struck out to find the trail. They found
it but rode riqht to Dixie Lake to be sure.

Monday, August 7th, broke camp at 9:30 am
and that morning for breakfast we cooked
everything we had left. Macaroni, a little
flour which |! made into dumplinas and oat-
meal. It was a real aoulash but no one
said a word because they knew that was it.
The trail was quite bad when we first
started out that day and had to rebuild a
bridge so the horses could cross a boa.

The ride alona Dixie Lake was qood until

we started climbina up away from the lake.
\le aot lost in another burn and lost an
hour searchina for the trail. Once we found
it we were on our way and arrived at the
)'Donnell River and a cat road. \!le stopped
there at 2 pm and shared our last can of
beans. Now we’ were only 15 miles from \larm.

Bay. From there we rode on the road all
the way. The scenery was lovely. At every
bend in the road we hoped to see Gleasons.
At four that afternoon we came to a bridge
and there was a note on a pole for us
from Francis saying that they were camned

at Warm Springs at a nice camp spot and
qood grazing for the horses, The note was
dated Auaust Ath,

We finally arrived at Warm Sprinas at

which aaain

6:30 pm and no Gleasons. Some other people

were camped there and asked us if we were

19

the people’ from Cassiar who had travelled
the Telearaph Trail. When we said we were
they told us that Gleasons had to leave but
had waited four days for us. We were al]
very disappointed, no cookies and no cia-
arettes, \le carried on to Warm Bay about

a half mile down the road. Just as we’
turned the corner we saw a parked car at
the bridge so Bill rode ahead and asked

if either he or Tony could hitch a ride
into Atlin, which was 17 miles further

down the road, and explained our situation
about havina no aroceries, etc. They would
be glad to help out and when Tony came back
later he told us the people were a truck
driver and his wife from Clinton Mine.

While Tony was aqone we made camp and
took the horses to a aood qrazing area.
About 2 hours later Tony arrived with
Const. Ron Fehr of the R.C.M.P. and boxes
of groceries and cigarettes. We had
supper at midniaqht and went to bed full,
relieved and contented,

The next day Tony and Bill flew to Dease
Lake and brought the trucks back to begin
trucking the horses back to Cassiar. We
made two round trips and finally the
horses were settled in at Chain Lake on
Sunday, Auqust 13th.

While we had some trying experiences, the
trip was well worth it, There is no better
way a family can find appreciation,
togetherness, and a complete understanding
of each other, but to do something where
we fully depend on each other. We all look
forward to doina it again, but will make
it a shorter trip next time.

After readina our story ! hope you wil]
realize that | am as much a areenhorn at
writing as | am at riding horses! |.

End of Trail -

Warm Bay

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