4

navigable only when the water is low. Fox River may be ascended with
difficulty for 23 miles, in a straight line, from above a short portage near
its mouth.

The Rocky Mountain Trench was followed by many of those entering
the Yukon at the time of the Klondike gold rush in the late nineties, and a
good trail was maintained at that time. According to Hedley and Holland
(1941), this pack-horse trail is in fair condition from Fort Ware, on Finlay
liver, to Kechika River Crossing at Chee House, and thence to Lower
Post on the Liard. It is 44 miles, northwesterly, from Fort Ware to
Sifton Pass, and an additional 50 miles to the mouth of the Gataga, below
which the Kechika is readily navigable. Boats may also be taken with
difficulty up the Kechika to the mouth of Driftpile Creek.

A fair pack-horse trail leads east from Kechika Valley, at the mouth of
Turnagain Liver, to the south end of Muncho Lake. Another trail extends
westerly from the mouth of Turnagain Liver via Sand and Mosquito
Creeks to the upper Turnagain and connects with the trail to Dease Lake.
Another good trail follows the valley of Halfway River for 80 miles north
from Peace River, then continues northwest, crossing the headwaters of
Sikanni Chief, Besa, Prophet, and Muskwa Rivers. It follows the north
side of Muskwa Valley in a westerly direction to Bedaux Pass, then down the
valleys of Warneford and Kwadacha Rivers to Fort Ware.

An old winter tractor trail from Fort St. John to Fort Nelson lies 30
to 45 miles east of the Alaska Highway for much of the way, and should
assist exploration in that direction.

The northern part of the Carbon Creek Basin coal area is 10 miles by
river boat up Peace Kiver from Gold Bar. A pack-trail extends southward
up the west side of Carbon Creek from the Peace to the coal showings at
Eleven (11-mile) Creek, and trappers’ trails continue from this point not
only up Carbon Creek but also up Eleven Creek and another tributary
of Carbon Creek to Carbon (Indian) Lake. Another pack-trail leads from
the head of Peace River Canyon, by way of Gething Creek and Wright
Lake, to a point on Carbon Creek 15 miles from Peace River, where it joins
the Carbon Creek trail.

Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, and Watson Lake may be reached by good
air service, and stops can be arranged at intermediate emergency landing
fields. Many lakes are suitable for hydroplane landings, which can also be
made on most of the large rivers.

NATURAL RESOURCES

The prairies of the Peace River region are widely known for the high
quality grains that are grown there. As on the plains farther south, the
danger of harmful frosts is not lacking, but the district as a whole may be
rated as first class for grain crops, and has also proved ideal for mixed
farming and ranching. Evidence of possible successful agricultural enter-
prise on a large scale in the Fort Nelson area rests on the excellence of
common garden produce, such as potatoes, cabbage, turnips, beans, peas,
carrots, tomatoes, and beets that have been raised for many years at the
Hudson’s Bay Company posts at Fort Nelson and at Nelson Forks. Wil-
liams (1944) believes that, by proper land selection and drainage, small
farming could be carried on for 50 miles westerly from Fort Nelson. Liard