Jarvis Pass - Part 11 - Don't Give Up The Ship

"E.W. Jarvis, CE, and Major C.F. Hanington of Ottawa made an adventurous winter journey across the Rockies in 1875. The pass through which they crossed the mountains was named Jarvis Pass by the Geographic Board of Canada and the name Jarvis is also borne by a mountain on the south side of the pass opposite Mount Hanington. The exploration was undertaken to see if this route across the mountains would be a practicable one for the Canadian Pacific Railway. The elevation of the pass, about 5,000 feet, proved too high. The starting point of the journey was Quesnel, which was left on December 9, 1874, and a 1,000-mile journey, mostly on foot, occupying five and a half months, was concluded at Winnipeg on May 21, 1875." (extract from Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, June 1927)
Source: BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office

Camp No. 20, Near Turn into the Pass,

19th February, 1875.

My Dear Edward, —

On the 17th nothing of note occurred; on the 18th we met Alec, who had been to another fork, and didn’t know which one to take, as to him they both looked unpromising. We camped at the Forks, and I went up the South Branch, while the chief and Alec tried the north. We found that the river here takes a turn to the north, and that the South Branch is a short glacial stream, though looking at the place from here, you would think the mountains shut the whole place up. To-day Alec went off again and we spent a very jolly evening, having found what certainly seems to be a pass through the mountains. We are now 47 1/2 miles from the Forks, and have found this branch so far a great improvement on the north.

Camp 22, 21st February, 1875.

On the 20th we had a first-class trail and did seven miles before noon. Camped In Alec’s last camp, and a queer place it is. The valley is here about a mile wide, the river running through meadow and muskeg. Our camp is on an island in the centre, and all around are the mountains, some of them beautiful, if we only had the spirit to enjoy their beauty. To day it snowed all day, and of course the track was full before night, and not to be found. We did 11 miles though, and didn't say much, though we thought a good deal, I fancy. So far we haven’t been able to keep an open track more than one day. We have plotted up our work to this Camp No. 22, and find that in a straight line we are only nine miles from Camp 15, on the North Branch. If we had only known, what a lot of time and distance we could have saved, and our dogs would have escaped some 100 miles of travel, poor brutes; but as we didn't know it, it can’t be helped.

Camp 25, 24th February, 1875.   AT THE SUMMIT.

My Dear Edward, —

On the 22nd we met Alec coming back as he didn't see the use of breaking track only to have it filled up by snowstorms, so we went 7 1/2 miles and camped with him, after that I broke track a few miles ahead.

On the 23rd we came to falls and canon after canon, and had a good deal of trouble in hauling along dogs and sleds too. I saw Jarvis stop once and begin to think over the situation, so I stopped, too, in fear and trembling, for I was afraid he  would give it up. Presently he came along and said: “Frank, do you know what I was thinking of? " I said, “Yes; don’t go back for Gods sake. ” Well he said that if we all came to grief he would be responsible, and it was a bad look out now. But I told him I’d be responsible for myself, Alec didn't care about going back, and as for the Indians if they starved or not it didn't matter. So on we went to my great delight, for I’d sooner be found in the mountains than give up the ship. Though, so far as a railway is concerned, this pass is of no use.

After camping at the foot of a fall, the two of us walked on and climbed a mountain to 5, 500 feet. Here we saw an apparent fall to the east and our hearts beat high, so we returned to camp and said nothing.

To-day we made a portage and started the men getting the loads up the 2 miles, while we went forward to explore. We found the summit, think of it, at last. This branch flows out of a chain of 5 lakes which lie 5, 300 feet above the sea, then you cross a sort of muskeg containing a lake which flows nowhere, then a little more muskeg and a lake out of which trickles a tiny stream running to the east. We went down this stream about a mile to be certain, and then we took a drink of the blessed water, which was the sweetest thing I have drunk for many a day. A splendid view from summit. There are no high mountains in the far distance except one peak (Smoky Peak).It looks like a park inclining gently towards the east, studded with oak, and carpeted with grass (it would be if the snow were not so deep).

Smoky Peak resembles Mount Ida. One rises in striking grandeur to guard the western side of the pass, while the other guards the east. They both present the same aspect, solitary, with their white summits in the clouds, glaciers covering their sides to the line of vegetation, and then the blue and green of the forest covering, they are indeed grand sights and worthy of an artist's brush.

After the discovery of the water flowing east, we returned to camp in high spirits, hurrah, had a drink of Brandy-Hurrah, and had the pleasure of seeing the others as excited as ourselves. It was indeed a merry evening and one I won’t forget in a hurry. The country is quite safe now sure. There are 6 feet of snow at this camp and we have shovelled out camp to the ground. So our view is limited when we camp.

Jarvis Pass - Part 10 - Falls as High as a Tree

The Forks, 13th February, 1875.

My Dear Edward, —

The night before we left the camp (No. 15) at head of N. Branch of N. Fork of N. Fraser River, we had a heavy snowstorm, and consequently had no track to return on. This was expected, as so far it has always been the case. I won’t trouble you with a history of each day’s journey over familiar ground, except to say that the portages around the canons gave us as much trouble and hard work as the up trip. We got hero yesterday having done the 63 miles in 4 days. Capital time considering the road we had. It would have been amusing if not so serious, to see the number of times a sled had to be turned up to get the slush off its bottom in each mile. However, we arrived safely and are glad to be here. This morning Jarvis sent Alec, Johnny, and Ah Kho, ahead up S. Branch to make a trail, as ’tis the only way we can work at all. They took a hand sled as the snow is too deep to take dogs without a track. Tsayass and Te Jon were sent to Fort George with seven dogs and one sled. They are to got their provisions at my cache and seem to be delighted at the chance of going away. Before starting they said good bye to their Indian friends and said that was the last they would ever see of them. This was comforting to them to say the least of it. We sent Sam out by them, also Chun and Tyepaw, a Fort George dog, which I drove as long as he could go, and these with Tsayass' train made up the seven. We have been going over our supplies, and by a free use of the Multiplication Table, and some addition thrown in, we find that we still have one month's grub on hand. Just the same as we had two weeks ago, some sense in this kind of grub which gets larger every day. We have invented a scale by which we can weigh our stuff. 25 rifle cartridges make a pound is Alec’s belief, so on that we work, with a bag of cartridges on one end of a stick and some grub on the other, we lay out each day’s grub for each man, and the beauty of the arrangement is, that we can shorten the rations by taking out a few cartridges while it appears as if we were giving good weight. But it is cheating our own stomachs after all, and I would like one square meal occasionally.

Camp (17) 16th February, 1875.

My Dear Edward, —

Early on the 14th we left camp, and wont up the South Branch. Imagine our disgust when 3 miles up we found Alec making a portage around a “ fall as high as a tree, ” we camped and the whole party went at it in the afternoon. The next day Alec left early to finish portage and go on ahead with the trail, while we took over half loads, dropped them at the end and came back to camp. This was the worst portage yet, very full of holes and hills and fallen trees, and dogs take advantage of these places, when they get stuck going up hill, and the driver takes the rope ahead to haul on, the brutes turn about and go; then after pulling and working your hardest you got them to the top, away they go down the other side, and no power on earth can stop them till they got to the bottom, whore when you reach it you will probably see sled and dogs piled in a confused heap and well used up, and it takes a good humoured man to get them started again without some swearing and a good deal of whip. I regret to say that I haven't a temper of that kind. The worst place in the trail was where it takes to the river again. Alec made that part of it, and I think he must have let his sled go. My dogs took a run when they got near the top and laughed when I Called “ Ulwa" ! I held on to the rope as long as I could and then go when dogs and sled disappeared. When I got to the edge a pretty sight met my view, about half way down stood a tree, on one side of this was the sled and on the other the dogs in a sweet state. Evidently they had been unable to got out of the way of the sled and tried a side trail with the above result; I cut the tree, and told them to go to below and they won't, the sled first and the dogs yelling and struggling after, lastly your humble servant who had some broken harness to mend and some bruised dogs to attend to when he got down. We went back to camp after the one trip and found Sam and Chun who had evidently broken away from their keepers.

This morning Jarvis shot them both after asking me to do so. I couldn't shoot Sam at any rate. He worked himself nearly to death for us, and it is too hard. But we haven't very many salmon for them now and can’t afford it. This was a very warm day with snow and drizzling rain, we got over the portage all right and camped in Alec’s camp of yesterday, 14 miles from the Forks; I hope we have got clear of those canons, a few more would kill our dogs completely, and our own condition wouldn't be improved by them.  For my own part I can only say that on this trip I have worked harder than ever before; physically I mean, otherwise there is little to do.

We are travelling through an unknown country without a guide and take things as they come. Good night.

CHAS.

Jarvis Pass - Part 9 - Worthless Pass

Camp No. 15, 8th February, 1875.

My Dear Edward, —

On the 4th we had a very heavy snowstorm, just to make things lively I suppose. Jarvis left early with two men and a very light sled, while the rest of us spent the day in getting the stuff over the portage and through the canon. It was a bad trail and the late snow hadn't improved it at all. The first trouble was a steep hill, about 150 feet high, and it took us all to get. one sled up at a time. The dogs didn't seem to care for the place at all and when two men would be hauling and two pushing the sled, ten to one the dogs would turn about and go down the hill. Tough on the whip. However, we got everything over safely about 4 P. M. and camped at end of canon. The next morning we were off bright and early and went only a short distance before we struck another canon and fall and had to follow another portage made by Jarvis. It wasn't very bad and with 8 dogs on each sled we took the stuff over in fair style. The worst part was at the further end where the descent to the river was almost perpendicular. Here the sled invariably reached bottom before the dogs, though the latter did their level best to get out of the way. It was killing work on the beasts; how they stand it I can’t see.

After crossing the portage we had canon all the afternoon and after working hard, very hard all day, we camped just 6 miles from last camp. I broke track all day, Jarvis' trail having drifted full. I managed it thus: Started off about 5 miles an hour and walked away some distance, then back to the dogs and then forward again, hoping to give them the benefit of three pair of snow shoes. We didn't get to camp till 6 and the dogs couldn't have gone another mile. Poor beggars, sometimes I am sorry for them, but that don’t pay, we can’t afford to rest them or ourselves and we both need it.

On the 6th we had very warm weather which made it worse. We passed another fall, and had the usual amount of hauling, dog whipping and general hard work. Road bad enough for anything. Overflowed with water and no track visible, though Jarvis and men passed over it only the day before; at 10 A. M. on the 7th we came to the forks (No. 3) and I got a note from Jarvis with instructions to follow N. Fork up to where I'd find his sled. This I did and camped there. Jams came in in the evening, having been to head of South Branch and found no pass. He had also fired at a moose but the distance was too great and he didn't hit. A moose would be a great thing for us, as with it we could take a rest and food ourselves and dogs. Though we are not very hard up yet if the rations be a leetle small.

To-day 1 have been 7 miles up this the N. Branch. Above camp 1 mile is a fall of 200 feet which I went around via side of mountain, above that the river widens out and meanders through muskeg and meadow for three miles, then it gets rapid and canony and turns to north. Evidently it rises in the mounting and comes from glaciers.

Camp No. 15. Continued.

I turned when I had reached an elevation of 4, 000 ft., which is 250 ft. higher than the Yellow Head Pass; so that from an engineering point this branch a worthless. There is nothing left for us now but to retrace our stops to Camp No. 9 and try the south branch. This we will do to-morrow. We both feel that it is tough to turn back but the quality of the Smoky River Pass must be known and we are going to find it out. The Stewart Lake Indians are delighted, as they think we are going to Fort George. Johnny is as unmoved as ever, and Alec ready for anything. So good-night.

Yours sleepily,

C. F. H.