[Crossing the Sierras: Norwegian Snow Skates, Hutching's Illustrated California Magazine, February 1857]

 

CROSSING THE SIERRAS.  349

 

CROSSING THE SIERRAS.

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NORWEGIAN SNOW SKATES.

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            The recent rapid settlement of that great belt of fertile valleys lying along the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada range of California, has made necessary the extension of mail facilities to that inland world in advance of any provision for that purpose by the agents of the general government. Previous to the winter of 1854-5 the inhabitants of these valleys for three or four months of the year, were closed in by almost inaccessible snow-clad mountains on the west, and on the east by a vast extent of desert country stretching towards Salt Lake, that during the winter months seems peculiarly the great battle ground of the winds and the storm.

            The great depth of the snows upon the Sierras, renders their passage by pack animals not only difficult but dangerous and often for months together wholly impracticable. To remedy this great inconvenience and secure to the people of the valleys a regular correspondence with California west of the mountains, a proposition was made by Mr. John A. Thompson, a Norwegian by birth, to convey the mails semimonthly without regard to the depth of the snow. The proposition was accepted and we here present him moun[t]ed upon the true Norwegian snow skates, of which, a knowledge of their construction and use he had retained

350      HUTCHINGS' CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE.

from the memory of boyhood, having left his native land at the age of ten years.

            Entirely unlike the snow shoes of the North American Indian or the people of the Canadas, well adapted as they are to a loose light snow and a level country, the snow skates are peculiarly adapted to the rugged features of our mountains and the damp compact snows that annually accumulate upon them.

            The skate consists of a single piece of strong stiff wood, from six to seven and a half feet in length, that turning up in front six or eight inches terminates in a point, six inches in width on the bottom at the bend and gradually tapering backwards to four inches in width. It is flat on the bottom, the top oval or rounded except about a foot in length where the foot rests, a little back of the center; here it is an inch and a half in thickness, from thence tapering to a half an inch or less at either end.

            The only fastening is a single strap over the toe of the boot admitting of the freest possible motion to the feet and ankles. In making progress the skate is only raised from the snow when it is desired to make a shorter turn than would otherwise be possible. On uphill or level surfaces the skates are placed parallel to each other and pushed forward alternately with ease about the length of an ordinary step, but the impetus given causes them to slide further than this, while upon descending surfaces they run with great ease and rapidity, and when the declivity is very great, making it necessary to check the motion by throwing the weight of the skater upon a double handed staff, six feet in length, forced into the snow upon one side as showed in the cut. With these skates Mr. Thompson, heavily laden, travels over the otherwise almost inaccessible snow clad cliffs, and gorges of the Sierras, a distance of from thirty to forty miles a day, thus bearing the sealed tidings, doubtless of hope or disappointment, happiness or grief to many.

            It is a feature of our inland transit unique in itself, and as far as it relates to the American Continent, we believe peculiarly Californian.

            As showing to some extent the perils and dangers incident to a winter passage of the Sierra Nevada, we subjoin the following interesting account from the Sac. Union.

            J. A. Thompson, the Expressman of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, called upon us yesterday, upon the completion of his second trip this winter to Carson Valley, and placed us in possession of some highly interesting particulars connected therewith. This trip is peculiarly interesting, from the fact that it was made on his Norwegian snow shoes, seven and a half feet long, over snow which, at some points, he was unable to fathom.

            About three miles above Placerville, he came to the snow, having left that place on the 20th of December. He was accompanied by two men who had awaited his going, and at this point they all put on their snow shoes. The weather was clear, but cold, and the party made Lake Valley without any incident worthy of note.

            On the night of the 23d December, they reached a deserted cabin in that valley, and struck a fire. Mr. Thompson being anxious to press on, told his companions that he would go ahead and stay over night at another cabin about a mile ahead, and that they could overtake him in the morning. Al-

CROSSING THE SIERRAS.              351

though anxious to stop, rather than separate from him, they determined to go on that night, and once more they all started off. About midnight, they reached the cabin and found everything dark and the door closed. Mr. Thompson, not expecting to find any one in, however, knocked and "helloed," when, to his surprise, a voice answered from within. On entering, Mr. Thompson found a man lying alone upon the floor in that dreary spot, without other covering than the clothes he wore, and the boots frozen to his feet. 

            In this deplorable condition, he had been lying for twelve days, with nothing to sustain life but raw flour. His feet were completely frozen, and will both have to be amputated below the knee. His sufferings must, according to the statement of Mr. Thompson, have been indescribable, and yet he bore them with the fortitude of a martyr, and scarcely permitted a murmur to escape him. Although death would soon have terminated his agony, he still had a lingering hope that Providence might direct Mr. Thompson by his cabin, and thus save him. Had not Mr. T. gone on that night, he would probably have passed the cabin in the morning without stopping.

            The sufferer proved to be James Sisson, the partner of Mr. Hawley, about six miles above Placerville. He had been engaged in the packing business, and left for Carson Valley on snow shoes some two weeks previous. The storm overtook him on his way, and his feet becoming frozen, it was with great difficulty he reached his cabin or trading post. On arriving there he found his matches so wet that he could not strike a light, and thus he remained for four days, when he discovered a box of matches in his cabin which furnished him a fire. He then attempted to cut his boots off his feet, but could not succeed ; and nothing remained for him but to await either succor or death.  Mr. Thompson left Carson Valley on Monday, January 5th, and arrived in this city yesterday morning, the 9th.          

            On the 24th, Mr. Thompson started for Carson Valley, and on Christmas day got five men to agree to accompany him back to Lake Valley. He rigged them out with snow shoes, made after the pattern of his own, and taking with them a sled upon which to haul the sufferer, they started back on the 26th. They reached the trading post that night, and laid over during the 27th, in consequence of the severe weather—another snow being falling. On the 28th, they packed Mr. Sisson on the sled, and thus, with great labor, succeeded in conveying him safely to Carson Valley, where the sufferer is now lying in the care of Dr. Dagget. Mr. Thompson, on his return will take with him some chloroform which will be administered to the patient and his feet amputated, as it was not deemed advisable to attempt the operation without this agency.               

            In Carson Valley, Mr. Thompson fell in with Col. Wm. Rogers, who had gone over from Hope Valley, and from him he learned that one of his copper miners, named Benj. Fenwick, formerly from Virginia, had been frozen to death on the 15th of December. The deceased had gone to Carson Valley, and was returning home, when the cold overpowered him, at a distance of three hundred yards from Col. Rogers' house. He seated himself upon the snow, with his body in an upright position, and thus perished. Five days after, a dog which had accompanied him approached the house, emaciated and starved. The occupants of the house, following the track of the dog, which faithful animal also followed them back, found the body of Fenwick as described. From the indications, it was manifest the dog had not left the body of his master during that time, but had crouched upon his lap, until driven away by starvation or a higher instinct. That the devoted animal should have escaped freezing is somewhat remarkable.    

352      HUTCHINGS' CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE.

            At Big Cañon, the snow was four feet deep ; at Hope Valley, five feet ; at Luthers' Pass, six feet ; at Lake Valley, five feet ; and in the pass on Johnson's Summit, he sounded a depth of ten feet without reaching bottom. He estimates the depth of snow for eight miles this side of Slippery Ford at twelve feet.