This is a Copy of a Personal Diary written by Scotty Gall to Mr. V. W. West, District Accountant, Hudson’s Bay Co. to account for his trip from Herschel Island to Fairbanks and return. By all accounts a very tough and long trip in arduous conditions.
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Herschel Island, Feb 3rd, 1925
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Herschel Island, Feb 3rd, 1925
Dear Sir:-
COPY OF PERSONAL DIARY
The following is a general account of my trip to Fairbanks:
Party left Herschel Island on morning of 13th November, 1924.
Destination, Old Crow. Party consisted of T. P. O’Kelly, C.H. Clarke, B.
Johnson, E. Gall, Phillip Stanley and Ambrose. Weather, N.E. Wind, 30 degrees
below. Left Herschel Island 9 A. M. ; went overland route over the Island;
crossed to mainland at Flander’s Point; Proceeded to Stoke’s Point on land;
arrived 5P.M.; camped Stoke’s Point.
Friday, Nov.
14th, 1924:
Weather fine, 30 – 40 below; got
up 4.30; broke camp 7 A.M.; took on extra load of tent, camp-stove and beans;
arrived at Head Point 8 A.M.; Proceeded all day by creek and portage to Canoe
River; camped beginning of Glacier; 35miles.
Saturday,
Nov. 16th, 1924:
Weather dull, visibility poor,
warm, zero; broke camp 7 A.M.; Travelled all day Canoe River; dinner 11:30;
camped 5P.M. Willows; 30 miles.
Sunday, Nov.
16th, 1924
Weather, dull warm, south-west
wind; brake camp 9 A.M.; had to wait for daylight; made portage of steep hill;
returned to river; camped first timber 2 P.M.; 20 miles.
Monday, Nov.
17th, 1924
Wind and snow, visibility poor; broke
camp 6 A.M.; passed Fish Creek 7 A.M.; camped on Creek 6.30; strong wind.
Tuesday,
Nov. 18th, 1924
Strong wind, visibility poor;
heavy wind in the morning; broke camp 4 A.M. camped timber 4 P.M. Fox River.
Wednesday,
Nov. 19th, 1924
Weather fine; left Black Fox
Creek 7 A.M.; proceeded all day across Crow Flats; heavy going, two men ahead
all the time; camped 4 P.M.
Thursday,
Nov. 20th, 1924
Dull and blowing; broke camp 7
A.M.; crossed Lakes; made tea 11 A.M. Found Trappers Trail; followed Trail afternoon;
camped 5 P.M.
Friday, Nov.
21st, 1924
Dull and blowing; broke camp 7.30
P.M.; went back 8 miles on Trapper’s Trail to cabin; proceeded on Trapper’s
Trail leading toward Old Crow; made tea 11.30; afternoon: blowing hard; missed
Trail; camped 6.30 P.M. on Creek.
Saturday,
Nov. 22nd, 1924
Dull and slight wind; left camp 9
A.M.; portage onto River; found Trapper’s Trail; camped 3 P.M.; timber.
Sunday, Nov.
23rd, 1924
Broke camp daybreak; Old Crow
River 12 A.M.; arrived Old Crow 3.30 P.M.
Monday, Nov.
24th, 1924
Old Crow; rested up and fixed
harness.
Tuesday,
Nov. 25th, 1924
Old Crow; fixed grub etc.
Wednesday,
Nov. 26th, 1924
Old Crow; Stanley and Phillip
left for Herschel Island.
Thursday,
Nov. 27th, 1924
Weather fine; left Old Crow daybreak;
party includes T.P. O’Kelly, Clarke, Johnson, Gall, Ambrose and Indian guide,
(Peter); made dinner halfway; arrived Rampart House 6 P.M.; 45 miles.
Friday, Nov.
28th, 1924
Weather fine; left Rampart House
6 A.M.; travelling all day through Ramparts on Porcupine River; arrived Old
Rampart House 5 P.M.; road-house kept by Indian; 35 miles.
Saturday,
Nov. 29th, 1924
Weather fine; Left Old Rampart
House 6 A.M.; stopped Trapper’s cabin for lunch; camped at John Herbert’s
cabin; 35 miles.
Sunday, Nov.
30th, 1924
Left cabin day-break; had lunch
John Herbert’s trapping cabin; left river in the afternoon; portage to Shoeman
House; camped; 38 miles.
Monday, Dec.
1st, 1924
Left Shoeman House 6 A.M.; made
tea 12 P.M.; passed two Trappers from Black Fox; followed their trail to cabin;
camped; 30 miles.
Tuesday,
Dec. 2nd, 1924
Left Black Fox Cabin 6 A.M.
followed trail all day to Fort Yukon; arrived 4 P.M.
Wednesday,
Dec. 3rd, 1924
Fort Yukon: rested dogs; cached
two tents, stove, grub etc. For return trip; prepared for trip to Circle City;
hired a dog at $1.00 per day to be paid on return.
Thursday,
Dec 4th, 1924
Left Fort Yukon 9 A.M.; travelled
on Yukon River, made tea 1 P.M.; camped Mail cabin; 30 miles; B Moore as guide.
Friday, Dec
5th, 1924
Broke camp 6 A.M.; left river,
following new mail trail all the way to Circle; arrived 6 P.M.
Saturday,
Dec 6th, 1924
Left Circle City 6 A.M.; had
coffee Ferry Road House; lunch Central Road house; stopped at Millar Road-house
for the night; 50 miles.
Sunday, Dec
7th, 1924
Pulled out of Millar Road House
daybreak; crossed Eagle Divide forenoon; travelled on Eagle Creek in the
afternoon; overflow; stopped at 12-mile Road-house for the night; 30 miles.
Monday, Dec
8th, 1924
Left 12-mile road-house 8 A.M.; went
over summit with fair wind; travelled all forenoon on Creek; glare ice and
overflow; had lunch Faith Creek Road-house; travelled on Mail Trail all
afternoon; stopped the night Half-way Roadhouse.
Tuesday, Dec
9th, 1924
Left Half-way Roadhouse daybreak;
travelled on Mail Trail 8 miles; struck the Government Road; arrived at
Chateneka 12 A.M.; Stopped for lunch; left 2 P.M.; had coffee at Fox; arrived
at Fairbanks about 8.30.
RETURN TRIP TO
HERSCHEL ISLAND
Party consists of E. Gall and Ambrose
Tuesday,
Dec. 16th, 1924
Weather mild; left Fairbanks 11
A.M.; heavy going all the way to Chateneka; arrived 6.30 P.M. ; 28 miles.
Wednesday,
Dec 17th, 1924
Snowing; 20 degrees below; pulled
out 6 A.M.; heavy going; had lunch Half-way House; stopped Faith Creek Road
House 6 P.M.
Thursday,
Dec. 18th, 1924
Snowing; pulled out 7 A.M.;
running water all the way on McManus Creek (18 miles); arrived 12-mile
Roadhouse 12 noon; dogs tired and men’s feet wet; decided to camp.
Friday, Dec.
19th, 1924
Weather fine, 10 degrees below;
pulled out 9 A.M.; water on Creek; crossed over Eagle Summit; had lunch William
??...... ....... ??? the night.
Saturday,
Dec. 20th, 1924
Weather cold, 40-50 degrees
below; pulled out 8 A.M; had lunch 12 A.M. Ferry Road House; arrived Circle
City 5 P.M.
Sunday, Dec.
21st, 1924
Weather cold; Left Circle City 8
A.M. on new trail for Fort Yukon; camped 2 0’clock; dogs pretty tired; feet all
on the bum.
Monday, Dec.
22nd, 1924
Broke camp 4 A.M.; arrived Fort
Yukon 6P.M.; dogs feet pretty sore.
Tuesday, Dec.
23rd, 1924 to Monday, Dec. 29th, 1924
Fixed up harnesses, wrapper, grub
etc. for trip north; weather averaging 50-60 degrees below; Dogs feet showing
signs of improving; decided to start.
Monday, Dec.
29th, 1924
Weather fine, 40 below; Left Fort
Yukon 12 A.M.; made tea 3 P.M.; arrived Black Fox cabins 8 P.M.
Tuesday, Dec.
30th, 1924
Weather fine, 50 below; left
Black Fox cabins 7 A.M.; made tea 12 P.M.; arrived Shoeman House 3 P.M.
Wednesday,
Dec. 30th, 1924
60 below; left Shoeman House
7:30; made tea 1 P.M.; back on Porcupine River; slight head wind; dogs not
working good, too cold.; camped John Herbert Place 8 P.M.
Thursday,
Jan. 1st, 1925
Blowing hard at the “Howling
Dog”; decided to camp.
Friday, Jan.
2nd, 1925
Blowing; broke camp 7 A.M.;
blowing hard on River; missed the 7 mile Portage; had to do extra 20 miles
through loos snow; made David Lloyds Place 3 P.M.; had tea; proceeded to Old
Rampart House; arrived 7 P.M.; People were dancing there to 2 A.M.; New Year
festivities; could not sleep.
Saturday,
Jan. 3rd, 1925
Ambrose feeling sick; lay over
and rested dogs.
Sunday, Jan.
4th, 1925
Left Old Rampart House 9 A.M.;
Weather fine; had tea 20 miles up river; arrived New Rampart House 6 P.M.; Corp
Young goinf hunting next morning; decided to lay over and try to get some meat
as dogs were in poor condition.
Monday, Jan.
5th, 1925
Weather fine; left barracks about
9 A.M.; went up a creek about 5 miles; no signs of caribou; walked around on
snow-shoes till dark; going home picked up two carcasses Young had shot some
days previous; bought meat from him at 10c per pound; gave dogs a good meal.
Tuesday,
Jan. 6th, 1925
Fed up the dogs on deer meat; lay
over; 60 below.
Wednesday,
Jan. 7th, 1925
65 below; left Rampart House 6
A.M. dogs not working good, too cold; had to break trail half the way; arrived
Old Crow 6 P.M.; find that all the men have gone out deer-hunting; Ambrose did
not come saying it was too cold to travel.
Thursday,
Jan. 8th, 1925
50 below; Old Crow; Ambrose
arrived 4 P.M.
Friday, Jan.
9th, 1925
30 below; Neel
McDonald returned today with 3 carribou; guide wants to go Monday.
Saturday,
Jan. 10th, 1925
40 below; fixed up
harness, sled etc.
Sunday, Jan.
11th, 1925
50 below; rustled up fish for
dog-feed; find out that guide’s Parka and duffles will not be ready till
Tuesday so have postponed departure until then.
Monday, Jan.
12th, 1925
50 below; loaded up sleds;
Tuesday,
Jan. 13th, 1925
60 below; left Old Crow
accompanied by Indian guide (David Elias) about 10 A.M.; travelled on Trapper’s
Trail; made tea 2 P.M.; camped 6 P.M. Trapper’s Tent; 30 miles.
Wednesday,
Jan. 14th, 1925
Cold; left camp 8 A.M. ; made tea
12 A.M.; camped 4 P.M.; at Trapper’s cabin; lost timber.
Thursday,
Jan. 15th, 1925
2 A.M. – wind blowing hard.
8 A.M. – wind blowing hard.
Decided to camp; 10 P.M. wind
still blowing hard; developed into a hurricane.
Friday, Jan.
16th, 1925
Blowing harder than ever; no
protection after leaving timber; wind died down a bit towards evening.
Saturday,
Jan. 16th, 1925
Wind still blowing; decided to go
as our dog-feed was getting low; wind develops into a hurricane; forced to camp
out of our way.
Sunday, Jan.
17th, 1925
4:30 P.M.; wind blowing hard all
day; died down about 10 P.M.; feeding dogs ½ a dry fish.
Monday,
Jan.18th, 1925
Clear and cold; made the top of
Arctic Divide; camped timber.
Tuesday,
Jan. 19th, 1925
Broke camp 4:30; travelled all
day and night; missed our way; arrived on the coast at King Point about 1 A.M.
Wednesday morning; made for Head Point; arrived there about 5 A.M.; proceeded
to Herschel Island; arrived there about 3 P.M.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Attached,
please find account of monies expended by me on the above mentioned trip.
Yours
respectfully,
Ernest
J Gall
The route was 560 miles each way. 1120 miles return
MAP OF ROUTE (Click on MAP to see complete map):
The route was 560 miles each way. 1120 miles return
MAP OF ROUTE (Click on MAP to see complete map):
Mapped with Google Earth
Mapped with Toporama
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