Category: Pete Parsons Trek

6/11 I took the trail about 6 am. It was pretty wet going, I got up to the upper lake (2m) here y saw quite a number of ducks but I left them alone, from there I expected to have quite a climb to the pass so I was very surprised when the trail came near the creek after having left it for a short distance, to find that the water flowed north instead of south, I was going down towards Buffalo creek all ready, there was quite a lot of snow in the timber but I soon got down to an open grassy park, and here I nearly stumbled on an elk but he was too far away by the time I got my camera in action, but there also was a big, fat porcupine and I believe I got his picture although I had to take it on the run. After going down a little more I crossed the creek and began climbing up on to a lot of open park on the hillside here I first saw 1 elk laying down some distance away the I had close view and a picture of 4 bulls y later on I saw several more [unintelligible] y got another picture of 4 cows, so I have seen 8 today. Well, after a while I had another snowy slope down to Buffalo Creek. The [unintelligible] told me last night

that I could not cross the Buffalo without swimming, but after I had decided on the best place I stripped off and waded across, walking a little downstream y using a stick to steady me the water was very cold so after rubbing my legs good I crossed back then got my outfit and crossed the third time. Then I eat lunch before I started out again. From here I expected to find another trail branching off to 2 Ocean Pass y if I didn’t find it I would first follow the creek down to where the Highway crosses. Well, I didn’t find the Trail ( I expect I should have gone upstream a ways instead) it was interesting country unspoiled by civilization y I saw elk … y than in some places the river runs through a narrow, rough gorge. The main trail crossed the [something] a couple times, but as it was to big to ford here safely I managed to get along on the N side by climbing around the cliffs a couple of times finally I cam out on high bench-land covered thickly with LP Pine. Here I lost the trail but followed elk trails for a while but where I saw the rive again I could hardly

figure out which direction it was flowing. but I decided it must be Soda Creek coming down to it and it joined the river in a very peculiar manner.

Well, after crossing the creek I found the trail so I thought I might as well camp especially as I got m pants wet in crossing. Well, it has been rather wet y hard going, but I have seen the Elk in their natural surroundings and native haunts y I have enjoyed it very much, I only wish I had found that trail today. I saw several grouses [unintelligible] y a number of new flowers as I have been walking along I have been comparing the country with Alaska it is very much the same thing at this time of the year. It is getting more pleasant weather for camping out. This morning at 4.30 it was warm enough so I could strip off and take a good rub down before dressing.

7 pm. Just now I heard some elk bugle y I can see 5 across the river with 2 calves. There also is a couple grouse drumming nearby. Jeh, I hate to go back to the highway.”

As noted before, Parsons is in Dubois, Wyoming, waiting out the weather. While there he finds work installing electrical wiring in cabins. It continues to snow on and off over the next thirteen days. Although his journal is blank between May 29 and June 10, his photo albums show that on June 8 he attends a round-up of wild horses. His only images from his time in Dubois are labeled “Roughriding in Dubois.”

Over the previous days, Parsons traveled across Wyoming, from Fort Steele to Dubois. In general, he found it mostly flat and “uninteresting.” In some cases he traveled along existing roads and from time to time was picked up by a passing motorist. On the 28th, he got a ride and covered 65 miles between Lander and Circle. In Lander, Wy, he stops to buy groceries and mentions buying a copy of Outdoor Life magazine, “in which I found a brief description y a few pictures of my last year’s trip.” If you are reading this, and happen to have a copy of the April or May 1924 issue of Outdoor Life magazine, we’d love to see Parsons article!

“This has been my longest days travel because I rode abt 65 miles. At first, it was raining quite hard last night y my fly was leaking some too, but I managed to keep my bedding dry anyway. The snow was way done in the hills this a.m. y it was [illegible] a little of and to after. I got on my road, then after a few miles I got a ride with a fellow from Lander all the way to Circle, it was through a rather uninteresting section of the country except perhaps a little along the Little Wind River. Then from Circle I started walking up to Dubois but after a couple miles it started hailing and raining which gradually turned to heavy snow. I put my tent over my back and kept on, but finally I almost had made up my mind to try to find an empty shack at one of the ranches but by this time a couple fellows overtook me in a car y gave me a lift. The car was skidding y sliding all over the road y one man had to keep wiping the windshield continually but we finally got into town.

Here I tried to find an empty cabin, but finally took a room at a hotel, also I had made up my mind to try to find a job y stay over until the weather to better. I finally got an offer of some work from one of the storekeepers who is also a rancher owner y banker.”

Over the past couple of days Parsons has made his way out of Colorado and into Wyoming. Between the 19th and the 21st, he hikes across the Medicine Bow mountains. On the 20th he notes, “Well, Saturday night I camped at the head of the Fall River, which drains into the Mississippi, last night I camped at the head of the Colorado River y tonight at the head of the Michigan Creek who runs into the Platte y then on to the Mississippi, so I actually crossed the divide twice although I have been going west the last 2 days.” By the 20th he’s out of the mountains and deep into the Platte River valley, “rather boring sagebrush country, nothing much of interest.”

On the 22nd he wrote “I hiked all the 20 miles to Saratoga today, arrived there at 12. There I bought a few supplies and struck out again, the road followed the Platte River which flows north y as I was looking on the river I said to my self, why not tie a raft together y travel by water for a ways. So I went down along the riverbank looking for some logs y collected some fence wire from an old fence.” The next day he floats the North Platt River almost all the way to Fort Steel, Wyoming, roughly 40 miles. The next morning he watches antelope from camp before hitting the trail again.

It was not uncommon for Parsons to build a watercraft on the fly and make use of it. Sadly, his collection does not contain a photograph of the raft he built and floated on the Platte River.

Look for a future post that explores his fascination with watercraft and showcases several of the boats he built over the years.

“Sun 5/18 I had a good sleep last night y the morning was bright y clear. I was up at 4 am y on the way at 4.45. I was on the summit of Fall River Pass (11797 ft alt) at 6 am. It was very windy up there y cold, then I had several miles above timberline then down to a lower pass, part of this way the road was along very steep side hills y as the road was [unintelligible] I had some rather difficult [unintelligible] to get over. From the last pass I went right down (where there was supposed to be a trail under the snow) to one of the small tributaries of the Colorado River, here I found a ranch y tourist camp where they told me I could cross the next range by gong up the creek to where there was a large irrigation ditch that crossed a low pass, then follows the ditch up to a camp y from there it was a trail across the pass to the northeast.

Well I followed the creek up for aways then had abt. a 1000 ft climb up a steep slope to the ditch through soft snow where I sunk down to my hips sometimes. Then when trying to follow the ditch it was the same thing, so I found a couple of boards that I tied on my feet as snowshoes and got along fairly well y got to the camp at abt. 1200. Here I was treated to dinner y I guess I will get [unintelligible] stay around one of the cabins tonight as here is 2 to 10 ft of snow everywhere around here.”

In the photo above we see Parsons backpack for the first time. Just barely visible are the words “Heading north Mexico to Canada.”

“I was on the way at 6 y got down to the town of Estes Park abt 8. Here I had a 2nd breakfast (although it didn’t amount to much except in price), bought a few groceries as there is 40-50 miles to the next town y 3 high passes to cross.

Well, after that I followed the road up Fall River abt. 13 miles and am camping less than 1000 feet below timberline. I will try to get an early start tomorrow y get as far as possible before the snow gets too soft. The country along Falls River is in the park but it is privately owned along both sides for miles, I expect that later in the summer it would be almost impossible to get a drink of water along there for miles with out trespassing on somebody.”

Parsons doesn’t say much about his time in Denver. He arrives on the morning of the 12th and leaves the following morning. He did, however, take time to visit the Colorado Museum of Natural History and found it very interesting. He laments not having more time to spend exploring the museum. On the 13th he takes the streetcar out to Golden and from there hikes back into the hills.

May 14, 1924. “Today it has been mostly ups y down the whole on easy slopes through as I have been following the road the whole day. At first I was heading for Central City, a large mining camp, but afterwards I found out that I could get to Rollinsville and towns to the north without going to Central City, so I tok [sic] a short cut over to Rollingsville and am camping about 1/2 mile north of there tonight.

There is an other town a few miles north of here where I can bye supplies before I get to the Park. This is a great mining section (or has been) there is mines on the hillsides in all directions. There is a lot of snow around here and up around the last saddle I crossed it was 2-3 fet. deep all over in the timber with potholes in the open also. This is above 9000 ft. alt. I expect the park will be mostly under snow. “

Although his journal doesn’t note it, the notation on the list contained within his negative collection does. The notation for image #71 states “5/14 the Continental Divide.” Cross-referencing a rough estimate of his route has him crossing over the Divide at some point on May 14, 1924.

1. 

   Love it! Especially your statement “ the sanctity of the great outdoors and protected natural spaces has never been more…

2. 

   Where in Kansas?

3. 

   I turn 80 in June, but enjoyed about 30 years of Mazama activities starting when I was 40! They gave…

4. 

   I’ve been on several outings with Flora and her energy and attitude are awesome. She was great to be around.…

5. 

   What is not mentioned here is that Flora knows more about ice hockey and is a bigger fan than any…

“I was on the trail at 6 in about an hour the strong cold wind started blowing again, as I had my sleeves cut off my arms y wrists got very cold so I pulled my “extra’ pair of socks on my arms. I passed the little town of Jefferson, then I crossed the a divide over into the head of the N. fork of the S. Platte River. after hiking down along this for a couple miles I got a ride with a fellow who was going all the way to Denver, but after a few miles we got down into a nice y interesting canon that i like to examine little closer y perhaps take some pictures, so I got off on the excuse that it was too cold to ride then I hiked the rest of the way past a couple more little town y several summer camps y [unintelligible] down to the town of Bailey where I got me a can of P y Bs [pork and beans] y some R.O. Than I intended only to hike a couple of mils, y then find a nice camping place where it would not be so cold. But again I was offered a ride so I rode about 4 miles y that was all uphill to, after that I tried to find a good campsite but was not very successful. It was impossible to get any good view today as it was been snowing in the mountains the whole day y tonight it is snowing here too days. I took a room in a hotel as the public camps are a long ways from the City.”

“Thursday 5/8 I had a good sleep last night, but this morning soon after I got on the way I had to face this strong Cold northwind y it has been blowing the whole day y is roaring overhead now. I had a rather uninteresting hike as far as “Fairplay,” an old mining y cattle town, which I found out is above 10000 ft. alt. I had noticed patches of snow here y there down in the valley this a.m. so I thought it must be pretty high. There has been considerable gold dredging operations goin on in the river bed at Fairplay. Sometime after lunch I kept on going, the road staying very high up near the lower edge fo the timber (there seems to be only a 1000 to 1500 ft (alt) strip of timber from timberline down to the open plains y valleys) to the town of Como where I bought a few groceries then after about 2 miles more I spyed [sic.] a thick willow patch a short distance from the road, which looked like it might give some shelter so I went over there y found a fairly good place although the ground is wet y there is several patches of snow nearby.

It has been snowing off y to up in the mountains the whole day y getting worse tonight y every once in a while I get some of it here too. I managed to get some spruce boughs for my bed y I have lots of dead willows for fuel so I guess I will make it pretty good.”

---

A note on the narrative. For the most part, what you see here is a direct transcription of what Parsons wrote in his journal. Any editorial additions or clarifications are in [brackets]. His spelling errors and grammar are at odds, as we’ll see in the coming months, with his wide-ranging interests and intellect. His use of the letter “y” in place of “and” or “&” shows a familiarity with Spanish, not surprising given his travels in the Southwestern United States.