The Clearwater Story: A History of the Clearwater National Forest

In the early days of the Forest Service, until about 1930, there were few trails. Even when there were trails, horse feed was scarce so most travel was by foot. It was only natural that, with all the hiking that took place, some fast and long-distance walkers would be developed. Hikes of 30 miles in one day over the mountain trails were not unusual and occasionally someone would beat that by ten miles.

There are three hikes that have become something of a legend in the Clearwater country. These factual stories illustrate the way men of the Clearwater worked and lived at that time.

Henry Knight's Hike. Henry Knight was raised at Pierce, Idaho. He grew up in that locality and became an expert woodsman and powerful hiker. He started working for the Forest Service in 1912.

In 1915 Knight was stationed on Mallard Peak when he received a message at about 3 p.m. that his stepfather had been accidently killed. He sent a message to Pierce to have someone meet him with a horse on the trail between Headquarters and Deadhorse the next day. He then took off afoot. He didn't take as much as a lunch with him. He walked to the North Fork via the Nub. A party surveying a trail down the river rowed him across the North Fork in a boat. He then climbed to Sheep Mountain and from there to Deadhorse and from there took the trail towards Headquarters. He met Ed Gaffney at Walker's cabin near Dull Axe early in the morning. They ate breakfast there. This was the only food he had during the entire trip.

This hike was over rough country. The drop from the Nub and the climb to Sheep Mountain is a loss and gain of about 5000 feet. In this stretch there was no trail. Also the greater part of the hike was during the night and without a light. The distance traveled was 36 miles and he made it in about 15 hours. This was a remarkable feat of endurance and workmanship. Even among the good hikers of that day it was considered almost unbelievable.

Henry Thompson's Hike. Henry Thompson worked out of Pierce in cruising parties and on fire suppression work. He had followed this type of work, which required much hiking, for a number of years. He was about 45 years old.

During the summer of 1920 Henry was stationed at Boehls cabin and when the fire season ended he started to hike to Pierce. He left Boehl's cabin early in the morning and arrived at Headquarters for supper. After supper another man who had not made the hike from Boehl's Cabin suggested they go to Pierce, so Henry walked with him to Pierce.

The total distance was 47 miles, but he did ride a mule for about three miles when Ike Dunlap overtook him with a pack string. The peculiar thing about this long hike is that it was made as a regular course of events. There was no compelling reason why Henry had to make the whole trip in one day, nor did he set out to make a name for himself. If fact, when he started out he had no intention of going the whole distance.

My Own Hike. I will relate the story of one of my own hikes that became somewhat famous. This fame was partly earned and partly overrated. How well earned you may judge.

I was raised on a ranch and started hiking early by walking one and a quarter miles to school and back each school day. Then I became a smokechaser in 1919 and a cruiser in 1920. In 1924 I was cruising and mapping on the Lochsa District and had been hiking all summer.

In September I arrived at the Boulder Creek Ranger Station with my crew. We were through for the summer and planned to go to Pete King the next day. From there I planned to go to Moscow to college. I had barely time to make connections.

It was about the middle of September. Everyone had considered the fire season closed. Ranger Hand was getting ready to close the station for the winter. That evening Ranger Hand received a telephone call from the Supervisor's Office that a Lolo packer had gone to Grave Peak and reported a fire southeast of McConnell Mountain. It was suggested that Hand and I suppress the fire. Hand, knowing my college plans, reluctantly did this. I consented, but stated that we were going to have to travel fast.

We left Boulder Creek the next morning with fire packs on our backs and arrived at Fish Lake in the early evening. A fire pack in those days weighed 35 pounds. I would have gone on, but Hand could go no further. I walked down to the lake and caught a mess of fish and looked at the moose. Distance traveled was 20 miles.

The next day we went to McConnell Mountain where we got a location on the fire. It was across a branch of the West Moose that heads in Chain Meadows. We went on to the fire, built a fireline around it and felled all the snags. It was not out, but it was nearly so and the skies showed signs of an approaching storm. We headed back to McConnell Mountain arriving after dark. I went to the spring for water, another mile, while Hand cooked supper. Distance traveled was about 23 miles with packs, 13 of this without a trail.

The next morning I left my pack and headed for Boulder Creek. Hand decided to make the trip in two days. It soon began to rain and then it turned to snow. I had no coat so I stopped at Fish Lake cabin and made a poncho by slitting a seam in a manta I found there. I arrived at Boulder thoroughly soaked and spent the remainder of the day drying out my clothes. Distance hiked 27 miles.

The next day I left Boulder Ranger Station, carrying my 20 pound duffle, and arrived at Pete King at 2:30 P.M. The trail at that time went over McLendon and Middle Buttes and back to the river at the mouth of Deadman Creek. When I arrived at Pete King, John (Cap) Rice looked at me in surprise. He asked "Where did you come from?" I said "Boulder Creek Ranger Station", but he wouldn't believe me so he went to the phone and called Boulder and asked what time I had left there. The reply was "about 8 o'clock". Cap cried "Holy Smoke! He's here now!"

Actually, I left Boulder Creek at 7 A.M. and walked the 31 miles to Pete King in seven and a half hours, but according to Cap's figures, I made it in six and a half hours. I tried to put him straight, but he stuck to his figures and told the story to all would-be hikers in that locality.

Now these are not the only long hikes taken, probably not even the longest, but they are the ones that I know about and can confirm.