Early Days in the Forest Service Volume 4

EARLY SNOW IN THE BITTERROOTS
By Ray S. Ferguson

This is not exactly a tale of the olden days, but is an experience that many of us had during the early snow in 1942.

It started to snow on October 27, 1942 and continued until we had 36" at the State Line Checking Station, about 24" at the Powell Ranger Station and varying depths on the high roads, i.e., the Lolo Motor Way along the Lolo Trail, the Elk Summit Road, Beaver Ridge Road and the Tom Beall Road. And too, we had parties on the Brushy Fork hunting under Skookum Butte and at the end of the Crooked Fork Road hunting in the forks of the creek. However, these parties all checked out early during the storm and did not have to be plowed out.

At this time we had well over 300 hunters in the woods. Just about every part of the District that you could drive a truck or drag a pack animal. There were two commercial pack outfits in the Elk Summit area, a short string at Tom Beall Park, a string at Beaver Ridge and a string at Jerry Johnson Lookout packing into the Mocus Point area. From the Clearwater side there were several outfits with a horse or two heading into the Horseshoe Lake country.

Camps were strung along the roads and many had been packed into the backcountry. Then too, a number of hunters had come in with one or two head on trucks to pack out their own game.

The snowstorm was unexpected and piled in with considerable fury for about a day and a half. Very likely, much as it was with the Carlin party in the 1890's. The depth of the snow was appalling along the high country roads. But the thing that gave us our real trouble were the drifts. We had considerable wind in the high country following the snow and the drifts in many cases were around 10 feet and parts of the Tom Beall Park area reached up to 20 feet.

We had some equipment at Powell Ranger Station and immediately started all of it to work. The grader headed for the State line and on to Lolo Hot Springs, as this was the road we had to keep open for outside help and to furnish egress for those who were leaving early. Since the bulk of our hunters were along the Elk Summit Road and beyond we started the dozer up that way to plow them out. It is impossible at this time to name many of the parties.

Supervisor Eldon Myrick in Missoula was contacted and clued in on our situation and he had machinery and operators headed for us the same day. In fact, they were pulling in all night. As soon as they were unloaded and the men fed, 'operation snowplow' got under the way during the night.

When a hunting party entered the District through the Checking Station, we recorded their destination, who they were, and duration of stay. The party was checked out as they left. Parties new to the Powell area often didn't know where to go but we at least had the road they would be on. Later, patrols by me and my assistants and the State Game Warden pinpointed their camps.

By November 2, we had every one out or on plowed roads so they could get out except a party of 6. This party was Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Scoles, Coeur d'Alene, Laddie and Roberta Noland, Kellogg and Manie and Evelyn Arnold from near Coeur d'Alene. They had been fishing and hunting every year in the Powell area and were experienced woodsmen. They had signed in as headed for the Chain Meadows area under McConnel Mt. They had not shown up by November 3, so Frank Bustard, my assistant, and I took off that morning with a short string for Jerry Johnson Cabin. We had grub, emergency equipment and six extra pair of webs. We left our string at the Jerry Johnson cabin and took off up Warm Springs Creek with our saddle stock and the webs. The snow was melting and we got to within two miles of where the Tom Beall Trail crossed Warm Springs Creek and we met the party. They were headed out and were carrying as much of their duffel as they were able to.

During the storm the party had moved back down to Warm Springs Creek and, being acquainted with the country, decided their best bet would be to go down Warm Springs Creek. Frank and I went back to their camp with them and got as much of their camp as possible and hung the balance in trees. We didn't have to use the webs. We got back to Jerry Johnson Cabin that night. We made Powell Ranger Station the next day. On our way to Powell we met several parties who were hunting along the river (and elk were thick) and they told me about my youngest son who was born that day in Missoula. One even said I had a four pointer.

Ironically, I received the only injury chargeable to Operation Rescue. While packing up at Jerry Johnson Cabin during a sleet storm, I threw an icy pack on an icy saddle. The mule leaned away as the pack hit him and it cascaded down into my stomach, breaking a blood vessel, causing a traumatic ulcer, eventually. My youngest son was born on November 4th. On November 5th I drove to Missoula to report our progress to Supervisor Myrick and while reporting I hemorrhaged orally and passed out. By the afternoon of November 5th, I was in St. Pats Hospital with my new son.

There were many high lights of hardship and fun during the opening of the roads. The hunters were helpful and cooperative. One hunter from Wallace volunteered his services on the dozer and worked day and night as long as needed. I truly believe these machine men were the most dedicated men I have ever known. Truly they did a stellar job with knowledge and dispatch. They were wonderful. Overtime was not even a word in those days. They just worked as long as there was ajob to do.

JUNCTION MOUNTAIN LOOKOUT Clearwater National Forest from 1924 photo