12 August 1913 – North Bend – Half way house

Arose 7A.M. Tom and myself left the Bend on Spot and Billie about 8 A.M. We rode along easily during the morning and Tommy was again satisfied in getting out in what he called God’s Country. When we struck the Grail we got off and walked and let the horses walk along alone in front of us. They kept far in front of us and soon we saw them no more until we walked clear to the Half Way House and Jean McNamara stopped them and tied them up. We had lunch and went soon on towards Taylors. Our kind friend Vetter gave us a chunk of bacon . Everything went along nicely. I took a picture of Tommy and horse at the Ladder where he had a close shave before and where many horses have been lost. Then, just when we were getting over the worse part of the trail at the mouth of Taylor River Tommys horse Spot got his right hind leg caught in between two rocks.  We could not force him back or pull his foot out and the more he tried to get out the worse it got. Then Tom decided to run back to the halfway house and get some help and a gun in case he should have to shoot him.

11 August 1913 – North Bend

Arose 5 A.M. breakfast. We packed up put valuables and blankets on Vetters horse and left cooking utensils for Hubbard to pack in Tuesday. We hiked to Bend after leaving 7:10 to 12 noon. We met Tom Perry 8 miles down trail leading Tom J. horse. He was enthusiastic over the beautiful woods, primevial forest and called it God’s Country, and cursed the day and sultry streets of the city. He wanted me to – but —– came back to the Bend where we loafed around the rest of the day.  He and myself planned to leave tomorrow and go back by the trail to Hot springs and come back in three days called folks up who are going to Far Away. $15.75 to the good get.

10 August 1913 – Half way house

Joe Johnson left about 9 o’clock riding one of the horses which belonged to people who stayed here all night. Gay, Stew and myself are the only ones left here of the bunch and things are quiet. We have a lot of grub and want to sell it or give it to packers for being packed in. John Dary has only horse up here and we are left in a stew as to how to get back, anyway tomorrow, because things are too dead up here. I wanted to go up to hot springs but its too late now and Stewart doesn’t care to go up. There are hot mineral baths and drinking water. Some old jake here says, there’s no use comin’ up here, without goin’ up to the hot springs. Nearly 50 people are up there at present. Stewart and I climbed the hill in front of half way house and I took 4 pictures up there. We afterwards went swimming in river. Made arrangements to pack in to North Bend.

9 August 1913 – Half way house

The crazy Isaquah bunch left about 9:30 and left us to recover from our 2 days hearty laugh. The kids had a fierce time catching Tom’s horse. The nutty John Dary would chase around like a chicken with its head cut off which would make the others unmanageable. Tom left about noon. Joe and Gay came back from a hard walk. They did not get to the top but damn near it. No water kept the renowned mountain climbers from reaching the top of the peak. After supper 3 people came Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter and informed most of the pack on their horse fell off about 8 miles back. They lost blankets and food. It’s a wonder one fellow didn’t leave his pants behind along the trail.

8 August 1913 – Half way house

Arose 10 A.M. after breakfast Gay and Joe Johnston left with pack to climb Mt. Garfield. They walk up a little beyond Taylors place and then are supposed to turn strait up hill. In afternoon Tom Jones and myself went fishing up Pratt River. The lower part is fished out. The best way to go fishing is to walk a mile or mile ½ up Pratt trail and cut down E. river. When we came back we heard sorrowful mews and like death mews from Tom. His father had sent word for him to come home immediately to go to work. For such a fine, good natured fellow as Tom to go to work seemed like the world was coming to an end.

7 August 1913 – Half way house

Harvey left this morning riding a pack saddle with pack train.  Tom Perry after he and the others had chased around field for a couple of hours caught John Dary and he too went for home.  Gay, Stew and myself took a trolly ride across the river at Wells place. I met Mr. Wells. He was with Harold Hartman and Engineer Thompson, practically all the property on both sides of the river up to Government reserve starts at mouth of Pratt river. Tom Perry came back after finding John his horse was lame. Later he and Stewart left on other horses for the Bend late in afternoon. We sat around by fire in front of house and laughed at the crazy antics of the fellows from Issaquah. One that was the funniest was called Soapy. They named him Soapy because in running his confectionary store he always was getting schemes to get the nickels from the kids. His name is Armand Lake or something like that and he knows Charlie Robinson and Tom Grisscol very well –

Bed 11:30

6 August 1913 – Easton – Rockdale – Pratt River – Half way house

We dressed 6 A.M. Had breakfast. Sent a postal card to Tom Jones to prove we got over the pass. The train leaves Easton 7:30 and was a few minutes early. To see Tom with a pack on his back and a gun in his hand and me with packages hanging all around me was a sight worth seeing. We left Rockdale at 8:35 for a 15 ½ mile hike back over trail. We got to the pass at 12 noon. Had some lunch, passed the outlet at 12:45 and arrived at Half Way house at 4:45 P.M. The view is certainly magnificent way up near the pass. The lakes are worth hiking to see. The kids were here and 4 other fellows from Issaquah. Tom Jones, Joe Johnson and Gay the day before went up to Hot Springs and had a bath and got back the next day. The whole gang played cards in the evening, Mr. Padden father of Howard Padden told me some of his experiences out here with Indians in the sixties and seventies. He was once one of the best walkers in King County.

Milwaukee Railroad near Easton 1923 from the Washington State Historical Society.

5 August 1913 – South Fork Trail – Rockdale – Laconia – Easton

We arose 7 A.M. Had breakfast and were on the way by 8 o’clock. We continued on trail around the lake and the climbing was steeper then ever. Nearly two miles of this exhausting scrambling brings you at the highest point on trail, at Pratt Lake Pass. We figured the elevation was about 4500 ft. The air was much lighter and water boiled faster. Just over the other side of this pass there is another pretty lake, similar to the former one, that lays in the V-shaped sides of two mountains. I took two pictures of the lakes. The trail now winds around down the side of the mountain about 20% grade. We continually pass little streams like cascades, with cold snow melted water. As you go around the south side of the hill, you can see the Milwaukee railroad trades. The trail keeps falling until it comes out on the South Fork of the Snoqualmie River and on the opposite side the Snoqualmie pass road follows the river. We walked a mile east on the road and then we followed a track to where Rockdale is. There are a few railway shacks where they are building a tunnel. We hiked up the track five miles to Laconia, the summit of the railroad. We were here about 3:00 P.M. and laid around to 6 when a freight came along. We piled in the end of the box car filled with lumber. After we started I found there were 3 other bums down in the dark. They asked us were we were and told them.  They got off at Meadow Creek at Lake Keechelas. One of the brakemen saw us and asked us where we were going. We told him Easton. He said we had to come across or get out. I told him we had already come across to one of the others.  He said he would find out. We got to Easton about 7 P.M. went to Ashley Hotel. Then got something good to eat in a restaurant built in a shack. Most of the town had burnt up a while before. We went to bed about 10 P.M.

4 August 1913 – Halfway House – Pratt River – South Fork

Arose 8:00. Gay had breakfast already cooked. Tom Taylor —- of Bill Taylor came along on his beat and told us a few of his experiences of cougar hunting. His traping cabin was at the nine mile mark on Pratt river and back up the hill to the left 2 miles. This place is not so far from Chair Peak. Later Bill Minser(n) came rambling along to ours and his surprise. At 2 P.M. after lunch Tom Perry and I packed up some blankets and grub and beat it up Pratt river trail. We were at Pratt river fork 4 P.M. The trail from the Half Way House to the fork winds along the Valley a ways above Pratt River. After crossing the fork, one starts climbing strait up the mountain to the right, switching back and forth. After a 1.9 mile walk up the trail you suddenly come to Pratt Lake Outlet and the pretty lake is back from the outlet. We arrived here at 6 P.M. had some bacon and bread for supper and gathered some ferns for our bed. We talked and admired the scenery. Tom was talking about what the other fellows were missing. We hit up a few tunes to scare the Cougars away but we had our trusty 30.30 and six shooter near us. Bed. 10 P.M.

Related links: Washington Trails Association – post from hiker in 2008 on Middle Fork trail, mentions Taylor River Ranger Station, Pratt River Trail and Halfway House cabin. Information on Chair Peak.

3 August 1913 – Half way house

Arose 8:30. Tom had most of breakfast cooked. About 10 A.M. Stew, Tom, Harvey, Joe, and myself crossed the river and walked upstream. Vetter had already left early in the morning for Snoqualmie Lake. We walked 4 1/2 miles on trail until we came to Taylor river 1/2 mile above its mouth. We fished down to the middle fork and caught fine trout about seven or eight inches long. The best so far. We crossed the river a ways up. The water was up to our knees and got on the main trail on the S.E. side of the middle fork and walked back to camp at 5 P.M. Gay and Tom had already been back for a couple of hours. They walked about 9 miles up Pratt river trail, stayed overnight and Gay the next morning caught about 80 trout in 1/2 mile distance down the creek but not as large as the ones we caught on Taylor river. Tom Perry, the renowned Progressive, gave us some of his famous speeches and stories. Bed 10 P.M.