Copied from Journal of a Trapper, by Osborne Russell. Some slight editing for legibility.

1840-1841

On the 22d of June [1840], I started with two horses six traps and some few books intending to hunt on the waters of Snake river in the vicinity of Fort Hall. I went to Grays hole set my traps and staid 5 days. From there I went on to Milk fork where I staid until the 15 of July. From thence I took a north direction thro the Mountains and fell on to a stream running into Lewis Fork near the mouth of Salt River where I staid 12 days and then returned to Grays Marsh and staid until the 3d of August.

I then travelled thro. the mountains SE on to the head streams of Gardners fork where I spent the time hunting the small branches until the 15th – From there I started towards the Fort hunting the streams which were on the route and arrived on the 22d – After stopping here a few days I started in Company with 3 trappers one of whom was `Major Meek’ and travelled to the forks of Snake river From there we ascended Henry’s fork about 15 Mls and then took up a stream in a SW direction into the Mountain but finding no Beaver we crossed the mountain and struck Lewis fork in the kanyon where after trapping some days we went on to Grays creek where after staying some days we killed a fat Grizzly Bear and some antelope loaded the meat on our horses and started to the Fort where we arrived on the 22 of Septr.

On the first of Octr. I again left the Fort with a Frenchman who had an Indian wife and two children and was going on to Green river to pass the winter there. We travelled up Portneuf about 15 Mls where we stopped the next day and hunted antelope and the day following we travelled up the stream about 20 Mls when after staying 10 dys we went to the Soda Springs on Bear river here we concluded to spend a month on Bar river travelling slowly hunting Beaver and Antelope as the latter is the only game in this part of the country. Beaver also were getting very scarce.

On the 15th of Novr. the snow began to fall and my comrade started with his family accross the mountain to Green river and I returned towards the fort. On my way down bear river I met thousands of antelope travelling towards their winter quarters which is generally in Green river Valley.

I followed Bear River down to Cache Valley where I found 20 lodges of Snake Indians and staid with them several days. They had a considerable number of Beaver Skins but I had nothing to trade for them. They told me if I would go to the Fort and get some goods return and spend the winter with them they would trade their Furs with me. I started for the Fort with one of them whom I engaged to assist me with my horses.

I arrived at the Fort on the 23rd of Novr. when after getting such articles for trade as I wished and my personal supplies for the winter I returned to Cache Valley accompanied by a halfbreed.

On arriving at the Village I found several Frenchmen and half breed trappers encamped with the Snakes. One Frenchman having an Indian wife and child invited me to pass the winter in his lodge and as he had a small family and large lodge, I accepted the invitation. And had my baggage taken into his lodge and neatly arranged by his wife who was a flathead but the neat manner in which her lodge and furniture was kept would have done honor to a large portion of the “pale faced” fair sex in the civilized world.

We staid in this valley until the 15th of Decr. when it was unanimously agreed on to go to the Salt lake and there spend the remainder of the winter. The next day we travelled accross the Valley in a SW direction Then took into a narrow defile which led us thro. the mountain in to the valley on the East borders of the lake. The day following we moved along the Valley in a South direction and encamped on a small branch close by the foot of the mountain. The ground was still bare and the Autumnal growth of grass was the best I ever saw at this season of the year

18th [Dec]. I arose about an hour before daylight took my rifle and ascended the Mountain on foot to hunt sheep. The weather was clear and cold but the Mountain being steep and tugged and my rifle heavy the exercise Soon put me in a perspiration. After Climbing about half a mile I sat down on a rock to wait for daylight and when it came I discovered a band of about 100 rams within about 80 yds of me I shot and killed one the others ran about 50 yds further and stopped. Whilst I was reloading my rifle one of them ascended a high pinnacle of rock which jutted over a precipice there were others nearer to me, but I wished to fetch this proud animal from his elevated position. I brought my rifle to my face the [ball] whistled thro. his heart and he fell headlong over the precipice I followed the band at some distance among the crags and killed two more butched them then returned and butchered the two I had first killed and returned to camp – and sent some men with horses to get the Meat.

20th Decr. we moved along the borders of the Lake about 10 Mls. and encamped on a considerable stream running into it called “Weaver’s river”. At this place the Valley is about 10 Mls wide intersected with numerous Springs of salt and fresh hot and cold water which rise at the foot of the Mountain and run thro. the Valley into the river and Lake – Weavers river is well timbered along its banks principally with Cottonwood and box elder – there are also large groves of sugar maple pine and some oak growing in the ravines about the Mountain – We also found large numbers of Elk which had left the Mountain to winter among the thickets of wood and brush along the river.

Decr. 25th It was agreed on by the party to prepare a Christmas dinner but I shall first endeavor to describe the party and then the dinner. I have already said the man who was the proprietor of the lodge in which I staid was a French man with a flat head wife and one child. The inmates of the next lodge was a half breed Iowa, a Nez percey wife and two children. His wifes brother and another half breed next lodge was a half breed Cree his wife a Nez percey 2 children and a Snake Indian. The inmates of the 3d lodge was a half breed Snake his wife (a Nez percey and two children). The remainder was 15 lodges of Snake Indians. Three of the party spoke English but very broken therefore that language was made but little use of as I was familiar with the Canadian French and Indian tongue.

About 1 oclk we sat down to dinner in the lodge where I staid which was the most spacious being about 36 ft. in circumference at the base with a fire built in the center around this sat on clean Epishemores all who claimed kin to the white man (or to use their own expression all that were gens d’esprit) with their legs crossed in true Turkish style – and now for the dinner.

The first dish that came on was a large tin pan 18 inches in diameter rounding full of Stewed Elk meat. The next dish was similar to the first heaped up with boiled Deer meat (or as the whites would call it Venison a term not used in the Mountains) The 3d and 4th dishes were equal in size to the first containing a boiled flour pudding prepared with dried fruit accompanied by 4 quarts of sauce made of the juice of sour berries and sugar. Then came the cakes followed by about six gallons of strong Coffee already sweetened with tin cups and pans to drink out of large chips or pieces of Bark Supplying the places of plates. On being ready the butcher knives were drawn and the eating commenced at the word given by the landlady as all dinners are accompanied with conversation this was not deficient in that respect.

The principal topic which was discussed was the political affairs of the Rocky Mountains The state of governments among the different tribes, the personal characters of the most distinguished warriors Chiefs etc. One remarked that the Snake Chief Pah da-hewak um da was becoming very unpopular and it was the opinion of the Snakes in general that Moh woom hah, his brother, would be at the head of affairs before 12 mos as his village already amounted to more than 300 lodges and moreover he was supported by the bravest men in the Nation among whom were Ink a tush e poh, Fibe bo un to wat su, and Who sha kik, who were the pillars of the Nation and at whose names the Blackfeet quaked with fear. In like manner were the characters of the principal Chiefs of the Bonnak Nez percey Flathead and Crow Nations and the policy of their respective governments commented upon by these descendants of Shem and Japhet with as much affected dignity as if they could have read their own names when written or distinguish the letter B from a Bulls foot.

Dinner being over the tobacco pipes were filled and lighted while the Squaws and children cleared away the remains of the feast to one side of the lodge where they held a Sociable tite a tite over the fragments. After the pipes were extinguished all agreed to have a frolic shooting at a mark which occupied the remainder of the day.

Jany. 1st [1841] The ground was still bare but the weather cold and the fresh water streams shut up with ice. On the 3d we moved Camp up the stream to the foot of the mountain where the stream forks. The right is called Weavers fork and the left Ogden’s both coming thro. the mountain in a deep narrow cu.t The mountain is very high steep and rugged which rises abruptly from the plain about the foot of it are small rolling hills abounding with springs of fresh water. The land bordering on the river and along the Stream is a rich black alluvial deposite but the high land is gravelly and covered with wild sage with here and there a grove of scubby oaks and red cedars.

On the 10th I started to hunt Elk by myself intending to stop out 2 or 3 nights I travelled up Weavers fork in a SE direction thro the mountains The route was very difficult and in many places difficult travelling over high points of rocks and around huge precipices on a trail just wide enough for a single horse to walk in, in about 10 Mls I came into a smooth plain 5 or 6 Mls in circumference just as the Sun was setting here I stopped for the night the snow being about 5 inches deep and the weather cold I made a large fire –

As I had not Killed any game during the day I had no supper at night, but I had a blanket horse to ride and a good rifle with a plenty of Amunition. I was not in much danger of Suffering by hunger cold or fatigue. So I wrapped myself in my blanket and laid down on some dry grass I had collected before the fire. About an hour after dark it clouded up and began to snow but as I was under some large trees it did not trouble me much and I soon fell asleep at daylight it was still snowing very fast and had [?] about 8 inches during the night – I saddled my horse and started in a North direction over high rolling hills covered with Scrubby oaks quaking asp and maples for about 10 Mls where I came into a smooth valley about 20 Mls in circumference called “Ogdens hole” with the fork of the same name running thro. it.

Here the snow was about 15 inches deep on a level. Towards night the weather cleared up and I discovered a band of about 100 Elk on the hill among the Shrubbery. I approached and killed a very fat old doe which I butcherd and packed the meat and skin on my horse to an open spring about a quarter of a mile distant where I found plenty of dry wood and stopped for the night. I had now a good appetite for supper which after eating I scraped away the Snow on one side of the fire spread down the raw Elk hide and laid down covering myself with my blanket. In the morning when I awoke it was still snowing and after eating breakfast I packed the Meat on my horse and started on foot leading him by the bridle.

Knowing it was impossible to follow down this Stream with a horse to the plains I kept along the foot of the Mountain in a Nth. direction for about 2 Mls then turning to the left into a steep ravine began to ascend winding my way up thro. the snow which grew deeper as I ascended. I reached the Summit in about 3 hours, in many places I was obliged to break a trail for my horse to walk in.

I descended the mountain West to the plains with comparative ease and reached the Camp about dark. On arriving at the lodge I entered and sat down before a large blazing fire. My landlady soon unloaded my horse and turned him loose and then prepared supper with a good dish of Coffee whilst I as a matter of course related the particulars of the hunt.

We staid at this place during the remainder of January. The weather was very cold and the snow about 12 inches deep but I passed the time very agreeably hunting Elk among the timber in fair weather and amusing myself with books in foul.

The 3d day of Feby. I took a trip up the mountain to hunt Sheep I ascended a spur with my horse sometimes riding and then walking until near the top where I found a level bench where the wind had blown the snow off. I fastened my horse with a long cord and took along the side of the mountain among the broken crags to see what the chance was for supper, just as the sun was sinking below the dark green waters of the Salt Lake.

I had not rambled far before I discovered 3 rams about 300 ft perpendicular below me I shot and killed one of them but it being so late and the precipice so bad I concluded to sleep without supper rather than to go after it I returned to my horse and built a large fire with fragments of dry sugar maple which I found scattered about on the Mountain, having for a shelter from the wind a huge piece of Coarse Sandstone of which the mountain was composed. The air was calm serene and cold and the stars shone with an uncommon brightness.

After sleeping till about Midnight I arose and renewed the fire. My horse was continually walking backwards and forwards to keep from freezing I was upwards of 6,000 ft above the level of the lake, below me was a dark abyss silent as the night of Death.

I set and smoked my pipe for about an hour and then laid down and slept until near daylight – My Chief object in Sleeping at this place was to take a view of the lake when the Sun arose in the Morning. This range of mountains lies nearly Nth & South and approaches the Lake irregularly within from 3 to 10 Mls.

About 8 Mls from the SE shore stands an Island about 25 Mls long and six wide having the appearance of a low Mountain extending Nth & South and rising 3 or 400 ft Above the water.

To the Nth [W] of this about 8 Mls. rises another Island apparently half the size of the first. Nth of these about six Mls. and about half way between rises another about 6 Mls. in circumference which appears to be a mass of basaltic rock with a few scrubby Cedars Standing about in the Cliffs.

The others appear to be clothed with grass and wild Sage but no wood except a few bushes near to the western horizon arose a small white peak just appearing above the water. which I supposed to be the mountain near the west Shore.

On the Nth. side a high Promontory about Six Mls wide and 10 long projects into the lake covered with grass and scattering Cedars On the South Shore rises a vast pile of huge rough mountains; which I could faintly discern thro. the dense blue atmosphere. The water of the lake is too much impregnated with Salt to freeze any even about the shores.