An Arduous Journey to the Ranch
A difficult canoe trip up the Snohomish River turns into an overland slog through downed timber.
Mr. A. Jameson, of this city, accompanied by Mr. James Hughes, left on Tuesday by canoe for the purpose of visiting and making building improvements at his ranch, situated about six miles southeast of here. Aside from the labor incident to poling a boat six miles against the current of the Snohomish, which at the present stage of water is no small task, the journey was made without accident. Owing to the heavy windfalls occasioned by the storms of a previous season, they found it somewhat difficult to find the exact locality of the claim, but by perseverance and a good compass at length succeeded. Mr. Jameson states that the overland trip is not at all enjoyable, the timber being piled up in places twenty feet high, over and under which he had to climb and crawl. He recommends others who go in that direction to take to the river.
“the timber being piled up in places twenty feet high, over and under which he had to climb and crawl.”
Travel to remote 'ranches' or homesteads in 1876 meant literally hacking through the debris left by PNW windstorms, a stark contrast to modern trail access and GPS navigation in the Snohomish River valley.
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