NRC Expeditions: First Expedition
The Novasola Territory Exploratory
Expeditions, as called for by Vice-president-then-President Theodore Roosevelt,
were always intended to include three overland excursions across the territory
in three consecutive years. The expeditions were approved in 1898 with the
first expedition expected to begin in the spring of 1901, which allotted just
under three years to prepare. Unexpectedly this deadline proved impossible, and
the first expedition was delayed until the following spring.
The preparations needed to
successfully plan an excursion of this scale were countless and complex. Corps
members needed to be hired, equipment and supplies purchased and shipped, route
and transportation sorted, and innumerable minutia dealt with. Virgil Dyer,
leader of the expeditions and the first Corpsman to be hired, was quick to hire
the rest of the Corps and support workers, thinking rightly that the sooner he
had more hands, the more preparatory work he could delegate to them. First Lieutenant
Joseph Mackenzie was hired in 1899 as the supervisor of the Corps’ science
division and helped hire many of the non-military personnel. Richard Reichwald
was hired as the Corps ornithologist early on and helped order and organize
much of the scientific equipment and shipments to Novasola. Seargent Benjamin
Farr, guide, proved useful in route planning. By 1901, most members of the
Corps had assembled in Cape George, though preparations would not be complete
until April of 1902, mere days from the planned departure.
While the expeditions were planned
to take place between the spring and fall, the months between each expedition
were to be just as busy. Most Corpsmen were to use the winters for compiling
their notes and observations from the last trip and for researching,
cataloging, or compiling information for the next expedition. The first
expedition required the most amount of prep work, not only because it would be
the first time most Corpsmen had been to Novasola let alone travel its
wilderness, but also because the first expedition would cover the most ground
and in the least explored areas. Huge amount of time prior to departure was
devoted to route setting, which included consulting maps to find the most
efficient routes for travel and the areas in most need of exploration,
consulting experts and ambassadors about which indigenous tribes were friendly
or where the Corps could expect native resistance, locating places to be used
for check or supply depots, and coordinating with transportation. Most of
coastal Novasola had been well mapped by this time, and even much of the
interior had been explored or settled to some extent, but there were still
significant blank spots on the map, especially in Novasola’s arid center. The
interior prairie was only just starting to face major encroachment by white
settlers, and much of the region was indigenous tribal territory. The NRC would
certainly come into contact with numerous tribes during the voyage, some for
the first time. Like most of the country, Novasola had a complicated but
largely antagonistic relationship with the native peoples, but there were some
tribes that were known to be friendly to whites and the Corps could expect aid
in the form of trading in some areas but could expect raiding and war parties
in others. Of the three expeditions, the first would face the most unknowns and
would be the most focused on mapping new areas and contacting new tribes.
Routes would also have to consider
project goals. There were a number of “areas of interest” that must be
included. For the first expedition, that included finding the headwaters of the
Massalick and Kusasha rivers, which were rumored to be connected and could thus
be used as a navigable cross-island route for future trade. It also included
traveling the Atakatatook river, later renamed the Roosevelt River, which had
yet to be navigated. Eventually an official route was set which would see the
NRC travel first to the Francis Islands, then up the Kusasha River, overland to
the Massalick and down to the north coast, Kosatka Island, then up the
Atakatatook and down the Tayakai rivers and finally exploring the east coast.
This would see the NRC travelling through much of the interior prairie and
eastern range.
The Corps made use of multiple
forms of travel, including a number of boats like canoes, flat-bottomed
steamers, and a large ocean-faring steamship, the SS Newport, and
overland travel either on foot or horseback with horse or mule trains. A small
number of checkpoints were established prior to the expedition’s departure date
to provide places to resupply, including at the mouths of the Massalick and
Tayakai rivers.
The first expedition left from
Cape George on April 8th, 1902. All the Corps members and all of the
supplies needed for the first leg of the journey were loaded onto the SS
Newport and sailed to their first stop, the Francis Islands, where they made
stops on both major islands before then traveling to Fairweather Sound and the
Kusasha River. The Kusasha was a fairly wide, deep river that was already in
use as a navigable route into the interior, often used by prospectors and
ranchers to reach the prairie. The NRC could take three smaller boats up the
river for about 160 kilometers. There they would have to split into two groups,
one would take canoes up river while the other would follow the banks with the
horses. At the headwaters the Corps would then travel along the Paramount front
range north, hauling their canoes with them, until they found the Massalick
river headwaters at which point they would embark in the canoes and travel
downriver until they reached the coast. Where the Massalick feeds into the sea
there was a small port, called Port Chirikov, where the NRC could meet the Newport
and restock. They would then sail to Kosatka Island and on to the Atakatatook
River, up which they would take boats as far as possible before disembarking
and hiking south until they found the Tayakai River. The Tayakai feeds into
Fairweather sound at Koowatah, where the Newport would be waiting with
more supplies to pick up the Corps and ship them north along the east coast
until Culver Bay where the Corps would embark up the Culver River and
eventually find a way north to the coast to be spotted by the Newport
and brought back to Cape George. In the end the Corps would deviate little from
this plan and be finally loaded onto the Newport on November 17th
and back at Cape George on November 21st, 1902.
Below is a map of the first
expedition’s route along with marked notable locations.
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1.
April 9-13
West Francis Island
The NRC’s first stop was on the
northwestern tip of West Francis Island, where they stayed for five days.
During this time the Corps explored much of the island and built a small dock future
boats could use to access the island. This dock is no longer in use but pieces
of it are still visible.
“West Francis Island has proven generous
in its offering of nature in the short time we have already spent. Our second
morning here, I thought it prudent to my duties that I spend the dawn farther
inland, where after my hike through a forest of pine and pseudotsuga and
madrone, I have found myself in a small clearing, a meadow of aster and thistle
and wildflowers of sorts foreign to me still which made for scenic and
comfortable seating. Upon gazing the meadow I found I was not alone; a flock of
some size was busy feeding from the flowers. Goldfinches they were, of brighter
color than I have yet seen them, though many proving their molt in patches. I
watched as they fed, playful in their ways, flitting to and fro, landing atop
thistles and dandelions and asters, which strained to support them, before
tumbling off and flying to the next one.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log,
April 10 1902
2.
April 15-18
Chester Bay, East Francis Island
The NRC next stopped at Chester Bay on the
northwest tip of East Francis Island. Chester Bay at this time was a small
trading post used most often by sailors and native peoples. East Francis was
fairly well-explored by 1902 so the three days spent there were mostly focused
on trade and preparation for the long voyage ahead, though some scientific
contributions were made here, including the realization that the eastern half
of the island shared more species in common with the Fairweather Sound region
than with West Francis Island, despite their closeness.
“We have set camp on the northwestern
shore of East Francis Island. Our goal is to explore East Francis for three
days, based here, before moving on to Fairweather Sound. The country here is
similar to sister West Francis, though steeper and with rougher portage. The
fauna here is likewise similar though Dr. Sloan, who has after one day here
described three beetles unique to the island, would disagree. I have observed a
proper mixture of coastal fowl and songbirds.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition
logs, April 15, 1902
“The country east of the trading post is
significantly more arid, with oaks and madrones shading an understory of
silver-grass and sage. Mount Heceta is much covered with snow, though I have
seen no snow in the lowlands.” – Terrance Bonet, Expedition logs, April 17,
1902
3.
April 24-May 1
Port Susanville, Kusasha River, Mouth
After the Francis Islands, the Corps were
to travel up the Kusasha river as far as it was navigable. This would be the beginning
of a long period of rugged travel that would ultimately last just over two
months. To prepare the NRC stopped at Port Susanville at the mouth of the
river. The Kusasha was used by many people to access the island’s interior, and
saw a significant amount of use as a shipping route. Miners farther inland
would use the Kusasha to ferry supplies and exports. Port Susanville, a small
village at the river’s mouth, served as the major hub for shipping and trade in
the area. Miners and ranchers inland would travel here to trade with farmers and
fishermen along Fairweather Sound. Port Susanville, though small, was situated
in an extremely strategic location and saw nearly as much activity as the port
at Artemis, the future-capital of Novasola farther west.
The Corps stopped at Port Susanville for
eight days, during which time they restocked supplies and interviewed many of
the people there about what to expect upriver and about life in Fairweather Sound.
The area surrounding the port was dominated by agriculture, mostly small farms and
vineyards. Many of the locals here were happy to provide information to the
Corps, and even offer their barns or homes for Corps members to stay in, though
most members set up camp just north of the village along the west bank.
Despite the relative comforts of Port
Susanville, the area around the Kusasha was challenging to explore. As with
much of Fairweather Sound, the soil here was rocky and the terrain steep.
Vegetation was dense chaparral mostly, so dense in some places that moving
through it was near-impossible. After exploring the area for eight days the NRC
departed upriver in three flat-bottomed steamers hauling all their gear and
animals.
“After collecting the writings from all
members of camp and delivering them to the captain’s tent I was free to go
about my business until suppertime. I travelled northeast, along a small,
trickling ephemeral stream flowing down to camp from a shallow ravine. The
country was rocky and thick with brambles, mostly manzanita, sagebrush,
buckwheat, and oaks. Not far from camp I spotted a bird foraging at the base of
an oak, well camouflaged against the dry soil, with a sandy back and lighter
belly marked faintly with streaks. It flew off before I could examine further.”
– Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, April 26, 1902
“We have been in this most difficult
place for six days, yet it seems each hour brings something new, such that our
work here has ceased for naught but sleep, and many of the men have begun to
crack in their facade, exhibiting those signs of wear of fatigue and
irritability. The country here is impregnable with thickets and thorns. The
manzanita may as much be a plant as an ankle-breaker, and the brambles of
thorny scrub are enough to deter even bears. Having spent such time here, we
have already explored all that easier country of buckwheat and oak and have
only maddening chaparral left.
But this fortress of foliage is manned
by its own fauna, which by virtue of unnavigable habitat have mostly remained
undiscovered, and today I have made one more small encroachment. This morning,
before the sun at its pleasure graced these lowlands with any warmth or glow, I
climbed from camp into the only stretch of thornless land yet remaining, a
shallow valley through which a small, clear stream trickled east to the
Kusasha, surrounded by walls of willow. Standing still just long enough for the
damp valley ground to soak my moccasins, I heard a sweet medley of notes in a
song unfamiliar to me. Not long after I heard the song did I find its
performer, a crested sparrow flitting about the willows. The bird sang at even
intervals for the next forty minutes as I did my best to catch a glimpse,
myself successful only at observing flashes of brown and cream amid the
leaves.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, April 29, 1902
4.
May 15
Last Portage Camp
This was the farthest upriver the Corps
could take the large boats. Beyond a bend in the river ahead the water was
shallower, faster, and the river narrower. Here the Corps would have to leave
the steamboats behind and continue upriver in canoes. They set up camp for the
night above the river with a good view of the route ahead, and this location
still bears the name Last Portage, now a small village.
“The camp is nicely situated atop a
knoll overlooking the bend to the west and the vast stretch of grass and sage
to the east wherefrom sunrise tomorrow will stain the world orange. Mr.
Peterson, having returned from a scouting party, saw a herd of elk just over
the next rise, and Captain Dyer assured us we are in friendly country.
Sparrows of a cryptic sort abound.
Though I am sure to have heard their chattering calls on more than one occasion
this trip already, it was not until now, sufficiently inland where the land has
dried and widens into this open prairie that I hear them in great numbers.” –
Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, May 15, 1902
“Abandoned the boats. River ahead too
shallow, whitewaters in bends. So now the real work begins. May by God our
progress be in His grace.” – Wyatt Taylour, Expedition logs, May 15, 1902
5.
May 20-22
Witch’s Bow
A bend in the river farther north, the
Witch’s Bow was so named because members of the NRC discovered emeraldine nests
nearby. Confused as to what they could be, many of the more superstitious men
believed them to be evidence of witches or fae. The territory of Novasola was
at the time filled with superstitions and folk-tales which no doubt influenced
the men.
“I have heard from wild-men of all sorts
and capacities during our off-season interviews tell of monsters and elves
residing in the deep places of this island, which immediately upon hearing I
discount, given our job is not one of superstition or myth but of facts and
science. Imagine then, the difficulties I am faced with now, as I have seen
with my own eyes evidence of that folklore. The Corps has made camp one night
back at a bend in the river, densely foliated, the crew has named The Witch’s
Bow. Found this morning not far from camp was a small hut, built from twigs, no
more than 10 inches tall. Slanted walls were lashed together and again lashed
to a horizontal ridge pole, itself lashed to some oak stems. So expertly was it
built that many of the crew refused to believe anyone but man could have
constructed it, and I am inclined to agree, though Mr. Reichwald assures me it
is a bird nest and Mr. Peterson assures me it must be some burrow. My mind
began to consider natives, yet some of the other men immediately proclaimed it
to be witchcraft, and proof of some other-worldly nature. Believing the area to
be haunted, they fled to camp but one of them stumbled along the way and
discovered another oddity even closer to base: a small pile of white flower
petals and gravel placed purposefully around an oak bush. Hysterical, they saw
that as a sign of their intrusion into a hostile spirit’s domain. To appease
the men, we shall stay here only one night more.” – Captain Virgil Dyer,
Expedition log, May 21, 1902
“There are a number of spectacles this
country has to us revealed. The stark vastness should not be confused for
emptiness, for across the expanse I have bore witness to wonders of multitude.
To say nothing of the thunderclouds of pigeons which darken the skies, there
are herds and flocks a plenty. The most recent exhibition has come every sunset
for the past week, when the grasses come alive with Bannertails. Each evening a
grand number of Bannertails have taken to the skies in a raucous cacophony, green
and violet tails flashing in the golden light.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition
log, May 22, 1902
6.
May 29
Alder Canyon, Kusasha River Headwaters
By May 29 the NRC had reached the
headwaters of the Kusasha, or at the very least the farthest upriver boats
could navigate. A narrow, densely foliated canyon they named Alder Canyon was
where the Corps officially stopped following the river, now a small creek, and
began an overland march north along the Paramount front range. We now know a
natural spring just northwest of Alder Canyon is the ultimate source of the
Kusasha.
“A consensus has been reached by our
cartographers this afternoon which had already been accepted by the rest of the
Corpsmen for two days now that we have exhausted our route up the Kusasha and
must now abandon that river and begin our overland march to the headwaters of
the Massalick. This news was only surprising to those who have been absent from
the journey thus far, which is to say anyone here with half the wits of a hound
knew already we can no longer navigate the Kusasha, considering we have been marching
on foot along both sides of the mighty, two-foot-wide river since it was double
the width. The further we walk the more this stream, or rather this trickle, is
swallowed by the increasingly dense alder, stands of which are so thick there
is not room for an infant, and we have had to take wide detours with our
boats.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, May 29, 1902
7. June 9
Sparrow Flats
Travel over land from Alder Canyon proved
remarkably easy. The terrain between the Kusasha and Massalick river headwaters
is relatively flat and the vegetation sparse, mostly grass and loose sagebrush.
Travel from Alder Canyon to the Massalick took only eight days, and by June 9th
the NRC had made significant distance down the Massalick River in the canoes
they hauled from Alder Canyon.
“The Massalick headwaters have
disappointed many of our party in its inability to provide us scientists with
anything new. The sage and grass country here seems no different than the weeks
before, and give no indication of discoveries to be had beyond cartography.
This morning, as the Captain and Mr. Mackenzie debated names for the most near
bluff or such, a chorus of Sand-eared Sparrows begun on both sides of the
river, as they have now for every morning in the prairie, until by 10 o’clock
we were all but deaf to anything but the buzzing. Thrice that morning I
observed Sand-ears fly from one bank to the other, and once did a bird land on
our canoe. For the lack of any other excitement today or many before, we
elected to name today’s stretch of country ‘Sparrow Flats.’” – Richard
Reichwald, Expedition log, June 9, 1902
8.
June 20-22
Dyer’s Rest
On June 20th, Captain Virgil
Dyer’s birthday, the Corps made camp in a pine grove on the east bank of the
Massalick in an area now called Dyer’s Rest. For two days the Corps explored
the area, which marked somewhat of an end to the prairie and a return to
woodland- or forest-dominated terrain.
“To mark the occasion of Captain Dyer's
birthday, he ordered a rest day, with no work required beyond that which was
necessary to maintain the camp and provide festivities. Among others Misters
Farr, Coble, and I were delegated the task of procuring meat for the feast. We
three opted not to travel with Mr. Peterson’s party, confident our small group
would see more success. Having seen no sign of big game for two days, we chose
hunt pheasants, or grouse, or quail, or truthfully any game we should come across,
expecting birds to be the only substantial quarry outside our usual squirrels.
After heading south for an hour, the
country began to open up, with the pines first giving way to drier deciduous
cover which in turn gave way to shrubs and grasses, until we were out of
evergreen entirely and found ourselves in savannah, open arid country of sparse
oaks, arbutus, and silver-grass. Stalking through the high grass was
challenging for no reason beyond the myriad distractions presented to me, in
forms of new sounds and new sights Captain Dyer would classify as “work”. I was
however to glance three species yet undescribed, most notably a woodpecker of
dark color and ochre head. I shall be sure to return to this area tomorrow for
more exhaustive search. Lost in thought, I was unable to spot the pair of
Scaled Pheasants in the underbrush before me, and was thus considerably
disarmed by their sudden outburst of flight and missed my shot. Thankfully
other members of the party were not so ineffectual.
[The feast] was by civilian standards
meek, but to the hearts of men weary and fatigued from months of cross-country
travel, what meat and rations we had were a gift. The pheasant, tonight
especially, made for good sport, and good eating.” – Richard Reichwald,
Expedition log, June 20, 1902
“Taking a different path back to camp, I
was finally met with the encounter I chased. In a gully between two grassy
rises stood an unassuming, though deceptively vast, woodland of mature oaks
into which I retreated for shade. I had stepped no more than five paces into
the grove when I heard a cacophony of laughing wails and rattles. Flying about
from tree to tree were woodpeckers, no doubt of the same species as yesterday’s
mystery bird. The birds numbered at least twelve, and while most stayed in the
canopy, obscured by foliage and branches, one or two would occasionally alight
on the trucks or low branches to scuttle about the bark in creeping fashion or
to scold me from afar.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, June 21, 1902
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| NRC members at Dyer's Rest, 1902 |
9.
July 1-4
Saltwater Camp, Massalick River, Mouth
On the first of July the Corps reached the
ocean at the mouth of the Massalick River, which they named Saltwater Camp.
Here they stayed for four days, culminating in a Fourth of July celebration.
During this time they rested and restocked supplies from the SS Newport
which by this time was waiting for them in the bay. The Newport was
carrying many supplies and gear the Corps would need on the next leg of the
journey and the Corpsmen loaded many of their collections, specimens, and
broken or used gear. From here, the Newport would take the NRC to Kosatka
Island.
“What better a place to celebrate our
nation’s independence is there than the far shores of wilderness so remote that
we may also celebrate our independence from civilization?” – Wyatt Taylour,
Expedition logs, July 4, 1902
10.
July 6-17
Kosatka Island
Stopping at Port Umiak on Kosatka Island’s
southern coast, the NRC would spend 11 days on Kosatka. Port Umiak was a
well-established trading post and port, built by Russian fur traders, which
served mostly as a depot for whaling ships. Excluding a few permanent white
settlers, Kosatka Island was inhabited only by native peoples in a number of
tribes, most notably the Kinglapiq and Aluk. The NRC would trade often with them
for supplies, especially for furs, leather clothing, and smoked fish, in
exchange for metal goods like pots, wire, and knives. Corpsmen would explore
much of the surrounding area in those 11 days, including hiking the Kosatka
Ridge trail from Port Umiak up to White-bear and Little-bear peaks. They made
numerous discoveries and recorded an astounding number of endemic species. When
it was time to depart, the NRC boarded the Newport and headed to the
Atakatatook, now Roosevelt, River.
11.
July 19
Atakatatook Camp, Roosevelt River, Mouth
The Atakatatook River, which observed from
the sea, was to anyone’s knowledge never explored by westerners. On July 19 the
Corps made landfall at the river’s mouth and unloaded their gear from the Newport.
Their goal was to travel upriver until it was no longer navigable then travel
overland to find the headwaters of the Tayakai River. No one knew how long this
would take, where the river would take them, what peoples they might encounter,
or what other challenges they would face along the way. In honor of the
president who championed the expeditions, they renamed the river the Roosevelt.
To most native people, however, the river is still the Atakatatook, and the Atakatatook
Indian Reservation still bears the name.
“The country here is perhaps a bit
monotonous, but nice, and the wildlife here abounds. It seems the riverbanks
are never empty of animals and game. I have seen countless magpies, as well as
starlings, blackbirds, cranes, and warblers. On many occasions this morning
alone I spotted Horus Sparrows, totaling at least fifteen individuals in this
past stretch of river. The weather has been favorable, and the morning was
filled by the chorus of sparrows competing with the sounds of the river and
oarsmen for a trophy of constancy.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, July
19, 1902
12.
August 12
Six Sisters Foothills, Roosevelt River, Headwaters
The Roosevelt bends to the east south of
the Six Sisters Mountains, and many Corpsmen feared the Six Sisters would be
the river’s source, such that it would again bend to the north. If this were so
they would have to travel hundreds of miles over land before reaching the
Tayakai River. Thankfully, the river’s ultimate source is actually the Stone
Hills to the west. Despite this fear, the Corps were thankful to be once again
out of the prairie.
The Six Sisters were a significant area for
a number of Yukandaluk tribes, including the Alax, who had never been contacted
by whites. The Corps encountered Alax warriors on August 17th
farther upriver which nearly resulted in violence from both parties, but after
the NRC gave the warriors a large number of blankets and firearms the Alax allowed
the Corps to continue un-harassed.
“Should the river continue west we may
yet follow it, if not in canoes then along the bank, for some miles more. This
may, however, prove disastrous to our progress should the river turn north.
Mine is the decision whether to abandon the river now or follow farther, and
envious I am of the men who wear no such weight.” – Captain Virgil Dyer,
Expedition logs, August 12, 1902
“This morning was our first in these
mountains, an Eden here, foil to the vast grasslands from which I was so eager
to depart. After months of seemingly endless prairie, the Corps has reached the
headwaters of the Roosevelt, positioned in a steep, rocky country of dry
forest, mixed pine and deciduous trees. The birdlife here is diverse and
distinct from the prairie.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, August 12,
1902
“Met new Indians, who called themselves
Ahlecks. They may have control of this area and are not amiable to our cause.” –
Virgil Dyer, Expedition logs, August 17, 1902
 |
| Trouble Cliff. Photograph taken by NRC photographer Samuel Atlas Beach, 1902 |
13.
August 20-24
Southwest Stone Hills
South of the Stone Hills the Roosevelt became
so small and narrow it was no longer navigable even by canoes, and the NRC
disembarked to make the southward march to the Tayakai. This area may well have
been the most remote the Corps had explored, and they were likely the first
whites to ever reach the western slopes of the Stone Hills or Cook Range. For four days the camped in the Stone Hills
before heading south. During this time the NRC encountered a number of native
people, most likely Alax. These interactions never led to violence, though they
were always tense.
“[As I] supped at the campfire this
evening taking in one of Mr. Jackson’s famous anecdotes he so freely and
forcefully gives, I was approached by Dr. Sloan who had only then returned from
setting traps away from camp. He tells me he has come across a patch of woods,
dense with standing dead, which began hooting as soon as the sun had set. He
claims that his return journey was accompanied by the sounds of, not one pair
but many, owls unfamiliar to him. Dr. Sloan promises to take me back to his
location tomorrow.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, August 20 1902
14.
September 1
Tayakai River, Headwaters
After walking south for seven days the NRC
discovered a small stream Captain Dyer believed to be the headwaters of the
Tayakai River. A member of the Corps would name the spot Hope Spring. Taking a
leap of faith, he would choose to follow this stream for many miles until it
became wide enough for boats, at which point most of the NRC was satisfied this
was indeed the Tayakai. Hope Spring is now a protected area within Cook
Mountain National Park.
15.
September 29
Tayakai River, Mouth
The Tayakai River empties into Fairweather
Sound just east of the Koowatah Peninsula. The Corps arrived on September 29, and
the Newport was already in the bay waiting for them. Here again they
would board the ship, rest, resupply, and then sail with the Newport north
along the island’s east coast, making sporadic landfall for short expeditions
up rivers or other points of interest.
16.
October 6
Laurel River
The Laurel River is a short, fast-flowing
river that starts in the Red Mountains and empties into the Gulf of Alaska. It
had been observed from passing ships but never explored. Captain Dyer was eager
to travel the river, hoping to settle once and for all whether the rumors were
true that the Laurel was navigable all the way to Red Mountain. It was not.
“After some time on the coast, we have
discovered the mouth of a significant river emptying into the Pacific in a
steep-walled canyon. Captain Dyer believes this to be the river Laurel, which
though mapped from the coast has, to anyone’s knowledge, never been explored.
We have boarded the canoes and are travelling upriver, with eager anticipation.
After a half-day of rowing against the
current, the whole crew was disheartened when as were curved a bend, we could
hear further up a waterfall, of seemingly impressive size. Knowing we could not
pass an obstacle of that magnitude, we were to reach the falls and then return
the way we came. Imagine the group’s surprise, then, when as we approached the
source of the noise we found it not to be an impassible waterfall but instead
an enormous flock of Pigeons roosting in the trees of the river’s edge. So many
and so vocal were these birds that their chatter and their flapping had fooled
even me.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, October 6, 1902
17.
October 12-15
Lower Cook River
The Cook River had been explored up to
where it forks into northern and southern branches, and the NRC attempted to
follow either branch to the headwaters near Cook Mountain. This would prove
impossible, as both branches empty into the lower river with large waterfalls.
The Corps did hike above the North Fork Falls, but the river ahead was no less
difficult, as it seemed filled with whitewater rapids and likely other
waterfalls. The NRC decided to abandon their exploration of the Cook River and
returned to the Newport on October 15.
“Now I see firsthand why this country is
called the Fastwaters.” – Patrick Jackson, Expedition logs, October 14, 1902
18.
October 30
Horse Head Valley
 |
| Horse Head Bluff. Photo taken by NRC photographer Samuel Atlas Beach, 1902 |
The NRC traveled up the Culver River as far as it was navigable, which led them to what they named Horse Head Valley. Culver at this time was a seasonal trading post and was starting to fall out of use for the winter. Horse Head Valley, a large swampy wetland within a glacial valley, proved extremely difficult to navigate. The wet terrain, dense foliage, and cold weather made forward progress north a challenge, and many members of the Corps fell ill. Horse Head Valley is now protected within Cook Mountain National Park.
“Here the river widened, but shallowed,
into something of a swamp, flooding this shallow valley with wet meadows and
murky pools. Navigation upriver seems neither simple nor necessary, and Captain
Dyer opted to make this valley our point of portage, with our journey now
overland, or over-swamp. At the entrance to the valley was a most unique rock
formation, shaped such that it was quickly named by our group Horse Head Bluff,
a convention which then has extended to this marsh, now the Horse Head Valley.
It seems to me the most numerous
inhabitant of this valley, and much to my surprise, is that charismatic if not
elusive Buff Sided Sparrow. Flocks of decent size have appeared and disappeared
between the alders and tamarack, with more audible in the forest hills. It is
at the present unclear if this density is permanent or a product of migration.”
– Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, October 30, 1902
19.
November 12
Homeward Creek, Headwaters
After hiking through rugged terrain for
many days, the NRC discovered a wide creek flowing north, which they believed
they could use to travel to the coast. They named it Homeward Creek, and they
were ultimately proved correct. Prior to embarking in canoes, Corps scientist
and mammalogist Alec Ovid Peterson slipped on a rock and broke his left arm and
bled. Concerned he would loose too much blood before he could receive proper
care, Captain Dyer ordered a small party to boat ahead as fast as possible so
that they could signal or flag down the SS Newport before the rest of
the party arrived.
20.
November 17
Homeward Creek, Mouth
The rest of the Corps reached the coast on November
16th. The forward party had by then spotted the Newport and alerted
it to their location. All members of the Corps, their gear, and collections
were loaded onto the ship by the 17th. They headed for Cape George
and finally arrived home on November 21st.
“Having now reached the culmination of our
first journey I am awed by the immensity and diversity of the country we have
travelled. My fellow members have made numerous discoveries their own, and we
are all of us eager to begin again next year.”– Richard Reichwald, Expedition
log, November 17, 1902