NRC Expeditions: Second Expedition
After four months of relative rest and recovery from the first
expedition, the Novasola Research Corps set off for its second expedition, this
time focused on western Novasola.
Prior to departure, members of the NRC had spent the
previous months intensely preparing for the voyage. Much like with the first
expedition, these preparations included compiling and organizing their
observations and records from the first trip, researching or compiling
information for the upcoming trip, and logistical planning. Though the second
expedition was expected to take longer than the first, there was significantly
less forward planning needed. The expected route of the expedition would travel
through the Twin River basin, down the Chidkayook River, and along the west
coast. These areas had all been well-explored and settled by 1903, so there
were fewer blank spots on the map and fewer unknowns the Corps would face. Many
of the indigenous tribes the Corps was likely to encounter along the route were
known and most were not expected to act antagonistically towards the
expedition.
Because more of the region had been explored or settled
already, the Corps was expected to make far fewer new discoveries in the second
expedition than in the other two. Instead, more of the value would be in corroborating
previous information. Nevertheless, western Novasola, much of which is
considered temperate rainforest, is one of the most biodiverse regions on the
planet and supports a huge number of endemic species across taxa, a staggering
number of distinct native tribes and cultures, and a number of unique
ecosystems. As such, the Corps had little trouble finding ways to add to
scientific knowledge, let alone make the expedition worthwhile, but not without
challenges. While the first expedition had been dominated by intensely hot and
dry weather, the second expedition was constantly under rain and fog, especially
during the fall months when the Corps saw so much rain it was impossible for
them to dry off and much of their equipment, gear, and even clothing literally
began to rot. The summer was much drier, but the Corps encountered far more
biting insects, especially mosquitoes, than the previous expedition. Morale
among the NRC members, especially after leaving Vodograd, was the lowest it
would be between all three expeditions.
Apart from the standard goals of the NRC, there were a
number of more specific goals for the second expedition that the Corps was
obligated to accomplish. Firstly, the Corps was charged with exploring the
upper Pollux and Chidkayook rivers and assessing the efficacy of combining them
into an inland route between Charlotte Sound and the trading post at Vodograd. Secondly,
they were expected to determine whether any of the western coastal rivers could
provide an overland route through the Angelic Mountains to Charlotte Sound or
the Twin Rivers.
The NRC departed Cape George on April 2, 1903 and headed
west through Charlotte Sound and up the Pollux river until they arrived at the
town of Twin Rivers. Twin Rivers was at this time the largest city on Novasola,
larger even than Cape George. Situated where the Pollux and Castor rivers
converge, Twin Rivers was the gateway to the extremely productive agricultural
heart of the territory and the center of trade between the interior and the
coast, as the Pollux is wide and navigable by large boats up to the city. After
spending two weeks in Twin Rivers exploring the area and interviewing locals,
the Corps travelled north up the Pollux for as far as it was navigable, which
was eventually determined to be Farewell Falls. Once they were forced to
disembark, the NRC travelled by horse train until they reached the Pollux headwaters.
This would be the only time during the expedition the NRC would use horses. Here
most of the Corps would continue northeast into the Paramounts, but a few had
to turn around and return the horses to the Twin River Basin. The remaining Corps
members hiked through the Paramounts north until they found what they believed
to be the headwaters of the Chidkayook River, which they followed downstream.
They were proven correct, but the Upper Chidkayook proved extremely difficult
to navigate, as it was quite steep and included a number of waterfalls the NRC
had to circumnavigate, including the previously only rumored Chidkayook Falls.
After resting at the southern end of Great Shadow Lake, the NRC continued down
the Lower Chidkayook to Vodograd. In 1903 Vodograd was little more than a small
trading post at the Chidkayook’s mouth, but it was the only settlement of note for
nearly 600 kilometers. The town, inhabited mostly by fur trappers, whalers, and
native peoples, and included a port, post office, and general store. At
Vodograd the NRC would load onto the SS Newport and then travel south
along the coast. Expected to find a water route through the Angelics, the Corps
would travel up many of the rivers along the coast in canoes or small boats.
These would all prove fruitless, and inevitably the Corps would return to the Newport
and continue south. Eventually the NRC would abandon the Newport a final time
and travel inland over the Angelics until the arrived at Fort Hanna on the
Castor River, from which they would travel downriver back to Twin Rivers and
eventually Cape George. The NRC arrived in Cape George on December 10, 1903, over
eight months after the expedition began.
Below is a map of the first expedition’s route along with
marked notable locations.
1.
April 8 – 22
Twin Rivers
The expedition’s first stop was in the city
of Twin Rivers, then the largest city by population in the territory. They stayed
here for two weeks, during which time members continued to prepare for the upcoming
travel and explore the surrounding area. Compared to the expansive stretch of
wilderness through which the NRC would soon travel, Twin Rivers was a
metropolitan haven and the only chance for Corps members to access luxury amenities
like plumbing and electricity.
“Edenic is the country here. The air is
sweet with flower and fruit, the soil amiable to most crops, and the water
clear and clean as fine glass.” – Virgil Dyer, Expedition log, April 10, 1903
“The climate is mild. The people are likewise
mild. My eagerness to leave this place for the wild country is mild.” – Wyatt Taylour,
Personal diary, April 20, 1903
“The valleys here are foliated by
willows, alders, cottonwoods, and all manner of riverside herbs and grasses,
while the uplands are meadows sparsely forested in oak. In both terrain the
springtime wildflowers are in full bloom. Where the flowers are especially
dense they are paired without fail by the dazzling shines of male Gold
Hummingbirds. I have counted fifteen individuals buzzing hastily about on my
morning walk between our camp and the wooded knoll half a mile upstream.” – Richard
Reichwald, Expedition log, April 8, 1903
2.
May 8 – 10
Warton Orchard
Farther upriver, the Corps was hit by a severe
rainstorm and stopped at the property of Frederic Warton for shelter. Warton,
the owner of a profitable apple orchard, was one of the wealthier inhabitants of
the valley and was happy to host the NRC, though he had little room for the
nearly 60 members. Most slept outside in his fields, though some crammed
themselves into Warton’s barn with the livestock. Captain Dyer, knowing the
Corps would soon need horses when they left the river, bargained with Warton
and was able to secure a number of horses, which were to be returned to him by
the fall. With horses acquired, Dyer sent a small party ahead of the main NRC
contingent to take the horses upriver by land and meet up with the rest of the
Corps where the river became too shallow or narrow for boats.
“Stocky for a warbler, it is golden
overall with a rust-colored head and divided breast band, and with an olive
back and auriculars. This individual was killed when our host, Mr. Warton,
felled one of his apple trees. The bird, and no doubt its mate, had built their
nest in the tree and Mr. Warton tells me this is commonplace on his farm. Upon
this news I went out to the orchard and indeed, I have observed at least two
other pairs of the warbler nesting in the apples. I have also observed in this
area a great number of swallows. Flitting between Mr. Warton’s barn and the
apple trees are dozens of common barn [Orchard] swallows, the first I have seen
in the territory this year, no doubt returning from spending their winter afar.”
– Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, May 9, 1903
3.
June 12
Farewell Falls
The farthest up the Pollux River any white
man was known to have travelled was a point labelled “small waterfall” on a
single map from 1878 the NRC had found. They were expecting this to be an
easily avoided, single-day portage. What they found, instead, was a series of
four waterfalls, each taller than the last, with the largest over 60 feet
covering a distance of four miles. While most of the journey up to this point
had been through relatively flat or rolling country of savannah, they were now
presented with steep, rocky cliffs on either side of the river and denser
forest. Instead of circumnavigating the falls carrying canoes overland, Captain
Dyer decided to use the opportunity to leave the water and follow the river
from the shore by horse train, abandoning the canoes. This point was named
Farewell Falls by the Corps as a result.
“The terrain has changed as we travelled
upslope. What was a wide country of meadows and alders and aspens has
surrendered to dense forests of psuedotsuga, hemlock, and firs. Likewise has
the fauna shifted. The choirs of riparian birds have silenced themselves,
overtaken by the new chorus of the unknown.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition
log, June 12, 1903
“Falls greater than expected. What on
our map had been a day’s detour has now revealed itself to be a significant
stretch of rapids and large falls with steep-sided banks that will take days to
pass. We have decided to forgo the boats and haul our packs overland instead,
intent to follow the river still but capable of taking easier routes if or when
the opportunity arises.” – Virgil Dyer, Expedition log, June 12, 1903
Farewell Falls 1. Photograph taken by NRC photographer Samuel Atlas Beach, 1903
4.
June 29
Silver Gate
After finding the Pollux headwaters on June
24, the Corps abandoned their horses, which were to be returned to Frederic
Warton, and set off on foot north through the Paramount range. On June 29 they
reached an immense boulder field. The boulder field stretched for nearly five
kilometers and featured a jumble of gray rocks and the occasional conifer
stand. They named the place Silver Gate, for the color of the boulders and the
narrow route they took through them. We now know Silver Gate is the remains
from an enormous landslide and is protected within Mount Atlas National
Monument.
“The country here has an altogether
different character from the forests behind us. The cedars and hemlocks have
given way to firs and pines, many stunted by the harsher winds. The elevation
is obvious in the vegetation and in the air, as there is an ever-present and
cold western wind. The ground is steep, and pockets of snow dot the forest
floor along with low heath and bare talus. Farther upslope from our previous
camp is a marvel of geology. The labyrinthine country there is strewn with
rocks of immense size.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, June 29 1903
“This will no doubt make travel
unpleasant.” – Patrick Jackson, Expedition log, June 29, 1903
Silver Gate. Samuel Atlas Beach, 1903
5.
July 3 – 8
Down Refuge
By July 3 the Corps had spent 10 days
hiking through the alpine regions of the Uludacks in steep, rocky, terrain and
cold weather. They were miserable. On July 3 a Corpsmember discovered a small
stream flowing northwest and soon it was determined to be the headwaters of the
Upper Chidkayook River, the NRC’s current goal. Following the stream the NRC descended
into a subalpine forest which they named the Down Refuge. With more water and
wood for fire, the exhausted Corps set up camp and rested for five days before
moving on. During this time they carved a number of large canoes out of the surrounding
spruce which they used to travel down the Chidkayook River. This area is now
part of the Down Refuge National Forest, and their campsite can still be found surrounded
by felled tree stumps.
“After twenty days overland, we’ve
reached what Captain Dyer believes to be the headwaters of the Chidkayook. We
followed it downslope until we were sufficiently below the alpine zone, stopped
only after we found a clearing in the firs of merit. We shall take rest here
before we embark down the river in canoes, hopeful it will guide us to Great
Shadow Lake. Too eager not to work, I set out early this morning to explore the
forests, finding mostly subalpine species of firs, hemlocks, and pseudotsuga.
As I sat to examine some berries unknown to me, my thoughts were interrupted by
sweet notes, like questions from some quizzical creature. I turned to see a
large songbird, white as the mountain snow, sitting in a branch no more than
two meters from me, eying me with vast, glossed black eyes, its head cocked to
one side.
…
We stared at each other, no doubt both
wondering how to proceed, and whether either party had encountered the likes of
the other. After I tossed each jay a handful of my bread, they flew to a safer
distance of five meters, but insisted on staying with me the rest of the
morning, going so far as to follow me back to camp, much to the dismay of the
rest of the Corps who were soon besieged of and many were forced to go the
morning robbed of their breakfast.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, July 3
1903
“Our trail has for many days now
followed along an overgrown stream, which, so narrow and filled with downed
trees and mossy islands, is far removed from the mighty torrent I know it to
become. Should anyone familiar with the roaring waters of the lower Chidkayook,
as yet I am not, see its headwaters here in this mossy glen would strain to
recognize it.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log, July 10, 1903
6.
July 20 – 25
Chidkayook Falls
The Upper Chidkayook River was relatively
unexplored. As the NRC travelled downriver they discovered it to be incredibly
steep and fast flowing, with numerous waterfalls and sections of whitewater.
This was a far cry from the easily navigable river it was rumored to be. On
July 20 the Corps discovered Chidkayook Falls and were taken aback by its
scale. The largest waterfall on Novasola by water volume, Chidkayook Falls is a
grand and impressive sight, as well as an extremely challenging obstacle for
travel. The NRC spent five days carrying their boats around the falls before
putting back in at the base and floating to the Great Shadow Lake.
Chidkayook Falls. Samuel Atlas Beach, 1903
7.
August 3 – 7
Great Shadow Lake, Upper Chidkayook
Input
The NRC made camp on the southern shore of
Great Shadow Lake, at the Upper Chidkayook input. They stayed there for five
days, recovering from the arduous journey from the Twin Rivers. From here they
expected to have an easy time floating downriver to Vodograd, and they were
thankfully proven right.
8.
August 18-20
Vodograd
On August 18 the NRC reached the trading
post of Vodograd. The Newport was already waiting for them, and the
Corps took two days to trade for fresh supplies and load all gear, collections,
and personnel onto the ship before departing south.
9.
August 30
Volk River
Now travelling south along the west coast,
the NRC was tasked with locating an interior water route through the Angelics
to the Twin River Basin, should one exist. The Newport carried a number of
smaller boats the Corps would use to navigate a number of rivers, the first of
which was the Volk River. It initially seemed promising, as it was wide,
navigable, and relatively slow compared to most nearby rivers, but it was
eventually determined to end in the northern Angelic foothills.
10.
September 4
Baraga Head
The Newport made a number of stops along
the coast, including at many of the prominent headlands. Baraga Head provides a
great view of the coast stretching north, and is frequently used by native tribes
as a meeting place for trade. The Corps encountered a small band of Cishtaklun and
traded medals for furs and meat.
“The Indians at Baraga Head, accustomed
by now to trade with whites, spoke fine English and were clothed in Georgian
wool.” – Walter Robineau, Expedition log, September 4, 1903
11.
September 17 – 20
Long Lake
The NRC next traveled up the Chilkov River,
but this too proved unsuccessful. Because the Chilkov is particularly steep and
filled with rapids, the NRC elected not to return to the Newport back down the
same river but instead travel overland to the Zeleny Creek and float down it,
which is narrow but generally safer for canoes. During their hike, they
discovered Long Lake, which had long been a important cultural site for
Taiyalun groups, but the NRC would be the first Americans to visit. Long Lake
is now within the Long Lake Indian Reservation.
“Excitement today! For the first time in
eight days, which felt like an unbearable eternity, we have enjoyed meat. I am
comfortable speaking for the entire Corps when I say No More Fish! The Salmon
Diet, as a few of us have begun to call this week past, has come to a hopeful
permanent conclusion this afternoon when our scouting party returned with an
ample haul of game fowl. Never have I been so thankful for a poorly dressed
pheasant. What’s more, Mr. Reichwald has assured me we have entered new country
he states will be brimming with fowl. I should be a fool not to believe him, as
this evening already I have witness such proof as a bright blue male pheasant
bound across the open ground of the woodlands just outside camp.” – A. Ovid
Peterson, Expedition log, September 19, 1903
View of the southern end of Long Lake. Samuel Atlas Beach, 1903
12.
October 2
Truro Head
Truro Head is the site of the oldest
remaining lighthouse on Novasola, first built in 1791. While a few other
lighthouses were built earlier, including at Cape George, none of those earlier
lighthouses survive. In 1903 Truro Head Lighthouse was still active and even
helped the NRC avoid crashing into rocks during a particularly nasty storm on
October 2.
13.
October 9
Mackenzie River, Headwaters
Named for NRC member Joseph Mackenzie, the
previously unexplored river provided the NRC another opportunity to locate a
route to the Twin Rivers, but again this proved unsuccessful.
14.
October 22
Lookout Creek Camp
Lookout Creek, which flows from a spring on
Lookout Mountain, was the Corps’ last hope at finding a navigable route through
the Angelics, and once again it proved impossible. At their camp on the
southern bank of the river, the NRC held a vote whether to hike overland from
the creek past Lookout Mountain in the hopes of finding the Hanna River, or to
head back to the coast and try another river. The latter choice won the day, so
Captain Dyer planned a new route for the final leg of the journey which would
see them attempt one last crossing of the mountains farther to the south. The
final route of the expedition would see the NRC head north from the next river
to the Hanna overland, which would have been a far shorter and less strenuous
trek had they done so from Lookout Creek with option one.
15.
November 13 – 17
Big Soggy Bog
The NRC attempted a final river, a small
and narrow one as of yet unnamed and unmapped, which they named Hope Creek. With
much difficulty the Corps followed the creek to its source, finding the area
saturated with water. The southern Angelics have a number of high-altitude
wetlands and seeps, which made overland travel difficult. Soon after abandoning
the creek, the NRC came upon an enormous stretch of mountain bog, now known as
Big Soggy Bog. At 33 square kilometers, this wetland is the largest unbroken
stretch of peat bog on Novasola, and one of the best examples of wetlands of
its type in North America. Cixtakudaqtanaq to the Ciganakin, Big Soggy
Bog is a culturally significant landmark to many indigenous groups, and rumors
of a large wetland in the mountains were common among settlers, but no
westerners had yet seen it. Amazed by its size and uniqueness, many members of
the NRC made note of the discovery and many of the NRC scientists were eager to
spend days at the bog collecting specimens and observations. In the end they
spent only five days there, after which many of the party were eager to get to
drier, and warmer, land. The bog feeds a eastward flowing creek which Captain
Dyer correctly guessed to be the Green River, a major tributary of the Castor. It
seemed the Corps could travel east with the Green River and reach the Castor relatively
quickly, but thankfully Captain Dyer decided against it and instead led the
Corps north toward Lookout Mountain. This would cost the NRC weeks, but because
of it they avoided making the potentially deadly voyage through the Green River
Gorge, a narrow and fast flowing gorge filled with rapids and drops that had
yet to be navigated by boat. Instead the Corps spent six days hiking through
the Angelics before locating the Hanna River and floating down to Fort Hanna.
Big Soggy Bog is now protected within Big
Soggy Bog National Natural Landmark and is one of the most studied features of
the Angelics.
“We have established camp at the base of
hill, having found flat land in a grove of spruce and tamarack. Though the
ground is here sufficiently dry and hard, the foliage suggests we must be near
water.
…
The scouting party has returned, having
found to our north a bog of immense size, to which many scientists have focused
our efforts, as we have come across no other country comparable. Standing at
its southern edge, the extent of the wetland goes just to the horizon
northwards and just as much in either direction west or east. The trees, few
and sparse, are mostly tamarack, with a veritable sea of moss and low greenery.
Mr. Bonet is most thrilled by the doubtless bounty of new mosses and plants to
catalogue, and I am in similar excitement, for though the bird life here is
mostly known species, I am eager to witness their habits in more detail. Almost
immediately upon arrival I was greeted by a small flock of Goldrush Sparrows,
foraging rather discretely among some Labrador tea. Upon my invasion they flew
off in separate directions. Not long after, two of the sparrows began singing,
in a chorus of sorts, from deeper in the bog. Their songs, which I have many
times noted for its melancholic and ethereal way of hanging in the air like
fog, gave the entire region a sombre, beautiful, and introspective tone,
complimenting this cold, wide country. Indeed it seemed, for that brief moment,
time itself had become meditative, slow, which I was grateful for, as in the company
of these birds I wish not time would pass, for as soon as the songs stop, and
silence overtakes its place, as soon as the bird’s absence is made obvious, I
feel only starved of their company.” – Richard Reichwald, Expedition log,
November 13, 1903
“The country here is at times rocky and
montane and at others damp and soft. Between the battered peaks lie enumerable
peatland. This bog belittles all others though, and stretched to the horizon,
at least on foggy days, of which all our days here were. I am unmoved to find
yet more moisture in this damn wet country.” – A. Ovid Peterson, Expedition log,
November 13, 1903
“I have seen no place like it, nor do I
believe man should. This primordial garden is meant for His eyes, but not our
bodies.” – Wyatt Taylour, Expedition log, November 17, 1903
“An eternity here would be not enough to
capture its wonders!” – Terrance Bonet, Expedition log, November 14, 1903
16.
November 25-28
Fort Hanna
Fort Hanna was a well-known trading post on
the Castor River, located at the confluence of the Castor and Hanna rivers,
just south of Indian Fork. The fort, or so called, in truth a single wood-post
building, was built in 1854 by fur trapper S. Q. Hanna. The post grew over the
years and became a firmly established landmark and frontier outpost. It was the
northernmost permanent settlement in the Castor Valley and served as a hub for
trade between natives, valley farmers, and mountain fur trappers. The NRC,
following the Hanna River, arrived at the fort on November 25, later than
expected. For three days they rested and loaded boats which they would float to
Twin Rivers, where they would board a larger vessel bound for Cape George.