We started onward at half past six, the morning fine and pleasant.
We crossed the creek once more and about a half a mile from where we
camped, the road turns to the right leaving the creek and ascending
the mountains gradually. Much time was necessarily spent cutting down
stumps, heaving out rocks and leveling the road. It is an exceedingly
rough place. There are several springs at the foot of the mountain and
one a mile from the top which runs above the ground a little distance,
then sinks under again. The last half mile of the ascent is very steep
and the nearer the top the steeper it grows. There is considerable
timber up this gap but mostly destroyed by fire. We saw a prairie
pheasant while going up and some wild gooseberries. At eleven o'clock,
the teams began to arrive on the dividing ridge and in less than an
hour, all were safely up. From this ridge we can see an extensive
valley to the west but on every other side high mountains, many of
them white with snow. It seems as though a few hours' travel might
bring us out from the mountains on good road again. We halted on the
ridge a little while and then prepared to descend, many locking both
hind wheels, a precaution not at all unnecessary. We found the road
down exceedingly steep and rendered dangerous by the many stumps of
trees left standing in the road. The brethren cut up many of them which
delayed us much. About a mile down is a bridge formed of small trees
laid one on another to fill up a deep ravine. It is steep on both sides
and here Joseph Rooker turned his wagon over, however, without much
damage. A mile and a half from the top is a spring and small stream of
very good cold water where we halted to let teams drink. This would
make a tolerably good camp ground in case of necessity. After this, the
road is not so steep but is very rough and winds between high hills or
mountains through willows and brush wood and over soft places, crossing
the creek a number of times. At four and a half miles from the top of
the ridge, we arrived at a good spring of cold water, plenty of grass
and a good place to camp. Our teams have now been in the harness about
ten hours without eating and the feeling of many was to stay here, but
some wanted to go on and we continued. Turning suddenly to the right
a little below this spring we began to ascend another high ridge and
while ascending some of the teams began to fail. There are a great many
service berries on this ridge growing on what we supposed to be wild
apple trees. The berries are good and rich when ripe. The descent from
this ridge is not nearly so steep as the other one, yet many locked
both hind wheels. After descending, we found another small creek and
a very rough road again. At 7:30, we formed our encampment near the
creek, having traveled fourteen miles in thirteen hours. There is but
little grass here and a poor chance for cattle. Orson Pratt's company
are camped a half a mile ahead of us and our camp was formed by Colonel
Markham. He says they have had many new cases of sickness but mostly
getting better. The cannon is left back on the other side of the
mountains. About a mile back from this place there is a small grove of
sugar maple and considerable other timber along the creek. There are
also beds of nice green rushes in several places.