An Adventure Trip Marriage of Convenience

I pride myself on my organizational skills. It's essential to the smooth operation of any adventure trip. Unfortunately, in an effort not to disappoint Claire who wanted to join our Yukon River canoe trip to Dawson City last minute, I allowed my chivalrous side to override my better instinct.

With a full compliment of guides and clients, there was only sufficient room in our passenger van to handle 15 people. Our last minute addition would create the need to find an alternative means of getting her back from Dawson City to Whitehorse. My mantra has always been - no sweat! We would get into Dawson on a Saturday and I would take the bus or scheduled flight back to Whitehorse on Monday (our regular scheduled return) with our female client, while the rest would return by van.

Upon arrival in Dawson City, I had my assistant see to getting our clients to our accommodation while I set out to book passage for myself and Claire back to Whitehorse. I went to the local tourist bureau to get their assistance in booking a seat on the bus. "Hadn't you heard?", said the tourist agent, "the bus no longer operates, as there was insufficient traffic to make it a go." No sweat!

I headed over to the internet cafe to book a flight with Air North. There were no flights scheduled for that Sunday or Monday from Dawson - sweat!

No need to panic yet, but the button was close by in the event I needed to.

I noted that Holland-America had busloads of people arrive daily in Dawson from cruise ships that docked in Skagway, Alaska. And, their buses were not always full. Surely they wouldn't object to some additional income. Problem solved!

I walked into their coordinating centre in Dawson. It was abuzz with activity. I picked out the most friendly looking face behind the counter and approached her. I turned on some of that Len charm that had seen me through some tight situations with hotel clerks, government bureaucrats, police officers, and the like. I drew up my most charismatic smile and asked if it would be possible to have two people join a bus back to Whitehorse. Apologetically, the clerk said that it was company policy not to open up space on buses to people who were not part of the beginning tour with Holland-America. Ever? Ever. Hmmm! Time for the panic button to be pushed!

Over the years, I found that panic was the key that opened up the creative wing in my brain. I hung my head and gave a sigh. What would I tell my new "wife"? We were on our honeymoon and had just completed the Yukon River. I had promised her the best time in Dawson City. We would not be able to make our return flight home from Whitehorse. Yes, I should have planned better but the euphoria of the marriage and honeymoon had taken precedence over diligence. I was at my best, occasionally looking up to see with what effect the shaky voice and saddened look was having. Although the clerk's voice softened in response to my sad tale, her resolve was stoic. She was not permitted to make exceptions. Defeated, I thanked her and turned to exit. It was then that the supervisor, who had overheard my love story and predicament, called out from her office to have me shown in. The clerk and I entered the office. The supervisor decided that circumstances would allow her to make an exception. I was elated. I offered to pay for the passage but she would have none of that. Accept passage and a free meal voucher as her honeymoon gift to me and my new "wife".

I rationalized away the fact that I had used subterfuge to take advantage of a huge corporate giant. It is the only way that my conscience would allow me to relish this victory. Part two of the plan would require my convincing Claire to play along.

Actually, that was much easier than I anticipated. She accepted the situation, but would not be party to any of the storytelling that might be necessary. I convinced her that I would handle all that. She would just have to maintain the look of a contented new "wife".

After a wonderful weekend with our group in Dawson, we headed over to the Holland-America hotel to enjoy our vouchered breakfast and meet our bus and traveling companions back to Whitehorse. Claire was nervous. I was excited. We boarded the bus and made for the back. I was sure to place Claire next to the window, leaving me in a position to field questions, if there were any. The tour looked us over curiously. They had been together for a couple of weeks and were puzzled by our presence. The tour guide grabbed the microphone and explained to the group that we were newlyweds and why we were joining the group.

What wonderful people! Cheers and applause accompanied the announcement, followed by a rousing chorus of "For they're two jolly good fellows....." .

During our five hour bus trip to Whitehorse, individuals would come back to where we were sitting and offer their individual congratulations. Claire accepted with a sheepish smile, while I just ate it up. I participated in a number of bus games, even winning one or two of them. Claire feigned tiredness and either slept or enjoyed the passing scenery.

The tour guide came back to us and wondered if we would recount how we came together and got married. Knowing that Claire would not, I said I would be more than pleased to come forward in the bus and relate the story of our meeting, developing love, and eventual marriage. I had to rely on my ability to create and embellish stories quickly. I wasn't sure what would come out of my mouth, but I was confident it would be interesting. I told them that I had met Claire when I was leading a group of hikers on the Chilkoot Trail the previous year. Claire was hiking alone and had sprained her ankle on the third day. Our group came along and stopped, while I used my wilderness first aid to attend to her injury. She could not be convinced to end her trek so I offered to carry her pack, and mine, while she joined our group for companionship and attention. I made sure that I erected her tent at campsites, tucked her in, and brought her meals while she rested. We walked and talked together on the trail, finding that we had much in common. After the trip, we stayed in touch. Claire lived in Ottawa and I in Vancouver. We made a point of seeing each other at least once a month. As Claire's love for me had no bounds, she agreed to move to Vancouver to be with me. Within the year we were married and on our honeymoon.

The love story resonated. The tour sat transfixed, listening to each word of a great love story. Occasional "ahs!" punctuated the performance. I caught Claire's eyes from time to time. If rolling your eyes is a form of compliment, then I was most blessed. Applause and pats on the back accompanied my return to my seat. Claire just shook her head. I was most pleased with myself.

When we returned to Whitehorse, we were asked by the group to join them for dinner. I felt that, by that time, I had expended any remaining capital with Claire's patience. I declined, stating that we would return to our hotel room and rest up for our flight home the next day.

Claire and I went our separate ways the next day. "Love" is so fleeting. Occasionally we do make contact by email to see how we are each handling the "divorce".

A "Huh?" Moment on Nootka Island

Wilderness travel doesn't give many opportunities for these moments.Life is simplified. There is some truth to the axiom that it affords a respite from the peripheral noises and the real or imagined conveniences of life. A much simpler equation is at work: food + shelter + fire = comfort & survival. It is what draws me to wilderness travel. So what happened on Nootka Island was totally in the "Huh?" camp.

Nootka Island is on the west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Abutting the Pacific Ocean, it presented a scenically undisturbed coastal hike that our company hoped to develop. A rich First Nations and European history help complement the scenic grandeur. Spanish and English interests competed for the riches of the area, with the English finally gaining control in the late 1790s. Nootka Sound, which protected mariners from the extreme coastal storms, offered shelter to none other than Captain Cook on his last voyage. He spent a month refitting his vessels before moving on and meeting his death in the Hawaiian Islands. Before leaving the area, he named a sheltered cove, Friendly Cove, in recognition of the helpfulness and friendliness of the local inhabitants.

To this setting, I and another guide led a group of hikers in the early 1990s. We had to fly into a sheltered bay at the north end of the island, and then hike six days southward, along the coast and rain forest, to our end at Friendly Cove. There was no way of communicating with us, although we could send for help with a marine radio in the event we got into some trouble. We arrived at Friendly Cove on schedule. We had made an earlier arrangement to be picked up by water taxi to return us to mainland Vancouver Island and our transportation home.

Friendly Cove was the main home of the Mowachaht people until their relocation to the mainland. One family remained in a house in the sheltered cove. Besides earning an existence for themselves, they acted as the guardians of the Mowachaht ancestral home.

We walked out onto a long wharf in Friendly Cove to await the arrival of our water taxi. It was a glorious day. The warmth of the sun, the sound of the surf, and our memories of the coastal hike helped soothe our tired muscles as we stretched out to absorb it all. This was interrupted with what sounded like a human voice. We sat up from our rest and looked about. Someone noticed a distant figure from the house, with hands cupped to their mouth, yelling something. The house was some 200 yards from us. We strained to hear what she was yelling. Finally someone believed she was saying - "Telephone for Len Webster"! Huh?

Telephone? Len Webster? Made no sense. Who knew that I would be there other than the office? How would they have reached these people as they wouldn't have known it existed? A telephone here? I was mystified! I sent my assistant back to the house to clear this up. I was confident we misheard.

She returned. She announced that indeed it was for me - the call. But how? Who? It was the water taxi who radioed ahead and asked that the residents to tell me that he would be a little late arriving, but to hold on, as he would be there shortly.

And that, was my "Huh?" moment.

Rating Mosquito Repellents

As you consider and firm up plans for your great adventure into the outdoors this summer, I thought it would be helpful to offer up some research on the topic of mosquito repellents and DEET. I am not an expert on the topic. The following information is reported in literature from the Consumer Reports Organization and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

Ultimately it is important that you do not rely entirely on this information and that your own research and discussion with family doctor guide your decision.

I have chosen to present the findings in point form so as to make it more easily readable and noted. But before I begin with that, you may want to know why mosquitoes bite and what attracts them.

Adult female mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs. Although they can survive by feeding on sugary liquids, it is only after a blood meal that they start producing eggs. Only female mosquitoes bite. Male mosquitoes feed on sugars found in fruits and flowers.

Mosquitoes are mainly attracted to carbon dioxide in the breath, body heat, and sweat of humans. Individuals who produce more body heat, sweat, carbon dioxide, and lactic acid will be more attractive to mosquitoes.

As regards DEET:

- Deet is a repellent and does not kill bugs. It's vapor is intended at masking attractents.
- the EPA has concluded that DEET is safe to humans if label instructions are followed.
- a 30% presence of DEET in a product is most effective, and safe for adults, and children older than a year.
- the American Academy of Pediatrics has advised against using repellents with DEET concentrations higher than 30% on any kids.
- Consumer Reports Health states that no one should use a repellent with more than 30% DEET.

Use of DEET:

- avoid on cuts and wounds
- keep away from children's hands, and around their mouths and eyes. Don't let them apply it to themselves.
- when applying, note that it does not have to be spread evenly over an area. It is the scent that repells.
- do not apply under clothing.
- after use, wash applied surface areas with soap. Do so also with your clothes.
- if using a spray, do not apply directly to the face and never in an enclosed area such as a tent.

Best repellents as tested by Consumer Reports:
Insect repellents using plant oils such as citronella, soybean, coconut, and geranium "provided little if any protection"

Most Recommended, with active ingredient (unranked):
Off Deep Woods Sportsmen II - 30% DEET
Cutter Backwoods Unscented - 23% DEET
Off FamilyCare Smooth & Dry - 15% DEET
3M Ultrathon Insect Repellant 8 - 25% DEET
Repel Plant Based Lemon Eucalyptus - active ingredient oil of lemon eucalyptus.
Natrapel 8-Hour with picaridin - 20% picaridin


Use of Permethrin: You may of heard about it's effectiveness.It is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide. Permethrin kills mosquitoes on contact by disrupting their nerve cells. It cannot be applied directly on the skin. It should be applied on clothing 2-4 hours before being worn. Permethrin products for use on clothing that contain 0.5% concentration should be safe. Do not apply spray applications in an enclosed area.

West Coast Trail: A Bittersweet Time

I learned over the years that guiding is much more than taking people from point A to point B. Each person and each group introduces a dynamic that needs to be identified and acknowledged, if any meaningful experience is to follow. Some participants require attention and encouragement, others bring an independence that demands some distance, and, from time to time, there are those who will test your resolve and patience.

Groups are interesting also. For a myriad of reasons, some groups never bond to a level of any meaningful self-interaction. These groups depend on a leader's social skills to establish a hub to which group members are attracted, and then to some interaction.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, are those few special times that the cosmos offers up a group of individuals whose mix forms the ideal. They will depend on your outdoor skills in an unknown environment, but socially, they function with an ease that minimizes your need to contribute or control.

And so you ask: "Where is this all going?". Well, I was thinking the other day about such a group that I led many, many years ago on the West Coast Trail. Time has fogged the names of some in the group, but I do remember Sam. I recall that he was a manager of a lumber mill near Vancouver. He was as bubbly as they come - charismatic, and so alive to this new experience. He had always wanted to hike the West Coast Trail but believed he did not possess the skills to pull it off on his own. His personality and excitement for the area and activity was infectious, and it drew others in the group into his orbit - myself included.

(Visit our facebook album to view photos of the West Coast Trail)

We all had a marvelous time and pledged to return again to do a trip in a year or two. We all went our separate ways with the promise to keep in touch. This is a pledge that is common but seemed very likely with this group.

My next guiding assignments were in the north. When I returned to the office, I was told that, one week after Sam completed the West Coast Trail, he was riding his bike when he was hit by a car and killed. I was both saddened and yet fulfilled. Fulfilled because his wife phoned me to say that Sam's experience on the West Coast Trail was so important to him on many levels.

And the photo? Well, Sam carved his initials on a weathered lineman's cabin on the trail. The years and coastal storms are surely taking its toll. Soon, Sam's initials will be lost to the ages. I thought it important to remember Sam and keep his memory alive somehow.

And the group? We never came together again.

CSI Klondike: Help Solve a Murder

Enjoy the exercise of a murder mystery? I used this murder mystery on my trips on the Chilkoot Trail and Yukon Rivers. You may want to use this with friends around a campfire when doing a trip. Most people really enjoyed it. Add a little prize for the first person/team to answer.

All that you need is provided in the blog archive in the right column. Sgt Higgins needs your help!

Check your answer on my facebook page, under events in the left column.

Crime Report
North-West Mounted Police
YUKON TERRITORY
REF NO. 99-12
OLSEN, GEORGE - AUGUST 5, 1899

GOLD BOTTOM DETACHMENT - INVESTIGATING OFFICER: SERGEANT HIGGINS
On August 3, 1899, while on patrol in the Gold Bottom vicinity, I approached George Olsen's claim. The claim is located just above the town site of Gold Bottom which is situated at the confluence of Gold Bottom Creek and Hunker Creek. The purpose of my visit was to make a direct enquiry about a claim dispute related to a large nugget in the possession of Mr. Olsen. I found no one working the claim, so I continued up to the wall tent were Olsen lived when he was at Gold Bottom. I called out his name but got no response. The tent flap was untied so I pushed it to one side and looked in. I found George Olsen lying face up on the floor and a good deal of blood about. I also noted a handgun to the right of the body. On closer examination I determined Olsen was dead; the body was cold.

Then I noted the position of the body and observed the condition and contents of the tent. It was apparent some struggle had occurred but I was not sure if Olsen had taken a fit and shot himself or if it was murder. I then determined to search the body and made the following notes:

Description of the Victim:
• 6'4"
• Approximately 220 pounds
• Muscular build
• About 35 years of age
• Sandy hair with a handle bar mustache
• Blue eyes
• No other distinguishing marks noted

Cause of Death
One gun shot wound entering the right abdomen in an upward direction lodging in the chest cavity. Shot at close range.

Dr. Pare at Fort Herchmer in Dawson is conducting a full autopsy and will submit a separate report. He has already recovered the bullet from the chest cavity of the victim. It was the same calibre and type as the handgun I found at the scene. One bullet was missing from the cylinder. The gun had been recently fired.

Time of Death
A watch found on the body had been damaged by the gunshot. The time piece had stopped at 3:25 a.m. of August 3, 1899. Dr. Pare in conducting a preliminary examination of the body has corroborated my deduction.

Position of the Body
The victim was lying on the floor of the tent, face up in a pool of blood. I deduced that the body was in the same position in which it had fallen. Nothing unusual was found on the body with the exception of a hand written note I found in his shirt pocket and the fact that the gold nugget he always carried was not on his person. Mr. Olsen like many miners was known to carry his prize nugget on his person at all times. His right trouser pocket was pulled out. The pocket was empty.

Evidence at the Scene
The evidence has been removed from the scene and is now located at the Detachment Office.
• A receipt for purchases dated August 2, 1899, lying on the floor near the body with a clear footprint on it.
• There was a candle with smeared finger prints.
• An unsigned, handwritten note referenced the gold nugget (from his shirt pocket).
• A deck of cards bore the name "Frank Davis".

Conclusion
I determined that a murder/theft had been committed at 3:25 a.m., August 3, 1899.

Further action taken:
I loaded the body into Olsen's wagon and hitched up his horse.
I secured the tent and returned to the detachment with the evidence and the victim.
At the detachment I reviewed my notes and from what I had observed I drew up a list of persons who could provide information useful for solving the crime.
• Harry Brackett
• Kitty Moore
• Mrs. Dayton
• Joe Larkin
• Frank Davis

I then drove the wagon to Fort Herchmer in Dawson City, leaving the victim's body with Dr. Pare. I estimated the distance between Olsen's claim and Dawson to be approximately 12 ½ miles. From previous experience traveling on horseback, the trip normally takes 2 hours; by wagon the trip took me 3 hours.

I then interviewed Harry Brackett and Kitty Moore at the Monte Carlo.

A handwriting sample and boot print were obtained from Miss Moore.

On the way out of town I stopped by the N.W.M.P. Town Station and obtained the recent Court Records from Corporal O'Mally. I returned to the Gold Bottom on Olsen's horse and began typing my report before turning in.

On the morning of August 4th, I conducted interviews with Mrs. Dayton, Joe Larkin, and Frank Davis.

I also obtained handwriting and footprint samples from Larkin and Davis.

Signed Sgt. Higgins - N.W.M.P. Gold Bottom Detachment

CSI Klondike: Physical Evidence

CSI Klondike: Suspect Interviews I

Suspect Interviews

North-West Mounted Police
YUKON TERRITORY
Frank Davis | Kitty Moore


Interview with Frank Davis
Date: August 4, 1899
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Gold Bottom - Frank Davis' claim
SH: I noticed you've been doing a clean-up, how's the ground panning out these days, Frank?
FD: Oh it's still pretty good, but not as good as Olsen or Shorty's claim above. You know, when I met Olsen last summer right after he got to Dawson,
he didn't know nothin' about placer mining. It was me that got him started and told him about the claim being open below me. By God! I've had enough of this place,
it's changed with all these new folks comin' in. I'm gonna sell out and move on for somewhere quieter.
SH: I guess a lot of the old timers feel that way, Frank. Can you tell me where you were the night of August 2nd?
FD: I was at the Monte Carlo, playin' a few hands. Olsen was there too, all liquored up and lookin' for a fight. He accused Larkin and me of plotting to get his nugget.
SH: Why would Olsen think you were after his gold?
FD: I know Olsen was digging on my claim. That nugget came out of my paydirt. I tried talking to him, but be wouldn't own up.He just got angry and picked a
fight with me. See what I mean? These new fellas have no sense of honour.
SH: What time did you return to your claim?
FD: Let's see. I remember sayin' "how do" to Mrs. Dayton, on my way through. I guess that would have been around noon on the 2nd.
SH: Where were you in the early morning of August 3rd?
FD: I was still here at the claim.
SH: Well Frank, don't think about leaving until this business is settled. Oh by the way, Frank, did you see Olsen after your scuffle at the Monte Carlo?
FD: Well, yes, I did stop in on the 2nd. I offered to cut the deck for the nugget - let Lady Luck settle things. He offered to blow holes in me so I just left. I was
thinking about taking it up with you boys but I guess it don't matter much now.

Interview with Kitty Moore
Date:August 3, 1899
Time:7:00 p.m.
Location:Monte Carlo Saloon.
SH: Miss Moore, I understand you were seeing a lot of George Olsen.
KM: Yeah, I spent lots of time with George. He liked me and treated me pretty good.
SH: Did you see him the night of August 1st?
KM: Sure I did. Everybody at the Monte Carlo saw us together. That was the night George told me about that French gent he traveled with last year. The two of
them hooked up in Dyea. The deal was, George being pretty handy, he'd help the dandy with packin' their outfits over the Pass and building a scow at Bennett. In r
eturn, the gent lent George money to get through the customs checkpoint. You Mounties were turning stampeders back if they didn't have enough money to
pay duty on a year's worth of supplies. Well, when this fellow heard of George's lucky strike finding that huge nugget, he figured it was a good time to get paid back. He showed up at the claim last week and offered to take the nugget instead of money. I think George said the gent's name was Jacques Hebert.
SH: I'll be sure to check into your story, Miss Moore. Now tell me about the night of August 2nd.
KM: I was working the floor at the Monte Carlo, you know, as usual.
SH: I understand Joe Larkin had a private room that night.
KM: Oh yeah, sure, I did work Joe's party. He asked for me and a couple of the other girls. Lots of the boys were there. They were in and out all night. It was pretty
wild right through till 6 in the morning.
SH: Miss Moore, can you think of any reason why someone would want to kill George Olsen?
KM: Well, aside from the French gent, I guess there was a bit of fuss about who the nugget belonged to. Joe, the hired fella, said George could afford to give it to
him and that after all be spotted it. That old timer, Frank Davis, swears the paydirt came from his claim. But it don't matter. George promised the nugget to me
and I intend to claim it.

CSI Klondike: Suspect Interviews II

North-West Mounted Police
YUKON TERRITORY
Harry Brackett | Joe Larkin | Mrs. Dayton


Interview with Harry Brackett
Date: August 3, 1899
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Dawson City - Monte Carlo Saloon
SH: How are you, Mr. Brackett? Still doing a brisk business at the Monte Carlo?
HB: You betcha, Sergeant. You should drop in sometime you're off duty.
SH: Ah yes, well, maybe you could just tell me about the evening of August 1st.
HB: Well, it's the same every night, the show started at 9 p.m. and went till 1 a.m. You know, singing and a few dance numbers, a couple of dramatic vignettes, nothin' too top hat. Then we stack the chairs and the band strikes up, everybody dances until the musicians quit, about 6 a.m.
Cards are going on all the time in the back room and private parties upstairs.
SH: Is Miss Kitty Moore a popular employee?
HB: Kitty is one of my best entertainers. Especially those love ballads, she really gets the boys going. She dances with the miners for a buck a dance and she's not often sittin' down. Like the other girls she makes sure there's drinks being bought, the girls get a cut from every drink sold. I watch them though, some of 'em have sticky fingers and can lighten a fella's poke in no time. I'm real careful about that, my place is respectable.
SH: Tell me about the fights George Olsen picked with Frank Davis and Joe Larkin on the 1st.
HB: Oh yeah, the three of them were here. Kitty was with Olsen, Davis was at the poker table, and Larkin was getting drunk alone at the bar. Olsen was a steady customer, but whenever he got real drunk he'd get rowdy and mean. That night was no exception. He started with Larkin, then Davis about claim jumping and that damned nugget. I was gonna send for one of your Mounties, but Kitty got him to lay off.
SH: What about the next night?
HB: I think Olsen had taken the wagon back to the claim, but Larkin was still in town. He bought a private room for him and his pals. He asked for Kitty special. They bought lots of liquor I'll tell you. People were coming and going all night. Didn't see much of Larkin down here at the bar, guess he kept to the room. Around closing he and Kitty came down and had a drink down at the end of the bar. They had their heads together for quite a while.
SH: Did you see Larkin after that?
HB: Yeah, he came by for a couple of shots around noon,he was headed out to Gold Bottom.

Interview with Joe Larkin
Date: August 4, 1899
Time: 10:30 a.m.
Location: Gold Bottom - in Joe's room at the Dayton's.
SH: Joe, how long have you known George Olsen?
JL: Since September of '98, when I started working for him. It's hard work this hand mining - but Olsen worked hard, too. Boy he sure had a hot temper.
SH: Tell me about what you were doing over the past few days?
JL: Well, let's see, August 1st I went into Dawson with Olsen for mail, supplies and to pick up some mining equipment that was due in off the steamer. That night we stopped in at the Monte Carlo. Olsen got real drunk, the fool, with Kitty Moore. Then he started in at me and old Frank Davis about that nugget he's always bragging about. It was me that spotted the nugget in the tailings. If Olsen hadn't been standing right by the sluice box I might have just slipped it in my pocket and kept my mouth shut. Anyhow, Brackett was gonna send for one of you fellas when Olsen started to scrap with us, but Kitty settled Olsen down. She's a little bit of a thing, but she knows how to handle us boys pretty good. I left before the last show.
SH: And what about the next day, August 2nd?
JL: That day Olsen and I loaded up the wagon with the mining equipment and most of the supplies. He headed back out to the claim with the wagon. I waited around for the rest of the supplies and the mail. That night I was at the Monte Carlo again. I got me a private room above the dance floor. A bunch of us boys hooted and hollered all night. Kitty Moore and a few of the other girls were there for most of the night, too. Next morning, that's the 3rd, I packed up and headed tack to Gold Bottom. I guess I left Dawson around noon. It took me longer than usual, about four hours. I guess my horse was a little tuckered with the load I was carrying. Course you know when I arrived - you'd already found Olsen.
SH: Anything else you can think of, Larkin, that might help us to catch the murderer?
JL: Well, there is one thing. A visitor came to the claim on July 28, I think it was. Tall, thin fella. Wearing a fancy suit, but he looked pretty down on his luck. He and Olsen went into the tent, I could see from where I was working at the sluice box. I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I could tell Olsen was madder than hell. He pushed that fella right out of his tent. The stranger didn't look too happy, either.

Interview with Mrs. Dayton
Date: August 4, 1899
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Location: Gold Bottom - Dayton's General Merchandise store
(Note: Mrs. Dayton's husband, Bert Dayton, was present at the interview, and corroborated her statement)
SH: How are you managing with Bert laid up these days, Mrs. Dayton?
MD: Oh Lordy, it isn't easy for us with my bad back and Bert's ailment. It's the long days on my feet and the lifting. Bert and I have decided to get the last boat before freeze-up and spend the winter with the family in Winnipeg. We've done well this past season, even though keeping the store stocked has been difficult at times. Condensed milk and eggs are worth their weight in gold.
SH: Tell me about your boarder, Joe Larkin?
MD: Well, young Joe comes from an unfortunate family in Portland. Naturally, like most young men, he's looking to make some money. He started working Mr. Olsen's claim last fall. That's when he started boarding with us. He's a tough lad, keeps to himself.
SH: How did Joe and Olsen get along?
MD: He had a nasty temper, that Mr. Olsen. He bossed Joe around all the time, even though Joe is a real hard worker. Joe asked Mr. Olsen for a raise, hut he didn't get one. They got on, though.
SH: Olsen had been going into town a lot, I've noticed.
MD: Olsen went from rags to riches real fast and that changed him. Lately he'd been sniffin' after that dance hall girl, Kitty Moore. All that kind is after, is to mine the miners. A couple of weeks ago Mr. Olsen brought her out to the claim. He spread his poke over the counter right here, so she could choose a couple of nuggets. I don't think she was too impressed, they were all small ones. I was quite amused, she looked so disappointed.
SH: What about Frank Davis, I believe he's a customer of yours?
MD: Oh sure, Frank's an old customer. Last week, Mr. Davis and Mr. Olsen had a row in front of our store. "That nugget is rightfully mine," shouts Davis. Olsen shouted right hack, "You're bushed old man - the Mounties'll be escorting you outside to the asylum." Ordinarily Frank is a quiet-spoken' man but he certainly said his piece that day. I do wish he'd spend less time at the games table, though.
SH: Did you see Mr. Davis on the 2nd or 3rd?
MD: Oh yes, he passed through here about the time I was preparing Bert's noon meal. That was the 2nd, I'm sure, because it was that night I woke up with the dogs.
SH: Did you now? Tell me about it.
MD: Well, about 3 o'clock that morning, I mean August 3rd, I was asleep in bed but woke up because the dogs were making a terrible racket, like they do when something spooks them. They even woke you, didn't they Bert? Well, finally I got up and let them in to settle them down. I can see up the creek to Mr. Olsen's tent from the back of the store. Inside I could see a light moving around, then it went out. I remember thinking to myself, I wonder what that George Olsen is up to? My goodness, I was shocked to hear he was murdered.

CSI Klondike: Suspect Descriptions

Suspect Descriptions

Harry Bracket
Height: 5'8"
Age: 36 (approx)
Occupation: Proprietor of the Monte Carlo
Marital Status: Unmarried
Physical attributes: Slim Build
Special remarks: Olsen spent most of his time at the Monte Carlo when not on the claim.

Kitty Moore
Height: 5'1"
Age: 25 (approx)
Occupation: Dance Hall Entertainer
Marital Status: Unmarried
Special remarks: Generally thought to be the reason Olsen went to town so often

Mrs. Dayton
Height: 5'3"
Age: 50 (approx)
Occupation: Proprietress of Dayton's General Merchandise, Gold Bottom Town Site
Marital Status: Married
Physical attributes: Heavy set, matronly appearance
Special remarks: Mrs. Dayton is generally acknowledged to know everyone's business in the community

Joe Larkin
Height: 5'11"
Age: 22 (approx)
Occupation: General Labourer for George Olsen at his claim
Marital Status: Unmarried
Physical attributes: Muscular build

Frank Davis
Height: 5'8"
Age: 55 (approx)
Occupation: Gold miner, owner of his own claim above George Olsen
Marital Status: Bachelor
Physical attributes: Stocky, muscular Build; Missing right thumb
Special remarks: Was recently involved in a claim dispute with the deceased

CSI Klondike: Boat Registry

Boat Registry
North-West Mounted Police
YUKON TERRITORY
May 18th, 1898

Boats leaving on their journey from Lake Bennett to Dawson City were number by the NWMP in order to keep track of the people who were expected to reach Dawson. If there was a mishap and the boat did not arrive it would be possible to know who was missing and to contact the next of kin.

Boat #: 23
# in Party: 4
Names of Occupants:
1. Dutch, Bill
2. Dutch, Ed
3. Dutch, Fritz
4. Dutch, John

Boat #: 16
# in Party: 2
Names of Occupants:
1. Olsen, George
2. Hebert, Jacques

Boat #: 46
# in Party: 5
Names of Occupants:
1. White, Dave
3. White, Mary
Davis, Frank
4. Davis, Vida
5. Smith, Mark

Boat #: 2
# in Party: 3
Names of Occupants:
1. Swiftwater, Bill
2. Lamore, Gusse
3. Quigley, Joe

Boat #: 18
# in Party: 3
Names of Occupants:
1. Gusthe, Grech
2. Hootch, Albert
3. Long, Shorty

Boat #: 21
# in Party: 3
Names of Occupants:
1. Miller, Oliver
2. Lumpkin, Webb
3. Lyons, Esther

Boat #: 33
# in Party: 2
Names of Occupants:
1. Red Handed, Mike
2. Adams, John

Dawson City Convict Registry
Date: July, 1899
Frank Davis, found guilty, June 2, 1899, of assault over a gambling incident. Frank Davis owes a very large sum of money. Large man, reserved demeanor,
right thumb missing. Aged 38, carpenter from Vancouver. Given $10.00 fine and sentenced to 30 days hard labour on the wood pile. Time Expired.

Jacques Hebert, found guilty, July 29, 1899, with vagrancy. Slight, aged 30, does not read or write English. From Montreal, Quebec. Serving 30 day sentence
of hard labour, behaviour good.

West Coast Trail: Background Info For Hikers

If you are hiking the West Coast Trail, these notes may help your appreciation of the history and diversity of the trail.

If you would want to add more information for future hikers or add/correct included material, drop me a line.

DONKEY MACHINE
Origin of name uncertain. Some suggest that it did the work of a donkey, others that the heavy steel cables were hitched to donkeys. Used in forest industry. The cables were wound round the steel drums. Cables were wound out and pulled to fallen trees by horses. Once cable was attached to tree, it was winched back. Worked on steam principle.

OWEN POINT
Named for Admiral William Owen, surveyor who mapped coast around 1830.

CULLITE CREEK
From the native word “Kowshet” which referred to elk droppings on the beach there.

FELLING A CEDAR
You may notice notching left in some of the old cedar stumps. The notching was used by loggers to insert boards on which to stand while sawing cedar. This was necessary as the base of cedars flay out and standing above this made it easier and faster to cut.

LOGAN CREEK
Named for David Logan. Logan came to the area to look after cattle for Wm. H. Grove, who had opened a trading post at Clo-oose and raised cattle. He returned to Australia in 1894 when Logan arrived to look after his herd. Grove never returned and Logan assumed his property, built a house, and later added a store and a post office.He was post master and Magistrate for Clo-oose until he died in 1938.

He was also a lineman for a stretch of the tree-to-tree telephone line that ran from Victoria to Cape Beale which needed constant repairs and upkeep. Consequently, he was away from home 6 weeks at a time. He traveled alone except for a dog which always went with him.

WALBRAN CREEK
Named for captain of the Princess Maquinna, one of the supply ships that plied the coast.

BONILLA POINT SHIPWRECK
The wreckage near the waterfall is probably from the Lizzie Marshall which was lost in February 1884. A three masted wooden vessel with a crew of 13. All but one crew member was saved.

Bonilla is Spanish for “high”.

CARMANAH COAL COMPANY
Hole drilled in 1910 at Coal Creek. Camp then moved to Bonilla Point. Original hole at Coal Creek still spills water with a sulphuric content . Therapeutic advantages were highlighted in literature promoting development at Clo-oose.

CARMANAH LIGHTHOUSE
Built in 1891. Planned for Bonilla Point, which protrudes further out than Carmanah. Builders mistook Carmanah for Bonilla. By time error was realized it was decide to keep it at Carmanah.

William Daykin was the original keeper. Kept a daily diary during his tempestuous stay there from 1891 to 1912. His gruff ways often irritated and alienated his superiors. If supply ship was late or did not deliver what he ordered or it spoiled, he was on the phone to Victoria complaining. And he used expletives freely. He did enjoy his spirits, a bottle of scotch each day.

Stay took its toll on family. Wife developed pneumonia and died in Victoria. Youngest son, 17, was killed when the line holding the supply trolley he was riding from the beach to the lighthouse snapped and the he was flung to his death. The other son went hunting with a friend to the Nitinat area. Search party found their boat drifting on lake with all equipment including guns but no boys. Disappearance is still a mystery.

PETROGLYPHS
The images are not freely located. Graffiti by indifferent hikers of an important spiritual and historical location for First Nation peoples , has resulted in the site being hidden from hikers. If you should happen upon it, make very effort not to deface or walk on the fragile images. They are cut into sandstone and very vulnerable to hiking boots walking over them.

Images carved in stone. Those at Stanley Beach are not possible to date with the exception of the vessel, “Beaver”. It was constructed for the Hudson Bay Company in England and sailed over to the west coast where it was fitted with a side wheel. It made one trip passed this stretch of coast and that was in 1836.

NITINAT LAKE
One of only two tidal lakes (levels determined by tide) in the world. The other one is also in BC at Pitt Lake (near Vancouver)

A cannery was located near the opening to the sea. Pilings which held the cannery can be seen from Nitinat crossing. It was built in 1917 to provide economic opportunity for area. Chinese from Victoria were boated in the provide labour. Overfishing led to its closure in 1921. Restarted temporarily, but finally closed 1931. The largest canoe ever built (72’/28m) was from a cedar behind the cannery. It proved to be unseaworthy.

TSUQUADRA VILLAGE & CAVES
Population wiped out in smallpox epidemic in late 1800s. All but one died. Burial was in caves at west end of beach. Natives buried dead in boxes facing east. Corpses were left sitting up with heads above the boxes. Scavenging of these burial sites by hikers over the years has led to the area’s closure.

Remains of communal house posts still evident.

TSUSIAT FALLS/LAKES
It means “where the water runs down always”. The region of lower lakes was where natives felled cedar trees for their canoes. They were roughed out there, then either lowered by rope over the falls or skidded over to Hole in the Wall and paddled over to Whyac at the Nitinat Narrows for completion.

KLANAWA
Area between the lineman’s cabin and the cable car crossing on the southern side was a native burial ground. The dead here were suspended from the trees.

TRESTLE CREEK
The anchor here is believed to be from the Janet Cowan.


VALENCIA: BACKGROUNDER
Left San Francisco for Seattle – Victoria return, early January 1906. Poor weather. Readings from sun and stars not possible. Navigational instrumentation very limited in those days. Captain based his position on dead reckoning (speed of ship, current, and time determines position). Acceptable tool at the time. Unfortunately did not factor in that Japanese current faster in winter than other seasons. Thus Valencia was farther north than anticipated on rainy, foggy, and stormy evening of January 6th. Captain looking for Juan de Fuca Strait which would lead him to Seattle. Dead reckoning placed him at the opening of the strait, yet soundings (depths in correspondence to his navigational charts) did not make sense. Around midnight it hit the shelf. He ordered engines reversed before the ship was pushed higher on to the shelf and recovery impossible. He extricated the vessel from the shelf only to find that the hull had been torn open and water was being taken in quickly. Between a rock and a hard place, he ordered the ship run up on to the shelf to prevent the vessel from sinking in open water. The ship was but 30 yards/10 meters from ominous cliffs.

" I was in my bunk asleep. I got up at once and went on deck. It was thick dark, sleeting and blowing a stiff breeze. I could not see any light. I went back and got my clothes. By that time the passengers were getting out of their rooms and most of them had life preservers on.

At the time the engines were working, but I don't know which way. The chief officer told me to clear away the boats, which I did. The deck was crowded and it was so dark I could not tell the crew from passengers. We only carried eight sailors and four quartermasters. We had seven boats and three rafts. The captain shouted from the bridge to lower all boats to the saloon rail and keep them there, but the four forward boats were lowered all the way; most of them were full of passengers and there was a strain on the tackles. Of those four boats, only one, No. 2, got away from the ship's side. There was a heavy sea running, breaking almost to the bridge, and I am doubtful if those boats could have got away even in daylight.

The captain turned the searchlight all around. I saw No. 2 boat off at some little distance, then someone pulled the whistle and the electric lights went out. I saw No. 1 boat smash alongside. There would be 15 or 20 people in her. I had a ladder thrown over, also some ropes and I saw one man climb aboard. At that time, the Valencia took a heavy list to port and No. 7 boat was lowered. I saw the firemen's mess boy in No. 6 boat. She got away from the ship's side.
One raft was also put overboard. There were at the time several people in the rigging and the rest on the hurricane deck. Some rockets were then assuring the passengers that they would be all right. At the same time the social hall and the weather side of the saloon were the only dry places on the ship"

Boatswain T.J. McCarthy gives his account before the Coroner's jury in Victoria.

Read the full story of this tragedy.

LIFE SAVING TRAIL
The high number of shipwrecks along this stretch of coast resulted in a call for some kind of maintained trail to assist survivors and to help rescuers reach them. The high cost of constructing and maintaining such a trail was not viewed as cost efficient by the government in lieu of the small number of deaths and infrequent emergencies. After the Valencia, the commission which investigated the tragedy, recommended that a life saving trail be built. Public pressure resulted in the government authorizing its construction.

Work began in 1907. The road was 12’/3.5m wide and ran for 15.5 miles/25 km from Bamfield before construction was stopped in 1910 near Shelter Bight (location of Valencia grounding). The slow pace and the huge cost resulted in a decision to proceed with the construction of a narrower trail to Nitinat (1911) and ultimately to Carmanah (1912).

The donkey machine marks the spot were the road ended. It actually was not part of the road construction but was landed in 1912 at Shelter Bight and skidded up the draw onto the road and hauled to it present site. What it was used for? No one seems to know.

DARLING RIVER
The steel plates which can be seen at the mouth are from the Uzbekistan, a Russian freighter that went aground during WWII .

MICHIGAN CREEK
The boiler from the Michigan 1893 , just west of the creek, can be reached at low tide.

PACHENA LIGHT
Built 1907 in response to Valencia. Lit in May 1908. Glass lens measures 3m [10’] tall, 2.5 m wide [8’], weighs 400 kg [900 lbs]. Brought round Cape Horn. Puts out 1000 watt bulb/4 million candlepower and is visible from Olympic Peninsula.