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Dale K. Allen - Pasayten Trip, February 1941
Chester Marler graciously sent me this typescript, which he said was typed by Dale Allen's wife. The account is untitled and is "signed" by both Dale Allen and Walt Anderson at the end. The top of the first page says "Okanogan, Washington, Winter, 1941." This suggests that the account may have been written by Walt Anderson, who moved to Okanogan from Wenatchee in the late 1930s (ww-1936-Dec-16-p7). Anderson frequently wrote articles about skiing for the Wenatchee World during this period.On February 2, 1941, Dale Allen and Walt Anderson left Robinson Creek on the Methow River with Roy Roberson, who had never skied before. The skied up the Rattlesnake Creek road to a snow survey cabin near Harts Pass. The following day they skied over Harts Pass and down to Barron. Roberson made it to the pass without falling, but on the descent he spilled and sprained an ankle. On February 4, Roberson continued down Slate Creek "with his skis, Klister wax, triangular bandages and blue streaks of something or other about skiers in general." Anderson and Allen climbed to the Newlite Mine, left their packs in a cabin where they would spend the night, and skied unburdened to visit the Gourlie family at Windy Pass. The author was aware of Bill Long's 30-day visit to the Gourlies earlier that winter. The Gourlies showed them great hospitality and told them the best way to descend into the Pasayten Valley. Neither Allen nor Anderson had been over this section before, except by airplane.
On February 5, Allen and Anderson skied over Windy Pass and down the West Fork Pasayten River to Three Forks Cabin. The next day they skied to the old Pasayten Guard Station, 2-1/2 miles south of the Canadian border. The snow there was only eight inches deep in the open. On the 7th, they fought difficult snow conditions to the shelter below Hidden Lakes, cooked some vegetable bouillon, then continued to the Ptarmigan Cabin, which was well stocked with food. The following day they travelled 18 miles down the Lost River, over Lucky Pass, and over Eightmile Pass to the end of the Eightmile Creek road. They spent an easy day on February 9, skiing up Billy Goat Mountain and to the Carr cabin. On the morning of Monday, the 10th, they skied 17 miles down the Eightmile Creek road and caught a CCC fuel truck to Winthrop, covering the entire distance in less than four hours.
This account refers to photographs and a food/equipment list which are not included. The author writes that (in 1941, presumedly) Allen and Anderson had 46 years of skiing experience between them.
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