Last week, Joe started working for a logging contractor on the hillside behind Mile 52 above the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway mainline.
Once the log or logs were ready to be skidded down the hill to the landing area, a separate cable called "the snub-line" was secured to the main wire cable just in front of where the first log was attached.
The horse-driver or teamster would grasp the other end of the snub-line. When the time came to have the horse haul a load of logs down the trail, he would give the command to the horse to start pulling. The train of logs or single log would begin moving down the mountain skid-trail under the power of the horse. The teamster would follow behind the first log.
This was sometimes a dangerous job, as the man had to run along the side of the trail, following the first log, sometimes having to vault over windfalls and stumps along the way while hanging onto the snub-line. The teamster would be watching carefully on the steep portions of the skidding track to see if the first log was starting to go faster than the horse. When this happened he would spot the nearest tree-stump up ahead and quickly loop the snub-line around the stump and hang on.
This would never stop the log but could be used to slow down its forward movement. As the first log pulled on the snub-line the teamster would let the line slip through the fingers of his gloves. This operation would have to be repeated whenever the logs showed signs of shooting. That's when the logs started to pass the horse. If the horse and teamster worked well together they could avoid a pile-up at the bottom of the hill.
Joe worked for the first four days at the landing where he would roll the skidded timbers onto a log deck, with a long-handled peavey, where they could easily be loaded onto a dray, or a wagon with skids instead of wheels.
Each loaded dray was pulled down the snow-covered trails to the various sawmills by a separate team of horses.
On Joe's fifth day he was given a sharp axe and a small Swede-saw, and was instructed to hike up to the head of the main skid trail and start clearing out an extension. When Joe reached the top of the skid-way he started his task by blazing a new trail in a straight line up the hill. He had only been working for half an hour when he noticed some fresh animal tracks in the snow crossing his trail.
At first Joe thought the tracks were moose, but the pattern was laid out in a different sequence. On closer inspection and much to his horror, the tracks, that measured at least eighteen inches in length, showed a definite heel mark as well as five very human looking toes. Joe followed the tracks for a few yards. They led in the general direction of Ben Sanders trap-line.
Once again he examined the tracks in the snow. Then, Joe swallowed hard and looked over his shoulder.
In the next episode, Footprints in the snow, will Joe find the meaning of life? Will Joe find a Sasquatch?
