It was November 14, 1906, a cold, but bright sunshiny day at the south rim of Grand Canyon. Business was slow at the new Kolb studio that Emery and Ellsworth built two years earlier at the head of the trail leading into the depths of the gorge. As customers were few it meant that income for the two brothers and Blanche, Emery's wife of one year, was little to nothing, forcing them to live on a scant budget. Blanche scraped and saved enough to buy what food she could. They ate little meat of any kind except what the boys were able to kill on frequent hunts into the forest back from the canyon rim. Thus the situation called for a hunting trip.

The men marshaled a couple of friends, and sitting in front of the kitchen stove that night planned their trip. Blanche sat close by in her rocker darning a pair of Emery's socks. The trip would take them across the Colorado River and up the trail to the north rie where there were plenty of deer and they would find enough to supply each of them with meat to hold them through the winter and into spring when business would pick up.

Emery and Ellsworth Kolb, Clarence Spaulding and Howard Noble, both of whom worked for Ralph Cameron, spent the next three days in the canyon rounding up and breaking wild burros to use as pack animals. By the end of the day on November 16, five burros and one colt were corralled and broken sufficiently to carry a pack. The animals could by no means be considered tame, and the men expected trouble before they reached their destination on the north rim.

With all the necessary supplies and equipment including sufficient rifles and ammunition, and naturally Emery's assortment of cameras with ample film, the burros were packed and ready to start. As it was mid-afternoon they could make only a short trip and led the caravan along the trail toward Pipe Creek for their first camp. Conversation consisted of foolish banter between the four hunters. Jokes interspersed between yells at the half-tamed burros seemed to shorten the distance. Clarence spotted a young colt tagging along at a safe distance behind them. From the actions of one of the pack animals he was certain it belonged to her. Though it was fast getting dark they took time out to catch the offspring to take along.

While the sky was still bright and clear a cold wind blew through the canyon as they set up camp near the head of the trail leading off the plateau. The heat of the camp fire felt good but they all turned up their coat collars to keep the wind from blowing down their necks. This helped some, but the warmth of their sleeping bags was more inviting. Before he went to bed Ellsworth by the light of the last embers of the fire recorded in his notebook, "Caught a scrub colt belonging to burro. Took it along."

The next morning a few heavy-looking storm clouds pushed their way above the north rim. By ten o'clock everything was packed and the trip to the river began. It was hard work getting the burros down the steep narrow trail and they all rested when they reached the river.

The only way to cross the Colorado River was by boat and this was risky business because of the rapid below the mouth of Bright Angel Creek. The men kept a small collapsible canvas boat tied well above the high water mark for the purpose of making such trips. While Ellsworth and Howard managed the animals, Emery and Clarence launched the craft. With Emery at the oars and Clarence holding the gear the first trip across the river began. Catching a back current caused by the rapid downstream Emery applied the oars. The force of the water took them upstream and toward the center of the river. After this the flow of the water caught them and pushed the boat downriver. Emery guided using the oars as a rudder as well as additional power.

Getting the burros across was another matter. The young colt after a brief struggle rode across in the boat. The grown animals had to swim. This turned into a tug of war. Howard pulled hard and the burro set his front feet firmly in the sand and refused to budge. They started over. Again the action repeated itself. This time Ellsworth applied a good kick in the rear and the burro's brakes gave way and Howard and the animal both slid unceremoniously into the cold muddy water. It took fourteen trips before Emery pulled up on the north bank of the river the last time.

By this time the clouds looked ominous and the weather turned colder. To protect the animals from the biting cold they covered them with blankets brought along for the purpose. Even the campfire did little to warm them on a night like this.

During the next two days the party worked their way up Bright Angel Canyon toward the north rim. The twists and turns of the creek and the steep walls on each side forced them to wade the cold clear water seventy-three times. The burros grew weaker as they pressed on for they were not used to the bitter cold. The trail became steep and difficult as they made their way up the switchbacks to the top of the blue lime.

On the night of November 21 Ellsworth entered in his journal, "Packed at 10. Hard pull to top of trail. Arrived 12:30. Heavy timber. Burros scattered. . . ." The trouble anticipated, happened. First one animal broke away and ran and then the others took off in various directions. Howard and Clarence with lassos ran through the snow after them. Clarence tripped over a fallen branch and fell head on. He got to his feet cursing and sputtering, then off he went again. Emery and Ellsworth headed in another direction to keep the animals from the canyon rim. The episode took an hour but with everything under control at last the four men rested. The entry in the journal continued: " . . . Hard traveling 4 miles to lake. Camped at 4 P M. Went back to rim 1-1/2 miles and built fire for signal . . . ." Emery had instructed Blanche to watch through the telescope installed in the studio so she would know they had arrived at the north rim safely. The report ended with . . . Poor feed for burros. Ice 4 in thick on lake. Saw 1 grouse, 4 calves."

The storm on the north rim now raged and snow piled deeper. Emery took his gun and headed to Greenland Point where he saw 45 does and four bucks. How could he miss? He raised his rifle and fired. The first shot missed and the deer scattered. The second and third shots fell short. His fourth try proved more successful. He hit a three point buck in the throat and broke its backbone. The sleek gray animal ran a few feet then fell in the snow. By the next day eight inches of new snow covered the ground and it was necessary to move the burros down into a draw where there was less accumulation. To keep them from starving Emery dug away through the icy covering and pine needles to find enough grass for them to graze. Even with this the burros were getting weaker and the men added to their diet biscuits and raw potatoes from their own supply of food.

Again on November 24, Ellsworth wrote, "Very cold and snowing." The camp tent sagged with the weight and they were forced to clean it off several times throughout the night. Once during this operation Howard heard the distinctive growls of mountain lions close by and the following morning tracks were discovered in the shallow snow covering beneath a tree a few feet from the tent. Further away were the remains of a deer partially devoured the night before.

To Emery photography was an important part of the trip. Pictures could be sold at the studio providing he could get good ones. Taking great care he started out with his camera and a supply of film. Deer were everywhere so there was little problem in locating a subject. Finally in a swale he discovered four beautiful does and a buck grazing and resting. He worked his way around so that he was downwind taking care not to frighten them. Slowly he crept forward sometimes even sliding on his belly until he managed to get within seventy-five feet. The click of the shutter startled his prey and they at once became alert then with no more sound they returned to their grazing. Emery wound the film forward and once again he took his picture. A slight change of the wind alerted the animals of his presence and they bounded off through the trees. Emery had his pictures but when he developed his film at the studio the background was displeasing and he decided they were not good enough to sell.

Thanksgiving Day passed without notice until evening. Clarence, Howard and Ellsworth spent the day cutting up the meat they had accumulated and packing hides ready for the trip home. Emery busied himself finding and cutting grass, placing it in sacks for the burros to eat. Ellsworth stood so long in the wet snow cutting up meat that his feet froze forcing him to cut holes in his shoes so he could walk. The entry in the log for the day ended with "Flock of wild geese overhead. Weather below zero."

The trip home began November 30. The burros, each carrying about fifty pounds moved slowly through the deep snow toward the rim. The trail was narrow and the men feared some of the burros would have trouble but after a short distance the snow turned to slush giving better footing. Everything went along well until the big colt loaded with his pack decided to get ahead and made an effort to pass. The attempt proved fatal. With the narrowness of the path and the bulging pack on both animals the colt was pushed off the edge and fell two hundred feet onto a ledge below.

Three hunters worked their way over the edge leaving one on the trail to secure the four remaining burros. Climbing down over the icy canyon wall was difficult, but after an hour on the snow- covered ledge they brought the meat and supplies carried by the ill fated burro back to the trail and the journey continued.

It seemed the travelers were beset with trouble. Farther along on an exceptionably bad section of the trail a second burro met an untimely end when the breaching broke and the animal fell, again forcing a climb off the trail to recover the pack. Losing two burros made it necessary for each man to shoulder additional weight. Ellsworth continued in his notes ; ". . . Carried two loads into camp on our backs. Howard looks like a burro. Feet sore, weather cold but no snow."

With a good supply of venison and sore feet the four men climbed to the rim on December 5, where Emery and Ellsworth found plenty of snow, a nice warm fire, and friends from the east awaiting them.

[ Grand Canyon Home | Grand Canyon Pioneers Society | To top of article | Index of GCPS Articles ]

Copyright © Grand Canyon Pioneers Society, 1999, all rights reserved. This publication and its text and photos may not be copied for commercial use without the express written permission of the Grand Canyon Pioneers Society, PO Box 2372, Flagstaff, AZ 86003-2372.