Rebecca Ketcham

August 1, 1853

Started this morning about five o'clock without breakfast, the result of which has been low spirits and gloomy feeIings Being on the banks of a stream our road ran for some little distance through the valley, then came to the hills agnin. The horses were hours coming about 6 miles, perhaps 8. The morning was very cold. Camilla and I were glad to walk over the first hill to get warm if possible We had several to go over. The 2nd we went up and the last we came down I thought went a little ahead of anything I had walked yet, notwithstanding I thought the climax capped a few days ago. The men thought that "cap" worse for the horses than the one of today. In going up the 2nd one I almost despaired ever getting to the top: sat down and rested several times, and once threw my shawl on the ground and lay down on it to gather strength to proceed. My head ached and I began to feel badly enough. In ascending one hill the road wound round in the gorge between two hills. I am sure no horsee ever thought of drawing a wagon through another place like it. In one place a large rock had fallen into the road and there was just room for the carraige to pass between that and the rocks on the other side. We have not yet passed along any very frightful pretipices, for the hills all slope off in such a way that the fearful appearance is taken away. Down the side of the worst one we passed today the flax grew in great abundance.

Kaiser, Leo M and Priscilla Knuth. "From Ithaca to Clatsop, Part II." pg 368-369.