Miller wrote that, “‘No primrose road of dalliance’ met our eyes” as they made their way up into the lake country following the rendezvous. “We scrambled over rocks, through briars and brushwood, crossed rapid streams and ascended steep acclivities. We at last found ourselves on the borders of these beautiful Lakes, and were richly repaid for all our difficulties.”
A group of about twenty Crow Indians “dogged” the party along the way, made more worrisome because several of the Indians apparently “had some cause of grievance with one of our party.” The trappers loudly cursed them along the way, but the Indians, not understanding the “fierce expletives in French” knew only that they were being denounced. “At length we rid ourselves of them by riding at night and crossing some mountain Torrents, thereby losing the trail for them.”
The reward was this spectacular view: “From immense sheets of clear water, mountains rose back of mountains, each higher than the other, until the highest terminated in needle points of solid granite, covered with snow.” Miller, a young and still inexperienced artist, despaired of capturing the moment: “The sketch, although conveying some idea, must of necessity fall short of the enchanting reality,” he concluded. (Ross, 1968, text accompanying plate 81)
Ron Tyler
