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The following homesteading story will probably be a free ‘teaser’ for an ebook version of the book of my mother’s writing, ‘Mildred’s Mountain’:

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December 15, 1959 Tuesday

*Notes:  More of same work today at the log house as yesterday: iron, wash, vac and teach.  Had the water cans all filled and everyone ready to go when Bill got home.  Loaded Jeep and all – then to Market for groceries and on the road at 6:00 P.M..

*Little did we know – didn’t get HOME until 1:30 in the morning!!!

Tuesday night.  What a night!!

I had planned for us to eat dinner when we got back to the homestead – so that we could leave the log house earlier.  As it turned out we never had any dinner unless you could count a cold sandwich in front of the fire at the half way point on our road at midnight.  No, we had no dinner.

It took ages for Bill to load the two-wheel trailer.  We couldn’t even get the Jeep up the first tiny stretch of road we usually go up.  Snow was so deep it hit the underneath part of the Jeep – oh, it was cold and clear.

Finally we all loaded onto the trailer but only for one minute – Bill insists we get out and walk up that first steep hill.

My, the snow was deep.  It had snowed quite a few inches since Monday morning.  It was all we could do to climb up the hill – then back into the trailer again.  I had brought two blankets and we made a kind of tent out of them and sitting close together we were quite warm – so the snow from the overhanging branches and trees bent over from their heavy burden of snow – didn’t fall on us directly.

All was slow but sure until we hit that one miserable hill that has given Bill so much trouble.  He tried it four times with no luck so then we all unloaded and Bill told us to walk ahead.

Even John who adores Alaska – tonight was fed up.  Says when he’s grown he will move to a warm place.  Linda felt ill she was so cold.  Sharon and Cindy never complained once but I could feel Sharon’s body trembling and Cindy tried to warm her feet over the fire – No dinner – and 1:30 A.M.

Still couldn’t get it up!!  Over and over he tried – oh, such grueling work for so late and cold a night.  Thank goodness for the moon light which helped lighten the road.

We waited and waited – hoping and praying – not wanting to turn back and yet dreading the thought of going ahead – a half mile up the mountain at this hour.  The snow was deep and even though the children were warmly dressed they were not dressed for sub-zero weather or to go hiking up a mountain in deep snow – already cold and no dinner.

Our baby kittens were up there too and we had to feed them.  Bill thought if given time he could repair the tractor which a part had broken on in the struggle to get it up over the frozen earth.

I decided we’d wait and see.  I gathered sticks and wood from the brittle alder trees and Bill poured a small amount of gasoline on them – soon we had a crackling fire.  I got the two blankets and spread them in front of the fire.  The high banks on the road sheltered us some.  I got bread and ham out of the trailer and chocolate bars, donuts and coffee (which we carry with us).

For a few minutes it was nice but really lent little heat and warmth – but psychologically it seemed cozier and gave them a bright glow to warm their hearts.  They ate and it diverted their minds from themselves.

After a quick bite to eat Bill went back and worked so hard.

Such a long time – we had no watch and couldn’t tell how long but I knew it was past midnight.  I remembered seeing Thomas pass us at the foot of the mountain on his way home at about 9:30 and I knew he was home and asleep.

We looked around at the weird shapes the snow had made out of fallen logs, etc.  We were in the ‘ghost forest’ and it was not beautiful as it is below and above.  Our place is a beautiful sight in the snow – each tree lovelier than the other.  But here in the alder forest it was cold, bleak and disheartening.

It took all my time to keep the fire burning and get the children to walk around – keep moving and all.

Just as I wondered if it would ever make it we heard a roar and there was “Oliver.”  The rest of the ride up the Mountain was a nightmare.  Wet and cold we sat – not caring any longer if the snow fell on us or not.  It no longer mattered.

Sharon, exhausted, fell asleep in my arms.  It was all we could do to sit up on the steep hills – the boxes, oil, water cans all fell backwards – almost pushing us out of the trailer.  And me with the heavy child asleep in my arms had to keep all thoughts of staying in trailer.

On each hairpin switchback Bill had to plow the snow over and over and push it off into a corner – back and forth – and it’s no easy job to back up with the trailer in back of him – and no easy job to remain in the trailer.

Slow, oh so slow we crept through the deep snow homeward.  Finally we reached the upper hills and there sat our Palace – and such it seemed to us that night.  Warmth awaited us – soon we’ll have a wood fire blazing and cocoa heating on the stove and our cold, wet clothes off.

1:30 A.M. – Could it be possible that it took us six and a half hours to come 15 miles from the log house in Eagle River?  No wonder Sharon fell right back to sleep.  The others now had a second wind and babbled and laughed – having quickly recovered from the ordeal.  Now they were home.

Bill refused to go to bed – oil to pump and then he’d leave.  He said if he ever laid down he would never wake up for 10 hours.  He would go back to the log house – clean up, eat, get a cat nap and go to work – to work for 12 hours.

“Oh no darling you can’t – You’ll be sick! – Please come to bed and rest.”

His mind was made up.  I went to bed and was asleep in minutes and never woke up until 10:00 A.M. when children woke.  He’ll stay at log house Wednesday night – and I hope sleep well and then come up here Thursday.

P.S. When we got home – two gigantic moose stood, as sentinels, on the hill behind our house – they just stood and stared and watched us.

Bill said to me, after I queried whether now he wished he were back in California.  “No, even with all this tonight – I feel more alive here than I ever did back there in that smog.”

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