A surveyor and trader for the Northwest Company comes across tracks 1811

Buck's Podcast

Once upon a time, on January 7th, 1811, David Thompson, a surveyor and trader for the Northwest Company, was attempting to cross the Rocky Mountains near the present day site of Jasper, Alberta. Thompson kept a daily journal, (see T.C. Elliott, "Journal of David Thompson," Oregon Historical Quarterly, 15 (March-June 1914) Thompson also published a work called the "Narrative", which was based on his journals' saw the track of a large Animal - has 4 large Toes abt 3 or 4 In long & a small nail at the end of each. The Bal of his foot sank abt 3 In deeper than his Toes - the hinder part of his foot did not mark well. The whole is about 14 In long by 8 In wide & very much resembles a large Bear's Track. It was in the Rivulet in about 6 In snow."40 years later, when he expanded upon this experience in his "Narrative", he wrote" January 7th. continuing our journey in the afternoon we came on the track of a large animal, the snow about six inches deep on the ice; I measured it; four large toes each of four inches in length, to each a short claw; the ball of the foot sunk three inches lower than the toes. the hinder part of the foot did not mark well, the length fourteen inches, by eight inches in breadth, walking from north to south, and having passed about six hours