A Muddy Hike

 

 

We took a short hike south of Drumheller

on May 23, 1955, and soon after I made the

following record of what happened.

 

 

[Bill, Bob, and Earl Barton were 12, 10, and 8 years respectively.
Bob Brennand was 14, and I was 11 years old.]

 

 

 

Bill Barton, Bob Barton, and Earl Barton all wanted to go out on a hike, so Bob and I took them on one.

 

It was a nice day, not very hot, and not very many clouds, but two days before, there had been a heavy thundershower.  Bob and I knew that there would be very muddy hills ahead of us. 

 

As we walked the way we go to the poultry farm we thought that we might as well climb Toeshacks hill and then come back.  But when we climbed Toeshacks hill, we decided to go on till we found an old foundation, but we just looked around and went on.  The Bartons were getting tired, but we went on and on. [I realize that my attitude at this time says more about me than the Bartons.]

 

We went on to Hooky Players Inn.  We stayed there for a little while, but finally went on.  We started to hurry because we had left at 3 o'clock and had to be home at 6 o'clock. 

 

Then I took a run for lovers chair that was half way up the hill.  I slipped and fell because I was in such a hurry.  Then I sat down on the chair.  Bob jumped down on top of the chair and then it started to fall. 

 

What should I do, the seat was falling and weighed about 100 pounds.  If my leg was underneath, it would be squashed, and if Bob would fall and break his neck, how would the ambulance reach us?  [The broad, flat rock had come loose in the mud, and slid down about 1 1/2 feet.]

 

But as soon as I felt it falling, and no rock or chair under me, I got on my feet and jumped out of the way.  I put my hands against the hill and got them all muddy.   I looked behind me and Bob was still on the chair.  He had stayed with the chair all the way until it hit the ground or mud. 

 

I said that at least I was the last one to sit on the chair, and Bob said that he was the last one to stand on lovers chair. 

 

Then we went on over the muddy hill.  Bob just about got down, but he went back up.  He helped Earl a little, while I got down, I was the first one down.  Then came Bob, Billy, then Bob and Earl.

 

 

 

 

 

hookp-in.gif (27kb)

 

 

This is a 1956 photo taken of an old mining structure which offered shade and was known as hooky-players-inn.  (This photo was not taken on a school day)

On our hike, we climbed over the hill where the arrow points to lovers chair.  The chair is on this side of the hill, but it is not identifiable. [ About 50 years later I returned and was unable to identify the slab we knew as the seat of the chair. ]

 

 

We were all mud men.  Then we went to the creek and washed our hands.  We decided to clean our pants at wadding rock.  As we went along, we jumped off the sides of the creek into the creek bottom. 

 

When we got to wading rock, we cleaned ourselves off.  Bob took a big weed, dipped it in the creek and rubbed it against his pants.  Bob had shoes on, but the rest of us had rubber boots. 

 

Finally, we all started home.  We thought of what our excuses would be.  We all took our turn saying something funny, but we decided to tell the truth.  When we got home, we just had to change.

 

 

 

 

back to diary of a 10 year old boy (click on 1955 entries).