The following experience in Dry Gulch in Blacksmith Fork Canyon is taken from the journal of James A. Hovey:

“I spent the winter of 1877 with other men in Blacksmith Fork Canyon getting out railroad ties for Coe and Carter. Coe and Carter had a contract with the Union Pacific Railroad Company to furnish railroad ties. They had a camp or headquarters just below where the present Peterson (Hardware) ranch is.

In February of that winter a big thaw came and a snow slide and nearly buried our camp. We had a shack built in the side of the slope of Dry Gulch, about seven miles east of the Curtis Ranch, later, the Hardware Ranch. We did not go out to work that particular morning the slide came as it was snowing considerably. We were playing cards and said when we dealt one more hand around and played it we would go. Just as we got the cards dealt the snow slide came. It seemed the whole mountain was moving down upon us with an awful roar and then a great rush of wind and snow. The wind from the snow slide blew all our cards off the table and up the old chimney up the side hill. We heard a man scream that a man and horse were buried. We scrambled out and heard the man yell. We dug him out with our shovels.

A little lower down the Gulch the slide had struck another shack more squarely and the shack had caved in and killed a man. The shack had heavy saplings laid across it for a roof and when these fell on this particular man he was crushed to death. There was considerable excitement. It was a wonder more were not killed, as there was a group in this shack playing cards. The body was taken to the headquarters and buried near by. The grave may be seen to this day just west of the present Peterson Ranch near the roadside. The man was from Kansas. Some of his friends who were also from Kansas left immediately as they had had enough of the mountains and snow slides. They said they would rather have Cyclones than snow slides. They were plainsmen and not used to the mountains.

We boys struck out for the Curtis Ranch, (Hardware Ranch) about seven miles down the canyon. After dinner we started to walk for our homes, about twenty-five miles away. It was 4:00 p.m. For the night we stopped at an old sawmill about fifteen miles down the canyon. While going down the canyon we crossed nine snow slides. We arrived home at 9:00 a.m. for breakfast. We never went back for any of our outfit as we knew it would soon be taken.”