Frémont, January 28, 1844:
Snow and broken country together made our traveling difficult; we were often compelled to make large circuits, and ascend the highest and most exposed ridges, in order to avoid snow, which in other places was banked up to a great depth.

To-night we did not succeed in getting the Howitzer into camp. This was the most laborious day we had yet passed through; the steep ascents and deep snow exhausting both men and animals.

Frémont, January 29, 1844:
We followed a trail down a hollow where the Indians had descended, the snow being so deep that we never came near the ground; but this only made our descent the easier, and, when we reached a little affluent to the river at the bottom [Deep creek], we suddenly found ourselves in the presence of eight or ten Indians. The principal stream [Walker River] still running through an impractical cañon , we ascended a very steep hill, which proved afterwards the last and fatal obstacle to our little howitzer, which was finally abandoned at this place.

The present built road descends into Deep Creek via substantial cuts. Frémont's descent, because of deep snow, was along the top of the descending spur, arriving at a point where he had a view of the river still bound between canyon walls with no bottom upon which to travel.

Download Frémonts full account of the days January 25-29, 1844.