CHAPTER
10
KEITH SMITH AND DAGGETT COUNTY TRANSPORTATION Close calls were inevitable when driving the dirt roads in winter. She had to 'make a run at' a muddy hill four or five times. In a spring storm, the old bridge was not only heaving sideways but also up and down, wind had blown some of the boards off. . . and she abruptly brought the car to a halt. —DIANA ALLEN KOURIS
JL he people of the Daggett country have always been travelers. Indians traveled to trade and h u n t , trappers r o a m e d in search of beaver, and ranch families journeyed to distant towns to sell livestock or buy supplies. Modern residents think nothing of making a onehundred-mile round-trip to visit the doctor or go shopping. It is a country of vast distances where taking a child to school can turn into an adventure. It is also a tortured landscape of snowcapped m o u n tains, rugged canyons, spring m u d , and sudden storms. By foot, horseback, boat, or automobile, travel has never been easy. Moving people, parcels, livestock, and lumber has been an ongoing challenge that continues to shape the region. 1 The distance from 224
