In these mountains, losing one’s horse means total helplessness.

Evidence

Page 188 parted for a time from my faithful pony, as Clear Creek Canyon, which leads from it to Idaho, is entirely monopolized by a narrow-gauge railroad, and is inaccessible for horses or mules. To be without a horse in these mountains is to be reduced to complete helplessness. My great wish was to see Green Lake, situated near the timber line above Georgetown (said to be the highest town in the United States), at a height of 9,000 feet. A single day took me from the heat of summer into the intense cold of winter. — Isabella L. Bird, A Lady’s Life in the Rocky Mountains, 206

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the book’s recurring motif that mobility in the Rockies depends wholly on horseflesh; echoes the pony-loss passages elsewhere in the journey.
• CANDY: One day’s ride took her from summer heat into winter cold, near the highest town in the United States.