The Dillon McKinnon story continues: Daughter of man in hunting party comes forward

By Marlys Good

When the April 3 issue went out to subscribers, I got a call from Sylva Schaffer at about 11 a.m. She had read the front-page story titled, “The tale behind the tombstone,” and immediately called to let me know that her father, the late Ed Schaffer, who was just 17 in 1932, was good friends with Dillon McKinnon, and the he, along with two other teenagers and an adult, had been in the hunting party on the Big Horns when Dillon disappeared in the terrible blizzard that cost the young teen his life. Years after that tragedy, when Sylva was a teenager, or perhaps a bit older, her father had told her about that terrible hunt. And Sylva had chronicled those memories recounted by her father. 

She and her sister, Mary Scharen Clucas came out Sunday morning and we spent a delightful time getting reacquainted, and Sylva and Mary talked about the memories that Sylva had chronicled.

Usually when you write a story, or an article, you may write a sequel. In this Dillon McKinnon story, no more mystery; we use Sylva’s notes, but I have added thoughts and feelings that might have been going through the minds of those teenagers who survived the ordeal.

This is what happened that October 90 years ago:

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In 1932, the Shaffers were living on the Nowood River above Manderson. Uncle Bob Morris and his family were living in a house west of the Stone School on Shell Creek. Uncle Bob and his son, 15-year old Les, Bill Hobach (a teenager, age unknown), Dillon McKinnon and Dad were going hunting in the mountains. Dad rode his horse (Ed farmed a few acres on his own and had two work horses) and rode across the hills to Uncle Bob’s, where he spent the night. 

“The next morning, they hitched Dad’s horse and one of Uncle Bob’s so they had a team to pull the wagon.”

The five hunters were on their way. They rode up the canyon to Ranger Station, up Crooked Creek Hill, then down it where they camped that night. 

The next morning, Uncle Bob, Dillon and Bill started hunting.

“Dad and Les took the team and wagon up and around Boulder Basin to Lake Adelaide and down the Adelaide Trail to meet up with Uncle Bob, Dillon and Bill.  They had gone down Crooked Creek and across Shell Canyon to the trail to hunt. And somewhere in that area, Dillon had gotten his elk.

“It started to snow very hard then, so they went back up the Adelaide Trail to the Adelaide cabin that night.

“It was still snowing and blowing the next morning, so Dad and Les took the horses back through Boulder Basin. When they got to the top, it was snowing and blowing so hard it was a white-out, but they finally got to the wagon, expecting to see Uncle Bob, Bill and Dillon. But somewhere along the way, Dillon had decided he wanted to go back to see his elk.”

I can almost hear Uncle Bob and friend Bill pleading with Dillon, telling him they had to get out and away while they could. They would be lucky if they made it out at all. I can imagine also that they might be a little angry when they couldn’t convince their friend that it was foolhardy, dumb, to tempt fate.  And I can see young Dillon striding purposely proceeding as if he didn’t hear them.  

“The weather was getting worse and worse. When Dad and Les got back to the wagon, it was decided to get the wagon up Crooked Creek hill. Dad said they pushed on the wagon to help the horses get the wagon up the hill.”

And the storm continued. The snow fell, the wind blew as conditions worsened.   

“They stayed there all night. The next morning Dillon had not showed up, so they went to the Ranger Station and reported Dillon missing. They stayed in a cabin there for three days, then they came home. Dillon was found two weeks later on the south side of Trapper Canyon.”

Dillon was gone, but not forgotten. 

Ed married Anna Underzuber two years later; both were 19 years old. They lived in Shell Valley, almost in the shade of the Big Horn Mountains, where they raised their three daughters.

But Dillon still had a special place in Ed’s heart. We know that by the memories, the story of that fateful hunt; but it was his friendship with Dillon that was front and center.