There is a story of the first settler in the East Coulee area arriving by sliding down the hills. The hills have layers that are composed of bentonite clay (volcanic ash) which becomes extremely slippery when wet. Anyone stepping onto wet bentonite clay is sure to find themselves losing their footing especially if they are on a slope. If the first person to check out the coal seams did so on or just after a rainy day, they would have quickly found themselves at the bottom of the hill (perhaps with a few needles from the numerous pin-cushion cactus plants that thrive in this locality).