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Attempt to enter the Emmett Gem from the southeast end were very limited due to the steep terrain. The early routes went up to Montour and then on to the Boise Basin or the Overland Stage Route west of Emmett. Freezeout Hill was so named because old-timers had to lock or “freeze” their wagon wheels and slide down the hill. Sometimes it took as many as twelve teams of horses and more than a day to pull a freight wagon up the hill. The story is told of early freighters attempting to come down during a winter nearly freezing to death on top before they could get down the next day. The tough old hill has been known as Freezeout every since. The winding road to the west of the new grade was constructed in 1919.