The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1883-02-02

Oregon has more than her share Of
pleasant and popular summer resorts ;
places where one in pursuit Of RECREATION
or pleasure may sojourn for weeks, or
months, and then part with them with
q saddened fssling Of resignation and re
grot that the time was "all too Heeting."
But 1t Is not my purpose TO sketch those
places now, but Simnly TO record some
observations OF the writer and few
friends, while in tho Cascade moun-
tains during the past summer.
The timo-well no matter ; anywhere
FROM the lst Of July to the goth OF
September, and the place, along the
Lebanon and Cascade wagon road from
Albany to the eastern base Of tho Cas-
cads mountainS. The bare suggestion
to those who have traversed this region
during the time indicated, 10 enough 10
call upa troop Of varied and pleasant
"reminiscences and 70 those who have
not, what follows may possess a mo.
mentary interest.
Sometime about tho month Of August
last, the writer with two or three
friends resolved TO take q three weeks
vacation 10 tho Cascade mountains, and
to that end secured light two-horse
wagon and team, aud q driver who
gave ample assurance Of bis skill, and
being well provided with every imagin.
able article that it was thought might
be needed, including u varied assert
ment Of fishing apparatus and FIRE arms,
We 'hied' away 70 the cool retreats Of
the Cascades, 10 the soda springs, AMI
to the wonderful lakes that lie beyond.
The now county road from Sweet Home
TO the intersection Of the old road at
Dutch Georges, follows the Ssntiam
river almost the entire distance and
traverses some Of tho grandsst forests
tho writer has ever. .bcheld ; and the
river from where thiA road strikes il,
70 tho sources amidst the eternal snow
peaks Of the Cascades, il one continued
scene Of beauty and grandeur. It's
channel for many mills lies through
solid rock that appears to have only
yielded to some superior foree Of nature
whether sudden shock or through
the long aud countless csntnries, I will
not undertake To conjecture. It's wat.
crs wers as transparent aud clear as
crystal. and the al'ortive trout found
here bis natiyity-rstreats under over
hanging rocks or amidst the fpamy auris
Of the angry waters at the numerous
falls and cascades everywhere along the
stream.
Passing by tho Lower and Uppe, soda
springs, the mountain house, sevon-
mile hill, Indian and Lost prAiries, We
reached Fish lake in the afternoon Of
the third day, sevsnty-fve miles from
Albany. This lake, unlike all the other
mountain lakes in this vicinity, ordi-
narily becomes almost dry late in the
summer but on this occasion its wa
ters had scarcely began TO recede. and
At distance, bad soft blush tint. It
is perhaps from one TO two miles in
length, and probably 400 yards in width
ut its widest place, and is we'll filled
with trout whose cunning deGed all our
strategy. But VIZ remembered that
"the sunny tints still fly 10 distant hills
aud We were assured that Clear lake,
two miles beyond, contained an unso-
phisticated species of trout that was
well adapted to our capacities and skill
as anglers, and so we were not long in
vending our way to this new "Mecca"
Of our hopes, and as We fondly believ-
ed, the end of our ambition.
Here is beautiful sheet of water of
unknown depth in many places, two
miles or more long and about one-half
a mile in width. (possibly more) situat-
II "A -. .lu..t.o.. ...-o.,k ~ iow,o. tka -
the average altitude Of the Cascs 10
mountains its waters stationary !;
they never get higher nor lower, are
always transparent, and their tempAra-
ture is at or below the freezing poiat
and never changes. This lake is at the
margin of an extensive volcanic region,
and probably owes its existence, rs we'll
as all those other mountain lakes, 10
volcanic action. In the northwestern
part the bottom is plainly visible and is
Of a chalky appearance the trunks OF
many trees are here still standing erect,
suggesting the thought that at some
time there occurred subsidence Of the
earth here, carrying down to lower
level the spot where the lake is, with
the trees and growth as they thea were
It's aters are filed with most excel.
lent trout, but like those ia Fish lake,
they baffied US. One Of our number
(ae shall be nameless here) prided him
self on his superior skill as an angler
and had narrated to us in spirit o
gIeeful expectation, something of th'