The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-08-02
BuHCnGRlSs On the HILLS.
Wonderful Scenery in the Heart
ef Clallam County.
The Gateway &c the oaympscs-A
Neicaao's Meush-GAmc
Ia Abundance

The editors OF the tssnssaoaRealsA set
( tied the question for themselves year
( SGD by = trip 20 that region. bat the
fGll extent and heantv OF the country
could not be seen owing To unfavora-
he weather lt was their good for
tune, however, 10 find an easy route
via the Elwha river. which has twice
since been travelled ny pack horses
Not satisfied with the results of the
former trip. another was determined
upon.
Accordingly. Al so on the after
noon of July Is, oar party. consisting
OF Mr.. Fleming, photographer from
Victoria, George Measher. boy of Il,
and the writer. provided with an ex.
cellent pack animal. left Port Angeles
for the giddy mountain peaks via the
we'll known government trail. openei
! by \. r. Smith some years ago, stop
ping the first night al Eagle camp, ON
Ennis creek. about six niles ont. Ris-
ing with the sun on the morning of
the Eth. we secured an early start and
began the ascent OF the famous gig
gag. aud at about 0 o'clock reached
point eco feet above the sea. through
> country Wild and broken in the ex-
treme. As We assembled, here and
there through openings in the heavy
timber, We caught occasional giimpses
of the lofty peaks ahead. towards
whose SUBMITS we were struggling.
THE DEVILS rUScHRowI..
AT about $50 O'Clock weplunged, by
short and steep descent. into what
appears 10 be the extinct crater of n
volcano Ia which, owing 10 its pecu-
liar shape, has been given the name OF
the Devils Punchbowt.n Here we
found water and good grazing for our
horse. and while he eats take an album
dani repast OF salmonherries. As
we proceed along the floor of the
crater, on either side rise the crags
and peaks of Mount Angeles, often az
Stunning the most weird and fantastic
shapes. On the west can be seen out
lined against the sky the figure of
man rolling stone, in consequence OF
which the adjacent peak has been
styled Mount Sisyphus.
THROUGH rHE PASS.
Directly in front, at a distance
desceptively near, lies the pass.
The trail now runs through open
grassy land with here and there a
grove of frs, and we have no hard
climbing till We pass "Haystack
rock" ali immense boulder whose
shape its name describes. which,
tumbling from the heights above.
stands like mighty sentry in our
path.
The remainder of the way 10 the
summit of the pass is a constant
climb along a narrow trail over
broken rock crumbled by tie action
of the elements and presenting sharp
corners TO the feet which makes the
walking anything but pleasant.
At III O'Clock We reached the summit
of the pass, and, melting some snow
We find near by, eat our dinner in the
boiling sun in foil view Of the land of
promise to the man OF enterprise,
where the hoofs of cattle have never
trod and deer and elk grow fat on the
abundant verdure.
Lunch over, Mr.. Fleming mounts
on its tripod the first camera ever nm
packed in these mountain wilds. lie
secures several views, one looking 10
the northeast toward Dungeness and
one to the northeast toward Port An
geles. while third view Is taken Of
the eastern peaks.
THE SNOWY oLyMrics.
To the south, east and west from
/ the pass the view is magnificent be-
yond our power 20 describe. In a
semicircle before us, distant ten to
/ twenty miles. the snowy peaks OF the
/ Olympic range shine in the bright
sunlight like huge necklace of pearls
/ set In emeralds. Far To the west lies
I the glacier of Mount Olympus. and
from its base pours down the west
/ branch of The Elwah reduced bv our
I distance To thread of silver. Below
us, To the south aud west, for miles
stretches the meadows down the
slopes toward the Elwah while To the
/ southeast along the water shed which
divides the latter from Morse's creek
{ is one immense meadow broken only
I by patches of trees.
BuScHGRAss AND BLOSSOMS.
The country nowhere presents the
aspect of an ordinary prairie country.
but of grassy slopes extending down
10 the line of heavy timber. in some
places somewhat level, out more often
/ TOO steep for cultivation. but suitable
for grazing for either cattle or sheep.
One thing that strikes the tourist Is
the abundance and variety Of wild
/ flowers of every hue which every
where abound.
Our camp on the right of the 18th
/ was in a little vale in the midst Of the
I grass country, where We were joined
/ By Messrs. Reed. Dodge and Meyers,
who left Angeles day in advance of
our party. and continued with us for
the rest OF the trip.
/ At an early hour Thursday morning
/ ! sailed out. leaving the rest of the
party asleep, with "a double purpose
/ of seeing the glacier at sunrise and of
/ bringing down a deer. In the first
object | was success fui and was well
I rewarded by the view. In the latter
project, however. | vas not successful
{ but saw one deer securely grazing q
/ thousand yards away.
/ Our trip down the mountains and
/ home via the Elwah valley was more
/ difficult and tedious than the ascent a.
I for over half the way no trail has ever
+ been made and when the trail was
reached portions of IL were almost Inn.
T passible.
THE nEyIL's SPINE.
At one place the mountain projects
out toward the river so abruptly as to
/ be STYLED the Devils Back Bone" II
has an almost perpendicular front of
from 800 to 200 feet. The trails
lead aiosg the front about half way mp
Stopping 10 dust the pack before be
ginning the ascent the other party
with their horses passed ahead and q
few moments later as we picked our
/ way along the narrow trail We heard
voices from below, and looking down
saw our friends gazing up from the
depths 30 feet below. Our converse
ton was short and 10 the poin,
What are YOU doing down there 7'
"Going 10 camp. Where's your
horseE'' Hes down here too. >
How did he get there" "Oh. he
just naturally came down"
In trying to sargn0Bnt 4 difficult
place the horse had lest his balance
seis on his side and eIi down the ~
feet quicker than il taxes 10 tell Il. II
took good hour 20 get him no again
bat he ESCAPED with only scratch OF
two and seemed little the worse foi
his eoasiiDg trip.
SCENERY og THE sLyAs.
The scenery along The Elwah i.
grand. the mountains rising 10 the
snos line on both sides, between