The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1891-08-29
A SCENIC CHAPTER OF IDAHO
To the Sawtooth Mountains and
Reddish Lakes.
BY MRS. CAL CLAWSON.

BY MRS. CAL CLAWsON.
tFrom Sketches on Idaho to be published
with illustrations.
While there are many really inter
esting localities within the mount.
ain ranges of Idaho that offer varied
attractions to the tourist, no point
or section of country has yet been
found that begins to compare in gen
eral interest with the region at the
base of the Sawtooth mountains.
Here is a rare and romantic Sec
ton indeed full of wild, weird and
picturesque scenery; abounding in
beautiful camping places; hunting
and fishing grounds; lakes and
streams and groves and woods and
meadows all combining to form
one grand panorama of scenic en-
chantment.
People going out into the mount
aims for a period of careless relaxa.
ton from Office tolls or excessive
manual labor, or to regain health
lost in busy city avocations, or for
season Of exercise with rod and
gun, or for a change from the
atmospheric poisons of lower alti-
tudes to the pure and exhilarating
influences of the more elevated re-
gions, should not be exhausted by
tedious and tiresome travel in get
ting there. They should go as well
for recreation to mind as to body
If the journey after leaving the cars
is pleasant and comfortable, the OBJ.
iects and scenery new and interest
ing, and the air clear and bracing,
the brain, the nerves, the muscles
all, are benefited and strengthened
and made ready for the full enjoy
ment of the new life that is in antici.
patton at the end of the journey.
Unlike many of the fields to
which the invalid, the brain-weary
and the lovers of sport, are wont te
seek to escape the city summer life
the Sawtooth region is easy of ac
cess. No inconvenience whatever il
experienced and no delay required
to reach it. Although in manner
still in it's native solitudes and Sc
clusion, away from the rattle anc
hustle of progress, and out OF sight
of the envious eyes of civilization
this one of natures most fascinating
mountain retreats is almost within
sound of the engineers whistle and
the conductors bell.
OVER THE LAVA BEDS.
The traveller destined for the Saw
tooth will change cars at Shoshone
on the Oregon Short Line Railway
and take the Wood River branch t6
Ketchum, distant IS miles to th'
north.
This ride, though short, is full o
interest, and the observations taker
during the few hours occupied il
reaching the terminus will be fouIt
instructive.
From Shoshone we follow up th'
course of the Little Wood River
which crawls YEARLY and leisurely
along through its bed of lava. Ii
many places it appears to hesitate
whether to go back or struggle on
SO hemmed and harassed is it by
the great heavy masses of lava rocE
that encompass it about. But, to-
a wonder, it is not swallowed uE
and lost among the gaping caves
and crevices that beset its way, fol
some miles below Shoshone it join
it's big sister-Big Wood River
and there both lose their individ
uality and become the Malade.
There is no timber along the route
but in many places the stream il
skirted with willow and alder, ant
an occasional bunch of stunted ce
dars is seen hiding among the black
and inhospitable basaltic walls
These immense lava fields met witt
in different portions Of the grea
Snake River Plains are study il
themselves-an unfathomable mys
terry of the dead past-and the ey
never tires looking at them, drear.
and desolate as they may seem
One can get good idea of the ma
ture of the rock where the road-be'
is cut through the elevations. Her
the plain is one vast foundation o
lava, but there are humps and swell
and depressions in it. Sometime
it stands up in cragged ridges an.
broken stump-like peaks; again ]
has cooled in waves just as it STOP
ped moving; then again where
was hotter and thinner it is sprea
out smooth and fiat as a pavement
In many places can be seen mug
waves, bulged and swelled, wit
great creases and cracks on the to
and sides, caused no doubt by cor
traction in cooling. When thes
waves ceased moving they rename
in the shape and form in which tn J
heat left them, and proof is visibl
that they crawled along like heate
wax until the craters that role
out the rivers of liquid stone, liz
Stag from a furnace, were left so fa
=. tho distance that the discharp