The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-06

to . height Of 1000 to / 800 feet and great
masses of rock stare out from among the
trees on their sides. A short distance be
fore the 6kagit is reached another lake,
whose name is Mud, is passed. 1t is
simply great pool formed by the Skagi:
IN depression in the ground, and rises
six or eight feet when there is freshet in
the river. As soon as the road clears the
bills at its sides splendid view Of noun
tain, river and forest opens before the
tourist. Looking up the broad Skagit,
one sees the mountains which
overlook Hamilton. precipitous. dark
and frowning. their rocky sum
mits wrapped IN snowy caps.
Smaller. but by no means insignificant,
peaks bound the valley above, while it is
bordered with stretches of bottom land
which return o rich reward for little culti-
vation. On the north bank of the river
lies the town of Sedro, where the Lake
Shore road is met by the Fairhaven &
Southern from the northwest. and the Sc
attic d Northern from the west. The
three roads form a triangle in the adjoin-
ing town of WoolIev.
The part of the road to be traversed from
this point is entirely new to the traveller,
rs it will not be opened for traffic for a
week or ten days 1t will well repay any
man for the time and cost of trip to the
boundary. The road runs up the valley of
Smoky creek and then up the east fork of
the Samish river through perfectly level
stretch of country lying between high
ridges of mountains, which often rise 5000
feet almost sheer from the plain, their
sides heavily wooded and their SUBMITS
still showing snow in patches. AT Ray, a
station twelve miles from Sedro, the first
glimpse is caught of the hoary head of
Mount Baker peering out among the trees,
but soon TO be lost as the train runs on to
point where the mountains hug the val
ley closer. A few miles further, as we APP
proach Acme, on the low divide between
the Samish and the south fork of the Nook
sack, a glimpse is caught of the Twin
Sisters, a double peak of the Mount Baker
range, rBing to height Of 500 or 9,o00
feet
The road then enters the Nooksack val
ley, and for the next twenty-three miles to
the boundary it runs through perfectly
level stretch of country. which is destined
TO be one of the richest agricultural dis
tricts of the state. From Acme until the
north fork is passed the valley is shut in
on both sides by mountains 1,500 to $500
feet high. Those on the west side are the
great ridges in whose midst Lake What
com lies, and through narrow gap be-
tween them the branch will run from
Acme to the Blue Canyon coal mine on the
east side of the lake.
The Al rr<,vsoo fha Cov,{h E,crt- a {hnx,
runs for five miles along the rich bottom
of that stream. A great part of these are
on the Indian reservation.
On the east side of the valley at this
point rises an almost perpendicular ridge
fully 1000 feet high, which has been
named Van Zandt's dyke, after one Of the
early settlers in the valley. On its face at
several points are series of ribs of rock
running up and down from near the sum-
nit for several hundred feet. This ridge
alone would be a sight worth the jour
ney, for it rises like great natural wall,
and from one of its lowest depressions.
about 900 feet above the valley, tiny
waterfall. fed by the glaciers of the Baker
range, descends like silver thread and
then scatters in spray and vanishes.
The north fork is crossed by a bridge,
which cost the engineers many a hard
days work, just above its confluence with
the south fork. 1t comes whirling around
Van Zandt's dyke. out from the foothills
of Baker. where it has been Joined two
and one-half miles above by the middle
fork. All three of these forks of the
Nooksack have their rise in the glaciers of
Mount Baker and the north fork is the
swiftest and most turbulent of all. 1t has
well earned the name given it by one of
the inspection party of 1.-The most unprin-
cipled stream in the country" 1t
runs into the south fork almost Mt right
angles and dasbes against rocky bluff on
the west side of its more peaceful sister,
having sucked the earth out from under
the rocks and formed whirlpool which
means death. to any man who gets into its
circle. A heavy rain causes ii to rise to
the proportions of an irresistible torrent
in few hours. and then it carries all be-
fore it At the present time its bed seems
entirely too large for it, as the stream now
occupies only narrow channel, but when
Nooksack is ION q tear" he not only occu-
pies the whole bed but spreads out over
the valley, and sometimes pours his sur
plus waters into his neighbour. the Sumas.
Yet these floods have their advantage, for
they bring down q rich mud which in
creases the crops immensely.
After crossing the north fork the road
cuts through mass of rock which proves
invaluable for filling in the cribbing around
the bridge piers. Deming station is lust
beyond and there the road runs in a north
westerly direction for two miles. The rear
platform will be at a premium during
these two miles, for there Immediately at
the end of the marrow passage cut through
the tress rises the double peak of the Twin
Sisters. At first only the tops appear.
shining in the chastest white as the even
ing sun falls upon them, but as the train
rec edes, they rise higher above the nearer
70 othills and at last they stand out clear
and distinct against the sky. two pyra-
mids of rock, chiseled by nature
and clothed by her in snow. A striking
effect is produced Just before sunset on
clear day. AS the sun goes further around
to the west and sinks TO the horizon, a
gigantic shadow appears on the face of the
more easteriy peak as seen from the rail-
road. Ii grows larger and more distinct
IN its outlines until it presents the appear
ance of n mans head and the upper part
of his body with arms outstretched on the
pure white surface. At the same time a
glimpse of Mount Baker can be caught in
the east, but 1t is lost again in an instant.
a curve III the road makes the snowy
peaks invisible as il changes its course to
the low, almost imperceptible ridge divici-
ing the headwaters of the Sumas from the
Nooksack. To the east is Nooksack noun
tain, its face deeply furrowed and tlecked
with snow. On Its summit ara two tiny
lakes in basin which occupies the center
Of small plateau. From that plateau can
be obtained one of the grandest views in
the world. To the north is spread ont the
whole valley of the Fraser. the river look
ing like a thread of silver, and the steam
e-s uppn liz hike specks of tiust I'm Tho