The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1907-11-15
FOREST TRAILS
District Forest Supervisor Shelter Doing
Excellent Work


Shellar, the enthusiastic national forest
supervisor of this district, the writer
accompanied him to Merritt the first of
the week. Merritt is situated in the
heart OF fine timber section which it
is the purpose of the government to
protect from the ravages of fire and the
abuse of men.
For the past two weeks Mr.. Shellar
has had gang of men engaged in
building trails thru the forest so that in
the summer time when destructive
fires rage or when for any other pur-
pose it is necessary for the rangers to
reach certain points in the forest they
will have reasonably good and direct
road. 1t is the purpose of the depart
ment, we are told, to build these trails
all thru the mountainous districts where
the localities can not be reached by
wagon roads. These trails will be ex-
tended, and improved every year until
every part of the national forest can be
reached on horseback. AS the trails
are considered in the nature of per-
manent Improvements, more than Or
binary care and trouble is taken in
their location and building.
The trail which is being built from
Merritt where tract of land has been
set aside for forest ranger camp, fol-
lows along the north side Of the Great
Northern railway on easy grades to the
mouth of Pine creek, not far from
Gaynor and within a few miles of the
At this point the trail crosses
the railroad track and follows Pine
creek to the summit or dividing ridge
between the Wenatchee and the Icicle
river. 1t is the purpose to complete
the trail to the head of the Icicle next
year. Next season it is also the pur-
pose to build another trail to the head
OF the Little Wenatchee river. This
will branch off from the trail under
construction about mile from the
railroad track on the north side. Sew
eral miles of the trail will be completed
this year, just how many we neglected
to ascertain. That portion of the trail
which is finished is with a few excep- |
tons four feet wide. With few UNI
avoidable exceptions the trail is built
on an easy wagon grade. In noun
famous region good many difficulties
are encountered and trail building is
no child's play. While it is not so
expensive as building a railroad grade, |
still good bit of blasting, cutting and
grading has to be done. The Doggy |
places have to be corduroyed with |
cedar logs and streams have to be
bridged.
The trail which Mr.. Shellar is en-
gagged in building will not only be
useful in guarding the forests but will
be found a great help not only to
miners, prospectors, stock men who
use the forest reserve, but to tourists
who may want to go thru the mountains
they will prove to be positive source
of delight. We might say to those
who are not familiar with the condi-
tons that without a trail it is almost
impossible to make Roadway against
the dense growth of underbrush and
fallen logs.
AS a means of carrying out the
theory OF protection to the national
forest these trails will, we believe,
prove of great value.
Mr.. Shelter tells US he also has a
gang of men operating a trail up the
Icicle canyon. We have not seen this,
but fully realize that this will prove
difficult and expensive undertaking.
On the head of this stream there is
quite a large body Of fine agricultural
land and one OF the finest and most
valuable bodies of timber on the east
.-s. olora Of the Cascades