The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-08-20
WALKS UP MT. HOOD
FROM HOOD RIVER

Miss GertI ude Benham, an English
woman who has walked over a good
part of the eaIth's surface, arrived
at the Mount Hood hotel heIe Satur.
day, after having pTanced in from
Cloud Cap I'm, apparently as fresh
as young colt, says the Oregonian.
Miss Benham enjoys the distinction
OF being the only woman who ever
walked fir IN Hood River to the Inn
aud back again, aud fiouts at the idea
that she accomplished anything re-
markaEle. The distance from Hood
River to the inn is 2S miles, in tie
last four of which there is a raise of
5000 feet. According to the guests at
this skyscraping resort who made the
trip in an automobile she was less ia.
tigued than any of the party staying
there, and entertained the guests on
the evening of her arrival with an in
teIesting narrative OF her adventures
on foot in many countries.
ShOd in broad soled shoes and arm
ed with an alpenstoek, M Miss Benham
lett Hood River Thursday morning at
8 o'clock and reached the inn at 7 that
evening, a small handbag, all the lug
gage she carries with her, having been
sent up by the auto. Friday morning
she was ready for the ascent of the
mountain, despite the fact that high
wind was blowing and that the guide
accompanied her with reluctance.
For several hours they battled with
the wind and ice, but finally we're
foI ced to turn back when near the
summit, owing to the velocity Of the
wind, which the guide told her made
it extremely perilous to continue
farther. Descending the mountain,
Miss Benham walked back to Mount
Hood postoftice, distance of Il
miles, where she remained for the
night, and yesterday walked into Hood
River, reaching here at O'Clock.
When asked about her tip Miss Ben
ham said:
81 was very much disappointed at
not being able to reach the top OF
Mount Hood. have walked over a
good part of the world and have
climbed over 200 snow-capped peaks,
and this is my first failure. | think
we could have made it at that il the
guide had not insisted on turning
back. Perhaps he knew best, though.
The wind was terrific. Mount Hood
is different from any other mountain
| ever attempted to climb The as
cent is very abrupt. The view from
it is magni iticent. Why do | walkY
Because | can see the country 20
better advantage | have been tour
ing the world on foot for several
years. | was born in London and
first started by tramping through
England. From there | went to
Switzerland and climbed the Matter
HORN and other snow-capped peaks in
the Alps. Later | went to Asia,
where also climbed in the Hima-
layas. From there walked over a
good part ct Australia, New Zealand,
Tasmania and other islands in the
South Pacific. Your valley reminds
me considerably of the TasmaDian
country on account of your timber
and apple trees. Instead of pine, oak
and fir there they have the eucaIyp-
tus, which they are clearing from the
land and planting orchards. They
are already growing many thousands
of barrels of apples there annually
and are shipping them all over the
world, except possibly to America.
Last year | spent walking in japan
and this summer have been in Brit
ish Columbia. | have climted all the
snow-capped mountains there and all
of the others on the coast. From here
| am going to Mount Shasta, where |
will make my Gnal ascent in America.
in two weeks | expeeJ to sail from
San Francisco for the Hawaiian
islands, where | will do some noun
tain climbing, and from there | 60 to
South America, where will spend
the winter among the mountains and
seeing the country on foot. AS you
can see | no longer care for dress.
have an income sufficient for my
needs and globe trotting has taken
such possession of me that have be-
come a homeless tramp"