The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-09-04

slight breeze that shook the branches
of the frs and eedars beneath them.
and across its surface the zigzag trail
over Huekleberry Mountain formed the
letter IN on the precipitnus range
side, as though q giant had carved
there his initial. Off to the east rose
the range of the Blue mountains, which
end Just above the flats west of Dee,
and like a tiny film of lace rufiled by a
zephyr, the West Fork could be seen
eascading down the mountainsde to
the gorges below. where its waters and
those of the clear creeks mingiing to-
gether form deep pools. Ii was in the
latter that the fishermen did such exc
cutlon with their RODS. Indeed. the
hikers, despite the scenery on which
they had feasted their eyes, were sorry
that they had not joined Judge Derby
on his excursion down the West Fork
instead of making the overland trip to
Lost Lake; for at sunset he returned
with his basket filled with as fine a lot
OF mountain trout as the:eye of a FISH
erman ever feasted upon. The Judge
and that record of the limit, 75, was
the envy of the camp. He had found
the waters OF the West Fork. which
are usually dingy, because of the melt
ing glacial water, just right, and the
fish had bitten as fast as he could toss
his flies into the rifles. The fish were
all good size, for he had thrown back
the smaller ones.
A weeks camping in region such
as this gives a man a ten year lease on
life, IL cuts the cobwebs from his
gray matter, and gives him an appetite
as big as the broad out of doors. which
he makes his bedroom during the out
ing. After the first night he loses the
timldness that the man unaccustomed
to the forests naturally has. He passes
through that stage of nightmares, where
bears climb over his bed and blow their
warm breath into his face and after
few nights sleeps so soundly, even
though his nearest neighbor may snore
with noise like the exhaust on high
geared hippopotamus, that the ants
may make a nest in his mead and he
will never know it until he gets back
into civilization. Not only is his mind
cleared, but his limbs are strength
ened: for he becomes more agile than
a mountain goat, while jumping from
one water worn granite boulder to an
other, and his wrist action, developed
by the manipulation of the rod, would
make an expert feneer or tennis player
forlorn with envy.
The tales that we're told around the
camp fire, when the evening beans, po-
tatoes, fish and bread were finished,
would fill several volumes and make in
teresting reading matter. And all of
the experiences of that week Will be
stored away in the treasure vaults of
the minds of the members of the party,
who returned to the city Sunday even
ing. For several days each individual
will recall the experiences of the out
ing when he sits down on a spot where
the spine from Devils Walking
Stick" penetrated his garments and
went on through his epidermis. AL
though one member of the party
sprained an ankle, when falling Off a
stone and tumbling into the cool depths
of the river, and was forced to walk on
his all fours for more than a day, no
other mishap marred the enjoyment of
the trip.
At the present time, on account of
the wild nature of the region but few
fishermen penetrate the forest beyond
the Lake Branch. With road opened,
it will be made accessible to Hood
River and Portland people alike, and
no more beautiful automobile road can
be imagined than that which may be
built along the side of the West Fork
gorge, winding around bear, burned
over areas, from which the simmer of
the water in the river thousand feet
below may be seen, and then threading
the vistas of the forests. And while
the true huntsman and nature lover
will boost for the road, he will never
theless have deep down in his heart a
regret that it is being proposed; for
then the region is certain to lose to
degree its present appealing, wild
lonesomeness.
The entire catch of fish on the outing
numbered $50. No fish were wasted
for the party bought in full baskets,
and l25 of the largest of the trout were
smoked over the smoldering Goals of a
vine maple fire. 1t was difficult to
persuade Judge Derby to leave the
enticing waters of the West Fork. On
the walk out to the Markeley place
Sunday he spent about an hour and a
half on the river below the trail and
succeeded in catching as fine fish.