The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-07-30

Great wire cables are stretched over
the building and the ends securely an
chored to huge boulders, this being 9
necessary protection from the fierce
wintry gales that sweep over the noun
tains and the snow that covers the Inn
to depth Of several feet in mid-win-
ter.
Nearby stand other log buildings.
used for sleeping rooms, and q club
house, erected by the Portland Snow
shoe Club. where the members spend
few days every winter enjoying the
winter sports-snowshoeinga and skiing.
But no welcome, however hearty,
could hold US inside. Some irresistible
force drew Us TO the broad porch,
whence could be seen a panorama of
such surprising beauty that one and all
stood silent. Words could not in the
least degree, do justice to the scene,
with the valley stretching out below
US and the stern. silent sentinels, Ad-
ans, Rainier and st. Helens towering
away in the distance. Nature threw
such a spell over Us that there were no
ordinations of rapture, no gushing
sentiment. We stood with hearts
throbbing, heads barred, as in the pres
ence of the Creator, himself, and one
of the party began Addison's "Cres-
ton:
1.-THE spacious armament on high
With all the blue ethereal sky
And spangled heavens a shining
frame
The great original proclaim.
And then, as she came to the closing
line, and in hushed accents, finished.
"The hand that made us is divine, "
sort of benediction stole over US.
The hymn fitly expressed our feelings
and our mood.
Presently we climbed to the observa-
tion tower on top of the Inn where we
stood face to face with Mount Hood.
scarcely a stones throw distant, so il
seemed. The great snow fields we're
dazzling white in the sunlight, with a
glare that hurt the eyes, but here and
there the ice showed beautiful green
and great, deep gashes told of the dan
gerous crevasses. With the glasses we
could distinguish. on Cooper's Spur.
standing out against the sky line. a
party of mountain climbers returning
from an ascent of the mountain.
To the north and away below lay the
valley, dark green from the shadows
and the vegetation, with few scat
| tered ranch houses and clearings dimly
visible. On either side we're the hills
and above, the silent snowy peaks.
Adams was ethereal, mystic, unreal.
! 1t seemed sailing on sea of blue, the
snowy whiteness midway up it's sides
blending into the darker hues of the
! foothills, combining to give 1t sea
blue cast, the distance lending an en-
chantment to the entire picture. The
setting sun touched crags and spurs
so that, in Imagination, we could see a
city with its towers and battlements
and minarets cleaning in the sun.
Nature was lavish in her gifts and the
panorama of fertile valley, wooded
hills, snow clad mountains and the blue
dome of heaven over all seemed indeed
a manifestation of the Creators love
and power. My soul revelled in the
ravishing beauty of blending colors IN
the light of the setting sun, and
Beauty through my senses stole
| yielded myself to the perfect whole.
Time passed unnoticed. The sur
sank lower and lower, until the west
ern hills hid it from view, the lights OF
Adams melted away, the shadows be
gan to lengthen and steal up the sidei
of the hills and mountains, the pail o.
night silently settled over the valley
And now Adams was almost gone, jus
an indistinct hazy blur, while Hoot
stood cold and ghostlike in the light o
the rising moon lacking as it Away
does the warm colors and pulsating lif
of Adams. Darkness came on apac,
and as the mantle of night shut out al
view excepting Hood we came back t
the realities of earth, repaired to tn
spacious room of the Inn, partook of
!, substantial supper and then gathere
about the open fireplace to discuss tn
events of the day and the beauties o
the Hood River valley.