The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-08-06

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bases of the great snow mountains.
The Columbia valleys Of the Cascade
range did not begin to grow, really,
until 1t was found that their soil and
the prevailing conditions we're practi-
culiarly adapted to fruit growing.
When people desiring to retire from
the lives Of professional work and bust.
ness in cities all over the country and
wishing to settle in a community where
they could follow an alluring form of
agriculture. learned of the opportuni-
ties offered in the mountainous districts
they had rapid development. In no
part of the United States have rural
communities developed any more rap
idly.
The new residents have built good
roads through their productive apple
orchards and excursions into the remote
wilds has aroused the desire to pene,
trate the scenic country around the
bases of the mountains by system OF
surfaced highways with long graceful
curves that will be the delight of the
motorist The residents of these scenic
districts. themselves. together with the
people of the hustling metropolis, Port.
land, have come to realize the asset
they have in the mountain grandeur.
But few of the residents of Portland,
however, fully realize the wonders OF
the mountain scenery within a radius
of rs miles of the city. They have
heard the stories of bolder excursion.
lists and the mOuntaineers who have
scaled the snow mountains, yet but
few of them have ever seen the most
beautiful points.
We can only dream of future posi-
bilties, roads that lead to the very foot
Of the glaciers, that wind through tn,
wonderful evergreen forests and skir
the banks Of crystal lakes. II will TAXI
time and the expenditure Of muci
money to make the wilds accessible
But a good part of the dream tha
many have been having for years hal
come true in the Columbia highway
When the road between here and Port
land is completed, not only will tn,
beautiful waterfalls along the Colum
bia, and the magnificent expanses o
that stream be made accessible to th'
motorist, but the door will be openet
into the enchanted lands of the noun
tajns.
Whether or not it is due to any "Se,
America First" campaign, it is tru
that the numbers of eastern tourist
to the Northwestern regions is increas
ing each summer. The few mountain
resorts that the regions already affor'
are crowded to their capacity. Blu
better still the improvement and build
| Of ka -
western man. himself, to take his fam
| lily into the quiet and charming noun
tain retreats. A vacstion in the noun
tains is becoming almost as popular a
a visit to the sea coast.
Because of the development that ha
taken place in the Hood River Valley
orchards having been planted withi
eight miles Of the snow line, Noun
Hood has become one of the most pop
ular OF Northwestern peaks for thos
who desire to make an ascent. From
July to September parties almost dali.
climb TO the summit of the "Witcl
Mountain" as it was often called b.
the Indians. A feature of the Casead
mountains that appeals to the climber
although many other peaks of the worl
rise higher, is that one does not frs
have to ascend great plateau befor
first reaching the mountains proper
While the melting point Of the glacier
of the Alps is around $4,000 feet, tn
melting point of the Cascade glacier
is but little above 5000 feet.
The proposed early completion of tn
Columbia Highway has already given
stimulus to local summer resorts
When the road is opened the Portlan
motorist will be permitted to travel i
his automobile direct to Cloud Cap Inn
the oldest mountain resort In the val
ley. Although in the rs miles from tn
local O.-W r. & N. passenger station
which is l0l feet above sea level, on
rises to an altitude of $500 feet whe
Cloud Cap Inn is reached. the roads ar
in excellent shape to point With
two miles of the mountain resort, an
many machines are driven to the yer
door of the hostelry, which is manage
by Dorsey b. Smith, of Portland. Tn
last two miles of the road, while good
are very steep. and passengers are US
ually transported this distance b
stage. Cloud Cap Inn is wired dow
by heavy cables to protect it from tn
winter gales. 1t is located at the sid
of Eliot glacier, one of the most pic
turesque of the great crevasses an
serac SCARED ice rivers on Mount HOOD
The sunrises here, with the mornin
rays making the great snowfields rosy
hued and changing the scintillating an
Jagged ice cascades to an amethystin
color, ere superb. When one rises 8
four O'Clock in the morning and see
the first light illuminate the top of th
great white peak and travel gradual
to the lower levels. the sunlight dam
ing on the cOlored crag of exposed roc
and playing hide and seek like ban
of fairies among the crevasses an
seracs, il is as though he had bee
transported to wonderland.
Another resort that has been opene
to the public for about year is this
: of Homer A. Rogers, Mount Hoo
Lodge, situated on an eminence thE
commands the entire expanse of tn
lower Hood River valley and the cour
try of southern Washington north {
the Columbia. MIR. Rogers place hs
become popular to those not caring fc
the more strenuous exercise of tn
mountain resort of the greater alt
tude. His guests may take horsebac
: rides and drives among the orchard
of the Upper Valley. And yet the love
of strenuous mountain climbing ha
been provided for. He has built a
auxiliary camp at Rocky Butte, abor
five miles west of Cloud Cap Inn. Or
Of the grandest views of Mount Hoo
is had from this camp.
At the base of both Mount Adam
and Mount Hood are innumerable lake
at an altitude of about 1000 fee
Roads. as yet, have been cut to but fe
of them, and the tourist must trav
7 at the present time over tortuol