The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-12-03

down the sins OF the world there could
not ieminste from il more obnoxious
odUr.
Some 200 yards away is located the
Gable geyser. The cone is seven or
eight feet high and at an angle Of As
degrees and protends from crevasse
in q rock wall. The cone is in the
shape of a sharks head with the jaws
extended about FIVE feet. and from
which boiing water Is continually gush-
ing out, 10 be swallowed and gurgled
down as fast as it comes up. 1t is
purely a case of having to take your
own medicine.
We have entered the Hayden Valley,
a most beautiful stretch Of landscape,
through which the river broadens out
and runs leisurely along, where the
wild game by the hundreds go down to
drink and to feed on the tender vegeta-
tion that grows along its banks. Be-
fore leaving the valley we crossed
Trout Creek, pretty wandering noun
tain stream. and one Of the tributaries
Of the Yellowstone, and in its many
turns il has naturally carved out the
great Chinese signs known as Yang"
and "Yin", and which have become so
famous as a trademark OF the N. z.
Raiwlay Co. The outline is almost as
perfect as If il had been executed by a
landscape gardener.
We have left the valley with its great
profusion of flowers and the wild
charms Of nature, and are winding our
way through the forest. some distance
from where the mighty power Of the
river has cut its way deep through
strata of rock and clay. We are now
on the left side of the river as we have
followed IT down; but as our camp was
on the opposite side, we were first
driven down past the Canon Hotel and
then TO Inspiration Point, and in going
there we passed the DEVILS Watch
| Charm, which was to our left.
Ii is a solid granite boulder about IL
by Is feet and Is feet high. Ii is a
hundred yards from the edge of the
great canyon, and pine trees have
that there are no other rocks or boul-
ders of its kind within many miles.
On arriving at Inspiration Point, we
left the coaches and by means of steps,
etc, we walked on a we'll constructed
platform far out on the point which ex-
tends well out overlooking the great
canyon, and from where we had good
view of the Canyon, Lower Falls, and
the river far below us, as it wound in
and out, curving around great walls of
indescribable beauty and color.
Did you ever see anything so beauti-
ful so grand, so inspiring? was the
question asked by many, while Others
whispered, "0hW and "Ahl" aye
Gods Would | could paint it," one
man was heard to exclaim as he looked
down into the mighty depth nearly 1000
feet.
We went from one vantage point to
another with such admiration and in
fact inspiration as no pen can describe
and no language can express; until
lunch time, and thus we were driven up
the river to where we crossed the
great concrete bridge that spans the
river just above the upper falls, and
entered into the heart of primeval
forest.
1t seemed that the lunch today some.
how intermingled with the spirit of in
spiration that had, half hour before
come over US, so that it could not have
tasted better, and after which we were
lead by our guide over winding trail
through the forest to Artist Point, two
miles from camp. Artist Point is on
the opposite side and further down the
river, from where we had already been
touched with inspiration and from it
the view was very much better and the
colorings shown to better advantage.
From that point one has a broader
view, so that the scene is so grand,
mysterious and wonderful that one
would almost fain to remain there al
ways. The most wonderful part of the
canyon commences at and including the
lower falls, where the water of river
nearly 300 feet wide above the gorge,
is rushed through between rock walls
that are not more that rs feet apart,
and then with sheer drop of nearly
$50 feet the water falls in mass of
white foam, soon to resume its color of
green and blue with ribbons of white,
and then rushes on toward the sea,
while the mist from the falls which
from some cause strikes one particular
part of the canyon so that grasses,
lichen, moss and flowers grow inter-
mingled with the various colored form
alton and produce picture more etfec-
tive and beautiful than the Japanese
| flower gardens around Toxic.
While nearly opposite and across the
river on a little bench rests a pile OF
snow and ice the size of large house,
and as the heat or the rays of the sun
ever penetrate its locality, it is a per.
petuaI icehurg. As have stated, the
most interesting part of the canyon
commences at the lower falls and ex-
tends nearly three miles down the
river. 1t is nearly half mile wide at
the top and slopes in various shapes
and angles down nearly 1000 feet to
the turbulent river that is forcing its
way through the gorge that is so or 60
feet wide.
To relieve the monotony of the
shades of color, which are more than
SO, there are here and there castlelike
formations, some with spires or pin
nacles extending up hundreds of feet,
while to others are clinging by the
roots an evergreen or a cluster of
often reminded of many of the old cas-
tie ruins along the Rhine and the Dan
ube ruins. We spent the afternoon in
strolling along and lingering here and
there and gazing down into the depths
of that mysterious world. 1t was hard
indeed to loose our gaze from the pan
Drama before US. Sometimes our at
tention was called to some eagles nest
far out on one of the pinnacles, and
sometimes with our glass we could see
sn eagle raise itself in the nest, flap
its wings, seemingly TO challenge both
Dudes and Savages TO come TO its lofty
castle.
The campfire was started early, but
the Dudes were unable to sing or tell
stories, their thoughts reverberated
with the mysterious and beautiful
scenes, by which we were nearly sur.
rounded. and as they sat in groups and
talked, some longed that they might
have been artists capable of spreading
upon canvas true to its nature, that
great wonder of the universe, while
others wished for the poetic touch of
Milton, Scott or Burns or Shakes.