The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-12-30

ROAD FINDS FAVOR

A representative group of Portland
business men last week at the Chamber
of Commerce, listened to j. A. Hara-
der. secretary of the North Yakima
Commercial club. explain his plans for
connecting North Yakima and Portland
with an all-year-around highway that
shall include the Columbia river high
way between Hood River and Portland
as one unit of the route.
MIR. Harader's utterances were re-
ceived enthusiastically and his plan
unanimously indorsed. The Portland
people promised to cooperate with the
North Yakima interests in obtaining
federal aid for the construction OF the
necessary link through the Yakima In
dian reservation.
MIR. Harader spoke following din
ner that was given in his honor.
He explained that the total distance
from North Yakima to Hood River is
less than 100 miles. About 60 miles OF
this lies in Yakima county and 40 miles
in Klickitat county.
"The, road through Klickitat county
is good passable road, he said.
''There are three routes, each pos
sessing graded dirt roads and no vol
canic : ash. In no place in Yakima
county will the grade be more than 3
per cent, with a possibility of an 8 per
cent grade in one or two places.
The maxium altitude on these roads
is 20U0 feet.
1.-The proposed road passes within
about two and half miles of old Fort
Simcoe. The old fort was built from
lumber shipped from Maine by way of
the Horn in the early '60s. II was
then boated to The Dalles and packed
across to the fort. This spot will be
one of the scenic beauties of the pro-
posed road.
''We pass within 10 miles of Mount
Adams, and beautiful side trip would
be from Glenwood to the mountain. 1t
is proposed that the new side sroad,
which will be about IL miles in length,
and finished this year, will enable tour
lists to 90 very near the snowline with
autos.
about rs miles of this new road lie
through the timber country. Another
attraction of this road will be Trout
Lake.
"There is no part of the road that
will be expensive to build. From
White Swan to Glenwood the soil is Of
nature that will make good dirt
roads. Some portions of the road it
will be necessary to gravel on account
of volcanic ash.
Another point of interest is the
plant of the Northwestern Electric
Company, most beautiful spot about
three miles from the confluence of the
White Salmon and Columbia rivers.
This road will go within quarter of a
mile of the plant.
Members of the local Commercial
club are looking with interest on the
proposed plans of the new route be-
tween Portland and North Yakima by
way of this city. An offer has been
made to cooperate with the CONNER
cial club of White Salmon, Wash.
I'VE hope that the Washington con-
gressiona delegation will be able to
secure legislation that will make pos
sible the short connecting lap of road
through the forest reserve" says E.O.
Blanchar. 81 have travelled over the
scenic country at the foot of Mount
Adams, and know that the claims as to
the wonders of its beauty have not been
exaggerated.
The people of the Trout Lake and
Camas Prairie districts of northwest
ern Klickitat county, spurred on by the
completion of the Columbia river high
way tosthis city, have made plans to
push road up the base of Mount Ad.
ans as far as the snowline next year.
With this road completed and that
proposed by the oranges of Hood River
county to lead TO the snowlne of
Mount Hood. it will be possible next
summer for Portland motorists to visit
the two snow peaks and neighboring
points of attraction, among them the
DEVILS Punch Bowl on the Hood river
and the ice and lava caves near Trout
Lake