The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-08-24

commissary, but found 1t quite conven
lent to make town each night, as I
good part of the country traversed II
not what could be termed an idea
camping proposition. Goldendale was
the first town visited after leaving
HOOD River via the ferry to White
Salmon. The Snowden road via Lyle ID
the shorter route. being 68 miles and q
comfortable four hours run over q
fairly good country road.
"Norh Yakima was reached the fol.
lowing afternoon, q distance Of 79
miles from Goldendale, over what is
known as the Sadis Creek road. One
has the lchoice Of two roads out of
Goldendale and whichever one he choos.
es wishes be had taken the other. The
road via Bickleton and Mabton, while
reported in somewhat better condition,
is some 35 miles longer. We chose the
lesser of the two evils Tin milesge) and
found the going rough and dusty in
places and pretty narrow going over
the summit and with many shallow
streams to ford: consolation, it might
have been worse. This road leads into
the: Y akima valley at Wapato. some 20
miles from North Yakima. From Yak
ina to Ellensburg is over the Yellow
stone trail, q distance of 90 miles, and
from Ellensburg on into Seattle over
the Sunset highway through Snoqual-
mie Pass, distance Of l64 miles. The
road conditions between Yakima and
Seattle are ideal and it 10 only mat
ter of power or how fast one wishes to
travel. ! think nothing over five or
eight per cent grade the entire dis
tance.
''Too much cannot be said of the
splendid highways of western Washing
ton. In this respect it is regretable
that Oregon is greatly deficient in COM
parison. / believe Washington has laid
one over on Oregon. and the building
of these highways is doing more for
the development of that state than
anything that could have been done
and 10 figured az an investment-never
an expense.
''Why, out of Seattle and Tacoma in
all directions stretch these delightful
highways. The Olympia highway ex-
tending out the Olympia peninsula to
the ocean, distance of $50 miles, is
graveled boulevard for nearly the en-
tire distance. The Sunset highway,
only a six months proposition, at the
longest on account of snow in the pass,
10 almost perfect in construction and
(listen ye county court and Roy SMITH
all gravel roads. The Pacific highway
to British Columbia to the north of Sc
attle, and to Portland on the south 10
nearing completion.
MANY of the small towns We passed
through il not on the direct highway
are building good hard surfaced roads
from the farming districts into town.
In the Puyallup they have a concrete
highway extending the length of the
valley. distance of some 20 miles and
connecting with the Seattle, Tacoma
and Sumner concrete and brick paved
highway.
"It is to be hoped that when the op-
portunity comes to the people Of Ore
gon to vote on the road levy that they
will 60 into it right. Without good
roads we cannot develop our state as
our slater states are doing. and not to
20 ahead is to 60 backward.
From Seattle to Portland was over
the Pacific highway, a distance Of 2l5
miles. When 1t comes to the last leg
Of the journey, will put on the soft
pedal and speak in low tones: but we
have hopes and our own dear highway,
the most scenic of the whole trip, will
be our pride and joy forever"