The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-08-16
MOUNT HOOD
VIEWS APPEAL
LOCAL FOLK ARE VERY INDIFFERENT
Lovers Of Natural Beauty, However, jour
ney from Afar to Glory in Won.
derful Panorama

derful Panorama
On almost any summer day you may
journey to Cloud Cap Inn and you will
find there coterie.of guests made. up
of few Portland people and the rest
from distant points Of the United
States. While Hood River people re.
main Indifferent to the charms of the
inspiring scenery, Cloud Cap Inn and
the base of Mount Hood have become
known almost as sswell ..as any:other
northwestern mountain resort. Travel
through the Hood River valley today
and you will be surprised to find COM
paratively few who have ever visited
the base of Mount Hood. Many say
they do not want to make the trip be-
cause they do not care to ascend the
summit of Hood. Among this class
the impression seems to have gone out
that it is necessary to make the top in
order to witness the wonders Of the
mountain. But this is not at all true.
While trip to the top of Mount Hood
is decidedly worth while, the strenu-
Gus jaunt should not be undertaken by
tuC WCdh VI ulllCnltuy. 1St
any man or woman can put inlasday,
and on the return it will always be
counted a red letter day, on the base
of Mount Hood. The 'exertion of Wis.,
iting the pinnacles of Eliot Glacier
will not overtax any one.
On clear days, when one is privi-
legged perfect vision of the surrounding
country, almost as much can be Fseen
from the top of Cooper's Spur as from
the summit of the mountain. Off to
the south may be seen the Three Sis
ters, Jefferson and innumerable lakes
dotting the green of thousands of acres
of fir forests. The brown fields Of
eastern Oregon wheat fields soft and
velvety in summer sunshine, are
spread out in great panorama for the
climber. To the north are Adams, St.
Helens and Rainier, in the foreground
of which may be seen the landscape
gardening Of the Hood River valley
orchards. With glasses one may pick
out the places of friends from Coop
er's Spur. If one does not feel like
the strenuous hike up to the Spur, all
of the above mentioned sights, except
Jefferson and the Three Sisters, may
be seen from Cloud Cap lookout.
The lack Of popularity of Cloud Cap
Inn among local people has come in
great degree through the bad reputa-
tion that has: been given the road lead
ing up through the national forest to
the resort. The bad reputation of a
name lasts long time and is hard to
overcome. The Cloud Cap road does
not deserve all that has been said
about it. The chief drawback is the
extraordinary grade, climb for six
miles with minimum grade Of 10 per
cent, and by far the greatest portion
of the road Is per cent. But the road
is smooth, and all cars of the standard
makes of the day will make the route
as far as the Upper Turn-around with
ease. Above this one encounters China
Fill, where the grade reaches rs per
cent. The fill is made up of loose ma
terial and traction is poor. The last
steep place is encountered just at the
entrance to the Inn grounds, where
there is another short grade of 25 per
cent.
The road to Cloud Cap Inn is at its
worst during August each year. Earlier
in the season, just after the snow has
melted and later, when the first rains
have fallen, the surface of the route is
soft and velvety, the kind of road
that autoists like best.
1t goes without saying that no ANA
teur driver ought to attempt to drive a
car up the side of Mount Hood to
Cloud Cap Inn, but as for that matter
no mountain road should ever be at
tempted by one learning how to handle
a car. Most Hood River car owners
will be able to reach the beauties that
may be beheld from the timber line.
The writer and party last week jour-
neyed to the Inn with Chas. Rathbun,
of the Fashion Stables. If there were
no scenery to look at en- route, the
journey will still be a pleasure, il
one goes with Mr.. Rathbun, just to see
his careful handling of his machine.
Charlie Rathbun is great "josher, "
and he may be cracking some pertinent
joke every few minutes, but his eyes
never miss rut or bump and he
eases the big Chalmers over the roads
of all kinds, although his legs are so
short that he has to stretch them
nightly sometimes if reaching for
pedals. Nobody ever has crouch who
makes trip with Charles Rathbun.
And the unpopularity of Cloud Cap
Inn in recent years has been added to
because of lack Of judgment on the
part of the management of the hostel
ry. Up to this season a heavy toll has
been charged for automobiles using the
route. Formerly the sum of IS was
charged for each machine. This was
later reduced to SO, and this year only
81 is charged. 1t is true that the road
is difficult of upkeep, and hundreds Of
dollars have been spent in rebuilding it
each summer, but toll, especially
heavy one, will not be tolerated by the
travelling public, and those heavy
charges have kept many people away
from Cloud Cap Inn. Then, too, the
hostelry has not catered in any uarked
degree to local people. The few people
who visited the place became disgrun-
tied s:and their stories did not make
business for Cloud Cap.
But the day is coming when the
Mount Hood loop road will be built,
and then, it is safe to predict, road
of easy grade will lead up to Cloud
Cap. Already Commissioner Hannum
has started agitation that has resulted
in the construction of part of such
highway. The time will come when
no Hood River man or woman will say,
81 haven't been to the mountain" 1t
will be as popular as the Columbia
River Highway and will be the goal Of
as many as Mitchells Point tunnel.
Cloud Cap Inn some day will be far
larger as well as famed hostelry.