The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-09-02
ON HIGH GEAR
ACROSS COUNTY
TRIP is MADE IN AN HOURS TIME
Brett Pilots Nash From MultnOmah to
WaSCO County Line - MOSier-
ROwena Road Viewed

A recent Thursday was red-lnked IN the
memory of the writer because of a joy
Gus ride over the newly paved Highway
with e. E. Brett in Nash touring car
The company became a crowd when
George M. McMulin accepted Mr..
Brett's invitation and held down the
tonneau with an assortment of refresh
ments.
The party started from Hood River
to the Multnomah county line before
the sun was high enough to shorten the
shadows of cliff promontory and fir
topped crags down the Columbia. Al
though the morning was pleasantly
cool, dead calm, that left the wide
expanses Of the Columbia as placid as
a clean mirror. forewarned of an unus-
ual midday and afternoon heat. Other
motor parties were met out on the long
stretches of pavement only at infre-
quent intervals. No hour could have
been more charming for pleasant mo-
toring.
The party was bent on an expert
ment. They were determined to turn
around at the Multnomah county line
and motor as far east as possible IN
high gear. In view of the fact that
hundreds of automobiles are now weekly
motoring from the Multhomah to the
Wasco county line, or vice versa, in
high gear, the feat was in no way
startling. 1t is interesting only when
considered in comparison with the for
mer time required in negotiating the
canyon of the Columbia through Hood
River county. As result of the new
paving on the Highway between here
and the Multnomah county line and the
new grade between Hood River and
Mosier. the 1856 mile distance between
the borders of the two boundary coun-
ties was made in an hour and four min
utes. Eight months ago mountain
goat would have met with difficulties
i'm travelling over some of the precipi-
tous gorgeside east of Hood River. Six
years ago only pedestrian or a passen-
ger on the line of the O-.W. K. a. N
Co. could travel east and west across
Hood River county. Even the rider of
a sure footed mountain pony, unless he
took to the railroad right of way at
numerous points, would have been
barred. From the early eighties until
Hood River county citizens in 1914 Vot-
ed SIS, 600 bond issue, providing funds
for opening impossible lengths of the
gorgeside. the Columbia gorge, one of
the worlds most wonderful waterways,
remained remote and unknown. Pass
engers of the rail line caught ieeting
plimpses of waterfalls and indentufes,
where tributary gorges broke through
into the main canyon. Passengers OF
river streams, given more leisure for
pondering on the glory of the towering
cliffs. waterfalls and forests, had hazy
dreams Of some far distant day when "A
highway would open the fairyland door.
Eventually the vision OF far-seelng
MuItnomah county and Hood River
county citizens began to draw to fo-
Gus. Multnomah county's proposal to
build with her own funds all of the
road within her borders stimulated in
terest here. Still the skepticals de-
clared that the cost of building and
maintaining a highway around Shell
Rock mountain. l3 miles west of here
and other similar points, would be pro-
hibitive. 1t was then that S. Benson,
who will be a guest of honor at the
Hood River Labor Day celebration, de-
termined that he would experiment a
bit at his own expense. lie pald
$40. 600 for the key that opened the
door to Columbia Cascade scenery.
That kew was a mile of construction,
accomplished by the labor of honor men
of the Oregon penitentiary, detailed
from Salem by Oswald West, then gov
ernor. Mr.. Benson paid the big price
for the key and then threw it away.
His mile of road withstood winter slides
and demonstrated that highway could
4 II a. fha haua IF She'll RnpA
mountain. But the new survey of the
State Highway Commission chose a
different grade and the mile of road
built by the convicts had worth only
from the standpoint Of an experiment.
This mile Of highway was built IN l9l2.
When the wagon trains, loaded with
the belongings Of men and women seek
ing new homes in he benign climate OF
Oregon, cGept across the plains and
thence down the Columbia gorge in
pioneer times it was possible to negotl
ate the trail along the foot Of the south
Columbia gorge, but the river itself
carried most of the early day adventur-
ers, who made a portage at Cascade
Locks. It was in the 70s that the state
completed the old military road from
The Dalles TO Portland. Its life was
brief, for much of its right of way was
appropriated by the line of the o. X. a.
N. Co, the trains of which began Oper-
alton in the sos.
Except at Shell Rock, where dry ma
sonry retaining walls and fair grade
perched $50 feet above the new grade,
no trace of the old road remains. If II
we're possible to hoist a motor car TO
the old road il might travel cOmfOrta-
bly, for several hundred feet along the
old.roadbed. Successive winter slides
for the past half-century have obliter-
ated the old approaches, leaving the
old walls as a monument and relic OF
past usefulness. IL the passing motor
ist would gain views as picturesque as
any along the route of the new high
way, he should climb the $50 feet and
walk long the old rock roadbed. The
walls are overgrown with bushes and
rodents make their home in the very
center Of the former main highway
artery. The views, both up and down
the Columbia however, are grand, and
one, if he is so inclined, may be in
spired TO sublime thoughts.
On our way west we could not resist
the temptation TO proceed through TO
Eagle Creek park, where we fingered
for a time to watch the activity Of
scores Of camping parties, whose li-
cense tags indicated homes IN dozen
far distant states. IL was 9.f5 when
we chugged off from the Hood River
Multnomah county line and the follow
ing Is the distances from the point Of
beginning:
Cascade Locks. 2.5 miles; Wyeth. 9.
miles Niento, l5.2 miles: Hood River.
23.7 miles, Wasco county Ene, 2S.6
miles Mosier, 81. 5 miles.
The opening Of the Highway has
ssorfaf = rarv arr.ch in fhe valley