The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-06-23
TRUNK ROAD WORK
WILL BEGIN SOON

|
folk experience summer days that are
uncomfortably warm, they NAV board
their automobiles and in two and a
half hours be tossing snowballs on the
east base of Mount Hood.
This is no prophecy but an assertion
OF fact, made possible in Hood River
county June z, when electors bv ma
Jority of 359 voted $3.50, 600 bond is
sue which provides fund for the
| county's participation in the Mount
! Hood Loop Highway program. com
| pletely worked out plan that compre-
hends an automobile road from Port
land up the Columbia gorge over the
Columbia River Highway and thence
to the national forest boundary bv wav
of the Hood River orchard districts.
The new road, on which the United
Forestry Service is already engaged
within the national forest bounds. on
the northeast slope of Mount Hood
VIII travel up the canyon of the East
Fork of Hood river, almost to the
snow line. This high elevation will |
be maintained for almost the entire |
distance around to Government Camp. |
whence the loop route returns down |
the Sandy river and into Portland
The total distance of the Loop High |
way from Portland and back again
around the mountain will be approxi-
mately It's miles.
Judge Hasbrouck says that formali
ties that will lead TO actual construc-
tion of links of the Loop Road nm
through the valley this summer will be
hastened. 1t is likely that sf's on
construction of the Booth Hin SECTION
of the road. distance of AZ miles.
VIII be called for at once. The esti-
mated cost of this new stretch reaches
Sl2O,O From the end Of the present
county road and the Oregon Forest
bounds 1t will be necessary to build
new grade of L. miles, which will cost
500, 900. This work will be commenced
at once, it is said. in order that a way
be made for conveying materials and
equipment for the section of % miles
through the national forest. The De-
oartment of Roads has already received
)lds on a stretch of the road lying in
Hood River county. and an award of
his contract is expected from Wash
ngton soon. The state and federal
government will finance Jointly thati
section of the road through the forest =,
According to present plans the link !
# road up the Hood river gorge. one |
# the heaviest pieces of construction
N the route, will be postponed until {
iext year. The other sections, where
will be lighter, will follow.
he road will be fully graded and sur.
aced before 1925, according to plans !
I the State Highway Commission.
The Loop Highway will supplement !
wonders of the Columbia River High :
ray. The LATTER penetrates and makes
ccesslble some Of the most scenic u
oints of their kind in the world. The y
ew lengths Of the Loop road will >
lake available TO the nations motor :,
1urists the pastoral scenes of the \
iood River valley, one Of the most 4
ppealing and highly developed agri- =
lltural districts in the ountry. The b.
lotorists will then be taken on an r.
asy grade into q district where wild
Spanses Of mountain country will in =,
oire Oregon's visitors. The Loop N
ighway will reach its maximum ele. =,
vtion at Bennett Pass between the ~
asst Fork of Hood river and the head y,
aters of the White river. But for ~
lie full length around the east base of =.
e snow peak. the traveller will be but -
buOIl ulSldnce from nOOu snow ~
lids, and the snouts of glaciers are ~
lthn easy access. The forestry ser -
ce plans on making available sum- iie
er homesites in the forest bounds. ~
is likely that summer cottages will -
t the natural meadows Of the high I,,
titude. Mountaineering will become be
popular with Portland folk as recre- -,
ions on the coast. Plans call for ~.
merous side trails up TO the snow as
e and glaciers and wooded eminences
the peak. 49,.
The highland meadows. after the -,
ylands' summer flowers have bloomed -,
d vanished, present q galaxy Of wild -
wers. Hundreds Of varieties may be ~
icked by the Tecreationist. The tbo
dscape is made gorgeous with the 80
-ious cOlOrs. Mount Hood lilies :,
ON in acre tracts, and humming na,
ds live in paradise Of honey and F'f
'fume. Tiny lakes are found on
~ hand and little streams. fresh
m the snow greet the thirsty T
torist. -