The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-03-23
SCENIC ASSETS
ARE BOOSTED
L.R. WHEELER URGES COOPERATION
Portland Telegram Publisher Cites Exist
ing 0diOuS Comparison Of Con-
yenienceS for Tourists

| OF Jne county at meeting OF lne loou
River County Commercial club called
Monday night for discussion of seen
cry as ali asset, added new potency to
the age-old adage, Where there's
will there's way" and the session
ended with ways and means of a devel-
opment of the Mount Hood district s
scenic assets started on their way with
stimulus that bids fair of real re-
suits.
Set off by a presentation of facts
from l.. r. Wheeler, vice president OF
the Portland Telegram, chief speaker
of the meeting, who cited the laggard
spirit of Oregonians, in the light Of
comparison with aggressive activities
| of folk of the sister states, Washing
ton and California, locals speakers
touched on various projects, already in
more or less concrete shape for the eX-
ploitation Of the far-famed forested
area. topped by the sensational spire
of Mount Hood. Chief in interest here
at the present time, however, is the
problem of making Cloud Cap Inn and
Lost Lake accessible to the motoring
public.
Mr.. Wheeler cited from personal ex-
perience the conveniences that tourists
find provided for them in attractive
hotels or lodges at points in the Cana
dian Rockies, the Olympics and especi-
ally at Paradise valley on Mount Rain
ier. He declared that Oregon folk
should be ashamed to allow the deroga-
tory comparisons that tourists annually
are making to continue. Mr.. Wheeler
cited how Oregon and Portland have
not in the last decade kept pace with
other Pacific coast states in attracting
industrial enterprises. Washington's
population in the past 10 years, he
cited, has increased 20 per cent; Cali
fornia, % per cent while Oregon's in
crease has been but 8 per cent?
"What is wrong?" he asked. Is 1t
that the country is less fertile? Is 1t
that we have less of pure water. less
of natural resource, less OF scenic
grandeur? Do we get fewer visitors
to Cloud Cap Inn because the gateway
road is less attractive than that up to
Paradise Inn? Is it that the views the
visitor beholds from the end of his
journey less thrilling? 1t is up to US
the personal factor"
Mr.. Wheeler declared that Oregon
scenery is Incompatible, and that the
panoramic sights offered from Coopers
Spur, with the spectacular pinnacle OF
Hoods cone uplifted and wide ex-
panses of forested area and the plains
Of eestern Oregon spreading out before
the eve, are unequaled. Paradise Inn,
during the season of recreation, the
speaker cited, is visited by tourists
running around 500 daily, while local
guest are numbered by the scores only.
1.-The matter really and fundamen-
taIly," Mr.. Wheeler declared. sis with
US. We must prevail on the Forestry
Service to build road to the snow line.
We must provide, not elaborate, but
attractive hotels and lodges. You peo-
ple of Hood River and Portland and
the newspapers must cooperate In
bringing about this development. Ihe
Portland papers, and | especially speak
for one, are anxious and willing to los
ter the project. We want you to feel
that we belong to you.
1t developed from the report OF j.
H. Fredricy, chairman of a committee
that has been in touch with the fores-
try Department, that plans for a later
al from the Mount Hood Loop High
way to Cloud Cap Inn and Coopers
Spur are being worked out. Costs and
extent of construction necessary Will
not be known until the Forestry de-
partment has made preliminary sur
vey, seeking grade over which
permanent motor road can be con-
structed. The accumulation of winter
SHOWS, it was stated, will permit such
survey about June.
The sensation of the meeting, be-
cause of it's graphic prophecy of the
possibilities OF Lost Lake AS magnet
for motor tourists based on statistics
of the past three years, was the short
report by c. A. Bell, who said:
I'VE have heard the speakers say
that we do not realize the value of our
scenery and Lost Lake as an asset.
You do not, but let me give you some
figures on visitors to the lake. In 1919
500 penetrated the forest to the lake
in 1920, before a road was cut through,
5, 900 tramped over trails to the scenic
spot; in 1921, despite some hardships
of travel that still existed, the number
had grown to 20,O0O.
The meeting developed that the For
estry service has this year offered to
expend a maximum of S4, 900 in a relo
cation and grading of the road from
Dee to Lost Lake, wholly without the
Oregon National Forest, providing
Hood River county match the. sum.
+. o. Blanchar confidently expressed
the hope that a general appeal from
over the entire county would result in
transfer by the county court of a
portion Of the years road fund to the
work.
"l sincerely believe" said Mr..
Blanchar, that we can take advan-
tage of this opportunity offered by the
forestry service. A proper understand
ing on the part Of the citizens will af
ford, let US say the sum Of 81. 500
from the county funds, and we can
raise the remainder of 81 500 by prl-
vate subscription. -"
And a feature of all the plans for
road development that will make ac-
cessible the districts playground. des-
tined ultimately 20 become a summer
time national rendezvous. call for per-
msnency and grades that will be a
pleasure to the motorist. The old tor
tuous climb to Cloud Cap Inn, now
bugaboO to automobilists, will be re-
placed by a longer road, but one Of
easy gradient and with wide sweep of
graceful curves through the highland
forest. Eventually tbs old wagon road
from lee to the edge of the Oregon
National Forest will be discarded, and
instead of dipping into ravines and
dodging the stuRSs of fir giants gone
TO iced mill saws, the rnotorist will
speed on srrow-straight lengths or
trayerse on easy grades canyOnsides of
the beautiful west fork. With a we'll
graded road from Rood River to the
edge Of the lake, which Dir. Fredricy
characterized as the ideal spot for
resort hotel, where boating. fishing
and various out Of door sports will be
available in the ctry shadow Of Hood 6