The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-05-18
LOST LAKE COUNTRY
TO BE PLAYGROUND

Joint activity on the part Of officia
and residents of Hood River count
has made available to the motorin
public al land of Incompatible seen
beauty and romantic charm on IN
northwest base of Mount Hood in tn
REGION of Lost Lake. From earliet
summer, when rhododendron bushes
20-acre tracts lift in riot their magnif
cent blooms, until snowfall in lat
autumn gives warning of wintertim
bIockades, the Lost Lake country
popular to the recreati0nist.
The late summer and fall days al
tract the city or neighboring rurs
families on an outing to the distric
because of the availability of will
black berries and huckleberris. Hoo
River housewives the past severa
seasons have won sincere praise from
epicures on their wild blackberry jelly
and the feasts of huckleberry pies tina
have been served from bushes arounS
Lost Lake have been almost uncount
able. The upper reaches of the Wes
fork of Hood river. the Lake Brancl
and Lost Lake itself, all offer pool
and rifles that add zest to the sport Of
enthusiastic anglers. Summer catches
are inspiring to the true disciples Ol
Sir Izaak Walton.
Until last fall Lost Lake was re-
mote, insofar as the motor tourist was
concerned. Some 16 years ago the
Commercial Club raised funds, at the
instance of d. /. Stone, pioneer home.
steader, whose Bonny Brae ranch is al
the confluence of the Upper West Fork
and Lake Branch, and with Mr.. Stone
experimenting the work, donating his
time and effort, rough wagon trail
was cut to the lakeshore. This road
was open but a few seasons. 1t was
soon overgrown with bushes. The era
of motoring came on, and Lost Lake
was forgotten, except by hunters and
fishermen strenuously inclined, until
four years ago. Hood River sports
men. banded together in the Hood Riv-
er County Game Protective Associa-
tion, gave interest in the scenic region
its new stimulus. An interesting CO.
incidence was the presidency of the
late D.. Mcdonald, pioneer merchant,
of the game organization. Mr.. Nc
Donald had headed the Commercial
Club in the early days when it was pro-
noting plans for making the lake ac-
cessible to horsedrawn vehicles, and
he was familiar from numerous per-
sonal excursions into the district with
it's wild scenic GRANDEUR and its appeal
to recreationists. The new organiza-
tion began a virile campaign to edu-
cate the public to the value of the lake
district as an asset. Progress at first
was slow but the local residents were
finally made to realize that they had
in the forests, the lake, the wild flow-
ers, the fish and the wild out of doors
a section of territory that could be
made to pay on a commercial basis
even as acreages of productive apple
and pear trees. At the instance of the
game association, the county made
a good appropriation and the game
protective body, through private sub
scription augmented the fund. This
process was continued for several
years, and resulted in a gradual better
ment of the county road from Dee to
the bounds of the Oregon National
Forest.
The United States Forestry Service
for years has been interested in Lost
Lake, officials who administer its act
ivities, fully acquainted with possibil-
tiles for recreational development.
The forestry department was merely
awaiting an expression Of interest
from Hood River valley citizens before
launching a supplementary campaign
plans for proceeding with the new
grade, where the county left off and
carrying it through to the waters
edge. The four and half miles Of the
road through the national forest to Lost
Lakes shore were completed in the late
fall last year. and now it is possible to
leave Portland during the early morn
ing of any summer or autumn day and
by noon be fishing in one of the clear
streams or filling receptacles with lus-
cious huckleberries. Considerable spec
ulation has been indulged in here as to
how many motor tourists will visit Lost
Lake the coming season, now that the
new road is open. In 1919 the total
number of visitors, according to for
estry statistics, reached 500. This grew
in 1920, as result of the educational
of the Hood River Game
Protective Association, the new presi-
dent of which, j. H. Fredricy, having
become an ardent booster for road i'm
in the district, to 5000, and
asst year recreationists motored to the
Lost Lake section to the number of
20, 900.
The Forestry Service some 10 years
lgo was making preparations for events
Is they have befallen. and at that time |
Iteps were taken to effect with the
oregon Lumber Co. an exchange of |
orest lands in other parts Of the Ma
ional Forest for tracts bordering the |
axe shore. The government again be-
anne owner of an approximate 200 |
icres lying along the crystal mirror of
he lake. and this has already been
llotted into summer campsites, of an
pproximate half-acre each, which will
e leased at a rental Of $40 per year.
he Forestry department had antici-
ated that the campsites would be
eady for allotment by this season, and
n announcement was made last year
or plans which resulted with the ser
ice being flooded with applications.
,ertain foTmalities of the exchange,
Owever, will not be complete this sea-
on, and il is likely that allotments will
OF be made until next season. The
ummer campsites lie between the lake,
n the east side, and Red Hill, or
mountain, as the eminence
J known TO numerous pioneers. The
bad passes directly in front Of the
lots, and between the road and the
Ike shore is a long strip that will be
titled as a common recreatiOnal
round.
The United States Forestry Service
still enthusiastic in its promotion of
le cOunty's recreational district, and
n appropriation of Sl1,750 has been
Iade for work on the roads Of the Sec
on this summer. A part Of this sum
III be applied TO surfscing with rock
le four and a half miles Of new grade
with the county road and
le balance will be utilized in extend
e the forest road for another half {
lie along the east side Of the body Of
ater.