The Seward gateway., 1922-07-31
GOOD DESCRIPTION 0F
 FASCINATING COUNTRY
 ADJACENT ID SEWARD

The following article relating to the Spruce creek section will be of inter- est to the people of Seward and espe- cially so because it is penned by Mr. D. c. Mathison of this city, after mak- ing the trip to the section described. MT. Mathison's narrative is as fol- lows:
 MT. Fridell and myself left town at a. m., following along the newly con structed tail to it's end, and then dong the boulder -strewn beach to the valley beyond, through meadows and mudflats, and thickets and glades, where the fragrant smell of the wild plant life was mingled with the salt water tang where the deep azure of a oloudless say was only seen at inter vals, where the silence was empha- sized by the thunderous noise ot Spruce creek, as it tumbles and 1ushes through canyon and vale on it's way to the sea.
 Spruce creek is a queer creek, full of surprises-and water. It looks in nocent enough, but if you attempt to wade it, you had better watch your step. because it will trip you up,
 I didn't have any boots, so Gus packed me across. He set me down iust before we reached the shore. The next time crossed on log; the next time there wasn't any log, so Gus ol- tered to pack me again. told him Il he would wait until he got me across hefore setting me down, 1 would let him pack me. 1 climbed on his back and after we had gone few steps he ;ust naturally fell backward with me. saw he was going to fall and tried 10 catch myself. I don't think l got wet all over, but I couldn't find the iry places.
 After crossing this time we had easy going for two or three miles along the
 
 old dry channel which, though boul- Ter strewn and rough in places was not of such character as would cause us to have to pick our way. The val
 ev is wide here and rises slowly ana gradually for a couple of miles to the first snow which consists of big slide and is perpetual.
 From here every step becomes more interesting, the scenery more beaun ful the incline more abrupt, the air ighter and clearer, the colors more varied and gorgeous; and while tn is no particular danger the hazard IS treat enough to create just tinge ol excitement.
 We climb up over the snowslide, past foaming, leaping cascades that or the moment shut out all other ln- rerests and make one stand in breath .ess wonder until the spell is broken 5y some other more startling evidence of the power of Nature; and we Wlhd
 
 ,,1,, way up a narrow path whose dim outline ever grows sleeper and more narrow until you are sure that II mas ,rept over some pcecipice or slipped into one of the dozens of sparkling waterfalls and then you look hlSher and ever higher and finally discover Il
 f,11 hind a weather -blackened boulder
 Every step now has become so in -aresting, that until someone eXclaims, Why. here is an old camp and you sit down and collect your thoughts, YOU don't realize that you have almost cached timber line and that you are soaked with precipitation and that the calves of your legs are sort of tired
 A few moments rest and we start out again refreshed and eager to see what the next rise in our path may re- veal. Only a few steps farther and we come on a fairly level and open meadow, whose every inch is literally covered with the greatest variety of. wild flowers that it has ever been my good fortune to see. I cannot descrloe' hem, besides I wouldn't be believed, heir colors are so bright and varied. and their fragrance, though faint and delicate seem to envelope you with it's sweetness. Hedged in by alders and Juniper bushes, there is just one such bower of wild liveliness after another around each cluster of bushes, over ev- cry hillock is discovered another and