The Chemawa American, February 01, 1915, Page 6, Image 6

THE
CHEMAWA
AMERICAN
3
stru ctio n ists. A t Rim Cam p the room will lx? in the tent, not half bad
lor a change. T h e new hotel is in process of construction, b u t at the
rate it has progressed in the past, and considering th a t the snow got so
deep and heavy last w inter th at it caved in th e roof, the prospects for its
being open in another year are not encouraging. Rim Cam p is 7.2(H)
feet above sea level, and the lake is 1,000 feet below it. Many view the
scenery from the rim and tell of its w onders, b u t they have seen little of
w hat is there. By far the best view is from the lake and a whole day can
be spent on it before it can be half appreciated; th e plan is to some day
build a hard surface road around th e rim . At present the crest g en e r­
ally is passible for a pedestrian, who can follow it alm ost continuously
around the lake, although it is a tedious and difficult trip , too much so
to be undertaken by the usual visitor.
Rim Cam p trail is dow n a depression carved in the rim by the sliding
of th e avalanches of ages. T h e trail w inds back and fo rth , ex ten d in g
the distance to travel, b u t bv so doing relieving the grade to some degree.
G oing dow n is the m ost difficult and dangerous, as th e descent is steep
and there is a risk of slipping. Most people fear the trip up, but by
clim bing leisurely it can be made w ith no risk and a lim ited am ount of
exertion. On reaching the w ater edge th e blue of the w ater first absorbs
attention; artists have in no way exaggerated it. T he w hole surface of
the lake is of w onderful blues, shading from sky blue to deep indigo.
O ne finds oneself ingeniously d ip p in g up the w ater to see if it is really
blue; it proves to be n o th in g m ore than plain w ater. T h e m ost prom i­
n ent feature is W izard Island, nearly two miles out in th e lake. It is
three miles in circum ference and 800 feet above the w ater; at the crest
there is a crater 100 feet deep and 500 feet across the top. T h e island
is composed of rocks and volcanic ash. In m any places the rocks have
the appearance of having once been m elted. T h e conjecture about this
crater is th a t, after the great m ountain was engulfed, form ing th e vast
cavity in the earth , a reaction occurred and threw up a m inor crater cone.
T h is, after being in a state of eru p tio n for a short period, became in ­
active. On th e no rth side some small islands composed of partially
m elted rock perhaps confirm th is theory. As the boat ride progresses,
th e beauties of the lake, the co n tin u o u s blue of the w ater, the ever-
changing rim , b rin g before one new w onders. At several points along
the edge cliffs 100 feet u n d er the w ater can be seen, tu rn in g the blue
w ater to pale green. T he lake rim is com posed of stratas of m any col­
ors, grays, brow ns, terra-cottas, cream s, at places intense red besides
various shades of greens.
On the south, high up, is a veritable castle w ith tu rre ts of gray and
a foundation in stripes of te rra cotta and brow n. N earby is the Blue
G rotto, equal to th e celebrated one in Capri, Italy , more easy o f entrance