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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 1919)
I 1 1 Vl VOL. XXXVIII. PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 13, 1919. NO. 23. ZESTFUL PLEASURES AFFORDED BY WEEK-END HIKING TRIP Portland Situated Conveniently to Give Its People Access to Best Mountain Trails in the West Larch Mountain Best Short Jaunt. THAT know ffort lr'-r4? r - wvife v., t 4Ae. Sri KfirVi iW'lWl ASS3S5 r fisiVilT?!7 ;! SS -H - . - , - 1 : -,r ,, t- 'Vi ' ."IVfe.MjA ki:-f Vf 'f, . " J'y ' " . ' MT. HOOD ' yy r 1 F'llrC"" - - Y; I ' I I Ail . 1l 3f .J r n By SETH L. BAILET. far too few Portlandcr as ret. the sestful pleasure iffordfd by a week-end Mklnt trip none can controvert. That this recreational diversion is fast becom ing more popular Is evidenced by the Increaslnr number of those who Join In the hike and the greater number of parties taklnr to the wonderful trails leadlnir out from Portland to fairylands of nature. On the fourth of Jury several parties put oo their alpine socks and went Biking. The snow-capped crest of Mt. Hood was no barrier against the aspira tions of some (0 members of the Mult noraah Amateur Athletic -club's hiking division; the grilling; trail trip of 25 miles over rough country to and from Wahtum lake kept back do hiking members of the Mazamas. And last Sunday saw the Trails club headed for Beacon. Rock and Wahclells. park. All of which Is substantial evidence that this year, more than ever before. both men and women have chosen hik Inr as a popular diversion to that of the half-false magic of the beaches and are seeking the fairy realities of the high mountains. To these people mountain climb is like a trip Into Cin derella's fairyland and a long, wind tng trail is like a ribbon of satin spread across the radiant summer world. To some a trip into the mountains over Sunday is like throwing up the curtains of a dark room. A week's work In i stuffy office and then the abrupt tran itlon into fairyland, where Nature, hid lug somewhere In a secret nook, reaches out her wand and playfully touches one- that's enough to make one ay -Why worry about tomorrow Some people have yet to forget where they can purchase gasoline. The leering wheel still has that old famil iar tingle which excites the driver and coaxes him on and on. Unfortunate, in deed, are these as compared with those who nave tasted the Joys of the leis urely hike along a trail that leads through the glorious scenes of forest, vale and mountain steeps. Few who have tasted the delights of the hike but eagerly await the opportunity to make another trip. Portland, fortunately, la situated con veniently to give Its people access to the best mountain trails In the west. Tha Larch mountain trip, on a clear Portland. Next comes the Mt. Hood trip, which requires the better part of three days. Parties are usually taken out by auto to the government camp on the south base of the peak. A rest over night Is made at the timber line camp or at the. hotel four miles below the timber line. Here on samples the high altitude, and at about S o'clock the following morning the would-be mountain climber Portland, almost In any direction one cares to turn. Heading in any of the four directions of the winds one finds plenty of hiking ground, and as a usual thing It Is not overly crowded. The best hikes of course are those men tioned above, and two of the best au thorities on hiking, especially over those routes, are Thomas Griffin of the M. A. A. C. and Richard J. Grace, vice president of the Trails club. Mr. Grif- has an opportunity to test out his wind rln " made Ji trips to Mount uooa. by climbing a distance of five miles to Crater Rock, which Is reached about :J0 A. M.. providing shanks' horse has no trouble with his propelling ap paratus, which sometimes happens. Here a rest is called until noon, during which time refreshments are served. Leaving at noon the party crosses the famous hog's back and on one side looks down upon the Sandy glacier, one of Nature's glittering jewels that she displays with such haughty defiance. Down on the other side looms the Whits River glacier as defiant as her sister. From the hog's back to the summit It Is a climb of 1100 feet- Ropes and pikes are employed as well as strength and endurance. Sometimes, as a French man ones described the climb, "the nose he bleed and the head he becomes like one leetle feather." But this Is a minor ailment which la usually easily remedied. The trip from the camp to the sum mit requires nine hours, while the re turn trip Is made in three hours, and some have been known to make the re turn trip In - less time than that, but not without bruised shins, however, and sometimes worse ailments. The Wahtum lake- trip is a two-way Journey. That Is, a party may go In by way of Herman creek, a distance of 11 miles from the point where transpor tation Is no longer available, and re turn by way of tha Eagle creek trail. distance of 14 miles, or vice versa. To those who seek the harder tasks first, as some do, and leave the easier task to be done last, it Is best to go in by way of Eagle creek. If one can afford the time, he should st least spend an entire day at the lake. for Wahtum lake Is a place which can not be described by words of pen. . Only he picturesque Cobb himself could touch on the borderland of its beauty, and then the lake witches would curse him for his negligence. stay, -la the best short iunt out pt Tkrre are IB any. p.ther fcikt out of, Larch. Mountain Rasy Trip. When asked about the Larch moun tain trail Mr. Grace, by whom the valuable trail guide presented here with was prepared, said: "Hardly a week passes but that I am asked about the trip to Larch moun tain, what to wear, ho'w to go, and If It is strenuous. The trip is not strenu ous If the tourist will remember that a pace of two miles an hour Is good going on a trail, and will not exceed that rate. The next requisite is a pair of heavy soled comfortable shoes,, worn with wool socks. With this footwear and observing the speed limit, anyone may make the trip and enjoy it," he said. ' "The Larch mountain trip, on a clear day, is the best short trip in the state. If you go up In the evening the lights of Portland, Oregon City, Camas, Van couver and Washougal are all visible as you come into the open on Squaw Grass ridge, while at your feet are the lights of Bridal Veil and a few In the lumber mill at Palmer. The sunrise next morning will reveal, in a riot of color, the peaks of Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams and Mount Hood standing unbelievably close, and further south. Mount Jeffer son and the Three Sisters. At your feet Is the gorge of the Columbia, in a pur ple haze, the river at the bottom Is 4000 feet below you. and it is nine miles across to the ridges on the Washington side. It is the Grand Canyon of Ore gon. Anyone who has seen this always returns and brings others. Start at Xaltnosaah. Fans. -Tha trail start at Multnomah Falls station and crosses the Benson bridge, then slg-zags up the ridge to the east of the falls, and crosses the saddle and down a slight slope into Multnoman creek gorge, which it practically fol lows to the top. A side trail leads to the top of the falls. TJa.0. gcenery, in, tnia.bpx canyoa ls wonderful, and at a point between the one and two-mile boards, are two waterfalls, that are almost twins. Both have almost similar basalt surround ings, are of the same height, about SO feet, and in a photograph greatly re semble each other. At the three-mile board a wagon road crosses the trail, which has recently been brushed out by some families who are living in Multnomah basin to the east of the trail. "This is the point where the famous "figure" used to stand. This was made by some facetious trail builders who objected to being wakened during the night to give some wanderer the direc tion. At the 3 -mile board the creek is crossed for the last time and the ascent of the final ridge is begun. At four miles the famous rock slide is crossed, and a little beyond five miles the canteens must be filled at the spring aa there is no water at the summit Between the three-mile post and the summit the visitor finds himself in a wonderful stand of huge larch trees, dis tinguishable by their colored bark and their remarkably straight trunks. Rhro- dodendrons are now in bloom at this point, and on the ridge they give way to the beautiful creamy plumes of the Squaw grass which is now just coming into bloom. 'At the summit is the shelter house of the Trails club, which anyone is welcome to use. It contains a heat lng stove, but has been very much abused by van dais the past winter, and the roof, doors and windows are in bad shape. There is also a forest service fire lookout, with a ranger located there in a comfortable cabin. Timber Rapidly Disappearing. "Anyone who wants to see Larch Mountain," said Mr. Grace, "while it is a larch mountain, had better go this year. The logging operations have stripped the west elope, and the spur towards Oneonta creek is also a mass of unsightly stumps and dead trees. We are informed that logging on the creek will start next year so that the trail will shortly become a track through a sea of stumps and snags. . "On the return the branch trail at the two-mile board can be taken, which goes over Looasee romv wnica is higher than Crown Point and has a more comprehensive view, and leads lct WahJieena. Snrlng-, Fairy. Fall nd the main Wahkeena Falls, and back to the highway. . It Is a three-quarter- mile walk from Wahkeena to Multno mah Falls station along the highway. "The new trail. Inaugurated by the Trails club, and built by the city park department, from the head of Multno- some unknown reason, the Perdition trail.. It is to be avoided in winter, but It makes a very pleasant short trip, and affords at the side trail at View Point the most wonderful aspect of Multno mah Falls." ' - Those who are seeking mountains to is the most commanding natural monu ment in the Columbia river gorge. So far it has never been scaled, and prob ably never will be. There is not even a trail to the saddle connecting it to the cliffs above. There is, however, a rough scramble through the brush and over rock slides to Levens creek which will bring one to the top of the cliff above the dome. This Is the trip taken last Sunday by the Trails club, and to adif further zest to the outing they lowered themselves down the face of the cliff by life line to the saddle. The view from the cliff Is stupendous. The mighty Columbia, dwarfed by distance and elevation, stretches away like a tiny thread, and theTiack streak off In the distance is the highway, and the scuttling miniature autos look like a child's playthings. ' , . Foreign hikes and climbs, such as one might find -in the Alps, seem to some far away. And, indeed, they are. . But take it from one who has climbed them climbed them greatly at the expense of the war department, else he wouldn't have climbed them the Alps are no steeper and some of them are not near so picturesque as our own little moun tains right here in Oregon. Few people of Portland realize how tremendously fortunate they are, and few people out side the clubs take advantage of their surroundings. Hiking not only assures one of a pleasant vacation, but it also assures one of good health through the exercise it provides. The workman who chooses for hi Sunday vacation a cosy spot in the park is not going to overly enjoy his day of rest, nor is he going to profit in mind and body by It After a week of swing ing a hammer or pondering over a ledger, a day's rest in the park or on a comfortable lounge at home Is only temporary relaxation. Proper recrea tion is obtained by a change of exer ise. And what better exercise is to be had than tramping over the hills wher nature has prepared a dozen different exercises in a single day's trip? Did nature merely test her power of manu facturing beauty when she created th northwest, or did she mean for us to get out of it what we could when she made it thus? maJJTaJl to. Wahkeena. la called, . Xorj scale, alio old inr St, Peter Dome, .wiisA-Lmenta. WOMEN MOB SOLDIERS German Troops Forced to Retira From Hamburg. BERLIN. The government troops of General von Lettow-Vorbeck attempted to enter Hamburg but retired when they were met by a large mob Including many women. The communists In con trol at Hamburg had, it is said, prom ised they would orter no opposition to the entry of the government troops. When the troops were met by th mob, however, it was decided to retire temporarily to avoid possible blood shed. The date for a definite advance on Hamburg is uncertain. The government forces include Schleewig, Brandenburg, Bavarian. Saxon and naval detach.
