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.
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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.