SECTION FIVE
Pages 1 to 14
Automobile and
Highway News
VOL,. XXXVIII.
PORTLAND, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 3, 1919.
NO. 31.
DRIVE TO LAKE CHELAN A GREAT TOUR FOR THE MOTORIST
Forest Service Man Writes Entertainingly of Scenic Trip to Beautiful Washington Lake via Pacific, Sunset and Blewett Pass Highways. . - ,
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i Wfnalrhpf river and valley from Snnaet nlicbway, 3 O n Snnaet blshway near Saoqnalmle paaa. 3 Hcrr'i the aam-
mlt of Blewett pax, vrltlx Betay,n faithful 1014 Ford of Alexander li. Jarkaon, foreat eumlaer, In fores-round. 4 Eta
trance to Denny creelc ramp rronnda, Snoqualmie national forests on Sunset alsrhway. 5 -Near Goat mountain, a
scene characteristic of irlld and rocky shores of Lake Chelan. 6 In the yellow pine. Blewett pass highway, ea route
to Lake Chelan. 7 Blewett pass highway near Blewett. - Several mllea of ticklish road to be traversed.
BT ALEXANDER G. JACKSOX. '
Forest Examiner, U. S. Forest Service.
TO the Portland auto tourist seeking
a week-long trip nearly every mile
of which is interesting, the possi
bilities presented by an excursion to
Lake Chelan, Wash., should not be
overlooked. The round trip covers
about SOO miles of road, which for the
roost part is good.
Accompanied by Dr. John T. Paris of
Philadelphia the writer recently left
Portland by the Pacific highway, which
crosses the Interstate bridge at Van
couver and runs north on the Washing
ton side of the Columbia. Most Port
landers are familiar with this portion
of the trip, which leads through La
Center. Woodland and Kalama.
is going on along this section, especial
ly on both sides of La Center and near
Martin's Bluff. This does not add much
to the Joys of motoring. Suffice it to
say that over much of this section few
motorists exceed the legal rate of speed.
Part of the roadbed is bumpy and part
is merely rough. with occasional
smoother stretches between. While
bumping along this rough road the op
timistic motorist tries to forget present
difficulties and travel mentally over the
excellent highway of the near future
which will replace the present thor
oughfare. Fir and Cedar Forests. -
North of Kalama the roadbed be
comes somewhat better, with rough
sections near Kelso and between
Castle Rock and Toledo. The route
traverses several miles of wonderful
fir and cedar forests along the Cowlitz
Considerable new construction work river before crossing on the old bridge
at Toledo. Construction work for a
new bridge Is in progress at this point.
From Toledo hard surface carries the
traffic most of the way to Centralia.
A mile and a half beyond Toledo the
road enters Cowlitz prairie, whose
broad acres have been cultivated longer
than any other land in western Wash
ington, for it was here that the Hudson's
Bay company operated its farm of 4000
acres, long before the days of settle
ment by Americans.
Soon after leaving Cowlitz prairie
the road crosses Jackson's prairie. Here
was built the first courthouse in the
state of Washington, a two-story log
building on the Jackson donation claim,
where General Grant, then a lieutenant
fresh from West Point, spent consid
erable time looking out the country
for a military road.
Between Centralia and Olympla. the
state capital, the roadbed is graveled,
rather rough in places, and with a short
stretch of pavement through Tenino.
The Pacific highway between Olympla
and Tacoraa sends a thrill of Joy to the
motorist heart, for, with the exception
of a half-mile stretch at Klsqually,
where the Hudson's Bay company main
tained a stock farm in the early days.
the roadbed is paved and driving is very
easy. Through the government reser
vation of Camp Lewis speed must be
reduced to comply with regulations of
the war department.
Try This One Sometime,
Between Tacoma and Seattle the new
road several miles west of the Pacific
highway was taken. This is a graveled
road for some distance out of Tacoma,
turning to pavement a dozen or so
miles before reaching Seattle. It is
about ten miles shorter than the Pa
cific highway between the two cities
and misses all the larger towns as well
as most of the dangerous crossings.
Darkness settled over the world on
this part of the trip. In attempting to
light the tail lamp It was discovered
that the clear lens had been shattered
by a small rock thrown tip by the
wheels. This necessitated temporary
repair, which was made by Inserting
a piece of pasteboard cut from a candy
box found along the roadside.
This road enters Seattle on First
avenue South, crossing dozens of serv-
ice tracks leading from Seattle factor
ies on the tide flats. Like other coast
towns, Seattle is full of transients, and
some difficulty was experienced In
finding hotel room for the party, and
also a garage stall to house Betsy, the
faithful Ford.
It Is not necessary to enter Seattle
In making the trip to Lake Chelan, as
the Pacific highway may be taken from
Tacoma to Renton. where connection Is
made with the Sunset highway for
North Bend. However, few drivers care
to pass so close to the sound metropolis
without visiting It and partaking to
some extent in the spirit of bustle and
enterprise of this typical western city.
Seattle may be left by several routes
leading Into the Sunset highway. The
one chosen carried the tourists north
through the, beautiful campus of the
University of Washington and along
the west shore of Lake Washington to
within one-half mile of Bothell, where
a road, turning sharply to the right, led
across the Squak slough down the east
side of the lake to Kirkland.
Snoqualmie Valley Rich.
Kirkland might have been reached by
ferry directly from Seattle, but this
would have prevented the travelers
from enjoying the beautiful scenery- of
the road around the lake.
On through Redmond to Falls City,
where the Snoqualmie river was crossed
on a beautiful low-arch concrete bridge.
to Snoqualmie Falls, where the party
stopped long enough to admire the
splendid cataract plunging 268 feet into
the canyon below.
The lower Snoqualmie valley is a rich
dairying region, and cattle grazing in
the fields seemed well content with
i their surroundings. The highway con-
tlnnes through North Bend and along
the south fork of the Snoqualmie,
through stretches of virgin forest,
which should be preserved along the
roadside for the benefit of tourists, who
seldom have opportunity to see ' such
timber along main traveled highways
About ten miles out of North Bend the
highway enters the Snoqualmie national
forest, following closely along the
course of the tumbling waters , of the
south fork.
Forest fires have left their sears on
the mountains In this region. The ex
tensive slopes of Granite mountain,
near Rockdale, which formerly bore a
splendid stand of timber, have now a
desolate appearance, due to the ravages
of fire. Practically all the government
land on this mountain has been re
stocked with trees by the forest service
and will be green and attractive again
in a few years if fire Is kept out.
- A lookout man stationed on the sum
mit of the mountain keeps constant
watch over the region dnring the fire
season and Immediately reports to the
ranger in the ' valley any suspicious
smoke he discovers.
Plenty of Side Trips.
At Denny creek camp grounds the
tourists drove through a neat log arch
and stopped long enough to sign their
names in the travelers' register, which
is kept in an attractive booth con
structed for the purpose. A good road
winds through the camp grounds, pass
ing numerous camp sites fitted up by
the rangers for the free use of the
public- Concrete stoves and water
piped to various parts of the grounds
add to their convenience, wfcile a mod
ern rest station Is open for use. These
camp grounds are much used by tour
ists. Several forest service trails lead
from Denny creek camp grounds and
offer interesting side trips for tourists
who care to leave their machines and
penetrate further into the mountains on
foot.
i A hiking trip over Pratt river trail
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leads the traveler by easy grades along
the slopes of Granite mountain and
over the ridge between the south and
middle forks of the Snoqualmie; thence
down the Pratt river valley to its Junc
tion with the middle fork, at the Half
way House. This trail passes two
series of lakes, one on each side of the
divide; and trout fishing is said to be
excellent in Pratt river.
By a short side trip from this trail
the tourist may climb to the summit
of Granite mountain, which is 5820 feet
high, and visit the fire lookout station,
with its interesting equipment of fire
detection and weather bureau instru
ments; for the Forest service co-operates
with this bureau, making possible
the securing of weather Information at
various points where otherwise a
weather observer would not be sta
tioned. From the lookout station wonderful
mountain views open to the tourist In
all directions. Mount Rainier dominates
the landscape to the south, and numer
ous lower peaks rise on all sides.
At Halfway House, the traveler takes
the trail up the middle fork to the
Junction with Snow lake trail, which
leads back over the ridg-e into trie
south fork watershed and down to the
camp grounds, making an interesting
trip through a scenic region. Not far
from the Denny creek camp grounds, on
land leased from the Forest service, is
located the forest lodge of the Seattle
Mountaineers. Here these hardy lovers
of the trail frequently assemble during
the colder months for enjoyment of
winter sports.
The climb to Chair peak from the
camp grounds offers another trip of
special charm to lovers of the high
places.
Perhaps the most hazardous trail trip
from Denny creek leads the traveler up
the highway to Laconia; then by trail
up Commonwealth creek, past Guye
.(Concluded oa Fuse i, Cylmun 2.)
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