various trips by automobile, carriage, horseback, or on foot. One should
see, first, the site of the ancient cataract, with its 400- to 440-foot
wall, which separates the Upper from the Lower Coulee. About four miles
further on one comes to the brink of the western margin, and following a
short distance a wonderful panorama is disclosed, hummocks and hollows,
lakes and pools, some of clear and some of strongly saline water.
The basalt rock of the cliffs turns a rusty brown under the effects of
the weather, and is frequently covered with orange or greenish-yellow
lichens in great patches, so that the cliffs are a glorious riot of
colour.
The eastern branch of the Lower Coulee is in many respects the most
interesting and beautiful, because it is comparatively narrow, and a
large part of it is occupied by a long lake bordered by vertical cliffs;
this is called Deep Lake. A charming walk of about two miles takes one
to this part.
A visit to this region is a unique experience.
THE COLUMBIA RIVER
The Columbia River is the great river of the Far West, it is especially
interesting historically; the mere name, to those of us in the East,
recalls the old cry of “54°-40´ or fight,” the slogan of the Democratic
Convention of 1844, which elected James K. Polk President of the United
States, when this motto was inscribed upon its banner. The story of the
“Oregon Claims” makes interesting reading indeed, and history has shown
us how the matter was settled without “fight.” This beautiful river
means much to the Northwest to-day.
Taking the famous Columbia River Highway from Portland and going
westward, the traveller finds himself shortly in Astoria, at the mouth
of the Columbia River, and so on to the Pacific Ocean.
There are many trips to the beach from Portland; at Astoria the great
water craft attract attention; here the river is five miles wide and
there are fine fisheries. Across the river from Astoria and extending
from Columbia to Willapa Harbour is a peninsula known as North Beach.
This is a popular summer resort, with a superb beach, an unbroken
stretch of sand 26 miles long and from 200 to 400 feet wide, according
to the tides.
Any amount of exploring may be done on the coast of Oregon, which is
wild, rugged, and wooded in places almost to the water’s edge.
Various trips on, or beside, the Willamette River, which flows into the
Columbia 12 miles below Portland, can be made from this city.
THE COLUMBIA RIVER TRIP
The Columbia River trip is made by steamer daily, leaving Portland in
the early morning. (Hours for departing and returning on such trips are
not given, as they change from time to time, and are easily obtained in
the office of any of the hotels.)
The steamers go all the way up to the Dalles, through most unusual
scenery. The snow-crowned tops of the great mountains of the Cascade
Range, with their glaciers and dashing mountain streams, greet the eye
from time to time, while here and there magnificent cataracts lend
excitement; add to this the unending mystery of the deep, dark canyons
and gorges, and what more can one ask for a river trip?
The Pillars of Hercules are twin monuments of great height, one rising
almost from the water’s edge and the other separated by a distance of
but a few feet. Castle Rock, which, we are told, was a lookout station
for the Indians, rises 1,146 feet above the river. This rock was not
scaled by white men until 1901.
The waters of the Multnomah Falls have a sheer drop of 700 feet into a
great rock basin. These are the finest falls on the Columbia River. The
spray-filled air gives out beautiful rainbow colours.
Oneonta Gorge, a little farther up the river, is like a great garden in
the spring of the year; it leads back into the hills for about a mile,
and is carpeted with exquisite wild flowers and ferns.
We are told that at the Cascades, 45 miles east of Portland, a natural
bridge once spanned the river, the ruins of which now lie in the river
bed, obstructing the flow and impeding navigation. The story as told by
Balch in his “Bridge of the Gods” is as follows: “The red men tell how
Mount Hood and Mount Adams, situated on opposite sides of the river,
engaged in controversy, leading to a quarrel, and they resolved to
engage in combat. Advancing to a common centre, they met on the bridge.
Their combined weight was too much for the structure and it crumbled
beneath its load. The conflict was thus avoided, and the peaks returned
to their respective places.”
A canal has been constructed through these rapids, permitting steamers
to pass.
THE COLUMBIA RIVER HIGHWAY
Probably few visitors to Portland fail to take this justly famous drive;
certainly none should fail to take it. Here has been built a magnificent
boulevard reaching from Portland to the Pacific on the west and
extending to Central Oregon on the east, following the bank of the
lovely Columbia River. “The Road of Falling Waters” it has been called,
on account of the many magnificent waterfalls passed en route; of these
“The Multnomah Falls” are the most famous. In scenic grandeur it recalls
the Alps, the Rhine, and southern Italy, with all the wild bigness of
the Rockies. It is a wonderful bit of engineering, in some places the
road being cut through the living rock; again fine concrete bridges span
gorges and narrow valleys; to the south may be seen that most
picturesque of mountains, Mount Hood, and to the north, kingly Mount
Rainier, Mount Adams, and Mount St. Helens. Driving eastward one passes
over 60 miles of towering cliffs and sparkling waterfalls.
The highway at Crown Point is 700 feet above the river and gives the
traveller a superb view; from here on it drops gradually until
Bonneville is reached, where those who wish may visit the great fish
hatchery; then on through the tunnel at Mitchell’s Point to the sunken
forests of the Colorado, where I am told that giant trees are seen
beneath the waters, finally reaching the beautiful Hood River Valley.
PORTLAND
Portland is a city of peculiar charm; built upon rolling ground, between
the Cascade Mountains and the ocean, with its two exceptionally
beautiful rivers, it is provided with unusually fine scenery. The Rose
Festival, held each year in June, has attracted great attention,
Portland is called “The Rose City,” and it justifies its name, for
verily, to see the city at this time is like finding a metropolis hidden
in a fairy garden.
Back of the city, or rather to the west, rises Council Crest, which
commands a splendid view of the city, the rivers, and (when it is not
foggy) the surrounding country. Travellers who cannot arrange to stay in
Portland may get a lasting impression of its charm by stopping over a
few hours and motoring, or going by trolley, to this spot.
Council Crest is merely a pleasure park, but there is an observatory
there from which may be had an excellent view of the fine snow-clad
mountains of the Cascade Range. I have seen from here on a clear day,
Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, and Mount
Hood. These white monarchs stand far enough apart to be utterly
unspoiled; each is entirely different in outline from the others, and
the lights and shadows and cloud effects from here cannot be excelled.
Mount Hood, 11,225 feet, is reached by automobile from Portland. It is a
55 mile drive through the most lovely forested country, such cedar trees
as one does not often see, wonderful firs draped in long moss, stumps of
old trees long since dead, with a heavy growth of young green shoots
sprouting from them such as one sees in California. The last time I was
in Portland I had waited a week for a clear day to make this trip; as
the clear day did not come, I made it in a drizzling mist, hoping all
day that the clouds would lift just long enough to let us see the
mountain, even if only the top; it did not clear all day, but still that
drive stands out in my memory as one of the loveliest I ever took; the
mist in the forest, a dewdrop on every cedar tip and fern frond, the
waving to and fro of the glistening boughs, and the stillness and
mystery of everything, made it an unforgettable occasion. There is a
Government camp on the south slope and the return trip can be made in a
day. For those with time to stay, “Cloud Cap Inn,” on the north side,
may be better. There are a number of trips from the inn to points of
interest, but the climb to the summit is the most popular. This is said
to be the easiest peak in the west to climb. Guides are necessary here,
as for the other mountains.
OREGON CAVES (NATIONAL MONUMENT)
In the far southwestern corner of Oregon, on a slope of the Coast Range,
there is a group of limestone caves which were set aside as a national
monument, by Presidential Proclamation, under the above title.
There are two entrances to the caves, one above and one below. The
stalagmites and stalactites are unusually fine. The vaults and passages
are long, and there is one chamber 25 feet across, the ceiling of which
is said to be 200 feet high. For the traveller in this region a trip to
the caves will prove most interesting.
Footnotes for Part Three
1: The altitudes in this book are taken, as far as possible, from
“A Dictionary of Altitudes,” published by the U. S. Government.
2: A. H. Brooks, Chief of the Alaskan Division of the U. S.
Geological Survey.
3: Robert Sterling Yard.
4: Mr. Winthrop Haynes, “The Grand Coulee,” published in _American
Forestry_ for May, 1914.
PART FOUR
CALIFORNIA
Note—For convenience this state is here divided into four sections as
follows:
Northern California
San Francisco and Environs
Central California
Southern California
CHAPTER ONE
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MOUNT SHASTA
Without doubt, the point of greatest interest in the extreme north of
California is Mount Shasta, which rises just at the juncture of the
Sierra Nevada and the Cascade Ranges, near the head of the Sacramento
Valley.
Mount Shasta is a huge extinct volcano, 14,380 feet high; it is most
accessible from Sissons, from whence the trip may be made by automobile
(12 miles) to the summit. Taking Sissons for headquarters, there are
innumerable trips to be made, on foot, horseback, or by motor. Soda
Springs, Castle Lake, the McCloud River, etc. Mr. Muir says of the trip
to the summit: “During the bright days of midsummer the ascent of Shasta
is only a long, safe saunter without fright or nerve strain, or even
serious fatigue, to those in sound health. Setting out from Sissons on
horseback, accompanied by a guide leading a pack animal with provisions,
blankets, and other necessaries, you follow a trail that leads up to the
edge of the timber line, where you camp for the night, eight or ten
miles from the hotel, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet. The next
day, rising early, you may push on to the summit and return to
Sissons.... The view from the top in clear weather extends to an immense
distance in every direction....”
The same writer highly recommends the trip round the base of Shasta,
about one hundred miles; after reading his “Steep Trails” one feels very
sure that no one could know more about this Shasta country than Mr. Muir
for he seems to have walked over every inch of it.
The railroad track runs close to the Soda Springs, in fact so near that
one must leave the car to see the Springs. Travelling either north or
south from here the views of the mountain are exceptionally beautiful,
for Shasta is one of the picturesque, single-peak mountains; rising in
solitary grandeur from a low, lava plain, it is thought by many to be
California’s most beautiful mountain; snow-clad and supreme it stands
here; it has been called the Pole-star of the landscape.
To the south of Shasta County lies a beautiful and little-known
region—the Feather River Canyon, which has been opened up by the Western
Pacific R. R.
We are told that the rivers and streams fairly teem with bass and trout;
I give the suggestion for what it may be worth, as I know no one who has
fished these waters.
The northern section of California has one great attraction: it is far
less crowded than the southern sections; here real exploring may still
be indulged in.
LASSEN VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK
In the year 1914 Mount Lassen, after 200 years of quiet, burst forth
with a series of eruptions covering a period of 19 months.
Mount Lassen has an altitude of 10,437 feet; unlike the more familiar
examples of volcanic mountains, Vesuvius and Fujiyama, Lassen has not
one large peak, but four distinct summits, any of which may be ascended.
The view from the top is one of wonder. Seventy miles away gleams Mount
Shasta; across a line of cones and craters 150 miles long sparkles the
diamond crown of Mount Pitt. Westward and southward a vast ocean of
ridges falls lower and lower into the Sacramento Valley.
“In 1906, in order to conserve the best examples of recent volcanism,
Lassen Peak and Cinder Cone, in the same region, were set aside as
national monuments, but in 1916, after the great eruptions of Mount
Lassen, a reservation of 124 square miles in this region, including both
peaks, was made a national park.
“It is believed by scientists that the volcano will now remain quiet;
this will in all likelihood become a point of great interest to the
American traveller, being the only volcano which has been in eruption in
the national boundaries. Many tourists have already visited it. The
park, though undeveloped as yet, has other charms, such as forests,
lakes, and fine streams, but the volcano will remain the chief interest
for some time to come.”[1]
THE DEVIL’S HALF ACRE
Hot Springs Valley and the geyser country extend some 50 miles east of
Mount Lassen, as far as Mountain Meadows, and in this stretch there are
more than 200 geysers. This region is well named “The Devil’s Kitchen,”
or, as above, “The Devil’s Half Acre.” “Boiling Lake, two miles from the
geysers, is a pool of hot water 600 feet long and 300 feet wide, lying
between two streams of lava and with banks 100 feet high,” from which
there seems to be but one small outlet.
LAKE TAHOE
Going west by the Southern Pacific Railway we go so near the beautiful
Lake Tahoe that those who can will do well to stop at Truckee, and
taking the train of the Lake Tahoe Railway and Transportation Company,
follow this lovely mountain stream, the Truckee, up to the lake (15
miles). You will be made most welcome and have every comfort at the
Tahoe Tavern.
This place is mentioned on page 105 where its accessibility by
automobile from Sacramento is given, the state road thus reaching the
lake at its southern end and taking the visitors to Al-Tahoe, another
fine hotel from which the various trips may equally well be made. Small
cottages, with private baths, also open-air sleeping cabins, can be
rented by the day, week, or month.
Fine automobile roads lead in the various directions and there are
numerous trips to be made. Tamarack Lake makes a nice day’s jaunt,
taking a picnic luncheon. Cascade Lake and Eagle Falls can be reached
either by water or by automobile. Fallen Leaf Lake makes another lovely
drive. Horseback trips are plentiful, and the boating is most lovely.
For the fisherman, I am told that one June day here will bring him back
year after year.
Lake Tahoe lies 6,225 feet above sea level, it is 23 miles long and 13
miles wide. Its beauty cannot well be exaggerated. It is as lovely as
Italy’s Lake Como, and while the mountains rise round Como to a height
of 7,000 feet, these great peaks of the Sierra Nevadas have an elevation
of 11,120 feet.
It is quite impossible to do justice to the Tahoe region in short space.
There are scores of lakes, linked like a chain, and lying all round
Tahoe.
To the aviator this section must look like a glorious breastplate: Tahoe
the great central stone with the myriads of smaller lakes round it and
the hundreds of glistening, winding rivers making the platinum setting,
the whole lying lightly upon the breast of mother earth.
There are numbers of hotels, boarding-houses, and camps in this lake
region, but do not let this make you think that it is spoiled by
crowding, there are not yet as many houses as there are lakes.
Sacramento, the capital of California, is situated on the east bank of
the Sacramento River. The city is finely laid out, with wide, handsome
streets. The most important building, which attracts the eye before the
traveller reaches the city, is the State Capitol, with a beautiful dome,
which recalls that of the National Capitol. The surrounding country is
interesting. From Sacramento down to the mouth of the river the banks
are like one great garden. Here we get our first view of the beautifully
kept olive groves, the soft gray-green of the foliage reminding one of
Italy.
From here many charming trips can be made, Sacramento being one of the
railway centres for the interior of California. Electric lines also run
from here in almost every direction. The trip from this city to San
Francisco by boat is well worth while. There is a line of steamers which
makes the round trip from San Francisco several times a week.
LODI AND THE CALAVERAS BIG TREES
About 30 miles south of Sacramento lies Lodi, one of the largest
grape-growing centres of the state, and from here, by the Valley Spring
branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad, may be reached the Calaveras
Big Trees and the mining district made familiar to many through Mark
Twain’s “Jumping Frog of Calaveras” and Bret Harte’s “Bellringer of
Angels.” These writers both lived in the small town of Angels, Calaveras
County.
The Calaveras Grove of Big Trees is the farthest north of any of the Big
Tree groves, and was the first of these forests discovered. Here may be
seen some of the finest specimens of this woodland monarch. There are
about 100 trees ranging from 300 to 375 feet in height and from 70 to 90
feet in circumference. From here one may drive to the most important of
all the groves in point of number, South, or Stanislaus, Grove, where
the trees are not nearly as large, but where there are said to be more
than 1,000 of them. In both of these groves, as in the well-known
Mariposa Groves, one sees traces of the great damage done by fire. The
trees are now carefully guarded, and it is to be hoped that fires from
carelessness may never happen again. The average American citizen is
becoming more and more awakened to the value of the great nature wonders
and their preservation each year, and yet how recent is the tragedy of
the Hetch Hetchy Valley.
At Murphys, in the Calaveras district, there is quite a remarkable cave,
discovered by the miners in 1850, where there are some curious
formations and stalactites.
A wonderful trip by motor from Sacramento is made via the State Road, or
what is locally known as “The Wishbone Route.” The drive covers 275
miles, going from Sacramento to Donner Lake and Truckee, then 15 miles
along the beautiful Truckee River to Al-Tahoe, that most enticing place
mentioned on page 100. On the return trip the drive follows the lake
shore for about 25 miles, coming back to the State Road and through
Placerville to Sacramento.
CHAPTER TWO
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
THE YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
The usual entrances to the Yosemite Valley are via Fresno and Merced.
The best time to visit this park is perhaps April or May, while the
falls are still full. From Merced to El Portal (the gate), the Yosemite
Valley Railway runs some 70 miles along the banks of the Merced River,
for which trip the right-hand side of the train is best (right as one
stands facing the engine); the view is better from this side. The train
crosses and recrosses this gaily-romping river, and the valley view
changes continually, the walls becoming quite high in places and the
river foaming rapids.
Reaching El Portal in the late afternoon, one climbs up the winding
footpath through a picturesque tangle of brush to the Hotel Del Portal,
where all the necessary comforts are provided. After passing the night
in this delightful spot, one is taken early the next morning into the
valley proper, by a road which follows the winding course of the Merced
River, and from which giant granite walls reach up toward the sky on
either side.
Arriving at El Capitan, the great rock 7,630 feet high which stands, as
it were, at the inner gate of this Paradise, we learn that this granite
mountain exhibits to view 400 acres of bare rock! Yet this is only one
of many. The Yosemite Valley is 7 miles long and three quarters of a
mile wide. It lies 4,060 feet above sea level and is enclosed by walls
rising from 3,000 to 4,000 feet above the floor of the valley. Many are
the delightful trips which may be taken here. They are all carefully
organized and conducted by guides who know and love the place.
Before passing El Capitan we are attracted by the exquisite Bridal Veil
Falls on the opposite side, higher than the highest fall in Switzerland.
On the same side as El Capitan and beyond, we see the Three Brothers;
one of these peaks is accessible by trail; from the summit (3,700 feet)
there is one of the finest views of the valley. Next come the Cathedral
Spires, and on the south side Sentinel Rock and Sentinel Dome. North and
South Dome are most curious and especially interesting. There are trails
leading to nearly all of these individual crests now.
Of all the falls, the one called, like the valley, Yosemite, is the
finest. It is the highest known fall of its volume. The waters dash down
one half mile. The fall is in three sections, but appears all one at a
distance. In the early spring, when the volume is greatest, the booming
of the waters is deafening and the force with which it strikes the
ground shakes windows one mile away.
From Yosemite Point, the crest above the falls, the view is magnificent,
but for the full effect of this fall one should walk to the foot and
look up; the sensation received will not soon be forgotten.
The flora and fauna are enchanting. There are scores of varieties of
wild flowers, shrubs, ferns, etc. To those interested in the botany of
the valley, “Yosemite Flora,” issued by the Department of Botany,
University of California, will be of great value.
Camping in the Yosemite is more popular than life in the hotels, the
camps are provided with all the necessary comforts. Full particulars can
be had by writing to the Sentinel Hotel, Camp Curry, Camp Lost Arrow, or
Camp Awahnee.
Before leaving the valley the Lower Drive must surely be taken by those
who have not had time to take the trip on foot. The valley is so small
that the floor can be pretty thoroughly explored (as far as mere
sight-seeing goes) in a single drive, and it is most pleasing to carry
away with us a picture of this green spot, starred over with the lovely
wild flowers; it is like an oasis in a desert. The trip up the trail on
the morrow, leading over the bare, brown face of rocky cliffs, will have
amid the white of the everlasting snows and the sparkling of the
sunlight in the various falls, only the occasional appearing and
disappearing of this emerald valley threaded by the silver stream of the
Merced to give it colour. The climb to Glacier Point is made
cross-saddle only, and the traveller who has gone out unprepared can
rent a skirt by making known her want when she engages her horse or
mule. But before starting on this trip which is to take the traveller
out of the valley, I must mention the drive to the lovely Tenaya Canyon
and Mirror Lake. This is usually taken in the early morning, in time to
see the sunrise, and fully does it repay one; those planning to take the
Glacier Point Trail usually start this way and from here pass Cathedral
Rocks, Clouds’ Rest, etc., to where the horses are waiting for the
start. Glacier Point is 7,297 feet above sea level, and between 3,000
and 4,000 feet above the valley. The trail winds up the east end of the
valley, past the foot of the beautiful Vernal Falls, and up, up, over
the top, past the splendid Nevada Falls and again over the top,
zigzagging back and forth, on every turn new views greeting the sight.
Liberty Cap and Mount Star King, as seen from the point on this trail
known as Panorama View, 4,000 feet above the valley, are more impressive
than words can tell.
At Glacier Point we find a comfortable hotel, with a veranda which makes
one want to stay indefinitely, so wonderful is the view seen from it,
with the valley, the falls, and ridge after ridge of the snow-clad
Sierras. From here there are fine walks and many fine views to be had.
WAWONA AND THE MARIPOSA GROVE