MEAN MONTHLY AND SUMMER TEMPERATURE OF WASHINGTONCITIES COMPARED WITH THAT OF OTHER U. S. CITIES.
JuneJulyAug.Sep.Sum'rPuget Sound District5762615759Seattle6064635861Tacoma5863635760Spokane6369685965Chicago6672716468New York City6974736670Boston6672706368Washington, D. C.7377756873Philadelphia7276746872
The summers, too, are particularly free from excessive rainfall, such as discomforts the people in eastern cities during those months and causes so many disappointments; for 80 per cent of our precipitation occurs between October 15th and May 15th, and 75 per cent between sunset and sunrise, so that the pleasures of the day are seldom marred.
The heaviest fall of moisture occurs on the mountain slopes while the valleys, where the people make their homes, have no more than enough to produce a vigorous plant growth. Theaverage for the year on Puget Sound is about the same as in Chicago and only three-fourths as much as in New York orBoston. The Cascade Mountains prevent as high a precipitation in the eastern counties where it corresponds more to that of California.
SUNSET FALLS AND MOUNT INDEX, 40 MILES EAST OF EVERETT.SUNSET FALLS AND MOUNT INDEX, 40 MILES EAST OF EVERETT.
The normal annual precipitation during a 36 year period, according to the government statistics, was for Seattle, 36.6 inches; Spokane, 18.8 inches; Walla Walla, 17.7 inches; Chicago, 33.3 inches; New York, 44.6 inches; Jacksonville, 53.2 inches; Kansas City, 37.4 inches; Boston, 43.3 inches; Los Angeles, 15.6 inches; and San Francisco, 22.3 inches.
MONTHLY AND SUMMER RAINFALL OF U. S. CITIES.
JuneJulyAug.Sep.Sum'rPuget Sound District1.590.670.742.015.01Seattle1.410.610.461.984.46Tacoma1.970.690.662.795.91Spokane1.610.670.481.013.8Walla Walla1.20.40.40.92.9Chicago3.523.623.023.0613.22New York City3.414.084.383.4415.31Boston3.143.514.153.4414.24Washington, D. C.3.744.344.983.2516.31Philadelphia3.274.144.693.3617.46
The same forces that affect the temperature and precipitation also offer protection against the extraordinary meteorologicaloccurrencesthat so often terrorize the people in more exposed regions. "The Weather Bureau has no authentic record of a real tornado anywhere in the state of Washington" says G. N. Salisbury, Washington Section Director of the U. S. Weather Bureau. Violent thunderstorms are in most parts unknown. Loss of life never occurs from any of these causes. The atmosphere is always pure and salubrious and the death rate is lowest of all states in the Union, while its two largest cities have the lowest death rate of all cities in the United States, having a population of 100,000 or over.
After all has been said it were best to come and see. Spend a season where no dreary winters will engender melancholy while waiting for a lingering spring, and where no sizzling heat will threaten prostration. Come to a state that is as free as possible from the ills of unfriendly phenomena, and where one beautiful day passes into the next as a pleasant dream shades into the sweetest realities of life.
YACHTING ON PUGET SOUND.YACHTING ON PUGET SOUND.
SCENES AT BREMERTON—ONE OF THE LARGEST U. S. NAVAL STATIONS.SCENES AT BREMERTON—ONE OF THE LARGEST U. S. NAVAL STATIONS.
PUGET SOUND
One glorious expanse of calm picturesque water is the great inland sea known as Puget Sound, extending from the Strait of Juan de Fuca far into the interior of the state of Washington. If the Strait mentioned, together with Hood Canal and a portion of the Strait of Georgia are included, and they will be in this article, nearly 2,000 square miles of mirror like surface are encompassed within the green wooded shore lines of as many lineal miles. With sinuous arms, these waters reach in every direction, reflecting in their depths sometimes the lofty mountains, at other times gardens and farms of unusual attractiveness, and again the modern cities located upon the shores.
Almost everywhere have been sprinkled pretty emerald isles beckoning with all the lure of nature, while tree bedecked peninsulas shelter hundreds of cuddling coves. Near the dividing shore line the "tide lands" reach out from the sunny beaches and supply a sort of neutral ground, enjoyed now by the clam diggers or oyster culturists and again claimed by the enveloping waters.
Rising gently from the water's edge broad areas of fertile lands, which have been released from their forest burdens, are now devoted to the pursuits of husbandry and yield liberally to feed the multitudes dwelling in the neighboring large cities. Here and there patches of virgin growth in primeval splendor may still be seen, but usually, excepting in the Hood Canal region, the forests have been forced back to the foot hills, leaving in their wake the so-called logged-off areas which are in turn rapidly giving away to meadows and orchards. Further backto the east and west the mountains stand guard, while innumerable streams with incalculable water power pierce their sides, transect the lower levels, and pour the sweets of the mountainous regions out into the salts of the deep.
Occasionally rocky bluffs or promontories stand boldly out of the water, and command the view for miles in every direction. Pictures are everywhere presented which reproduced on canvass would insure the immortality of any artist. Altogether the region presents the likeness of one vast kingly garden where every plant that will grow is nurtured and all wonders combine to enchant the visitor.
SUMMER TIME PLEASURES.SUMMER TIME PLEASURES.
This beauteous sea is not locked away behind impenetrable bulwarks of mountain walls, like many of nature's wonders, but is at the very door of the people and enjoyed by them while going about their daily tasks. Nearly a million human beings look out upon its placid waters and rejoice at their good fortune in being permitted to play, as it were, upon its banks, and to feel the tender caresses of the soft whispering breezes that make the region such a pleasure ground in summer, and a haven in winter—and there is room for ten times as many to make their homes where these same joys may be experienced.
Not in the lifetime of an individual, nor even in the period required for the most extravagant display of human skill, was this great pleasure resort created. Ages elapsed, say geologists, between the rising of the waters that "drowned" the rivers once flowing where now the Sound reposes and the advent of the glaciers which deposited the fertile sediment to nourish the luxuriant growth appearing on every hand.
TACOMA, THE CITY WITH A SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAIN IN ITS DOOR YARD.TACOMA, THE CITY WITH A SNOW-CAPPED MOUNTAIN IN ITS DOOR YARD.Photo by Avery and Potter.
VIEWS NEAR THE EASTERN SHORES OF PUGET SOUND.VIEWS NEAR THE EASTERN SHORES OF PUGET SOUND.
IDEAL FOR YACHTING AND CRUISING.
One can pass the entire summer on Puget Sound without seeing a bit of rough weather. The largest ocean liners ride here safe from the storms that pound sometimes against the outer coast line; for its waters compose one great harbor, protected by the forests and mountains. One may see "Uncle Sam's" powerful fighting machines almost any day steaming toward Bremerton, one of the U. S. Naval Stations, where the largest dry dock owned by the U. S. Government is located.
But this peaceful body of water is not for the big vessels alone. It could not have been improved if created especially for the yacht, the motor launch, the row boat and even the venturesome canoe. Upon its surface is held many a local speed contest, and the annual power boat race is run from Ketchikan, Alaska, to Seattle. Conditions here are ideal for the college regatta and for the difficult feats of the hydroplane. During festive days many important events are pulled off, while the happy spectators, dressed in holiday attire, are crowded along the water's edge or perched on the ridges and house tops above.
For cruising, no waters in the world offer such advantages—never threatened by tempests and always within reach of some of nature's most glorious beauty spots. Landing places suitable for camps are easily found, from which short inland excursions may be made through alpine meadows by winding trails to the summit of some mountain or to the shores of some peaceful lake.
Those who are not fortunate enough to have their own craft are not necessarily deprived of enjoying these waters; for regular passenger steamers, of ample capacity and stately appearance make regular trips throughout the year from every city on its shores to nearly every other part of the Sound; while special summer time excursions are made from the metropolitan centers to all the principal points of interest on Puget Sound and to the cities of British Columbia and Alaska.
HOOD CANAL.
The waters that put one in closest touch with the mountains are in the narrow channel, or fiord, known as Hood Canal, extending southwesterly and bending back into the heart of theKitsap Peninsula. Tourists riding over these waters for the first time are elated with the splendors, and the frequent visitor never tires of the inspiring scenes that everywhere greet the eye. The eastern shores reveal the neat farms and settlements in Kitsap and Mason counties, while the western edge is at the very foot of the Olympic range, whose white serrated ridges are continually visible from the deck of a passing steamer. Easily distinguishable also are the deep canyons cut by the several main streams working their way towards the canal, plunging over rocky cliffs and creating falls of exquisite beauty. The Little and Big Quilcene, the Dusewallips, the Duckabush, the Hamma Hamma, and the Lilliwago, are some of the mountain streams whose canyons with rugged trails are familiar to those making frequent pilgrimages thither.
A BUSINESS SECTION IN SEATTLE—ELLIOTT BAY AND THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS BEYOND.A BUSINESS SECTION IN SEATTLE—ELLIOTT BAY AND THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS BEYOND.Photo by Curtis & Miller.
Other attractive places are Lake Cushman, a mountain summer resort reached from Hoodsport, and the rich Skokomish valley containing the Indian reservation of the same name. At Union City one may take the stage over a well traveled road through groves and vales to Shelton, county seat of Mason county, where regular steamers connect with all Puget Sound points—thus encircling the Kitsap Peninsula.
OTHER TRIPS.
Equally delightful are the little voyages over the main traveled waters of the Sound from Seattle or Tacoma to Olympia and Shelton, to Bremerton, Everett, Bellingham, Anacortes, Port Townsend, and Port Angeles; also out to the ocean or through the San Juan Islands to Victoria and Vancouver in British Columbia. The mountains are always in sight although not so close as on the Canal trip, and there passes a continual procession of groves, hills, pebbly beaches, rocky palisades, gardens, orchards, green meadows, and summer homes.
Entrancing is the view at the sun's rising or setting when a myriad shades of reddish and bluish tints are painted on the hovering clouds, which assume various grotesque shapes above the shimmering waters; and even at night time when threading the channel marked by the twinkling beacon lights, or enteringthe harbor of a city resplendent with thousands of glittering incandescents.
A PUGET SOUND SUNSETPhoto by Webster & StevensA PUGET SOUND SUNSET"When Sol in joy is seen to leaveThe earth with crimson beam."
Photo by Webster & Stevens
"When Sol in joy is seen to leaveThe earth with crimson beam."
COMMERCE.
Besides scenes that appeal chiefly to the esthetic are many that suggest the state's commercial importance, for these waters produce many million dollars worth of fish each year, and the neighboring shores have the largest saw mills in the world, supplying a big share of the 4,000,000,000 feet of lumber which is Washington's annual contribution and insures her first place in the Union. Out from Bellingham and Anacortes may be observed the rare spectacle of huge fish traps being raised, with sometimes 50,000 Puget Sound salmon wiggling within their meshes, soon to be preserved in the largest canneries of the world and shipped to all corners of the globe. Big ocean liners heavily laden are seen in the harbors or met upon the waters, carrying away cargoes of manufactured products which for the entire state approaches thestupendoussum of $300,000,000 yearly.
THE EAST SHORES.
The loudest buzz of commercialism is to be heard on the east shores, where fertile valleys and sightly plateaus checkered with farms and gardens stretch away to the foot hills of the Cascade Mountains, comprising five of the most densely populated counties in the state. Here, too, are four of Washington's five largest cities, Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and Bellingham, each the center of a rich territory supporting numerous smaller cities. At the southern limit is Olympia, the state capital.
Without irrigation the region yields liberally of fruits, berries, vegetables, hay, oats, dairy and poultry products, which go to support those engaged in the lumbering, fishing, ship building, mining, and other manufacturing industries, and the diversified business pursuits.
Eight transcontinental railroads operate trains, an almost unbroken string of electric railways render good local service, while excellent roads, including the Pacific Highway, crisscross the section and unite the people with indestructible bonds of friendship and mutual interests.
A number of lakes beautify this region, as well as the other parts of the Puget Sound country. The largest is Lake Washington, one of the grandest in the west, twenty miles in length, forming the eastern boundary to Seattle, providing sites for country homes and parks, and embellishing its boulevard system. Near Bellingham is Lake Whatcom, of similar importance to that city. Lake Stevens is handy to Everett, and a number of smaller ones are tributary to Tacoma.
THE ISLANDS.
Puget Sound would not be nearly so interesting without the many enchanting isles dotting its surface from Olympia to Blaine and within easy reach of the cities located upon its shores. Some are hidden within partially concealed bays and others appear like portions of the mainland until circumnavigation has proved their seclusion. Although a few have sufficient area and commercial importance to form entire counties, the larger number are of rather small compass, and a few are tiny gems suitable only for private resorts away from the busy cities. Nearly all are clothed in evergreen trees, bespangled with flowers and ferns, and girdled with gravelly beaches suggesting the real charms of camp life.
SAN JUAN GROUP.
Travelers agree that no islands anywhere are more beautiful than the San Juan group, blocking the entrance to the Straits of Georgia, rivaling as they do the Thousand Isles of the St. Lawrence or the classical Grecian Archipelago. There are 172 of them, including 122 with names suggesting their own peculiarities and others known chiefly by their location and shown only on the mariner's chart. The largest are San Juan, Orcas and Lopez. Apart from them but closer to the mainland are Lummi, Guemes, and Cypress, similar in formation and of like attractiveness. They are approachable with almost any kind of craft, no great distances separate them, and often there is justpassage for a steamer. They offer rare opportunity for playing hide and seek on the water, a game which in days gone by menplayed in earnest; for the smuggler stealing away from the international boundary line found within their shady inlets havens of safety from the unfriendly eye of "Uncle Sam's" revenue cutter.
AMONG THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS.AMONG THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS.Photos by J. A. McCormick.
And only to think, these islands were nearly lost to us! Had it not been for the wise decision of William I. of Germany in 1871, the Union Jack instead of the beloved Stars and Stripes might today be floating over them. The two distinct camps on San Juan Island where the British "Red Coats" and the American "Blues" waited and watched from 1860 to 1872, are still protected as points of interest; the former near Roche Harbor, and the latter near Friday Harbor, the county seat.
The usual way to reach them is by steamer from Seattle, Bellingham or Anacortes. The boat stops at all the main towns including Friday Harbor, where the University Marine Station and two large salmon canneries are located; Roche Harbor, where one of the largest lime kilns is prospering; and Deer Harbor, West Sound, East Sound, Rosario, Olga, and Doebay, attractive as summer resorts.
Many people spend their summers among these isles. The tourist with limited time should, besides visiting the historic sites on San Juan, make a trip to Mount Constitution on Orcas Island. Two good wagon roads lead all the way to the top, the one from East Sound and the other from Olga. A pleasant day's outing is enjoyed by going up one way and returning by the other. Its altitude, 2,408 feet, is nothing compared with the peaks in the Cascades. Nevertheless, few places offer more comprehensive outlooks. On the descent it will be difficult for the "wise" to resist the temptation to pass through Rosario, the beautiful country estate belonging to Robert Moran, a retired Seattle ship builder, who has harnessed the water power from the lakes lying a few hundred feet above and equipped a modern mansion with all that man can desire or money and art can supply. Who would guess that a great pipe organ might be heard in this seemingly remote spot in the universe, bursting out in unexcelled magnificence, rendering the masterpieces of the great composers.
WHIDBY ISLAND.
Extending about fifty miles in front of Skagit and Snohomish counties, midway in the Sound where the views of the Cascades and the Olympics are unobstructed, is Whidby Island, the second largest island in the United States proper and sometimes called "The Long Island of Puget Sound." With Camano Island on the east and two other very small ones it constitutes an independent county. Having much water front and its western shore facing the straits where direct breezes from the ocean are felt, it draws many campers from the cities. There are no mountains to climb, although a number of eminences offer views of the distant landscape.
The largest improvement has been near the southern extremity and between Coupeville and the northern limits, where the world's record for wheat production per acre was made. A beautiful road decorated with rhododendrons leads from Fort Casey to Deception Pass separating it from Fidalgo Island on the north, which is connected with the mainland by a first class highway. Near Coupeville is Still Park, where summer Chautauquas are held and many campers congregate.
OTHER ISLANDS.
A few minutes' ride out of Seattle is Bainbridge Island, having forty miles of water front lined with summer homes or suitable for camping sites. Tributary to both Seattle and Tacoma are Vashon and Maury Islands, practically one, comprising some twenty-three thousand acres, which yield for these cities berries, fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and offer some of the most delightful sites for homes along their fifty miles of attractive shore line.
Fox, Anderson, and McNeils Islands are integral parts of the Bay Island country, a rich district tributary to Tacoma and offering unlimited opportunities for campers who are always welcomed by the hospitable ranchers. Hartstine Island maintains one of the largest vineyards in the west, yielding delicious grapes which find their way to distant eastern markets. Numerous smaller islands are scattered about the Sound and insure pleasant retreats for all that love the simple life.
WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE OLYMPICS.WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE OLYMPICS.
OLYMPIC PENINSULA.
Lying between Hood Canal and the Pacific Ocean and extending from the Strait of Juan de Fuca southward toward the Chehalis river valley is the vast Olympic Peninsula, whose resources and wonders are probably less known than almost any other section of the world. The central portion constitutes one great forest reserve within which is the Olympic National Monument set apart by the government for the enjoyment of nature lovers. The population is distributed among the cities and towns situated on the level lands skirting the waterfront. This Monument contains the most rugged mountains, the deepest canyons, the most turbulent rivers and the thickest forests in the state.
The Peninsula is now reached both by steamer and automobile. Highways lead well up into the foothills from the cities of Port Angeles, Sequim, Port Townsend, Quilcene, Shelton, Aberdeen, Hoquiam, and Hood Canal points, and passable trails thread their way to the summits beyond. It is easy to surprise both deer and elk, confident of safety from the approach of man. Numerous flowering parks display seas of gorgeous colors which make the region famous for its beauty.
It also serves as a huge treasure chest. Billions of feet of choicest timber remain uncut; valuable ore veins and a vast lake of petroleum are buried within its depths; land well suited for agriculture girdles the entire peninsula; and the neighboring waters yield liberal quantities of fish.
Certain beauty spots in the mountains have been supplemented with the conveniences and luxuries of modern invention. Among these are Sol Duc Springs, at the headwaters of the Sol Duc river, where a little palace has been lifted into the mountains, Government Hot Springs, and Lake Crescent, all reached from Port Angeles; Lake Cushman, approached from Hoodsport; and Lake Quiniault, north of Grays Harbor. A visit to any of these resorts or any part of the peninsula will satisfy the most extravagant expectations of tourist and mountaineer.
LAKE CRESCENT, A POPULAR LAKE RESORT NEAR PORT ANGELES.LAKE CRESCENT, A POPULAR LAKE RESORT NEAR PORT ANGELES.Photo by Curtis & Miller.
THE HARBOR COUNTRY
Everybody in the state of Washington knows about the "Harbor Country," the only part of the state where almost simultaneously one may enjoy the rare combination of the unobstructed ocean, an inland sea, and trout streams lined with giant firs and cedars, which all but encroach upon the dominions of the waters. Here the oyster, the clam and the crab seemingly try to outdo one another and the mighty forest, in yielding splendid profits to the people, who lend every encouragement to the remarkable competition.
Thousands from the larger cities hie themselves to this section, at least once during the summer, to feast their eyes upon another variety of scenery, to enjoy its peculiar attractions, and experience again the pleasure of riding through a valley that appeals alike to the Pullman passenger and to the automobilist; for it is human nature to love a change, even if one's home environment approaches perfection itself.
ON THE BANKS OF THE CHEHALIS, LEWIS COUNTY.ON THE BANKS OF THE CHEHALIS, LEWIS COUNTY.Copyright by Asahel Curtis.
There are two important salt water harbors in southwest Washington, the more northerly one in Chehalis county, and named Grays Harbor after the great explorer who discovered it in 1792, and the southern one in Pacific county bearing an Indian name, Willapa Bay. They are separated by only a few miles of territory, which is served by no railroad other than a short logging road. Regular traffic is usually around by Centralia, excepting that during the summer months auto stages traverse the beach from Cohasset to Tokeland; for the beach here is level and broad, and the sands packed so firm, when the tide has receded, that it is used as a highway, and even as a race track for automobiles and motorcycles. This is true not onlyof the portion lying between the two harbors but also of the twenty-five miles known as "North Beach" extending from Willapa Bay to the mouth of the Columbia.
The entire region is fraught with charms that can be duplicated nowhere else. Pacific, Moclips and Cohasset beaches are patronized especially by people from the Sound cities and from southwest Washington. North Beach to the south of Willapa Bay attracts as well crowds from Portland and other Oregon cities. On Sundays or at week ends special excursions are numerous, when great crowds avail themselves of the opportunity of visiting the seashore.
POINT GRENVILLE.POINT GRENVILLE.
The modes of amusement are numerous. Wading and bathing in the surf or burrowing in the warm sands; hunting for shells, agates, and Indian relics; rowing, and trolling for salmon; or searching for the rare floral specimens abounding in the neighboring woods occupy the time of many. Others enjoy visiting the canneries, observing the motor races, or watching the sailing vessels, with canvas inflated, gliding quietly into the harbor or, heavily laden, being dragged out across the bar by some fretful yet powerful tug boat. Then there are the clam bakes and, at the end of the day, the big bonfires, the beach parties and the story telling, after which one is lulled into sweet slumber by the unceasing roar of the ocean surf.
So fascinating is this region that its extensive ocean beach will undoubtedly in time be ornate with one continuous array of summer resorts reaching from Ilwaco on Baker's Bay, at the mouth of the Columbia, to Neah Bay at the entrance to the Straits, and interrupted only by the narrow gaps marking the entrances to the two harbors. Every manner of dwelling is provided for those who wish to stay several weeks. Cottagesmay be rented, camping sites engaged, or board obtained at one of the homelike hotels looking out upon the sea.
GRAYS HARBOR.
To reach Grays Harbor, unless approaching from the ocean, means a trip through the wide fertile valley of the Chehalis river, either by auto or over one of the three transcontinental railroads that serve it. The entire journey presents a panorama of pretty landscapes. The stream itself is conspicuous, tracing the valley's boundary on one side and again on the other, as if choosing the most convenient course to the sea. Sometimes it disappears from view, but its presence is still marked by clumps of willows and cottonwoods protecting its banks, and again by some rustic bridge where the highway crosses.
SCENE ON LOWER GRAYS HARBOR.SCENE ON LOWER GRAYS HARBOR.
More generously the beauties unfold as the valley widens and the harbor is neared. Quaint towns are seen, including Oakville, noted for large shipments of cascara bark; Elma, an industrial center; and Montesano, the county seat and head of river navigation. Green meadows, wooded slopes, and cultivated farms on both sides of the river absorb the attention until Cosmopolis, Aberdeen, and Hoquiam, close by the harbor, are reached. These cities have experienced a remarkable growth within the past fourteen years. Aberdeen and Hoquiam have now a combined population of 29,000 in place of 6,355, the census returns of 1900. Thoroughly cosmopolitan, they contain the homes of some of the wealthiest men in the state.
SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON VIEWS.SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON VIEWS.
Such development has been due largely to the importance of the lumber industry which in this section of the state has assumed large proportions. The ravenous mills, the capacious yards, and the huge vessels loading for foreign ports are common sights within the cities. Farther away in the logging camps the agility of the lumberjack is exhibited as he lays low the giants of the forest and trims the logs ready for the mills.
The harbor may be most thoroughly appreciated by taking a ride upon its waters. Regular steamers make the round trip each day, stopping at many points of interest, both in the north and the south bay, including the North Jetty under construction by the United States government, Westport, where the life saving station and the wireless telegraph station are located, and Bay City, one of the largest whaling stations in the northwest. On the same trip the clam and crab fisheries may be seen. At the week end it is pleasant to get off at Westport and visit Cohasset Beach, there to enjoy the modern social pastimes that engage the evenings of the summer dwellers.
Pacific Beach, Moclips, and a number of other ocean resorts near the terminus of the Northern Pacific, also deserve visits; while those desiring more strenuous exercise can make profitable excursions into the wild Olympic region, exploring the forested hills, visiting the oil prospects, or hunting and fishing.
Splendid highways lead in different directions. In Chehalis county alone are 325 miles of gravel roads, every part of which passes near interesting scenes. One road extends to the south of the harbor and another to the beach resorts at the north. The Olympic Highway, one of the state primary highways, leads east to the Sound country, and northward up the Humptulips Valley, through the big timber to Lake Quiniault, located in the midst of grand solitude on the edge of the Quiniault Indian Reservation, making this lake a handy resort for the people living near Grays Harbor. Those who take the trip should plan their return so as to include a ride down the Quiniault River in Indian canoes. The Mountaineers who returned this way from Mount Olympus in 1913, pronounced it the best part of the entire outing:
"The trip down the Quiniault river with its manifold beauties and experiences beggars description—the swift current, the whirling eddies, the deep, dark-green water, trout leaping into the air to catch the flying insects, the banks clothed with magnificent forests, log jams through which or under which we passed, animated branches marking the rhythmic motion of the current, the floating canoes gliding into the deeper, darker water to seek the current that hurried them on and ever on to the ocean. The Indians skillfully guided the little craft through the dangerous places, then settled back to rest until the next test of skill or strength was necessary, in the meantime relating bits of history or legends which explained names or some natural phenomenon. The boom of the surf announced the end of the journey. As the Mountaineers left the canoes on the beach at Taholah, it was agreed that the trip down the Quiniault marked the red-letter day of the 1913 outing."
WILLAPA BAY.
TWO PATRIARCHS—ONE 65 FEET IN CIRCUMFERENCE.TWO PATRIARCHS—ONE 65 FEET IN CIRCUMFERENCE.
The water area of this bay is 100 square miles, composed of two sections, one extending southward and separated from the ocean by a long narrow peninsula, nowhere more than two miles in width, and the other reaching eastward to South Bend and Raymond. Into it flows Willapa river, besides other short but swift mountain streams teeming with trout and other game fish. The bar is about a mile wide and the waters covering it 28-1/2 feet deep at low tide, thus enabling sea-going vessels to cross without the aid of tugs—a great advantage to ocean liners and big lumber schooners, which may be seen almost any day either lying at the docks or loaded to the gunwale passing out to sea.
The southern arm approaches within three miles of the Columbia River. People in Pacific County say that Uncle Samplans to dig a canal through this narrow strip so that vessels may enter the river by way of Willapa Bay and avoid the Columbia bar, kept open by jetties built at enormous expense.
SURF ON WASHINGTON COASTSURF ON WASHINGTON COASTPhoto by Asahel Curtis.
The cities of Raymond and South Bend are other examples of what lumbering and fishing have done for Washington municipalities. Where a few years ago was nothing but a wilderness, known only to the Indians or an occasional fisherman, are now busy marts with extensive waterfront factory sites. Pretty roads start from these cities and wind along the harbor front or penetrate the interior. Excursions by water may be made to Bay Center and Tokeland, summer resorts and fishing stations. Crab and clam fisheries and the oyster beds may be seen here to advantage, Tokeland being the place where eastern oysters were first transplanted for mercantile purposes.
South Bend and Raymond are also starting points for the North Beach ocean resorts. On this trip one gets a full view of the bay, and the ocean surf tumbling over the bar. At Nahcotta, a pretty oyster village, all passengers are transferred to the O.-W. R. & N. train bound for Ilwaco and Megler, whence regular steamers cross to Astoria. This train makes frequent stops, permitting close scrutiny of the attractive summer cottages that face the boundless ocean constantly visible on the right.
Located at almost the southern extremity of the peninsula is the quaint town of Ilwaco, overlooking the Columbia bar. Near by are the most extensive cranberry marshes in the state. Another attraction is "North Head," most southwesterly point in the state of Washington, where an unobstructed view of the ocean is obtained. From this point may be seen the waters of the Columbia mixing with the ocean, "Tillamook Head" in Oregon, the light house, the life-saving station, Fort Canby, the wireless station, and the "Seal Rocks," where hundreds of sea lions are usually sunning themselves.
Instead of returning by the same route, the Columbia River may be chosen to Kalama, whence the Sound Country may be quickly reached by the Pacific Highway or by rail. Every tourist should make at least one visit to the Harbor Country and see the ocean from the southwest corner of the state.
MOUNT RAINIER REFLECTED IN MIRROR LAKEMOUNT RAINIER REFLECTED IN MIRROR LAKE"Owning no mightier but the King of kings"Copyright by Curtis & Miller
Copyright by Curtis & Miller
MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
One day, late in summer, I was sitting upon a commanding promontory nearly 7,000 feet in altitude, entranced by a panoramic view most wonderful to behold. The sky was clear, the sun's warm rays were unobstructed, and the air I breathed pure as the nectar of heaven. Only five hours before I had left the city of Tacoma and a little earlier Seattle—two great cities throbbing with the activities of nearly a half million people engaged in manufacturing and mercantile pursuits.
Just beyond the foothills visible towards the west were the green valleys in which these metropolitan centers lay—the nearest only forty miles distant by an air line, close to the watersofPuget Sound. Yet here, almost in sight of them, I was enjoying a quietude known only to the haunts of nature. More than seven thousand feet above me towered the majestic dome of the second highest pinnacle in the UnitedStates, reserving observation to the north until its summit should be reached, while far toward the east and the south extended range upon range of mountain peaks, like an army of giants gathered around their chief. Here and there among them appeared the sub-chiefs, Adams and St. Helens in Washington; and Hood, Jefferson, and the Three Sisters, far beyond, in Oregon. Between their serrated ranks darker shadows marked the deep canyons where grows some of the choicest timber in the state.
Near by crawled the huge glacial bodies gnawing their way down the mountain side and splitting its surface into rugged ridges. Between them and below were spread the meadowed alpine parks or abandoned cirques—veritable fairylands—which had been carved out by these superhuman agencies eons before.Barely distinguishable was the road by which I had made the circuitous ascent, bending back and forth across the face of an apparently perpendicular wall, while the glacial streams glittering in the sunshine, resembled huge serpents lying in the profound hollows formed by the extending hills.
The hours spent in reaching this favored point were of themselves worth the effort. Either rail or automobile may be chosen to Ashford where each train is met by an auto stage. Leaving Tacoma, the highway threads a picturesque gravelly prairie for thirty miles, ascends the beautiful canyon road, crosses the Ohop Valley, leads to the brink of the Nisqually Canyon a thousand feet deep, plunges through dense virgin forests, reaches Longmire, and zigzags to the snout of the Nisqually Glacier, whence the ascent to the Camp of the Clouds may be continued afoot, on horseback, or by horse stage.
This region was only recently set aside as a National Park. Perhaps no other area in the world brings so many and such varied natural wonders to the very doors of two great cities. It contains a total of 207,360 acres, or 324 square miles, of which 100 square miles is occupied by Mount Rainier (or Mt. Tacoma), king of mountains, rising apparently directly from sea level, and visible from almost every point in the state.
No grander expression of Nature's sculptural art exists than this mighty pinnacle, 14,408 feet in altitude, whose glacial area, no less than 45 square miles in extent, exceeds that of any other peak in the United States. One of the most interesting glaciers is Carbon on the north slope, reaching down to a lower elevation than any other; the most readily reached is the Nisqually, five miles in length; and the largest is the White or Emmon's. Other primary glaciers are the Cowlitz, Ingraham, Winthrop, North and South Mowich, Puyallup, North and South Tahoma, and the Kautz. The most important secondary glaciers are Van Trump, Frying-Pan, Stevens, Paradise, and Interglacier.