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n sUi-«| I reads his the clownish bear hucklc-bcrry patch; the heavens, between I sun. the bntd eagleeature beneath the hadow of the rocks.where the ra« trace on the i curling up fr chalet or hot appropriatedHere the Itocky mountains tumble and froth like a wind-whipped tide, as they careen off to the northwest. This is the fountain head of the continent, with its triple watershed—the beginning of little and big things. Huddled close together are tiny atreams. the span of a hand in width, that miles . and milea away to the north, south and west, flow as mighty riTers into Hudson bay. the Gulf of Megico and the Pacific ocean.Two hundred and fifty lakes in valley. glacial cirque and mountain pocket flash back to the sky the blue andBeen huea they borrowed from it. tindreds of waterfalls cascade from I their sources on glacial field or everlasting snow in mighty torrents or milky-white traceries; rainbows flicker and vanish in the ever-changing play of the waters, while the bright Montana sun does tricks of light and shadeBegins at Laka McDonald.Starting from the and of the present Brlton-I-sko McDonald road at the root of I.ake McDonald, the trans-mountain road will follow along the east ebore of Lake McDonald through the pine and tamarack forests to Ola-der hotel, located about one mile be-loy the head of the lake, then continuing along the lake shore to McDonald creek, just below Logan falls. Here a branch road will cross McDonaldwill dot along thecondensedCopyright, r. H. Klaar; Courtesy O. N. Ry.GOING-TO-THESVN MOUNTAIN.If there if one mountain above all otben In Olacltr National park wboae overpowering personality impresses itself on the memory of the sightseer, it is Going-to-tbe-Sun. This is partly due to the fact that an excellent view of its classic outlines may be had from all sides. If one were standing on its summit. 9184 feet above sea level, he would look almost straight down nearly one mile into St. Mary lake. This mountain is one of (he views included in the motor highway to be built through Glacier pkrk. (Photo by F. S. G. Rogers. Great Fall. LAKE McDONALD, LOOKING NORTH.Lake McDonald is a mountain framed body of water oceupyfng the lower end of the McDonald valley in Glacier National park. It baa an irregular shore line, heavily timbered, with a splendid grouping of mountains at the upper end. the principal ones being Mt. Vaught, SjDdO feet; Mt. Brown. 8J4I feet, and Cannon mountain. 8£00 feet, all of which can be seen in the background of the above picture. The new motor highway to be built by congress through Glacier National park will extend along the east shore of Lake McDonald. tIs to build through Glacier National park, is wi over the precipices in a half dosea torraatial itmPARK (CANADIAN) \LWeforton L )£WATERTON LAKESZ/izabaffrL' J*X*YUACieanoj Lake Josephine Gn'nnel/Glacier lt;JMt Gould * )^Pie$an Mtn ,•ge LongfellotTrout tfTriple Divide Peak ./chalet'Scale2 i o 2 s. 6 a 'Q, MilesPhoto by F. E. G. Rogers, Great Falls.LEWIS' GLACIER HOTEL.Lewis' Glscier Hotel is near the western terminus of the new motor bigbwey to be built through Glscier National park and is located at the upper end of Lake McDonald. An automobile road already con• nects this lake with Belton, the western entrance of the park.Auto Highway in Park to Boost VisitorsDHERE were 49,491 motorists in Yellowstone National park, at the southern boundary of Mon- tana, during the season of 1920, and 30,286 otherpersons who came by train, making a total of 79,777. Glacier National park in northern Montana was visited by 22,449 persons, the greater part of whom came by rail. It is estimated that less than 2,500 motorists visited Glacier park last year, the exact number being difficult to ascertain for the reason that few automobiles enter the park, as there are no motor highways at the present time worth while within its boundaries.Thus 47,000 more motorists visited Yellowstone park than visited Glacier last year, and the question arises: “Why?”It is well known that the two parks are entirely different in their scenery and their appeal, and a motorist from the east hardly can afford to visit one and skip the other. It is logical to assume that the only reason more motorists do not go to Glacier is because of the difficulty in getting their cars through the park. At the present time, autos have to be freighted by rail from Glacier Park station at the eastern entrance to Belton at the western entrance, or vice versa. The through trip of the visitors is made partly by hiking, on horseback and by auto stage. Though this manner of travel appeals to some, it is unquestionably more expensive than the trip would be if the motorist could traverse the park in his own car.Congress recently appropriated $563,000 to build a motor highway 48.6 miles long from Lake McDonald to St. Mary’s chalet, which will make it possible for motorists to go through the park in the same manner that they now go through Yellowstone. This road will be completed within the next five years and it is expected to increase immediately the motor traffic to 15,000 or more, annually.The importance of the new highway in Glacier park is better understood when one considers the fact that several nationally advertised motor routes lead to the eastern entrance of the park. These are Roosevelt highway, which starts in Portland, Me., and crosses northern Montana to enter the park at Glacier Park station and ends at Portland, Ore.; the Y-G B line, which is a part of the National Park-to-Park highway, connecting Yellowstone with Glacier, and the Custer Battlefield hiway, which starts at Omaha, Neb., and ends at Glacier Park station.Work on the new highway started-in Glacier park last week. It is planned by congress to spend $100,000 this year, and a like amount each year until the road is completed, which probably will be in 1925.The dotted line on the above map shows the route of the motor highway to be built through Glacier National park. The road is to begin at the lower end of Lake McDonald, connecting there with an auto road from Belton. It follows the eastern shore line of Lake McDonald and from the northern end of the lake goes up McDonald Creek valley eight miles, from which point it will leave the valley and swing to the right, climbing the west and north toe of Mount Cannon and ascend into Trapper Creek valley, where it crosses that stream seven times and by a system of long loops and switchbacks finally crosses Logan Pass and then follows down the north bank of the west fork of Reynolds creek. The road then follows along the south slope of Piegan mountain and then along the south slope of Going-to-tbe-Sun mountain and comes out on the bluffs along the shore of St. Mary lake, and continues to the northern end of the lake, where it joins the auto road from Glacier Parkstation. The road will be 48.6 miles long and will cost approximately 8563£00.Through thia wonderland, eongreas is to build a graded dirt road to the width of 'Jl feet, including aide drainage ditches, a road width of 17 feet with maximum grades of 8 per cent, easycurves and rustie log bridges. If traffic and other conditions warrant, the road could be hard-surfaced throughout its entire length without additional excavation work. The total length of the highway will be 48.0 miles and the total i-stimnted cost will be approximately $503,000.The route selected by the Park aerv-iee engineers, after careful consideration of the development of the scenic features of the park, as well as of the ultimate road development, is that known as the Logan Pass route. Logan Pats, altitude 0.0.15 feet. Is the lowest pass In the central section of the park and has the moat gradual approach, especially on the east aide, of any of the passes except Brown's Pass, far to the north, and the head walls of the valleys by which the pass is ap-prosrhed are much lower than in otherCourtasy O. K. Ry. ST. MARY CHALET.St. Mary Chalet, the eastern terminus of the new motor highway to be built through Glacier National park, is located on the lower end of upper St. Mary fake and is 32 miles from Glacier Park Hotel at Glacier Park station. A motor highway connects St. Mary Chalet with Glacier Park station.Glacier National Park An AppreciationaBy MARY ROBERTS RINEHART YOU are normal and philosophical, if you love your country, if yon are willing to learn how little you count in the eternal scheme of tJjjjigs, go ride in theRocky Mountains and save your soul.There are no “Keep off the Grass” signs in Glacier National Park. It is the wildest part of America. If the government had not preserved it, it would have preserved itself, but you and I would not have seen it. It is perhaps the most unique of all our parks, as it is undoubtedly the most magnificent. Seen from an automobile or a horse, Glacier National Park is a good place to visit.Here the Rocky Mountains run northwest and southeast, and in their glacier-carved basins are great spaces; cool shadowy depths in which lie blue lakes; mountainsides threaded with white, where, from some hidden lake or glacier far above, the overflow falls a thousand feet or more, and over all the great silence of the Rockies. Here nerves that have been tightened for years slowly relax.Here is the last home of the vanishing race—the Black-feet Indians. Here is the last stand of the Rocky Mountain sheep and the Rocky Mountain goat; here are elk, deer, black and grizzly bears, and mountain lions. Here are trails that follow the old game trails along the mountain side; here are meadows of June roses, forget-me-not, larkspur and Indian paintbrush growing beside glaciers, snowfields and trails of a beauty to make you gasp.Here and there a trail leads through a snowfield; the hot sun seems to make no impression on these glacier-like patches. Flowers grow at their very borders, striped squirrels and whistling marmots run about, quite fearless, or sit up and watch the passing of horses and riders so close they can almost be touched.The call of the mountains is a real call. Throw off the impediments of civilization. Go out to the west and ride the mountain trails. Throw out your chest and breathe— look across green valleys to wild peaks where mountain sheep stand impassive on the edge of space. Then the mountains will get you. You will go back. The call is a real call.I have traveled a great deal of Europe. The Alps have never held this lure for me. Perhaps it is because these mountains are my own—in my own country'. Cities call— I have heard them. But there is no voice in all the world so insistent to me as the wordless call of these mountains.I shall go back. Those who go once always hope to go back. The lure of the great free spaces is in their blood.rffcuqfc • ' i •• ~i* ■.f-■ ' *Photo by F. S. G. Rom, Groat Falla.MoDONALD NALLS.Sunday, May 1,1921.THE GREAT FALLS TRIBUNEDCongress Will Spend $563,000 to Make Glacier National Park ■ More Alluring to Those Who Would Motor Through Its Grandeur]
Newspaper Details
Great Falls Tribune
Great Falls, Montana, US
Sun, May 01, 1921
Page 16
Full Page
Clipped by
University O.
USA 12 Nov 2024
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