Rogue River Valley, having spent twelve hours amidst such scenery as can be met with in few parts of the earth. And this is only one of several roads, which, so to speak, make a feature of showing the mountains which traverse the Northwest Pacific Coast.
But to return to the Oregon snow-peaks. First a word about their explorers. Several young gentlemen of Portland, in October, 1887, organized the Alpine Club of Oregon, the object of which was to found and maintain a public museum, encourage amateur photography, and also alpine and aquatic exploration, and to look to the protection and preservation of game of all kinds. It divides the work into four departments, as just indicated. The explorers are very enthusiastic.*
The Alpine Club has made some special studies of Mount Hood, having ascended it more than once, photographed it from various points, and illuminated it with red fire on the evening of July 4, 1887, the illumination lasting fifty-eight seconds, and being seen from Portland on the west, and Prine- ville on the east side of the range, the former sixty miles, and the latter eighty miles distant. One hundred pounds of the combustible were used, which was dragged to the top by W. G-. Steel and Dr. J. M. Keene, three of the party having become exhausted two hours after jDassing the timber line.
The practice of the club is to deposit a copper box containing a register of their names and a record of experiences on the summit of each peak explored by them. This is chained to a rock for security, but left accessible to arty visitors who may make the ascent and desire to register. The illumination of Mount Hood was repeated in 1888, when heliographic communications were exchanged with the signal-service officers at Portland. This experiment suggests the use of a signal station on the mountain in time of war—provided the weather could be controlled.
- For the information of other similar associations wishing to correspond,
I give the names of the officers. President, George B. Markle; Vice-Presidents, W. G. Steel, W. W. Bretherton, John Gill; Secretary, George H. Himes; Treasurer, C. M. Idleman. W. G. Steel is president of the exploration department, and M. W. Gorman Secretary. President of the photographic department, W. W. Bretherton; Secretary, E. E. Norton.
