348 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



valley of the Okanogan River and ex- 

 tended across the gorge of the Columbia 

 River. This ice dam caused the waters 

 of the Columbia to flood the tributary 

 valleys, and they rose until a low place 

 in the divide was reached, south of the 

 present site of Coulee City. Here they 

 overflowed into the headwaters of a 

 southwestward flowing tributary, and 

 thus reached the channel of the Colum- 

 bia River again. The divide was cut 

 back and a great waterfall was devel- 

 oped, which must have been the equal 

 of our grandest waterfalls now in exist- 

 ence. As the ice barrier melted away 

 the waters of the Columbia were al- 

 lowed to resume their former course, 

 leaving the Grand Coulee, with its 

 numerous lakes and springs as evidence 

 of the temporary, pre-historic, cross- 

 countr}' water channel. 



This enormous dry canyon with its 

 numerous beautiful lakes, and its site 

 of a great prehistoric waterfall, which 

 was as high as the Victoria Falls of the 

 Zambesi River in Africa, and of much 

 greater extent, may be easily visited by 

 any tourists traveling over the Northern 

 Pacific Railway, by leaving the main 

 line at Spokane, and traveling over the 

 branch line for r^.") miles to Coulee City, 

 which is a small town with good accom- 

 modations for guests, situated on the 

 level floor of the Upper Coulee at a 

 most advantageous spot to take in most 

 of the interesting and grand viev.'s. The 

 trip westward from Spokane is interest- 

 ing and gives one a chance to see how 

 this section of the country is being de- 

 veloped. 



Soon after leaving Spokane we passed 

 through cuts in gravel terraces and 

 crossed a deep, i1at-floored valley in 

 which a very small stream is now flow^- 

 ing. This is evidently a channel cut by 

 a large river in the (ilacial Period, but 

 now abandoned. The flat floor of the 

 valley is now covered with small farms. 

 After |)assing through ])ine-covered. hilly 

 country, and traversing a gorge in the 

 basaltic lava we reached the prosperous 

 town of Cheney, situated in a farming 

 district in low rolling country. Contin- 

 uing westward we saw many fields of 

 oats on the flats, while pine-covered hills 

 interrupt the general level of the coun- 



try. We passed through a belt of pines 

 between Medical Lake and Deep Creek, 

 and then abruptly left them for a roll- 

 ing, treeless country covered with 

 wheat fields that stretch to the horizon 

 on either side of the track. Most of the 

 farms depend on windmills to pump 

 their water, which is generally obtained 

 from a slight depth by driven wells. We 

 passed through Cavenport and Rocklyn 

 and were stifl in a rich wheat section. 

 The country here l^egan to flatten out, 

 and we saw the lava outcropping, and 

 forming small mesas, and entered a level 

 region of sage brush and bunch grass, 

 with a few nearly dry lakes, with little 

 grazing for cattle and horses and no 

 agricultural development. After a few 

 miles of this we got into more hilly 

 country with scattered pines, and an 

 occasional granite knob projecting 

 through the basalt. Then we entered 

 rolling open country, another great 

 wheat-raising section. Shortly beyond 

 the town of Creston we got a view of 

 the moimtains north of the Columbia 

 River. Near Wilbur we entered level 

 country again and saw a small coulee, 

 which runs parallel with the track for 

 some distance. Near Govan a small 

 stream flows in the coulee, and a fringe 

 of trees grow along its banks, the first 

 trees seen for some time. We passed 

 through some more good wheat land 

 about Almira and Hartline, and saw a 

 combination harvester at work, drawn 

 by about thirty horses. From Hartline 

 we swung to the south and descended 

 in a gentle grade aljout ;3.-)0 feet to the 

 town of Coulee City, situated at about 

 1,000 feet above sea level. As we ap- 

 proached the town we got a fine view 

 of the great western wall, which 

 stretches far to the north and soutli, and 

 also saw how the east wall, about five 

 miles north of the town, bends down and 

 merges with the plain. From Coulee 

 City as a headquarters we traveled by 

 automobile, carriage, horseback or foot 

 to the various j)oints of interest about 

 the Grand Coulee. 



The first ])lace we wanted to see was 

 I he site of the ancient cataract and wa- 

 terfall, with its 100-140 foot wall which 

 separates the Upper from the Lower 

 Coulee. ]]y driving or riding about 



