24 lU'LIJ-rriN No. :VA. 



We have left Dawson on the mountain-top, revelling 

 in the wild scenerj' of the Cascade summit. For mountain 

 scenery this is certainly the climax of our travels. The 

 greater humidity and consequent greater erosion on this side 

 of the Cascades has sculptured the mountains of rocks into 

 huge pillars, over which cloud masses rest. Here, too, the 

 trees are at least a third taller than those on the other side, 

 and the brush)^ jungles are correspondingly impenetrable. 

 Huge trees seem to delight in completely blocking the trail. 



The descent of the western side of the pass to the Ca.scade 

 River level consumed the rest of the morning. After a lunch 

 of Grape-nuts and water, and huckleberries whicli are abun- 

 dant on this slope, we dragged our blistered feet down the 

 trail toward the Skagit River. The monotony of the forced 

 march was pleasantly relieved by the notes of Varied Thrush, 

 by the chatter of the jays in the tree tops, and by the excited 

 cries of warblers in the brush fringing the trail. Dippers were 

 diving for dinner into the rapids ; one would scarcely step 

 aside where we cros.sed the mouth of a rushing torrent. A 

 gray old Bald Eagle refused to be startled from his favorite 

 perch just across the river, but sat and gazed at us while we 

 studied him at leisure and then pa.ssed on. But the longest 

 journey has an end. The ferry put the first stage of our return 

 behind us. But we cannot dwell upon the experiences which 

 followed on the remainder of the homeward march. How, oh 

 the second day, too foot-sore to tramp further, we built a 

 raft on which we floated ten dangerous miles down the Skagit 

 without a mishap other than a severe shaking up as we bumped 

 over one riffle. Of the early morning start in a driving rain to 

 catch the stage four miles beyond, and of the stage ride over 

 stretches of corduroy road, root road and gullied road, on the 

 keen jump ; when we were not holding the seat down it was 

 gathering itself to receive us lovingly, vigorously! But not 

 even physical discomforts could turn our notice away from the 

 abiuidant Ospreys, Ravens and Northwest Crows, along the 

 river's ceurse. 



Skagit River, Aug. 1 . 



Great Blue Heron. Northwest Crow. 



Spotted Sandpiper. American Crossbill. 



American Ospre}-. Rusty Son<T Sparrow. 



