USA > Idaho > History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I > Part 73
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fastnesses of our mountains are gradually becoming more accessible, and more and more will their beauties be heralded by appreciative visitors. My words are inadequate to tell you what I saw on my trip that was pleasant and wonder- fully interesting to me. It was my first trip over the entire length of the 'Pin' road (the initials of the Pacific & Idaho Northern spell the word 'pin') now operating to Evergreen within fifteen miles of Meadows, in Washington County. The train carries an observation parlor car that is as fine as any running in Idaho, and the management has neither spared pains nor sacrificed the interest of the traveler in equipment and schedule. There is not a dull moment nor uninteresting mile in the entire run," etc.
A thousand other places equally noteworthy astonish the traveler in Idaho's mountains and he is perpetually receiving shocks that are both a surprise and pleasure.
IDAHO'S LAKES
Idaho is dotted with lakes, the clear waters of which are generally ice cold, and the surrounding mountains and hills making them places of romantic beauty. Lake Pend d'Oreille in Bonner and Kootenai counties, is one of the largest, over 2,000 feet above the sea level, thirty miles long by eight miles wide, the sur- rounding mountains, with abrupt cliffs coming down to the water's edge, afford magnificent and varied scenery, and to the sportsman it has a peculiar charm, being well stocked with several varieties of trout and white fish. It is easily reached by rail and steamers run daily between its important points.
Lake Coeur d'Alene, in Kootenai County, is well nigh as large and its shores, consisting largely of sandy beaches, behind which rise the surrounding moun- tains, are dotted with fine residences used as summer homes by many of the residents of Shoshone County and of the citizens of Spokane, as well. Here also are fish plentiful, not only the always present trout, characteristic of Idaho's lakes, but black bass as well; found along its shores, in Lake Benewah, with which it connects and which lies within the boundaries of Heyburn Park, but also in the tributary streams, particularly the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers. The shadowy St. Joe is one of Idaho's scenic rivers, of which a tourist once said: "To tour the West without seeing this river of shadows, with its exquisite setting of valley and mountains, would be to miss one of Nature's masterpieces." It is navigable as far as St. Joe, a distance of forty miles from the lake, and is the highest navigable stream in the United States, if not in the world. Hotels at various points along the shores of the lake afford accommodations to tourists and excursionists, hundreds of whom visit the lake every summer. One of the most noted resorts in Northern Idaho is Conkling Park, near the head of Lake Coeur d'Alene.
Eight miles north of the City of Coeur d'Alene lies Hayden Lake, a beauti- ful little body of water seven miles long and from one to three miles wide, with an elevation of 2,242 feet above sea level. It is reached by the Spokane Inter- national and the Spokane & Inland Empire railways, and while not so large as some of the other lakes it is a favorite resort. A "tavern" of the Swiss chalet style of architecture offers good accommodations to pleasure seekers, and there are a number of summer homes among the pines along the shores. The pro- prietors of the tavern also provide tents for camping parties, there is a good
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golf course and tennis courts, and the fisherman can find good sport angling for the bass and trout, with which the lake abounds.
In the northwest corner of Kootenai County are Twin and Spirit lakes, both of which are popular summer home resorts, and becoming the chosen summer resort of tourists from all sections. Both lakes are stocked with trout and good hotel and house tent accommodations can be obtained.
Almost in the heart of the Kaniksu national forest, in the extreme northern part of Bonner County, is Priest Lake, the most northern body of still water in Idaho. It is nearly twenty miles in length and from one to five miles wide. Priest Lake, although one of the prettiest in the state, has never become a popular resort for lack of transportation, the nearest railroad station being about twenty miles from the foot of the lake. Its reputation of having the best trout fish- ing has become well known to sportsmen who visit the Northwest, though one writer thinks this reputation was acquired because the lake is so difficult to reach. Yet if one wants to spend a vacation where he can enjoy solitude and "commune with Nature," there is no better place in the United States than the shores of Priest Lake.
Payette Lake, located in the western part of Valley County, while not so large as some of the others, is one of the best known of Idaho's lakes. It is about seven miles long and little more than twenty miles in circumference, and has been described as "more beautiful, more attractive in all its features than Lake Tahoe." Since the completion of the Idaho Northern branch of the Oregon Short Line railway system to Lakeport, near the southern end of the lake, this place is rapid- ly becoming a mecca for tourists and outing parties. The Payette Lake Club has recently acquired a tract of land on the west shore, built boat and bath houses, laid out golf links, etc., where one can enjoy all the social advantages of the city while taking a vacation. Or, if he prefers, he can establish his own camp at some point on the wooded shores and live in true primitive style.
Near the center of the lake the shores approach each other, forming what are known as "The Narrows." Here the shores consist of rugged rocks and rise considerably higher than at other points. Soundings have been taken at the "Narrows" where the line ran out for two thousand feet without striking the bottom. A visitor to the lake writes: "Killarney, Como or Geneva has no more beautiful setting than has Payette Lake. As we stand at the highest point of rocks at the 'Narrows,' several hundred feet above the lake, looking toward and beyond Sylvan Beach, we see a picture in the water which beggars description. The breeze has stilled. In the water's surface, now as smooth and clear as glass, we can see mirrored the comely mountain to our right, and every tree which adorns its sides stands out so clearly we cannot but rejoice at the striking beauty of the picture."
In the western part of Custer County, near the base of the Sawtooth Moun- tains, lies Redfish Lake, which takes its name from the fish with which it abounds. It is about fifty miles from Ketchum, the nearest railway station, yet it is visited every season by tourists on account of its great beauty. A mile and a half to the northeast is Little Redfish Lake, near the wagon road from Ketchum to Stanley, and Stanley Lake is some twelve or fifteen miles northwest of Redfish. Lake Alturas is about the same distance in the opposite direction. It is in these
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TWIN FALLS, SEVEN MILES EAST OF CITY OF TWIN FALLS. THE WATER DROPS 197 FEET
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lakes that the Salmon River finds its source, and it is this section of Idaho that Congress has been asked to set aside as a national park.
Bear Lake, from which Bear Lake County derives its name, is about twenty miles long by eight miles wide and lies partly in Utah. Its altitude is 5,900 feet and its shores are sandy or gravelly which gives an easy approach to the water at almost any point on the lake. Several varieties of trout are found in the lake and the fish commissions of both Idaho and Utah have kept it well stocked with young fish from the state hatcheries. As this lake lies near the main line of the Oregon Short Line railway system, it has been well advertised by the railroad and is becoming better known every year. Soundings taken near Garden City, Utah, revealed a depth of 900 feet without finding bottom. At Fish Haven, on the western shore, there is an excellent sandy beach for bathing. Auto stages run between Fish Haven, Paris and Montpelier. During the hunting season many sportsmen visit Bear Lake, where they are certain of finding water fowl in large numbers.
WATERFALLS
For the tourist who likes to pitch his tent where he can hear the roar of the waterfall, there is no better place than at Shoshone Falls on the Snake River. between Lincoln and Twin Falls counties. Here the river is 950 feet wide and the waters plunge over a precipice 212 feet high and the cataract thus formed has been called the "Niagara of the West." C. C. Goodwin, at one time editor of the Salt Lake Tribune, writing of these falls, said: "Never anywhere else was there such a scene; never anywhere else was so beautiful a picture hung in so rude a frame; never anywhere else on a background so forbidding and weird were so many glories clustered. Around and beyond there is nothing but the desert, sere, silent, lifeless, as though Desolation had builded there everlasting thrones to Sorrow and Despair. But to feel all the awe and to mark all the splendor and power that comes of the mighty display, one must climb down the steep descent to the river's bank below, and pressing up as nearly as possible to the falls, contemplate the tre- mendous picture. There something of the energy that creates that endless panorama is comprehended, all the deep throbbings of the mighty river's pulse are felt, all the magnificence is seen."
Four miles below Shoshone Falls are the Twin Falls, so called because the river is here divided in the center by a huge mass of rock with a cataract on each side of it. One of these falls drops over a perpendicular precipice 180 feet in height and the other makes its descent by a series of cascades to the river below. While not so imposing as the great Shoshone Falls, the Twin Falls present a picture of rare beauty.
Forty miles below the Twin Falls are the Salmon Falls, which were first visited by the Astorians under Robert Stuart on their return eastward in the summer of 1812. They arrived at the falls on the 25th of August and noticed large numbers of salmon trying to "shoot the falls," which led to the name of Salmon or Fishing Falls. These falls are about forty feet in height.
Going up the Snake from Shoshone Falls, the first cataract of note is the American Falls, where the Oregon Short Line Railroad crosses the river, which
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here drops forty feet in cascades over a lava stairway, and the falls can be seen from the windows of the coaches. These falls received their name from the fact that a party of Americans here lost their lives while trying to cross the river in canoes in the early part of the Nineteenth Century.
Farther up the river there are beautiful rapids from which the City of Idaho Falls takes its name, and on the upper reaches of the river are the Falls of St. Anthony near the city of that name. As these falls are above the mouth of the - south fork, the volume of water is much smaller than that which passes over any of the lower falls, though the Falls of St. Anthony will appeal to any lover of natural scenery.
The Snake River is not the only stream in Idaho that presents striking pic- tures of cascade and waterfall, common to every mountainous region. The Salmon, Lemhi, St. Maries and Clearwater rivers are all richly supplied with these features of natural scenery, and the Post Falls on the Spokane River, in the western part of Kootenai County, form one of the beauty spots of Idaho.
NATURAL SPRINGS
Warm or hot springs are found in almost all parts of Idaho. Usually the waters of these springs contain minerals that possess curative properties and a few of them are already well known. Concerning the origin of these springs, the following is taken from a report issued a few years ago by the state:
"Many theories have been advanced to account for the fact that in parts of the world hot water issues from the earth. One theory asserts that waters passing through regions where chemical action is violent are often heated and emerge on the surface of the earth as hot springs. Another theory would make the sources of hot springs so deep as to take their temperature from the earth's internal heat. *
"But Idaho's hot springs may come from a different cause. Ages ago, this intermountain country was vastly different in its physical features from what it appears today. Then came one of the greatest outbursts of volcanic force of which there is geological proof. An ocean of molten lava engulfed the hills; plains were covered, valleys were filled to the brim, and rivers and streams blotted out. When the cataclysm had ceased new mountains had appeared and all around the red hot lake of lava hissed and writhed and rumbled, and anon exploded from the force of pent up gases. As ages came and went the surface of the earth became cooler and moisture fell, trickling here and there among the cooling rocks and ashes gathered into mighty lakes, and later, searching here and there, drawn by the magnet of the sea, broke out an opening and escaped to mingle with the ocean. And while this process, carried on through ages, has changed the surface of what was once hot lava to volcanic ash to be a most productive soil, yet there remains today sufficient heat within the limits of this lava flow to raise the percolating waters to high temperature before they issue forth as hot springs from the bases of the hills and mountains."
There are also mineral springs, the water of which is not hot. Probably the best known of this class are the Soda Springs in Caribou County, near the village of that name. The waters of these springs are heavily charged with carbonic gas and bubble from the earth as if boiling. The water is bottled and sold as
PERRENE COULEE FALLS, 197 FEET HIGH, THREE MILES NORTH OF TWIN FALLS
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the "Idanha Water." A further description of these springs is given in con- nection with that of the Village of Soda Springs in another chapter.
The Rich Hot Springs, on the shores of Bear Lake, received their name from one of the pioneer families of Bear Lake County. A stream of water almost boiling hot, and with marvelous curative properties, here comes pouring from the side of the mountain. A mission-style hotel of thirty rooms and bath-house have been built at the springs, which are on the eastern shore of the lake and easily reached by auto stage from Montpelier. Within a radius of three miles from there are several mineral springs, the waters of which vary from hot to almost ice cold, and contain soda, iron, sulphur, magnesia, etc., while some of them are highly charged with carbonic acid gas.
Lava Hot Springs are situated on the main line of the Oregon Short Line Railroad, thirty-four miles east of Pocatello and near the center of Bannock County. The springs are the property of the State of Idaho, having been deeded to the state by the United States Government at the time of the opening of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation, on which they were located. There are 187 acres of land in the grant, a portion of which is admirably adapted for the use of camping and outing parties. The altitude of the springs is 5,000 feet and the climate is ideal for a health resort. Portions of the more level sections of the grant have been converted into pleasant parks and beautified with lawns and trees. There is a $10,000 sanitarium, two bath houses, forty tent houses that are maintained by the state and rented furnished for light housekeeping, the whole property being in charge of a superintendent. The volume of water is immense and the temperature ranges from 108º to 142º Fahrenheit. The medicinal properties of these springs are becoming better known every year.
Guyer Hot Springs are located in the northwestern part of Blaine County, not far from the Town of Ketchum and in the heart of some of Idaho's most picturesque scenic territory. The waters of these springs have been analyzed by expert chemists and have been pronounced beneficial for many diseases. In June, 1914, a new mission-style hotel was opened to the public and bathing facilities are ample for present demands. Connected with the hotel are tennis courts, a ball room, a cement swimming pool, etc. The adjacent streams afford fine opportunities for the fisherman.
Heise Hot Springs are located on the south fork of the Snake River, about ten miles east of Rigby, which is the most convenient railroad station. The waters of these springs have woh a reputation for their curative powers, particularly in cases of gout, rheumatism and blood diseases. Beautifully located, with fine trout fishing in the immediate vicinity, big game hunting, including mountain sheep, elk, deer, antelope and mountain lion, not far away, the Heise Hot Springs are growing in favor as a health and pleasure resort. A modern hotel affords accommodations and automobile stages run daily to Rigby, Idaho Falls and Thornton.
Clarendon Hot Springs, situated seven miles from Hailey. have demonstrated their curative properties in cases of rheumatism, skin and blood diseases, nervous affections, etc. The springs are located in a natural grove of great beauty and the grounds are being gradually improved. Hotel accommodations are provided and there are good fishing and hunting near by. Automobile service between the springs and Hailey is maintained for the accommodation of visitors.
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In addition to the springs above enumerated, there are many others in the state, such as the Yocum Hot Springs in the Payette Valley, the numerous hot springs along the Salmon River in Custer County, and the Thousand Springs in the southern part of Gooding County. The Town of Mackay, Custer County, draws its summer water supply from a spring that is almost "ice cold," and in the winter time turns into the mains the water from another spring which never falls below 72° Fahrenheit, thus preventing the pipes from freezing throughout the coldest winters.
SEE AMERICA FIRST
Why should American citizens spend time and money to visit Europe? To view natural scenery? The Teton, Sawtooth and Bitter Root Mountains present as many beauties as the Swiss Alps, and Hyndman Peak is almost as high as Mont Blanc or the Matterhorn. Is it for the climate? Idaho has a climate that cannot be found in the Old World, not even in "Sunny Italy," Many people in Idaho sleep out of doors the year round, the dry winters being as deadly an enemy of disease germs as the dry, still heat of the summers. Nothing in the Old World can compare with the attractions of the Yellowstone National Park-"Nature's Wonderland"-on the eastern border of Idaho.
To the tourist who travels for pleasure, the slogan "See America First" applies with unusual force to the whole Rocky Mountain region, and more espe- cially to Idaho. To the invalid seeking to restore his health, the healing proper- ties of Idaho's hot and mineral springs offer as many inducements as the famous waters of Carlsbad or Baden, to which may be added the pure, mountain air and the scent of pine forests, things not to be found in any European watering place.
IDAHO-A SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE
To the devotee of rod and gun, the mountains and plains, the streams and lakes of Idaho, appeal in greater degree than does any other part of the great West. True it is, that game does not exist in plentiful amounts as it did when the state was first settled, but in its different parts there is still opportunity for every kind of hunting and fishing.
Buffalo-The buffalo had disappeared from Idaho long before the territory was settled. The old explorers who have left accounts of their travels, con- stantly refer to the immense herds of buffalo found in the upper Snake Valley, and the adjacent sections. In fact, in Washington Irving's work detailing Captain Bonneville's adventures, there is given an account of a buffalo hunt that must have covered the ground upon which the City of Blackfoot is now situate. In many parts of eastern Idaho evidence of the immense hordes of buffalo that once roamed over the plains and the hills is to be found. But a few miles from Challis, in the early days, in a small valley were found the bones of several hundred buffalo that had evidently. been caught in a winter storm and there died together. At what time buffalo disappeared, cannot be positively deter- mined, but it was before the Oregon Trail was established by explorers attempt- ing to reach the Willamette Valley.
Elk-Throughout nearly every section of Idaho, except the sage plains, elk
THE THOUSAND SPRINGS, LOCATED IN GOODING COUNTY ABOUT SEVEN MILES SOUTH OF HAGERMAN
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were formerly plentiful. Especially was this the case in the extreme eastern part of the state, in what is now Fremont, Teton, and adjoining counties.
They roamed over the entire section, and western Wyoming as well, in untold thousands. Through the gradual settling up of the country, they became deprived of their winter feeding places. The favorite winter home of the elk was Jackson's Hole, directly across the dividing ridge from the Teton Valley. Here the snow was comparatively light, the grass was plentiful, and they easily passed the winter. That section, however, has been settled to a very great extent for many years, but the elk have continued to come to their old winter quarters, and even yet thousands of them are found in that valley every winter, con- testing with the cattle for the feed supplied by the farmers. The State of Wyoming, our neighbor, has expended considerable money in supplying feed to these animals in the winter time in order to prevent their extinction. Large numbers of elk have been taken from this section to surrounding states. In 1915 the Game Warden of Idaho brought a considerable number to Boise, and in the spring put them on the old ranging ground at the head of the Boise and Payette rivers, where they formerly were plentiful.
Deer-deer of many kinds still abound in every part of the state, in the winter time coming to the valleys, and in the summer time feeding in the mountains. Every variety of deer known to the hunter is found in Idaho, and it is estimated that 5,000 head are killed yearly in the state. The game laws of Idaho very wisely limit the number of deer that can be killed to two each, a year. In fact, there is a liberal limit put upon the amount of game of any kind, and the amount of fish as well, that can be taken. While this does not in any way interfere with the sportsman, it does much to save the game and fish from extinction.
Antelope-In the early days in every mountain valley in Idaho, antelope were found in great numbers, and still many exist in those places. In the winter months, before the Snake River Valley was settled, antelope from all of the higher valleys came on to the Great Snake River plains, and there they gradu- ally got together until about the time spring was opening, what was called the "big herd" numbered thousands. As the snow disappeared from their favorite summer resorts, the antelope found their way into the elevated valleys. In their favorite valleys where large numbers of them congregated, they made innumer- able trails. The favorite way of hunting them in the early days was to have out-riders posted who frightened the antelope which, in their efforts to escape from what was apparently an impending danger, followed the trails they had theretofore made and became an easy mark for the hunters who were posted in convenient places.
Mountain Sheep-Probably the most plentiful game in the mountainous regions of Idaho, in its earlier history, was the mountain sheep, the "Big horn" as it is generally called. Thousands of these were found in every mountain range in the center of the state, and their favorite feeding place was on the very tops of the highest ranges. No mountain was so precipitous but that they could climb it.
The flesh of the mountain sheep is generally regarded as the best of all wild meat. A law was passed a few years ago preventing the killing of the mountain sheep at any season of the year, and since that time their diminished
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number has rapidly increased, and the necessity of the law will in a short time no longer exist.
Many other varieties of large game animals have always been found in Idaho. The mountain goat is plentiful in nearly all of the precipitous mountain ranges. Bear of all different kinds, from the bald-faced grizzly to the black and brown and cinnamon varieties, are found in every part of the state. Cougars and bobcats are quite plentiful in many sections, and the coyote is an inhabitant of the entire sagebrush region.
In the north a great many timber wolves are found.
The usual smaller game found in almost every section is plentiful in Idaho. The lakes of the state invite water fowl in large numbers frequently. In every part of the mountain area of the state are found grouse of the different varieties, and the sage-hen, most succulent of all the game birds of the West, is found in greater quantities in Idaho than in any other state. Chinese pheasants also abound in the valleys. Like the quail, these pheasants are not natives of Idaho, but were imported and have gradually increased in numbers. Protected by law for several years, they have become so numerous as to almost be a nuisance to the farmers in the valleys of the southern part of the state, and the law now allows them to be killed, during stated seasons.
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