Historic Hood River
Chief Pot Cleaner
7-1-2020
Notes
I like finding new details in images I’ve seen before. These men are manning the pot washing station at the 1935 Legion Climb. Feeding hundreds of people was a major endeavor, and I’m sure they generated a lot of dirty dishes. Fortunately they had large boxes of “Nu Bora” to help out. It turns out “Nu Bora” was a granulated borax based soap from a Portland company. I’ve never heard of it, but maybe it was popular in Hood River back then.
Charlott
These were in the early years of the climb. Later there was a huge kitchen/cook tent, and with each year more sophisticated work ethics and equipment. After WWII it became more popular of an event. With the Crag Rats being the guides, we were at Legion Camp during the climb week end. A number of times my mother volunteered to work in the kitchen. They not only cooked meals they also packed the lunches for the actual climb. As each person headed out they went by the kitchen tent to pick up their lunch. Keep in mind there was no electricity up there, so no was of heating water for dishes. I recall them having a huge fire out there with big grates on them with tubs of water. I imagine their coffee was perked on that fire……..Yum, nothing like coffee brewed over a camp fire………………..I was too little to enjoy it.
These men are just not totally camp people. If you note their boots, hikers and climbers wore those.
My take on the Swift box, is that that is probably a crate that either bacon or sausage arrived in.
Another note of interest, is you couldn't take a truck with supplies, tents, etc. to the location of the kitchen. You arrived at Tilly Jane at the end of the road, packed everything down the hill, across the creek, then up the hill at Legion Camp where the tent was…………..
Legion Climb week end was always something this little girl could hardly wait to experience…..
L.E.
What was the water source?
No paper plates or plastic ware, but also not a ton of garbage.
Kenn
Charlotte, thanks for sharing your wealth of experiences and knowledge,
Charlott
I am sure the water came right out of Tilly Jane Creek that ran right between the camp ground called Tilly Jane and Legion Camp. Best, purest water in the world, right out of the glacier.
nels
Did participants on the Legion Climb pay a fee for all of that preparations?
Charlott
I don't know for certain, but there possibly was some sort of registration fee that would include the lunch. I think that as far as the meals were concerned it was open to the public for a fee. Sadly, I don't know of anyone alive that would have the complete answer to that question. I don't recall where I ate, but if my Mom was working in the kitchen area, I am sure it would have been there.
Harold
Was this for the climb up the Cooper Spur route, with the fixed rope?
Charlott
Yes this was that climb. The week end prior to the climb, a group of Crag Rats went up and attached the ropes. Of course, if the weather wasn't super they wouldn't risk the climb. There were times that they took the group out on the glacier, or if it was horrible weather it was totally nixed.
Nelson
I think quite possibly the big barrel was where they threw food from their plates, etc.
Barbara Parsons
About “pure water from the glacier”: my dad was so vain about the pure
Hood River water that when his relatives came to visit from Utah, he was quick to say, “Let me get you a glass of warer. This comes straight out of the glaciers, and this is the first time it has seen the light of day since the time of Christ!” Daddy should've been an ad man. He made up the slogan about “The beautiful Hood River Valley–An hour to see, a lifetime to remember.”