Show The West Is Big Sig Country Beginning in April the great western vestern outdoors begins to beckon those who love scenic beauty and grandeur of wide open spaces and big rolling land and mountains ITS TOO early for some of the upper heights but the snow is melting on most of the western slopes by April and spring is beginning to turn on I have always liked California California California Cal Cal- Colorado Utah Montana Montana Montana Mon Mon- tana Wyoming and South Dakota a because I have visited these states SENATOR Frank Church of Idaho once told me the weather er in Boise in the Snake River Valley averaged being as asmild asmild asmild mild throughout the year as that in the national capital I dont don't know about that but Ive I've always wanted to lo see the Snake River Valley never have SOME YEARS ago I spent a summer about feet feel up in southwestern Colorado where one could see a few wild goats goals on the slopes and ride horseback up to feet and quite possibly see elk along the way The chipmunks played in in the yard and the beavers in the stream and lake below below below be be- low and made their dams and damaged a l lot of aspen trees THIS TillS IS big country like one sees in Utah and Montana Montana Montana Mon Mon- tana and elsewhere in the western states Ive I've been to Arizona and New Mexico often of course but since they are warm weather resort states I dont don't include them in the mountain scenery I think of when picturing picturing picturing pic pic- turing the more northerly western states UPPER NEVADA and Washington and Oregon are of course included Once driving from Las Vegas up to Lake Tahoe I hit and killed a pheasant crossing the road and after that I kept my my eyes and saw quite a few But it t is the Dakotas that so many easterners think of when they think of pheasant hunting TilE THE NATIONAL parks of he west are in a class of own and the bears and Yellowstone National Park i ii t 1 upper California are un un- eatable The lakes of the est st many of them et up or more are lovely im now to October Before the end of school one can make fascinating trips into the western parks and mountains before vacations vacations vacations va va- begin and so many parks are full Fishing is al already already already al- al ready good in many areas even if much of the hunting hunting hunting hunt hunt- ing is ever until fall THE TilE joy of being in big w western stern country is that one is truely far removed removed removed re re- re- re moved from the rat-race rat which is too often U. U S S. S civilization At a mountain camp in this part of oC the country with no phone and little in the way of hustle and rush one can find peace for the soul fresh air and good sleeping nights |