Terry Engr. Co.Gandy.Gardiner River.
Terry Engr. Co.
Gandy.
Gardiner River.
Distance five miles. The road for most of the way lies in the valley of the Gardiner. The principal points of interest en route are:
The Junction of the Yellowstone and Gardiner Riverswhich determines the north boundary of the Park. It lies in the State of Montana, the state line being two miles further south. The old prospector’s route bore off at this point and kept up the valley of the Yellowstone.Folsom took this route in 1869; so did the Wasburn party in 1870. Hayden and Barlow in 1871 kept along the Gardiner and thus saw the Mammoth Hot Springs.
The Gardiner Cañonis a precipitous valley of loose gray walls suggestive of danger from falling rocks. The nests of fish-hawks here and there crown detached pinnacles. The most striking feature of the cañon is the river, a typical mountain torrent of such rapid fall over its rocky bed that it is a continuous succession of foaming cascades.
Some four miles up the river, at the point where the road leaves it, the tourist gets his first sight of any indication of subterranean heat. This is a large stream of hot water, in early times called theBoiling River, issuing from an opening in the rocks and emptying directly into the river. It is formed of the collected waters of Mammoth Hot Springs which find their way to this point through underground passages. It was here that “numbers of invalids” were encamped when Hayden and Barlow saw the spot in 1871.
From the last crossing of the Gardiner a winding road, which rises 600 feet in its length of one mile, brings the tourist to the world-renownedMammoth Hot Springs, and to the administrative and business headquarters of the Park.
Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Mammoth Hot Springs.Bunsen Peak in the distance.
Terry Engr. Co.
U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.
Mammoth Hot Springs.Bunsen Peak in the distance.
U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Pulpit Terrace.
U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.
Pulpit Terrace.
First in importance, among the many points of interest accessible from this locality, are theHot Springs Terraces. These have been built one upon another until the present active portion constitutes a hill rising 300 feet above the site of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel. The formation about these springs, it will be remembered, is calcareous, and to this fact is due its distinctive character, so different from the silica formations which prevail nearly every-where else in the Park. The overhanging bowls which these deposits build up are among the finest specimens of Nature’s work in the world, while the water which fills them is of that peculiar beauty to be found only in thermal springs. Speaking of this feature Dr. Hayden says:
"The wonderful transparency of the water surpasses any thing of the kind I have ever seen in any other portion of the world. The sky, with the smallest cloud that flits across it, is reflected in its clear depths, and the ultramarine colors, more vivid than the sea, are greatly heightened by constant, gentle vibrations. One can look down into the clear depths and see, with perfect distinctness, the minutestornament on the inner sides of the basins; and the exquisite beauty of the coloring and the variety of forms baffle any attempt to portray them either with pen or pencil."[AZ]
[AZ]Page 69 Hayden’s Report for 1871. SeeAppendix E.
[AZ]Page 69 Hayden’s Report for 1871. SeeAppendix E.
Cleopatra Spring,Jupiter Terrace,Pulpit Terrace,Minerva Terrace, theNarrow Gauge Terrace—an incongruous name for a long fissure spring—theWhite Elephant, another fissure spring, and theOrange Geyser, a very pretty formation, dome-shaped, with a pulsating spring in the top, are among the most interesting of the active springs.
Liberty Capis the cone of an extinct spring and stands forty-five feet high and twenty feet through at the base.
Bath Lakeis a warm pool of considerable size, much used in bathing.
Scattered over the formation in every direction are caves, springs, steam-vents, handsome deposits, and curiosities without number to attract and detain the visitor. Many of them, likeCupid’s Cave, theDevil’s Kitchen, andMcCartney’s Cave, are of much interest. In the last-mentioned cave, or, more properly, crater, an elk fell one winter when the crater was level full with light snow. His antlers caught between the sides of the crater, holding him in a suspended position until he perished. He was found the following spring by Mr. McCartney.
Besides the hot springs features, there are other important objects of interest in this neighborhood.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Golden Gate.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Golden Gate.
Terry Engr. Co.Ingersoll.Osprey Falls.
Terry Engr. Co.
Ingersoll.
Osprey Falls.
Lookout Hillis a prominent rounded elevation opposite the hotel. Upon its summit is a block-house, built by Colonel Norris, in 1879, as a headquarters building for the Superintendent. The awkward and inconvenient location was selected for its defensible qualities. It will be remembered that the two previous years, 1877 and 1878, had witnessed the Nez Percé and Bannock incursions into the Park.
The Falls and Cañon of the Middle Gardiner, distant four miles from the hotel, are the finest scenery of the kind in the Park, excepting only the Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.
Bunsen Peakis a conspicuous summit located between the Middle and West Forks of the Gardiner. Its western face terminates inCathedral Rock, a bold cliff that overhangs the valley ofGlen Creek.
Golden GateandKingman Passare names applied to the picturesque cañon of Glen Creek. It is justly considered one of the gems of the Park scenery. The skillful engineering feat of carrying the tourist route through this difficult cañon was performed by Lieutenant D. C. Kingman, of the Corps of Engineers, U. S. A., in 1884-5.Rustic Fallsis a handsome cataract near the head of the pass. The best view in this vicinity is to be had from above the pass, looking through it toward Mt. Everts.
Besides Bunsen Peak, the tourist will findTerrace Mountain,Sepulcher Mountain, andElectric Peakever ready to satisfy whatever ambition for mountain climbing he may possess.
TheEast Gardiner Cañonaffords some fine views, and the falls and rapids at its head are extremely beautiful. It is through this cañon that access can most easily be had to the summit ofMt. Everts. This last name is given to a feature which bears almost noresemblance to the ordinary conception of a mountain. It is simply a broad table-land extending from the Yellowstone south and terminating in the lofty and conspicuous bluff just across the Gardiner from Mammoth Hot Springs. The mountain derives its chief popular interest from the Everts episode, which is described in the Appendix under “Mt. Everts.” It is also of great interest to scientific inquirers. The view from the prominent point opposite the forks of the Gardiner is very fine. The whole Mammoth Hot Springs formation and the group of buildings near it; the cañons and falls of the three Gardiners; and the array of mountain peaks across the valley, form a rare and attractive landscape.
Mt. Everts and the surrounding country are the home of the Park antelope and mountain sheep.
As explained elsewhere, Mammoth Hot Springs is the official and business headquarters of the Park. The handsome garrison of Fort Yellowstone is built on the white formation, and with the hotel and transportation buildings, the post-office, and various other structures, gives the place a village appearance not to be seen in any other part of the Park.
CHAPTER XIV.
A TOUR OF THE PARK.Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris Geyser Basin.
Distance, twenty miles. The first object of interest, after ascending the long hill above the Springs (four miles), is theGallatin Rangeof mountains, which bursts into full view upon emerging from Kingman Pass. Its various peaks—Joseph,Gray,Bannock,Quadrant,the Dome,Mt. Holmes, and others—still retain the heavy snow drifts of the previous winter. Some of these peaks remain in sight for thirty miles along the tourist route.
Swan Lake(4.5 miles) is a little pond on the right of the road.
Willow Park(8 miles) comprises the valley of the lower course of Obsidian Creek. It is a dense growth of willows, and forms an attractive sight, either in the fresh foliage of spring or in its autumnal coloring.
Apollinaris Spring(10 miles) is on the left of the roadway, in a pine forest. Tourists generally stop and try its water.
Obsidian Cliff(12 miles) is composed of a kind of volcanic glass, black as anthracite, which abounds at this point in enormous masses. The Indians once quarried implements of war and the chase here, and many fine arrowheads have been picked up by explorers. The building of the first road along the base of this cliff has some historic celebrity, owing tothe novel method employed. It was done by Colonel Norris, who thus describes it:
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Obsidian Cliff and Beaver Lake.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Obsidian Cliff and Beaver Lake.
"Obsidian there rises like basalt in vertical columns many hundreds of feet high, and countless huge masses had fallen from this utterly impassable mountain into the hissing hot spring margin of an equally impassable lake, without either Indian or game trail over the glistering fragments of Nature’s glass, sure to severely lacerate. As this glass barricade sloped from some 200 or 300 feet high against the cliff at an angle of some 45° to the lake, we—with the slivered fragments of timber thrown from the heights—with huge fires, heated and expanded, and then men, well screened by blankets held by others, by dashing cold water, suddenly cooled and fractured the large masses. Then, with huge levers, steel bars, sledge, pick, and shovels, and severe laceration of at least the hands and faces of every member of the party, we rolled,slid, crushed, and shoveled one-fourth of a mile of good wagon road midway along the slope; it being, so far as I am aware, the only road of native glass upon the continent."[BA]
[BA]Annual Report Superintendent of the Park, 1878.The reader may now be inclined to take issue with our judgment of Norris' practical turn for road building. He will at least readily indorse our opinion of the old mountaineer’s literary ability. (See "Norris Peak," Appendix A.)
[BA]Annual Report Superintendent of the Park, 1878.
The reader may now be inclined to take issue with our judgment of Norris' practical turn for road building. He will at least readily indorse our opinion of the old mountaineer’s literary ability. (See "Norris Peak," Appendix A.)
Beaver Lakehas its outlet opposite the base of Obsidian Cliff. It is formed by ancient beaver dams, now entirely overgrown with vegetation. The old dam extends in a sinuous line entirely across the valley, and, although apparently less than a yard thick, is quite impervious to water. The lake is a great resort for water fowl later in the year.
Roaring Mountain(15.5 miles) is a high hill on the left of the road, with a powerful steam vent near the summit. Nothing which can now be heard from the road would suggest the name.
Twin Lakes(16 miles) are two exquisitely beautiful ponds, if only seen in a good sunlight and with a tranquil surface. The peculiar green of the water is perhaps to be seen nowhere except in the National Park. A most singular feature of these two lakes is that, although so close together, they never simultaneously exhibit the same colors.
The Frying Pan(17.75 miles) is a small basin of geyserite, on the right of the road, vigorously stewing away in a manner which reminds one of a kitchen spider in operation.
After passing Obsidian Cliff evidences of hot spring action constantly increase, until they reach their climaxin theNorris Geyser Basin. There are but few other places in the Park where the odor of sulphur is so general and offensive as on this portion of the tourist route.
Norris Geyser Basin is clearly among the more recent volcanic developments of this region. Its rapid encroachment upon the forest growth, and the frequent appearance of new springs and the disappearance of others, indicate its relatively recent origin. Compared with the Firehole Geyser Basin it is of minor importance; but coming first to the notice of the tourist it receives a large amount of attention. It has only one prominent geyser, theMonarch, which throws a column about 100 feet high. TheConstantis visible from the roadway in the bottom of a large tract of geyserite which is unsafe for pedestrians. It makes up in frequency of action what it lacks in power. The most noteworthy feature of the basin has received the appropriate nameHurricane. It is a prodigious steam vent whose violent gusts bear a striking resemblance to the driving blasts of a tempest. It also discharges a large amount of water. TheBlack Growler, close by the road side, is a similar phenomenon.
Among the less important features of this basin may be mentioned theCongress,Constant,Arsenic,Echinus,Fearless,Pearl,Vixen,Minute Man, andMew Crater, all geysers; theEmerald Pool, a quiescent spring; and theLocomotiveandMud Geyser, boiling springs.
From the Norris Hotel a drive of three miles up the Gibbon River, on the cross road leading to the Grand Cañon, carries the tourist toVirginia Cascade, a unique and picturesque water-fall in a rocky cañon of considerable beauty.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Black Growler.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Black Growler.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Gibbon Cañon.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Gibbon Cañon.
CHAPTER XV.
A TOUR OF THE PARK.Norris Geyser Basin to Lower Geyser Basin.
Distance, 20 miles. The road follows the Gibbon River to within three miles of its mouth, then crosses a point of land to the Firehole, and ascends the right bank of the latter stream to the Lower Basin.
Gibbon Meadows(3 miles) is a broad open bottom, sometimes called Elk Park, just at the head of Gibbon Cañon.
TheGibbon Paint Pots(4 miles) are on the left of the road, near the head of the cañon, and one-fourth of a mile away.
Monument Geyser Basin(4.5 miles) is on the high hill just west of the upper end of Gibbon Cañon. It is an interesting spot, but rarely visited owing to its inaccessibility. It was discovered and named by Col. Norris.
TheGibbon Cañon(4.5 to 10.5 miles) affords the tourist one of the pleasantest rides in the Park. The mountains rise boldly from the river on either side, and present several particularly fine views. The road lies close to the river’s edge, and the stream is an important adjunct to the scenery.
Beryl Spring(5 miles) is close to the road on the side opposite the river. It boils violently and discharges a large amount of water. The steam from it frequently obscures the roadway.
TheSoda and Iron Spring(7.5 miles), like ApollinarisSpring already mentioned, is a frequent stopping-place for tourists.
Gibbon Falls(8 miles) is a water-fall of very irregular outline, but withal one of much beauty. The road hangs on the side of the cliff far above it, and affords a lovely view of the forest-covered valley below.
About half way between the point where the road leaves the Gibbon River and that where it touches the Firehole, is the junction of the belt line with the western approach which enters the Park by way of Madison Cañon. A beautiful cascade, some distance from the tourist route, may be found on the Firehole River about a mile above its mouth. Just as the road (the old Norris Road) commences to descend from the high plateau between the Gibbon and the Firehole, a glimpse is had of theTeton Mountains. They are among the most striking in the entire Rocky Mountain Region. For half a century after the overland journey of the Astorians, they were the chief landmarks in that trackless wilderness, and long bore the name of Pilot Knobs. They are distinctly visible from every important peak in the Park, although they are themselves outside its limits. As seen from the point, at which we have arrived, they are fifty miles away. They rise precipitously from the west shore ofJackson Lake(also outside of the Park) and with it form a scene of grandeur which ought to be included in the reservation. In 1872, Langford and Stevenson ascended the Grand Teton, being the first white men ever to reach the summit.[BB]
[BB]Some doubt has been expressed in recent years as to the actual accomplishment of this feat. It probably arose from an erroneous statement by Doctor Hayden in his report for 1872 that the granite inclosure was found “on the top of the Grand Teton.” As a matter of fact it was found on a point somewhat lower, and is clearly so stated by Mr. Langford both in an official report to Dr. Hayden (Hayden, 1872, p. 89) and in his “Ascent of Mt. Hayden” (Scribner’s, June, 1873, p. 145). A subsequent explorer, who ascended the mountain to the site of this principal object of interest, came to the conclusion, doubtless as a result of the erroneous account given by Hayden, that this was what Langford and Stevenson called the summit. But the references above given, and a more detailed and circumstantial account furnished by Mr. Langford at the writer’s request, effectually demolish this theory.
[BB]Some doubt has been expressed in recent years as to the actual accomplishment of this feat. It probably arose from an erroneous statement by Doctor Hayden in his report for 1872 that the granite inclosure was found “on the top of the Grand Teton.” As a matter of fact it was found on a point somewhat lower, and is clearly so stated by Mr. Langford both in an official report to Dr. Hayden (Hayden, 1872, p. 89) and in his “Ascent of Mt. Hayden” (Scribner’s, June, 1873, p. 145). A subsequent explorer, who ascended the mountain to the site of this principal object of interest, came to the conclusion, doubtless as a result of the erroneous account given by Hayden, that this was what Langford and Stevenson called the summit. But the references above given, and a more detailed and circumstantial account furnished by Mr. Langford at the writer’s request, effectually demolish this theory.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.The Teton Range.The Grand Teton in the center.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
The Teton Range.The Grand Teton in the center.
They were astonished to find, on a point but little lower than the main summit, a rude shelter of granite slabs evidently put in place by human hands ages ago.
Nez Percé Creek(18 miles) is the largest branch of the Firehole, and is of historic interest from its connection with the Indian campaign of 1877. It forms the north boundary of theLower Geyser Basin. Two miles beyond it is theFountain Hotel.
To attempt any thing like a detailed description of the Firehole Geyser regions would be intolerable alike to reader and author. Of the objects of interest, any one of which in other localities would attract marked attention, there are several thousand. In the present description, therefore, only the more important features will be noticed—those notable objects to see which is an indispensable part of any well ordered tour of the Park.
TheFountain Geyseris a typical example of the first class of geysers described in a previous chapter.Its proximity to the hotel (one-fourth mile) causes it to be much visited.
The Mammoth Paint Pots, a little way east of the Fountain, are probably the most prominent example of this class of phenomena in the Park.
TheGreat Fountain Geyserlies a mile and a half south-east of the Fountain. It is the chief wonder of the Lower Basin, and, in some respects, the most remarkable geyser in the Park. Its formation is quite unlike that of any other. At first sight the visitor is tempted to believe that some one has here placed a vast pedestal upon which to erect a monument. It is a broad, circular table about two feet high, composed entirely of hard siliceous deposit. In its surface are numerous pools molded and ornamented in a manner quite unapproached, at least on so large a scale, in any other part of the Park. In the center of the pedestal, where the monument ought to stand, is a large irregular pool of great depth, full of hot water, forming, to all appearances, a lovely quiescent spring. At times of eruption, the contents of this spring are hurled bodily upward to a height sometimes reaching 100 feet. The torrent of water which follows the prodigious down-pouring upon the face of the pedestal, flows away in all directions over the white geyserite plain. No visitor to the Yellowstone can afford to miss the Great Fountain Geyser.
In this vicinity are several of the handsomest springs in the Park. One in particular lies just across the hot stream which flows a little to the south of the Great Fountain. It is shaped like an egg set endwisein the ground with the upper part of the shell broken off. It is an exquisite trifle.
In a small valley, extending to the north-east from the Great Fountain, are several objects worthy of notice. One of these is an immense hot lake, by far the largest in the Park.Steady GeyserandYoung Hopeful, near the head of the valley, are not remarkable in this land of geysers.
The principal attraction of the locality is what has come to be called theFirehole. It is at the extreme upper end of the valley, difficult to find, and unsatisfactory to visit when the wind agitates the water surface. It is a large hot spring from the bottom of which, to all appearances, a light colored flame is constantly issuing, only to be extinguished in the water before it reaches the surface. At times it has a distinct ruddy tinge and it always flickers back and forth like the lambent flame of a torch. When seen under favorable conditions, the illusion is perfect, and the beholder is sure that he has at last caught a glimpse of the hidden fires which produce the weird phenomena of this region. But it is only illusion. Through a fissure in the rock gas or superheated steam escapes and divides the water, just as bubbles do on a smaller scale. The reflection from the surface thus formed accounts for the appearance, which is intensified by the black background formed by the sides and bottom of the pool.
The Lower Geyser Basin has an area of thirty square miles. Conspicuous among its topographical features are theTwin Buttes, two prominent peaks west of the river which dominate the entire basin. Alittle way south of these isFairy Fall, a pretty cascade 250 feet high.
There will be included in this chapter, as more properly belonging to it than to the next, a description of theMidway Geyser Basin. Its principal interest lies in the stupendous character of its phenomena.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Excelsior Geyser.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Excelsior Geyser.
Excelsior Geyser, as a dynamic agent, has no equal in the Park. It is really a water volcano, and its eruptions have nothing of the characteristic display of a genuine geyser. Its crater is a vast seething cauldron close by the brink of the Firehole River, into which, in non-eruptive periods even, it pours 4,000 gallons of water per minute. The shape of the crater is irregular. Its dimensions are about 330 by 200 feet, and 20 feet deep. It was not known to be ageyser until 1878, and did not really disclose its true character until the winter of 1881. During the remainder of that year and 1882, it gave continuous exhibitions of its power. Its water column was more than 50 feet in diameter, and at times rose to the enormous height of 250 feet. At such times, it doubled the volume of water in the Firehole River. Its eruptions were frequently accompanied by the ejection of large rocks. A second period of activity took place in 1888, since which time it has remained inactive.
Prismatic Lakeis the most perfect spring of its kind in the world. It rests on the summit of a self-built mound, sloping very gently in all directions. Down this slope the overflow from the spring descends in tiny rivulets, every-where interlaced with each other. A map of the mound resembles a spider web, with the spider (the spring) in the center. The pool is 250 by 300 feet in size. Over the lake hangs an ever-present cloud of steam, which itself often bears a crimson tinge, reflected from the waters below. The steam unfortunately obscures the surface of the lake, and one involuntarily wishes for a row-boat, in which to explore its unseen portions. Wherever visible, there is a varied and wonderful play of colors, which fully justifies the name.
Turquoise Springis another large pool, 100 feet in diameter, and rivals Prismatic Lake in the beauty of its coloring.
The Midway Geyser Basin contains hundreds of other springs, some of them very beautiful, but the Basin is mainly noted for the three features just described.
CHAPTER XVI.
A TOUR OF THE PARK.Lower Geyser Basin to Upper Geyser Basin.
Distance, nine miles. Road follows the Firehole River. Midway Geyser Basin, already described, is passed four miles out. No other object of interest is met until the visitor actually arrives at theUpper Basin.
This locality is probably the most popular with the tourist of any in the Park. Its two rivals, the Grand Cañon and the Yellowstone Lake, are so unlike it as not to admit of any comparison. It is the home of the genusgeyser, as seen in its highest development. There are fifteen examples of the first magnitude and scores of less important ones.[BC]The quiescent pools and springs are also numerous and of great beauty.
[BC]For list of names of geysers, with heights of eruptions, seeAppendix A, VII.
[BC]For list of names of geysers, with heights of eruptions, seeAppendix A, VII.
The first important featureen routeis theBiscuit Basin, which is reached by a side road leading to the west bank of the Firehole River. It contains a fine geyser and several beautiful springs. The most interesting are theJewell Geyserand theSapphire Pool. Near this locality is theMystic Falls, a fine cascade, on the Little Firehole River.
Artemesia Geysercomes next to the attention of the tourist. It has been known as a geyser only since 1886. It is on the right of the roadway, at a considerably lower level.
Sketch Map of the Upper Geyser BasinOpp. page 228.
Opp. page 228.
TheMorning Gloryis a little further up stream. In this beautiful object the quiescent pool is at its best. Its exquisite bordering and the deep cerulean hue of its transparent waters make it, and others like it, objects of ceaseless admiration.
TheFan Geyseris close by the Firehole on the east bank, not far above the Morning Glory. TheRiversideis also on the east bank at the point where the road crosses the river. It is an inconspicuous object when not in eruption, and one would scarcely suspect it of being a geyser. It spouts obliquely across the river, and not, like most geysers, vertically.
Gandy.Grotto Geyser Cone.
Gandy.
Grotto Geyser Cone.
Next in order, after crossing the river to the Westbank, is theGrotto, remarkable for its irregular and cavernous crater. A little further on, close to theriver, stands the broken crater of one of the Park’s greatest geysers, theGiant. Lieutenant Doane compared its crater to a “huge shattered horn.”
A few hundred feet further up stream, still close to the river, is theOblong. Directly across the road, but a short distance away, is theSplendid, well worthy of its name; and near it, sometimes playing simultaneously, is theComet.
To the westward from the Firehole, nearly on the divide between it and Iron Creek, is a lovely spring, called thePunch-bowl. Across the divide in theIron Creekvalley is theBlack Sand Basin, a unique but beautiful pool. Near it is another attraction,Specimen Lake, so named from an abundance of specimens of partly petrified wood. The limit of curiosities in this direction isEmerald Pool, which competent judges pronounce to be the finest quiescent spring in the Park.
Returning to the Firehole by a different route, we pass a large spring or geyser known as theThree Crater Spring. Its three craters are connected by narrow water ways, making one continuous pool, though fed from three sources.
A thousand feet to the north, stands the most imposing crater in the Park, that of theCastlegeyser. It is frequently seen in moderate eruption, but rarely when doing its best. As ordinarily seen, it throws a column of water only 50 or 60 feet, but at times it plays as high as 150 or 200 feet.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Castle Geyser.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Castle Geyser.
Terry Engr. Co.First sketch ever made.[BD]Castle Geyser Cone.[BD]See foot note, page 168.Crossing the river to its right bank, nearly opposite the Castle, there are found within a narrow compass three noted geysers, theSawmill,Turban, andGrand. Of these, the last is by far the finest, and ranks among the very greatest geysers in the world. It was not seen by the Washburn Party, in 1870, but it seems to have been the first geyser to welcome to the Upper Basin the Hayden and Barlow parties in 1871. Captain Barlow says of its eruption:[BE]"This grand fountain continued to play for several minutes. When dying down, I approached to obtain a closer view of the aperture whence had issued such a powerful stream. A sudden gush of steam drove me away, following which the water was again impelled upward and upward, far above the steam, till it seemed to have lost the controlling force of gravity, and that it would never cease to rise. The roar was like the sound of a tornado, but there was no apparent effort; a steady stream, very graceful and perfectly vertical, except as a slight breeze may have waved it to and fro. Strong and smooth, it continuedto ascend like the stream from a powerful steam fire-engine. We were all lost in astonishment at the sudden and marvelous spectacle. The proportions of the fountain were perfect. The enthusiasm of the party was manifested in shouts of delight. Under the excitement of the moment, it was estimated to be from three to five hundred feet in height."[BE]Page 25, “Reconnaissance of the Yellowstone River.”—SeeAppendix E.Further up the river on the same side and at some distance back, are theLion,Lionessand the twoCubs, an interesting group, including one notable geyser. Half way up a high mound of geyserite which covers a large area on the north side of the river, is an exquisitely beautiful formation called, from its appearance, theSponge.Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.The Bee Hive Geyser.On the top of the mound is another of the great geysers, thought by the Washburn Party to be the greatest in the world, theGiantess. It belongs to the class of fountain geysers, and when not in action strongly resembles a quiescent spring. Its eruptions are infrequent and irregular, but when it does play it is a sight not to be forgotten. Mr. Langford thus describes the first eruption known to have been seen by white men:[BF]"We were standing on the side of the geyser nearest the sun, the gleams of which filled the sparkling columns of water and spray with myriad rainbows, whose arches were constantly changing—dipping and fluttering hither and thither, and disappearing only to be succeeded by others, again and again, amid the aqueous column, while the minute globules, into which the spent jets were diffused when falling, sparkledlike a shower of diamonds, and around every shadow which the denser clouds of vapor, interrupting the sun’s rays, cast upon the column, could be seen a luminous circle, radiant with all the colors of the prism, and resembling the halo of glory representedin paintings as encircling the head of Divinity. All that we had previously witnessed seemed tame in comparison with the perfect grandeur and beauty of this display."[BF]“The Wonders of the Yellowstone.” SeeAppendix E.Between the Giantess and the river is theBee Hive, also one of the most prominent geysers. The symmetry of its cone is only surpassed by the regularity of its water column. From an artistic point of view it is the most perfect geyser in the Park. Its slender jet attains a great height and is vertical and symmetrical throughout.Crossing again to the west bank of the stream and ascending to the very head of the basin, we come to the last and most important of the geysers,Old Faithful. Any other geyser, any five other geysers, could be erased from the list better than part with Old Faithful. The Giant, Giantess, Grand, Splendid, and Excelsior, have more powerful eruptions. The Bee Hive is more artistic. The Great Fountain has a more wonderful formation. But Old Faithful partakes in a high degree of all these characteristics, and, in addition, has the invaluable quality of uniform periodicity of action. It is in fact the most perfect of all known geysers.To it fell the honor of welcoming civilized man to this region. It was the first geyser named. It stands at the head of the basin and has been happily called “The Guardian of the Valley.”Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Castle Geyser.Geyser in action.Crater of Old Faithful.Upper Geyser Basin.It is located in the center of an oblong mound, 145 by 215 feet at the base, 20 by 54 feet at the summit, and about 12 feet high. The tube, which seems to have originated in a fissure in the rock, has an inside measurement of 2 by 6 feet.Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Old Faithful.The ornamentation about the crater, though limited in extent, is nowhere surpassed for beauty of form and color. In particular, the three small pools on the north side of the crater and very close to it are specimens of the most remarkable handiwork which Nature has lavished upon this region. A singular fact is that the waters in these three pools, although so close together as apparently to be subject to the same conditions, are of different colors. Speaking of these marvelous appearances, Lieutenant Doane says:[BG]“One instinctively touches the hot ledges with his hands, and sounds with a stick the depths of the cavities in the slope, in utter doubt of the evidence of his own eyes…. It is the most lovely inanimate object in existence.”[BG]Page 29, “Yellowstone Expedition of 1870.” SeeAppendix E.In its eruption this geyser is equally fascinating. It always gives ample warning, and visitors have time to station themselves where the view will be most perfect. The graceful column rises, at first with apparent effort, but later with evident ease, to a height of 150 feet. The noise is simply that of a jet of water from an ordinary hose, only in intensity corresponding to the greater flow. The steam, when carried laterally by a gentle breeze, unfurls itself like an enormous flag from its watery standard. The water is of crystal clearness and the myriad drops float in the air with all manner of brilliant effects. To quote Lieutenant Doane again:"Rainbows play around the tremendous fountain, the waters of which fall about the basin in showers ofbrilliants, and then rush steaming down the slopes to the river."The uniform periodicity of this geyser is its most wonderful and most useful characteristic. It never fails the tourist. With an average interval of sixty-five minutes, it varies but little either way. Night and day, winter and summer, seen or unseen, this “tremendous fountain” has been playing for untold ages. Only in thousands of years can its lifetime be reckoned; for the visible work it has wrought, and its present infinitely slow rate of progress, fairly appall the inquirer who seeks to learn its real age.It is worth while, however, to note the enormous work which this geyser daily performs. A conservative estimate, based upon an extended series of observations made in 1878 by the United States Geological Survey, shows that the outpour for an average eruption is not less 1,500,000 gallons, which gives 33,225,000 gallons per day. This would supply a city of 300,000 inhabitants. The combination of conditions by which the supply of heat and water, and the form of tube, are so perfectly adapted to their work, that even a chronometer is scarcely more regular in its action, is one of the miracles of nature.Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Kepler Cascade.CHAPTER XVII.A TOUR OF THE PARK.Upper Geyser Basin to the Yellowstone Lake.Distance, nineteen miles. The route ascends the Firehole River to the mouth of Spring Creek, which stream it follows to the Continental Divide. For seven miles it then lies on the Pacific slope, after which it descends the mountains to the Yellowstone Lake. The drive is one of the most pleasant in the Park, and the scenery is unconventional and wild.Kepler Cascade(1.25 miles) is a fascinating water-fall. Lieutenant Doane, who first wrote of it, says:[BH]“These pretty little falls, if located on an eastern stream, would be celebrated in history and song; here, amid objects so grand as to strain conception and stagger belief, they were passed without a halt.”[BH]Page 27, “Yellowstone Expedition of 1870.” SeeAppendix E.We counsel the tourist not to so pass them.Half a mile up the Firehole, above the mouth of Spring Creek, is theLone Star Geyser(4 miles). This geyser is conspicuous chiefly for its fine cone. It plays frequently to a height of 40 or 50 feet.Madison Lake, ten miles further up the valley, is the ultimate lake source of the Madison River. This lake, with possibly the exception of Red Rock Lake, the source of the Jefferson, is further from the sea by direct water-course than any other lake on the globe.Returning down the Firehole, we enter the mouthofSpring Creek Cañon(3.5 miles), which the road traverses for a distance of two and one-half miles. This narrow, winding, rocky cañon, under the shadow of the Continental Divide, is full of picturesque turns and surprises.Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Lone Star Geyser.The first crossing of theContinental Divide(8.5 miles) is through a narrow cañon,Craig Pass, hemmed in by precipitous cliffs, inclosing a lily-covered pond,Isa Lake, which rests squarely upon the doubtful ground between the two oceans.Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Shoshone Lake.Shoshone Point(10.5 miles) is in the center of the large amphitheater-shaped tract which is drained by the branches ofDe Lacy Creek. It overlooksShoshone Lakeand the broad basin surrounding it, and gives a second glimpse of the Teton Mountains.Terry Engr. Co.Isa Lake and Craig Pass.Shoshone Lake is a lovely body of water, with an area of twelve square miles and a most picturesque shore line. On its west shore is a geyser basin, second in importance only to those on the Firehole. Among its many interesting features may be mentioned theUnion Geyser, of which the middle crater plays to a height of 100 feet; and theBronze Geyser, very strikingbecause of the perfect metallic luster of its formation.From Shoshone Point, the road again ascends to the Continental Divide, and then drops down the Atlantic slope toward the Yellowstone Valley.Lake View(18 miles) is at a point where a sudden turn in the forest road brings the tourist, quite without warning, in full view of one of the most striking water landscapes in the world. The whole vista of theYellowstone Lakeis spread out before him, still 300 feet below where he is standing. Far to the right and left, along the distant eastern shore, extends theAbsaroka Rangeof mountains, many of its summits still capped with snow. Every-where the dark pine forests come down to the water’s edge, in fine contrast with the silver surface of the lake. The sparkling of the waves, the passage of the cloud shadows, and, in sheltered coves, the tranquil mirror of the waters, all combine to make the picture one to be long remembered.The Yellowstone Lake is about 7,741 feet, nearly a mile and a half, above the level of the sea. It has a shore line of 100 miles, and an area of 139 square miles. Its maximum depth is 300 feet, and its average depth about 30 feet. It is fed almost entirely from the springs and snow drifts of the Absaroka Range. Its waters are icy cold, clear and transparent to great depths, and literally swarm with trout. It is subject to heavy south-west winds, and at times is lashed into tempestuous seas.Terry Engr. Co.U.S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Yellowstone Lake.The shape of the lake was compared by the early explorers to the form of the human hand. The resemblance is exceedingly remote, and one writer has wellobserved that only the hand of a base ball player who has stood for years behind the bat could satisfy the comparison. The “fingers” have now been generally dropped from the maps and replaced by the usual names; but “West Thumb” seems to have become a fixture.Surpassing the Yellowstone Lake both in area and altitude there are but few lakes in the world. Lake Titticaca, in Peru, and one or two others in the less explored regions of the Andes; and also a few lakes on the lofty table-land of Thibet, comprise the number.The Yellowstone Lake has been a theme of enthusiastic praise by all who have ever seen it; but what seems to us the most exquisite tribute it has ever received is to be found in the farewell words of Mr. Folsom, when, in 1869, he regretfully turned away from its western shore into the deep forests which surround it:[BI]"As we were about departing on our homeward trip, we ascended the summit of a neighboring hill and took a final look at Yellowstone Lake. Nestled among the forest-crowned hills which bounded our visions, lay this inland sea, its crystal waves dancing and sparkling in the sunlight as if laughing with joy for their wild freedom. It is a scene of transcendent beauty which has been viewed by but few white men, and we felt glad to have looked upon it before its primeval solitude should be broken by the crowds ofpleasure seekers which at no distant day will throng its shores."[BI]Page 20, Langford’s reprint of the “Valley of the Upper Yellowstone.” SeeAppendix E.Terry Engr. Co.Gandy.Fishing Cone.On the west shore of the lake is an extensive and important hot springs basin. The principal features are thePaint Pots, not inferior to those near the Fountain Hotel; two of the largest and most beautiful quiescent springs in the Park; theLake ShoreGeyser, which plays frequently to a height of about 30 feet; an unnamed geyser of considerable power but of very infrequent action; and the celebratedFishing Conewhere unfortunate trout find catching and cooking painfully near together.From the west shore of the lake a visit can be advantageously made toHart LakeandMount Sheridan. The lake is probably the prettiest in the Park. Nearit, on the tributaryWitch Creek, is a small but important geyser basin. The principal features are theDeluge,SpikeandRusticgeysers, and theFissure Groupof springs. The Rustic Geyser is remarkable in having about it a cordon of logs, evidently placed there by the Indians or white men many years ago. The logs are completely incrusted with the deposits of the springs.Mt. Sheridan would rank with Mt. Washburn as a popular peak for mountain climbers were it only more accessible. No summit in the Park affords a finer prospect.From the west shore to the Lake Outlet the tourist may travel either by stage around the border of the lake, or by boat across it. If he does not want to miss one of the notable features of the tour he will not omit the boat ride. In fact, a steamboat ride, at an altitude more than a quarter of a mile greater than that of the summit of Mt. Washington is not an every day diversion. From near the center of the lake the view is surpassingly fine. To the south and south-west the long arms of the lake penetrate the dark forest-crowned hills, which are but stepping stones to the lofty mountains behind them. Far beyond these may again be seen for the third time the familiar peaks of the Tetons. All along the eastern shore stand the serried peaks of the Absaroka Range, the boundary which nature has so well established along the eastern border of the Park. A notable feature of this range is the profile of a human face formed by the superimposed contours of two mountains, one several miles behind the other. The best effect is had from points betweenStevenson Islandand theLake Hotel. The face is looking directly upward.A similar profile, noted by the early explorers from the summit of Mt. Washburn, and nearly in the same locality as this, although of course not the same feature, was called by them the “Giant’s Face,” or the “Old Man of the Mountain.”Terry Engr. Co.Gandy.Natural Bridge.On the north-east shore of the lake areSteamboat Spring, and other thermal phenomena worth visiting. FromBridge Bayat the north-west of the lake, a trip of a mile will take the tourist to an extremely interesting freak of nature in the form of aNatural Bridgeover a small tributary of Bridge Creek. Thearch is forty-one feet high with a thirty foot span. As seen from the down stream side it is very regular and symmetrical.Some twenty miles above the head of the lake is the celebratedTwo-Ocean Pass, long known to the early trappers. It is probably the most remarkable example of such a phenomenon in the world. Although the fact of its existence was asserted and stoutly maintained by Bridger for many years prior to the discovery of the Park region, it was generally disbelieved until Captain Jones crossed the pass in 1873. It has since been visited and described by Hayden in 1878, by Hague in 1884, and by Prof. Evermann of the United States Fish Commission in 1891. The following facts and map are taken from Prof. Evermann’s report:Terry Engr. Co.Sketch of Two-Ocean Pass.The pass is in a nearly level grassy park hemmed in by the surrounding hills, and is 8,150 feet above the level of the sea. Its extreme length is about one mile and its extreme breadth about three-fourths of a mile. From the north a stream issues from a cañon,a, and divides atb, part flowing to Atlantic Creek and part to Pacific Creek. A similar stream,c, with a similar division,d, comes from the south. At extreme low water, these divisions may possibly disappear and all the water flow either one way or the other. But at ordinary and high stages the water flows both ways. These streams are by no means insignificant rivulets, but substantial water-courses capable of affording passage to fish of considerable size.Here, then, we have the very interesting phenomenon of a single stream upon the summit of the continent dividing and flowing part one way and part the other, and forming a continuous water connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans over a distance of nearly 6,000 miles.A most singular and interesting acoustic phenomenon of this region, although rarely noticed by tourists, is the occurrence of strange and indefinable overhead sounds. They have long been noted by explorers, but only in the vicinity of Shoshone and Yellowstone Lakes. They seem to occur in the morning, and to last only for a moment. They have an apparent motion through the air, the general direction noted by writers being from north to south. The following descriptions are from the pens of those who have given some study to these strange sounds. Prof. S. A. Forbes says:"It put me in mind of the vibrating clang of a harplightly and rapidly touched high up above the tree tops, or the sound of many telegraph wires swinging regularly and rapidly in the wind, or, more rarely, of faintly heard voices answering each other overhead. It begins softly in the remote distance, draws rapidly near with louder and louder throbs of sound, and dies away in the opposite direction; or it may seem to wander irregularly about, the whole passage lasting from a few seconds to half a minute or more."[BJ][BJ]“Overhead sounds in the vicinity of Yellowstone Lake.” SeeAppendix E.Mr. Edwin Linton thus describes it:“It seemed to begin at a distance, grow louder overhead where it filled the upper air, and suggested a medley of wind in the tops of pine trees, and in telegraph wires, the echo of bells after being repeated several times, the humming of a swarm of bees, and two or three other less definite sources of sound, making in all a composite which was not loud, but easily recognized, and not at all likely to be mistaken for any other sound in these mountain solitudes.”[BK][BK]“Overhead sounds in the vicinity of Yellowstone Lake.” SeeAppendix E.No rational explanation has ever been advanced for this remarkable phenomenon. Its weird character is in keeping with its strange surroundings. In other lands and times it would have been an object of superstitious reverence or dread, and would have found a permanent place in the traditions of the people.CHAPTER XVIII.A TOUR OF THE PARK.The Yellowstone Lake to Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.Distance seventeen miles. The road follows the Yellowstone River along the west bank all the way.Just after the tourist leaves the Lake Hotel, he will see on the right of the roadway a small monument. It was placed there, in 1893, by the United States Corps of Engineers to mark a position accurately determined from astronomical observations by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1892. It is of value as a point of reference in surveys and other similar work.[BL][BL]Latitude, 44° 33' 16.1" north.Longitude, 110° 23' 43.1" west.Magnetic variation about 19° east.Mud Volcano(7.5 miles) is a weird, uncanny object, but, nevertheless, a very fascinating feature and one which the tourist should stop and examine. It is an immense funnel-shaped crater in the side of a considerable hill on the west bank of the river. The mud rises some distance above a large steam vent in the side of the crater next the hill, and chokes the vent until the steam has accumulated in sufficient force to lift the superincumbent mass. As the imprisoned steam bursts forth, it hurls the mud with great violence against the opposite side of the crater, making a heavy thud which is audible for half a mile. These outbursts take place every few seconds.Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Yellowstone River, between Lake and Falls.A striking example of the strange commingling of dissimilar features in the hot springs districts is found in theGrotto, a spring of perfectly clear water, not far from the Mud Volcano. It is acted upon by the steam in a manner precisely similar to that of the Mud Volcano, but its waters issue directly from the rock, and are entirely clear.Mud Geyser, now rarely seen in action, was an important geyser twenty years ago. As it became infrequent in its eruptions, and tourists rarely saw them, the name was unconsciously, but mistakenly, transferred to the Mud Volcano, which has none of the characteristics of a geyser.The locality where these objects are found has considerable historic interest. The ford just below the Mud Volcano was long used by the hunters and trappers who passed up and down the river. Folsom crossed it in 1869, and the Washburn party in 1870. The Nez Percés encamped here two days, in 1877, and here transpired a part of the episode elsewhere related. Hither came General Howard, in pursuit of the Indians, although he did not cross the river at this point.Trout Creek(9.5 miles) has a most peculiar feature, where the tourist route crosses it, in the form of an extraordinary doubling of the channel upon itself. It was this stream which Mr. Hedges, in 1870, called “a lazy creek coiled up like a monster serpent under a sand bluff.”Sulphur Mountain(11.5 miles) is half a mile back from the main route. At its base is a remarkableSulphur Spring, always in a state of violent ebullition, although discharging only a small amount of water. This is highly impregnated with sulphur, and leaves a yellow border along the rivulet which carries it away. The best time to visit Sulphur Mountain is on a clear sharp morning. The myriad little steam vents which cover the surface of the hill are then very noticeable.Hayden Valleyis a broad grassy expanse extending several miles along the river and far back from it on the west side. It was once a vast arm of the lake. It comprises some fifty square miles, and is an important winter range for the Park buffalo and elk.Terry Engr. Co.Gandy.Rapids Above Falls.Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Upper Fall of the Yellowstone.Distant view.The river along the lower portion of this valley is the most tranquil and lovely stream imaginable—broad, deep, transparent, flowing peacefully around its graceful curves, disturbed only by the splashing trout which inhabit it. There is little here to suggest the mad turmoil into which it is soon to plunge. At a point fifteen miles below the lake, the river and road are forced by the narrowing valley close together. The stream becomes suddenly broken into turbulent cascades as it dashes violently between precipitous banks and among massive boulders.The road also becomes decidedly picturesque. Hung up on the almost vertical cliff overlooking the rapids, it forms a short drive unsurpassed for interest anywhere else in the Park. At one point it crosses a deep ravine over the highest bridge on the road system. Just to the left of this bridge, in the bottom of the ravine, still stands the tree upon which some white man carved his initials away back in 1819.Half a mile below the head of the rapids, the river suddenly contracts its width to less than fifty feet, turns abruptly to the right, and disappears. It is theUpper Fallof the Yellowstone. In some respects, this cataract differs from almost any other. Although the ledge over which it falls is apparently perpendicular, the velocity of flow at the crest of the fall is so great that the water pours over as if on the surface of a wheel. Visitors at Niagara have noticed the difference in this respect between the almost vertical sheet of water on the American side and the well-rounded flow at the apex of the Horseshoe Fall. The height of the Upper Fall of the Yellowstone is 112 feet.From this point, the character of the scenery is wild and rugged. A ride of a few hundred yards brings the tourist to a sharp bend in the road, which at once unfolds to him the whole vista of theGrand Cañon ofthe Yellowstone. The sight is so impressive and absorbing that the chances are he will cross the ravine ofCascade Creekwithout even noticing the lovelyCrystal Fallsalmost beneath his feet.Terry Engr. Co.Original Sketch.[BM][BM]See foot-note,page 168.Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.Looking down—probably from Lookout Point.Terry Engr. Co.Hanes, Photo., St. Paul.Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.From Inspiration Point—looking up stream. Lower Fall in the distance.TheCañon Hotelis half a mile beyond Cascade Creek, in an open park, a little way back from the brink of the Cañon. From its porch, the crest of the Upper Fall can be seen, and the roar of both cataracts is distinctly audible. This hotel and that at the lake are the most desirable in the Park for a protracted stay.The Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone is acknowledged by all beholders to stand without parallel among the natural wonders of the globe. Other cañons, the Yosemite, for example, have greater depths and more imposing walls; but there are none which, in the words of Captain Ludlow, “unite more potently the two requisites of majesty and beauty.” The cañon itself is vast. A cross-section in the largest part measures 2,000 feet at the top, 200 feet at the bottom, and is 1,200 feet deep, giving an area of over three acres. But such a gorge in any other part of the world would not be what it is here. Its sides would soon be clothed with vegetation, and it would be simply an immense valley, beautiful, no doubt, but not what it is in the Yellowstone National Park.There are three distinct features which unite their peculiar glories to enhance the beauty of this cañon. These are the cañon itself, the water-fall at its head, and the river below.It is the volcanic rock through which the river has cut its way that gives the Grand Cañon its distinctive character. It is preëminently a cañon of color. The hue has no existence which can not be found there. "Hung up and let down and spread abroad are all thecolors of the land, sea, and sky," says Talmage, without hyperbole. From the dark, forest-bordered brink, the sides descend for the most part with the natural slope of the loose rock, but frequently broken by vertical ledges and isolated pinnacles, which give a castellated and romantic air to the whole. Eagles build their nests here, and soar midway through the vast chasm, far below the beholder. The more prominent of the projecting ledges cause many turns in the general course of the cañon, and give numerous vantage places for sight-seeing.Lookout Pointis one of these, half a mile below the Lower Falls.Inspiration Point, some two miles farther down, is another. The gorgeous coloring of the cañon walls does not extend through its entire length of twenty miles. In the lower portion, the forests have crept well down to the water’s edge. Still, it is every-where an extremely beautiful and impressive sight. Along the bottom of the cañon, numerous steam vents can be seen, one of which, it is said, exhibits geyseric action. In places, the cañon walls almost shut out the light of day from the extreme bottom. Lieutenant Doane, who made the dangerous descent several miles below the Falls, records that "it was about three o’clockP. M., and stars could be distinctly seen, so much of the sunlight was cut off from entering the chasm."TheLower Fallof the Yellowstone must be placed in the front rank of similar phenomena. It carries not one-twentieth the water of Niagara, but Niagara is in no single part so beautiful. Its height is 310 feet. Its descent is very regular, slightly broken by a point of rock on the right bank. A third of the fall is hidden behind the vast cloud of spray which forever conceals the mad play of the waters beneath; but the mighty turmoil of that recess in the rocks may be judged from the deep-toned thunder which rises in ceaseless cadence and jars the air for miles around.Terry Engr. Co.Hanes, Photo., St. Paul.Lower Fall of the Yellowstone—from below.Terry Engr. Co.Original Sketch.[BN][BN]See foot-note,page 168.
Terry Engr. Co.
First sketch ever made.[BD]
Castle Geyser Cone.
[BD]See foot note, page 168.
[BD]See foot note, page 168.
Crossing the river to its right bank, nearly opposite the Castle, there are found within a narrow compass three noted geysers, theSawmill,Turban, andGrand. Of these, the last is by far the finest, and ranks among the very greatest geysers in the world. It was not seen by the Washburn Party, in 1870, but it seems to have been the first geyser to welcome to the Upper Basin the Hayden and Barlow parties in 1871. Captain Barlow says of its eruption:[BE]
"This grand fountain continued to play for several minutes. When dying down, I approached to obtain a closer view of the aperture whence had issued such a powerful stream. A sudden gush of steam drove me away, following which the water was again impelled upward and upward, far above the steam, till it seemed to have lost the controlling force of gravity, and that it would never cease to rise. The roar was like the sound of a tornado, but there was no apparent effort; a steady stream, very graceful and perfectly vertical, except as a slight breeze may have waved it to and fro. Strong and smooth, it continuedto ascend like the stream from a powerful steam fire-engine. We were all lost in astonishment at the sudden and marvelous spectacle. The proportions of the fountain were perfect. The enthusiasm of the party was manifested in shouts of delight. Under the excitement of the moment, it was estimated to be from three to five hundred feet in height."
[BE]Page 25, “Reconnaissance of the Yellowstone River.”—SeeAppendix E.
[BE]Page 25, “Reconnaissance of the Yellowstone River.”—SeeAppendix E.
Further up the river on the same side and at some distance back, are theLion,Lionessand the twoCubs, an interesting group, including one notable geyser. Half way up a high mound of geyserite which covers a large area on the north side of the river, is an exquisitely beautiful formation called, from its appearance, theSponge.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.The Bee Hive Geyser.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
The Bee Hive Geyser.
On the top of the mound is another of the great geysers, thought by the Washburn Party to be the greatest in the world, theGiantess. It belongs to the class of fountain geysers, and when not in action strongly resembles a quiescent spring. Its eruptions are infrequent and irregular, but when it does play it is a sight not to be forgotten. Mr. Langford thus describes the first eruption known to have been seen by white men:[BF]
"We were standing on the side of the geyser nearest the sun, the gleams of which filled the sparkling columns of water and spray with myriad rainbows, whose arches were constantly changing—dipping and fluttering hither and thither, and disappearing only to be succeeded by others, again and again, amid the aqueous column, while the minute globules, into which the spent jets were diffused when falling, sparkledlike a shower of diamonds, and around every shadow which the denser clouds of vapor, interrupting the sun’s rays, cast upon the column, could be seen a luminous circle, radiant with all the colors of the prism, and resembling the halo of glory representedin paintings as encircling the head of Divinity. All that we had previously witnessed seemed tame in comparison with the perfect grandeur and beauty of this display."
[BF]“The Wonders of the Yellowstone.” SeeAppendix E.
[BF]“The Wonders of the Yellowstone.” SeeAppendix E.
Between the Giantess and the river is theBee Hive, also one of the most prominent geysers. The symmetry of its cone is only surpassed by the regularity of its water column. From an artistic point of view it is the most perfect geyser in the Park. Its slender jet attains a great height and is vertical and symmetrical throughout.
Crossing again to the west bank of the stream and ascending to the very head of the basin, we come to the last and most important of the geysers,Old Faithful. Any other geyser, any five other geysers, could be erased from the list better than part with Old Faithful. The Giant, Giantess, Grand, Splendid, and Excelsior, have more powerful eruptions. The Bee Hive is more artistic. The Great Fountain has a more wonderful formation. But Old Faithful partakes in a high degree of all these characteristics, and, in addition, has the invaluable quality of uniform periodicity of action. It is in fact the most perfect of all known geysers.
To it fell the honor of welcoming civilized man to this region. It was the first geyser named. It stands at the head of the basin and has been happily called “The Guardian of the Valley.”
Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Castle Geyser.Geyser in action.Crater of Old Faithful.Upper Geyser Basin.
Terry Engr. Co.
U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.
Castle Geyser.Geyser in action.Crater of Old Faithful.
Upper Geyser Basin.
It is located in the center of an oblong mound, 145 by 215 feet at the base, 20 by 54 feet at the summit, and about 12 feet high. The tube, which seems to have originated in a fissure in the rock, has an inside measurement of 2 by 6 feet.
Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Old Faithful.
Terry Engr. Co.
U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.
Old Faithful.
The ornamentation about the crater, though limited in extent, is nowhere surpassed for beauty of form and color. In particular, the three small pools on the north side of the crater and very close to it are specimens of the most remarkable handiwork which Nature has lavished upon this region. A singular fact is that the waters in these three pools, although so close together as apparently to be subject to the same conditions, are of different colors. Speaking of these marvelous appearances, Lieutenant Doane says:[BG]
“One instinctively touches the hot ledges with his hands, and sounds with a stick the depths of the cavities in the slope, in utter doubt of the evidence of his own eyes…. It is the most lovely inanimate object in existence.”
[BG]Page 29, “Yellowstone Expedition of 1870.” SeeAppendix E.
[BG]Page 29, “Yellowstone Expedition of 1870.” SeeAppendix E.
In its eruption this geyser is equally fascinating. It always gives ample warning, and visitors have time to station themselves where the view will be most perfect. The graceful column rises, at first with apparent effort, but later with evident ease, to a height of 150 feet. The noise is simply that of a jet of water from an ordinary hose, only in intensity corresponding to the greater flow. The steam, when carried laterally by a gentle breeze, unfurls itself like an enormous flag from its watery standard. The water is of crystal clearness and the myriad drops float in the air with all manner of brilliant effects. To quote Lieutenant Doane again:
"Rainbows play around the tremendous fountain, the waters of which fall about the basin in showers ofbrilliants, and then rush steaming down the slopes to the river."
The uniform periodicity of this geyser is its most wonderful and most useful characteristic. It never fails the tourist. With an average interval of sixty-five minutes, it varies but little either way. Night and day, winter and summer, seen or unseen, this “tremendous fountain” has been playing for untold ages. Only in thousands of years can its lifetime be reckoned; for the visible work it has wrought, and its present infinitely slow rate of progress, fairly appall the inquirer who seeks to learn its real age.
It is worth while, however, to note the enormous work which this geyser daily performs. A conservative estimate, based upon an extended series of observations made in 1878 by the United States Geological Survey, shows that the outpour for an average eruption is not less 1,500,000 gallons, which gives 33,225,000 gallons per day. This would supply a city of 300,000 inhabitants. The combination of conditions by which the supply of heat and water, and the form of tube, are so perfectly adapted to their work, that even a chronometer is scarcely more regular in its action, is one of the miracles of nature.
Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Kepler Cascade.
Terry Engr. Co.
U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.
Kepler Cascade.
CHAPTER XVII.
A TOUR OF THE PARK.Upper Geyser Basin to the Yellowstone Lake.
Distance, nineteen miles. The route ascends the Firehole River to the mouth of Spring Creek, which stream it follows to the Continental Divide. For seven miles it then lies on the Pacific slope, after which it descends the mountains to the Yellowstone Lake. The drive is one of the most pleasant in the Park, and the scenery is unconventional and wild.
Kepler Cascade(1.25 miles) is a fascinating water-fall. Lieutenant Doane, who first wrote of it, says:[BH]
“These pretty little falls, if located on an eastern stream, would be celebrated in history and song; here, amid objects so grand as to strain conception and stagger belief, they were passed without a halt.”
[BH]Page 27, “Yellowstone Expedition of 1870.” SeeAppendix E.
[BH]Page 27, “Yellowstone Expedition of 1870.” SeeAppendix E.
We counsel the tourist not to so pass them.
Half a mile up the Firehole, above the mouth of Spring Creek, is theLone Star Geyser(4 miles). This geyser is conspicuous chiefly for its fine cone. It plays frequently to a height of 40 or 50 feet.
Madison Lake, ten miles further up the valley, is the ultimate lake source of the Madison River. This lake, with possibly the exception of Red Rock Lake, the source of the Jefferson, is further from the sea by direct water-course than any other lake on the globe.
Returning down the Firehole, we enter the mouthofSpring Creek Cañon(3.5 miles), which the road traverses for a distance of two and one-half miles. This narrow, winding, rocky cañon, under the shadow of the Continental Divide, is full of picturesque turns and surprises.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Lone Star Geyser.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Lone Star Geyser.
The first crossing of theContinental Divide(8.5 miles) is through a narrow cañon,Craig Pass, hemmed in by precipitous cliffs, inclosing a lily-covered pond,Isa Lake, which rests squarely upon the doubtful ground between the two oceans.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Shoshone Lake.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Shoshone Lake.
Shoshone Point(10.5 miles) is in the center of the large amphitheater-shaped tract which is drained by the branches ofDe Lacy Creek. It overlooksShoshone Lakeand the broad basin surrounding it, and gives a second glimpse of the Teton Mountains.
Terry Engr. Co.Isa Lake and Craig Pass.
Terry Engr. Co.
Isa Lake and Craig Pass.
Shoshone Lake is a lovely body of water, with an area of twelve square miles and a most picturesque shore line. On its west shore is a geyser basin, second in importance only to those on the Firehole. Among its many interesting features may be mentioned theUnion Geyser, of which the middle crater plays to a height of 100 feet; and theBronze Geyser, very strikingbecause of the perfect metallic luster of its formation.
From Shoshone Point, the road again ascends to the Continental Divide, and then drops down the Atlantic slope toward the Yellowstone Valley.
Lake View(18 miles) is at a point where a sudden turn in the forest road brings the tourist, quite without warning, in full view of one of the most striking water landscapes in the world. The whole vista of theYellowstone Lakeis spread out before him, still 300 feet below where he is standing. Far to the right and left, along the distant eastern shore, extends theAbsaroka Rangeof mountains, many of its summits still capped with snow. Every-where the dark pine forests come down to the water’s edge, in fine contrast with the silver surface of the lake. The sparkling of the waves, the passage of the cloud shadows, and, in sheltered coves, the tranquil mirror of the waters, all combine to make the picture one to be long remembered.
The Yellowstone Lake is about 7,741 feet, nearly a mile and a half, above the level of the sea. It has a shore line of 100 miles, and an area of 139 square miles. Its maximum depth is 300 feet, and its average depth about 30 feet. It is fed almost entirely from the springs and snow drifts of the Absaroka Range. Its waters are icy cold, clear and transparent to great depths, and literally swarm with trout. It is subject to heavy south-west winds, and at times is lashed into tempestuous seas.
Terry Engr. Co.U.S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Yellowstone Lake.
Terry Engr. Co.
U.S. Geological Survey of the Territories.
Yellowstone Lake.
The shape of the lake was compared by the early explorers to the form of the human hand. The resemblance is exceedingly remote, and one writer has wellobserved that only the hand of a base ball player who has stood for years behind the bat could satisfy the comparison. The “fingers” have now been generally dropped from the maps and replaced by the usual names; but “West Thumb” seems to have become a fixture.
Surpassing the Yellowstone Lake both in area and altitude there are but few lakes in the world. Lake Titticaca, in Peru, and one or two others in the less explored regions of the Andes; and also a few lakes on the lofty table-land of Thibet, comprise the number.
The Yellowstone Lake has been a theme of enthusiastic praise by all who have ever seen it; but what seems to us the most exquisite tribute it has ever received is to be found in the farewell words of Mr. Folsom, when, in 1869, he regretfully turned away from its western shore into the deep forests which surround it:[BI]
"As we were about departing on our homeward trip, we ascended the summit of a neighboring hill and took a final look at Yellowstone Lake. Nestled among the forest-crowned hills which bounded our visions, lay this inland sea, its crystal waves dancing and sparkling in the sunlight as if laughing with joy for their wild freedom. It is a scene of transcendent beauty which has been viewed by but few white men, and we felt glad to have looked upon it before its primeval solitude should be broken by the crowds ofpleasure seekers which at no distant day will throng its shores."
[BI]Page 20, Langford’s reprint of the “Valley of the Upper Yellowstone.” SeeAppendix E.
[BI]Page 20, Langford’s reprint of the “Valley of the Upper Yellowstone.” SeeAppendix E.
Terry Engr. Co.Gandy.Fishing Cone.
Terry Engr. Co.
Gandy.
Fishing Cone.
On the west shore of the lake is an extensive and important hot springs basin. The principal features are thePaint Pots, not inferior to those near the Fountain Hotel; two of the largest and most beautiful quiescent springs in the Park; theLake ShoreGeyser, which plays frequently to a height of about 30 feet; an unnamed geyser of considerable power but of very infrequent action; and the celebratedFishing Conewhere unfortunate trout find catching and cooking painfully near together.
From the west shore of the lake a visit can be advantageously made toHart LakeandMount Sheridan. The lake is probably the prettiest in the Park. Nearit, on the tributaryWitch Creek, is a small but important geyser basin. The principal features are theDeluge,SpikeandRusticgeysers, and theFissure Groupof springs. The Rustic Geyser is remarkable in having about it a cordon of logs, evidently placed there by the Indians or white men many years ago. The logs are completely incrusted with the deposits of the springs.
Mt. Sheridan would rank with Mt. Washburn as a popular peak for mountain climbers were it only more accessible. No summit in the Park affords a finer prospect.
From the west shore to the Lake Outlet the tourist may travel either by stage around the border of the lake, or by boat across it. If he does not want to miss one of the notable features of the tour he will not omit the boat ride. In fact, a steamboat ride, at an altitude more than a quarter of a mile greater than that of the summit of Mt. Washington is not an every day diversion. From near the center of the lake the view is surpassingly fine. To the south and south-west the long arms of the lake penetrate the dark forest-crowned hills, which are but stepping stones to the lofty mountains behind them. Far beyond these may again be seen for the third time the familiar peaks of the Tetons. All along the eastern shore stand the serried peaks of the Absaroka Range, the boundary which nature has so well established along the eastern border of the Park. A notable feature of this range is the profile of a human face formed by the superimposed contours of two mountains, one several miles behind the other. The best effect is had from points betweenStevenson Islandand theLake Hotel. The face is looking directly upward.A similar profile, noted by the early explorers from the summit of Mt. Washburn, and nearly in the same locality as this, although of course not the same feature, was called by them the “Giant’s Face,” or the “Old Man of the Mountain.”
Terry Engr. Co.Gandy.Natural Bridge.
Terry Engr. Co.
Gandy.
Natural Bridge.
On the north-east shore of the lake areSteamboat Spring, and other thermal phenomena worth visiting. FromBridge Bayat the north-west of the lake, a trip of a mile will take the tourist to an extremely interesting freak of nature in the form of aNatural Bridgeover a small tributary of Bridge Creek. Thearch is forty-one feet high with a thirty foot span. As seen from the down stream side it is very regular and symmetrical.
Some twenty miles above the head of the lake is the celebratedTwo-Ocean Pass, long known to the early trappers. It is probably the most remarkable example of such a phenomenon in the world. Although the fact of its existence was asserted and stoutly maintained by Bridger for many years prior to the discovery of the Park region, it was generally disbelieved until Captain Jones crossed the pass in 1873. It has since been visited and described by Hayden in 1878, by Hague in 1884, and by Prof. Evermann of the United States Fish Commission in 1891. The following facts and map are taken from Prof. Evermann’s report:
Terry Engr. Co.Sketch of Two-Ocean Pass.
Terry Engr. Co.
Sketch of Two-Ocean Pass.
The pass is in a nearly level grassy park hemmed in by the surrounding hills, and is 8,150 feet above the level of the sea. Its extreme length is about one mile and its extreme breadth about three-fourths of a mile. From the north a stream issues from a cañon,a, and divides atb, part flowing to Atlantic Creek and part to Pacific Creek. A similar stream,c, with a similar division,d, comes from the south. At extreme low water, these divisions may possibly disappear and all the water flow either one way or the other. But at ordinary and high stages the water flows both ways. These streams are by no means insignificant rivulets, but substantial water-courses capable of affording passage to fish of considerable size.
Here, then, we have the very interesting phenomenon of a single stream upon the summit of the continent dividing and flowing part one way and part the other, and forming a continuous water connection between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans over a distance of nearly 6,000 miles.
A most singular and interesting acoustic phenomenon of this region, although rarely noticed by tourists, is the occurrence of strange and indefinable overhead sounds. They have long been noted by explorers, but only in the vicinity of Shoshone and Yellowstone Lakes. They seem to occur in the morning, and to last only for a moment. They have an apparent motion through the air, the general direction noted by writers being from north to south. The following descriptions are from the pens of those who have given some study to these strange sounds. Prof. S. A. Forbes says:
"It put me in mind of the vibrating clang of a harplightly and rapidly touched high up above the tree tops, or the sound of many telegraph wires swinging regularly and rapidly in the wind, or, more rarely, of faintly heard voices answering each other overhead. It begins softly in the remote distance, draws rapidly near with louder and louder throbs of sound, and dies away in the opposite direction; or it may seem to wander irregularly about, the whole passage lasting from a few seconds to half a minute or more."[BJ]
[BJ]“Overhead sounds in the vicinity of Yellowstone Lake.” SeeAppendix E.
[BJ]“Overhead sounds in the vicinity of Yellowstone Lake.” SeeAppendix E.
Mr. Edwin Linton thus describes it:
“It seemed to begin at a distance, grow louder overhead where it filled the upper air, and suggested a medley of wind in the tops of pine trees, and in telegraph wires, the echo of bells after being repeated several times, the humming of a swarm of bees, and two or three other less definite sources of sound, making in all a composite which was not loud, but easily recognized, and not at all likely to be mistaken for any other sound in these mountain solitudes.”[BK]
[BK]“Overhead sounds in the vicinity of Yellowstone Lake.” SeeAppendix E.
[BK]“Overhead sounds in the vicinity of Yellowstone Lake.” SeeAppendix E.
No rational explanation has ever been advanced for this remarkable phenomenon. Its weird character is in keeping with its strange surroundings. In other lands and times it would have been an object of superstitious reverence or dread, and would have found a permanent place in the traditions of the people.
CHAPTER XVIII.
A TOUR OF THE PARK.The Yellowstone Lake to Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.
Distance seventeen miles. The road follows the Yellowstone River along the west bank all the way.
Just after the tourist leaves the Lake Hotel, he will see on the right of the roadway a small monument. It was placed there, in 1893, by the United States Corps of Engineers to mark a position accurately determined from astronomical observations by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1892. It is of value as a point of reference in surveys and other similar work.[BL]
[BL]Latitude, 44° 33' 16.1" north.Longitude, 110° 23' 43.1" west.Magnetic variation about 19° east.
[BL]Latitude, 44° 33' 16.1" north.Longitude, 110° 23' 43.1" west.Magnetic variation about 19° east.
Mud Volcano(7.5 miles) is a weird, uncanny object, but, nevertheless, a very fascinating feature and one which the tourist should stop and examine. It is an immense funnel-shaped crater in the side of a considerable hill on the west bank of the river. The mud rises some distance above a large steam vent in the side of the crater next the hill, and chokes the vent until the steam has accumulated in sufficient force to lift the superincumbent mass. As the imprisoned steam bursts forth, it hurls the mud with great violence against the opposite side of the crater, making a heavy thud which is audible for half a mile. These outbursts take place every few seconds.
Terry Engr. Co.Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.Yellowstone River, between Lake and Falls.
Terry Engr. Co.
Haynes, Photo., St. Paul.
Yellowstone River, between Lake and Falls.
A striking example of the strange commingling of dissimilar features in the hot springs districts is found in theGrotto, a spring of perfectly clear water, not far from the Mud Volcano. It is acted upon by the steam in a manner precisely similar to that of the Mud Volcano, but its waters issue directly from the rock, and are entirely clear.
Mud Geyser, now rarely seen in action, was an important geyser twenty years ago. As it became infrequent in its eruptions, and tourists rarely saw them, the name was unconsciously, but mistakenly, transferred to the Mud Volcano, which has none of the characteristics of a geyser.
The locality where these objects are found has considerable historic interest. The ford just below the Mud Volcano was long used by the hunters and trappers who passed up and down the river. Folsom crossed it in 1869, and the Washburn party in 1870. The Nez Percés encamped here two days, in 1877, and here transpired a part of the episode elsewhere related. Hither came General Howard, in pursuit of the Indians, although he did not cross the river at this point.
Trout Creek(9.5 miles) has a most peculiar feature, where the tourist route crosses it, in the form of an extraordinary doubling of the channel upon itself. It was this stream which Mr. Hedges, in 1870, called “a lazy creek coiled up like a monster serpent under a sand bluff.”
Sulphur Mountain(11.5 miles) is half a mile back from the main route. At its base is a remarkableSulphur Spring, always in a state of violent ebullition, although discharging only a small amount of water. This is highly impregnated with sulphur, and leaves a yellow border along the rivulet which carries it away. The best time to visit Sulphur Mountain is on a clear sharp morning. The myriad little steam vents which cover the surface of the hill are then very noticeable.
Hayden Valleyis a broad grassy expanse extending several miles along the river and far back from it on the west side. It was once a vast arm of the lake. It comprises some fifty square miles, and is an important winter range for the Park buffalo and elk.
Terry Engr. Co.Gandy.Rapids Above Falls.
Terry Engr. Co.
Gandy.Rapids Above Falls.
Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Upper Fall of the Yellowstone.Distant view.
Terry Engr. Co.
U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.
Upper Fall of the Yellowstone.Distant view.
The river along the lower portion of this valley is the most tranquil and lovely stream imaginable—broad, deep, transparent, flowing peacefully around its graceful curves, disturbed only by the splashing trout which inhabit it. There is little here to suggest the mad turmoil into which it is soon to plunge. At a point fifteen miles below the lake, the river and road are forced by the narrowing valley close together. The stream becomes suddenly broken into turbulent cascades as it dashes violently between precipitous banks and among massive boulders.
The road also becomes decidedly picturesque. Hung up on the almost vertical cliff overlooking the rapids, it forms a short drive unsurpassed for interest anywhere else in the Park. At one point it crosses a deep ravine over the highest bridge on the road system. Just to the left of this bridge, in the bottom of the ravine, still stands the tree upon which some white man carved his initials away back in 1819.
Half a mile below the head of the rapids, the river suddenly contracts its width to less than fifty feet, turns abruptly to the right, and disappears. It is theUpper Fallof the Yellowstone. In some respects, this cataract differs from almost any other. Although the ledge over which it falls is apparently perpendicular, the velocity of flow at the crest of the fall is so great that the water pours over as if on the surface of a wheel. Visitors at Niagara have noticed the difference in this respect between the almost vertical sheet of water on the American side and the well-rounded flow at the apex of the Horseshoe Fall. The height of the Upper Fall of the Yellowstone is 112 feet.
From this point, the character of the scenery is wild and rugged. A ride of a few hundred yards brings the tourist to a sharp bend in the road, which at once unfolds to him the whole vista of theGrand Cañon ofthe Yellowstone. The sight is so impressive and absorbing that the chances are he will cross the ravine ofCascade Creekwithout even noticing the lovelyCrystal Fallsalmost beneath his feet.
Terry Engr. Co.Original Sketch.[BM][BM]See foot-note,page 168.
Terry Engr. Co.
Original Sketch.[BM]
[BM]See foot-note,page 168.
Terry Engr. Co.U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.Looking down—probably from Lookout Point.
Terry Engr. Co.
U. S. Geological Survey of the Territories.
Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.Looking down—probably from Lookout Point.
Terry Engr. Co.Hanes, Photo., St. Paul.Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.From Inspiration Point—looking up stream. Lower Fall in the distance.
Terry Engr. Co.
Hanes, Photo., St. Paul.
Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone.From Inspiration Point—looking up stream. Lower Fall in the distance.
TheCañon Hotelis half a mile beyond Cascade Creek, in an open park, a little way back from the brink of the Cañon. From its porch, the crest of the Upper Fall can be seen, and the roar of both cataracts is distinctly audible. This hotel and that at the lake are the most desirable in the Park for a protracted stay.
The Grand Cañon of the Yellowstone is acknowledged by all beholders to stand without parallel among the natural wonders of the globe. Other cañons, the Yosemite, for example, have greater depths and more imposing walls; but there are none which, in the words of Captain Ludlow, “unite more potently the two requisites of majesty and beauty.” The cañon itself is vast. A cross-section in the largest part measures 2,000 feet at the top, 200 feet at the bottom, and is 1,200 feet deep, giving an area of over three acres. But such a gorge in any other part of the world would not be what it is here. Its sides would soon be clothed with vegetation, and it would be simply an immense valley, beautiful, no doubt, but not what it is in the Yellowstone National Park.
There are three distinct features which unite their peculiar glories to enhance the beauty of this cañon. These are the cañon itself, the water-fall at its head, and the river below.
It is the volcanic rock through which the river has cut its way that gives the Grand Cañon its distinctive character. It is preëminently a cañon of color. The hue has no existence which can not be found there. "Hung up and let down and spread abroad are all thecolors of the land, sea, and sky," says Talmage, without hyperbole. From the dark, forest-bordered brink, the sides descend for the most part with the natural slope of the loose rock, but frequently broken by vertical ledges and isolated pinnacles, which give a castellated and romantic air to the whole. Eagles build their nests here, and soar midway through the vast chasm, far below the beholder. The more prominent of the projecting ledges cause many turns in the general course of the cañon, and give numerous vantage places for sight-seeing.Lookout Pointis one of these, half a mile below the Lower Falls.Inspiration Point, some two miles farther down, is another. The gorgeous coloring of the cañon walls does not extend through its entire length of twenty miles. In the lower portion, the forests have crept well down to the water’s edge. Still, it is every-where an extremely beautiful and impressive sight. Along the bottom of the cañon, numerous steam vents can be seen, one of which, it is said, exhibits geyseric action. In places, the cañon walls almost shut out the light of day from the extreme bottom. Lieutenant Doane, who made the dangerous descent several miles below the Falls, records that "it was about three o’clockP. M., and stars could be distinctly seen, so much of the sunlight was cut off from entering the chasm."
TheLower Fallof the Yellowstone must be placed in the front rank of similar phenomena. It carries not one-twentieth the water of Niagara, but Niagara is in no single part so beautiful. Its height is 310 feet. Its descent is very regular, slightly broken by a point of rock on the right bank. A third of the fall is hidden behind the vast cloud of spray which forever conceals the mad play of the waters beneath; but the mighty turmoil of that recess in the rocks may be judged from the deep-toned thunder which rises in ceaseless cadence and jars the air for miles around.
Terry Engr. Co.Hanes, Photo., St. Paul.Lower Fall of the Yellowstone—from below.
Terry Engr. Co.
Hanes, Photo., St. Paul.
Lower Fall of the Yellowstone—from below.
Terry Engr. Co.Original Sketch.[BN][BN]See foot-note,page 168.
Terry Engr. Co.
Original Sketch.[BN]
[BN]See foot-note,page 168.