The Yellowstone National Park Part 18

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 canons 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 the _Gallatin Range_ of mountains, which bursts into full view upon emerging from Kingman Pa.s.s. 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 gla.s.s, black as anthracite, which abounds at this point in enormous ma.s.ses.

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 to the novel method employed. It was done by Colonel Norris, who thus describes it:

[Ill.u.s.tration:

_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 ma.s.ses had fallen from this utterly impa.s.sable mountain into the hissing hot spring margin of an equally impa.s.sable lake, without either Indian or game trail over the glistering fragments of Nature's gla.s.s, sure to severely lacerate. As this gla.s.s 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 das.h.i.+ng cold water, suddenly cooled and fractured the large ma.s.ses.

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 gla.s.s 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.)

_Beaver Lake_ has 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 pa.s.sing Obsidian Cliff evidences of hot spring action constantly increase, until they reach their climax in the _Norris 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, the _Monarch_, which throws a column about 100 feet high. The _Constant_ is 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 name _Hurricane_. 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. The _Black Growler_, close by the road side, is a similar phenomenon.

Among the less important features of this basin may be mentioned the _Congress_, _Constant_, _a.r.s.enic_, _Echinus_, _Fearless_, _Pearl_, _Vixen_, _Minute Man_, and _Mew Crater_, all geysers; the _Emerald Pool_, a quiescent spring; and the _Locomotive_ and _Mud Geyser_, boiling springs.

From the Norris Hotel a drive of three miles up the Gibbon River, on the cross road leading to the Grand Canon, carries the tourist to _Virginia Cascade_, a unique and picturesque water-fall in a rocky canon of considerable beauty.

[Ill.u.s.tration:

_Terry Engr. Co._ _Haynes, Photo., St. Paul._

Black Growler.]

[Ill.u.s.tration:

_Terry Engr. Co._ _Haynes, Photo., St. Paul._

Gibbon Canon.]

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 Canon.

The _Gibbon Paint Pots_ (4 miles) are on the left of the road, near the head of the canon, 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 Canon. It is an interesting spot, but rarely visited owing to its inaccessibility. It was discovered and named by Col. Norris.

The _Gibbon Canon_ (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.

The _Soda and Iron Spring_ (7.5 miles), like Apollinaris Spring 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 Canon. 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 the _Teton 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 k.n.o.bs. 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 sh.o.r.e of _Jackson 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 princ.i.p.al 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 circ.u.mstantial account furnished by Mr. Langford at the writer's request, effectually demolish this theory.