Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-09-29


GRATED" coffee we get at home. Another day
with 20 miles of travel leaves us camped fol
the night near the lower Falls of the Yellow
stone. Our days work took up by the Devil!
Well' and sulphur mountain and peep into
the well and slight scald In the sulphurou'
vapor from a hot spring at the foot of the
mountain convinced us that there was ho
climate near. If we had remained In thu
hot sulphur bath long enough perhaps WI
should have come out white men, with {
complexion "warranted to wash"
At noon we meet party building road
and just about to take their dinner and WI
are ''invted out" that is, TO eat out of door'
with them with the following bill of fare
Bean soup-a Ia Francois, bread and butter
"a la Amercaine tea and coffec-a la Chi
noise apple saucc-a la Yankie molasses-
a la Africaine.
The upper Falls of the Yellowstone arc
142 feet In height and the water is dashed tc
spray as 1t reaches the bottom and there is
an ever present rainbow when the sun shines
upon the foaming waters.
We spent an hour at sunset on Point Look.
out, which Is In front Of the lower Falls and
from which a fine view can be had of the
Falls and of small portion of the Grand
Canon next below the Falls. The upper and
lower Falls are about half mile apart. The
river at the lower Falls is narrowed from
two hundred feet Or more to about one hun
dured and then precipated down a perpendi-
cular fall of 1897 feet to the bottom OF the
narrow Canon which is twelve or fifteen hun.
dred feet in depth. From the west Cascade
Creek flows into the Yellowstone just above
the lower Falls, but not until it has dashed
itself over rocky cliff in fall of 1879 feet.
The morning finds us at Point Lookout again
voy ipU in xrnpHar n fha Eo1Io and tho Il RI nd
Canon. There are deeper Canons by far In
the world than this, but it is safe to assert
that there is no Canon whose walls have such
a variety of brilliant colors. Acres and acres
of yellows, from dark to light, Of red vary
ing from deep carmine to pink and all inter-
mingled with white and black until the walls
present the appearance Of an Autumnal
forest in New England. A pilgrimage of
five miles down the Canon stopping at all
points from which good view OF the Canon
could be had was the great work of the day
spent at the lower Falls.
A one o'clock on the next day we might
have been found taking our lunch with
snow-w water, from bank near at hand, on
the top of Mt. Washburn. Our path thither
took us through valleys along Cascade Creek
and around and over steep hills and much OF
the way through evergreens, pine and bal
sam.
The view from the top of Mt Washburn
is grand indeed. With our faces to the
south, Yellowstone Lake is plainly visible
with its islands and Mt. Phil. Sheridan; to
the rear and between the lake and Mt. Wash
burn the Grand Canon of Yellowstone be-
gins its zigzag course curving around to the
left and behind with its 90 miles of painted
ravine. The snowy range extends from the
lake through the east and north horizon
Eight miles of decent and we are ready again
for the night at the Tower Creek where it
empties into the Yellowstone. A few nice
trout taken from the Yellowstone wait upon
good digestion at our supper table that even
ing;
are located up Tower Creek forty rods from
the Yellowstone and guarded by stately SEN
tincls of volcanic fragments resembling
church spires. Some of these stand pillar.
like and are only accessible to the fool
hardy climber. Nothing" says Lieutenant
Doane, can be more chastely beautiful than
this lovely Cascade hidden away in the dim
light of overshadowing rocks and woods, its
very voice hushed to low murmur, unheard
at distance of a hundred yards. Thousands
might pass by within half mile and not
dream of its existence but once seen, it
passes to the list of most pleasant memories"
On the opposite bank of the Yellowstone
from the mouth of Tower Creek is an ex-
posure of basaltc columns similar to the
Giants causeway and Fingals cave.
Three miles to the north and we are at
Jack Baronett's bridge, then we take an east
erly course and follow up the east Fork of
the Yellowstone, stop for lunch at Specimen
creek and after We cross the east Fork with
Amethyst mountain on our right and Mount
Fill l.fs IL Al
southerly and easterly base of Mount Long
fellow and come out into the valley of Soda
Butte creek with Mount Norris to the right.
We follow up this creek and camp at Fisk
lake. In the morning we start to ascend
Mount Longfellow riding as far as we can
and then trusting to our feet and legs for the
balance of the way to the Petrfed forest.
We ride four mile and walk two, and the
greater part of the last two is perpendicular
climbing.
The "Petrified Forest" so-called, is truly
a wonder. Here are stumps three and four
feet high and varying from two to five feet
in diameter turned to solid stone. One
log of stone we saw which must have been
sixty feet in length. These stumps and
logs are situated on the steep side of Mount
Longfellow near the top and on the easterly
side near the northerly end. The logs have
mostly weathered out endwise so it is diff
cult to tell how long some OF them may be.
Many fine specimens of quartz crystals can
be had by digging with pick or blasting in
the mountains side but as we had no pick,
hammer or powder, we had to be content
quite enough.
The next morning we are on our way back
to Jack Baronett's bridge and camp near
where we find Major Gordon in camp having
come from F T. Ellis with supplies for Gen.
Sheridan and party. We spend pleasant
hour with the major, his wife and Lieutenant
Bell. We also do little fishing, with poor
success; but u present OF four nice two-
pound trout satisfies our appetites. The next
morning we were early on the "war-path"
aud at supper time were gazing upon the cur
ious formations Oft the Mammoth Hot Springs
We travelled in westerly course, crossed
Little Black Tail creek at the end of six miles
and stopped for lunch. at Black Tail creek
seven miles further on at matter of three
miles and were at the east Fork of Gardiner
river where we halted to see the upper and
lower Falls. To. our left in front was Monut
Bunsen which is south of the Mammoth
Springs and on our right Sheep mountain.
We followed the east Fork till we reached
Gardiner river and then crossed and soon
were at the springs. The following day we
start out crossing the west Fork of Gardiner
river and climb around the north easterly
brow OF Mount Bunsen ITO see the Falls of
Gardiner river. The Falls are pretty but to
our mind the Cascades below the Falls were
a much finer sight. We continued around
the easterly and southerly sides of Mount
Bunsen and Mount Bell, Mount Holmes and
Electric Peak were presented to our view.
AS we passed along the westerly side we
stopped to visit Rustic Falls which is d
charming fall of water located on the west
Fork Of the Gardiner river. Thence we
bent our way to our starting point.
The Mammoth Hot Springs are near the
north-easterly corner of the park. Their,
appearance is that of a snowy mountain, ter.
raced in shapes resembling frozen cascades.
From the level to to the top of the springs
formation is fully two miles. The springs