The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-12-27
NEW WONDERLAND IN MONTANA.
A Rival TO the Yosemite Nalley-Laks
surrounded by CIin- 1000 Feet High.

| - W sHt Nosehttf ''N'
surrounded by CIiT- 1000 Feet High.
There has been discovered during
the past season, party of scientists,
IN one Of the most inaccessible por-
J tons of Montana, a spot that, FOR
granduer and unique beauty gives
promise of outrivaling the Yosemite
valley of CaIifoynia. the Grand canyon
of Colorado, ard other famous scenic
attractions of the great West. The
details are given in a Butte Mont.
letter to the Boston Transcript.
This newly discovered wonderland
is situated north of Lake Mcdonald.
near the boundary line bewteen Flat
head and Teton counties, among the
snow covered peaks Of that remote re
gion, and surrounded by almost i'm
penetrable forests. Until recently,
the beauties of this place had never
been seen excepting by Indians and
half breds, and possible a few trap
pers and prospectors. half bred
scout having told a party of wise men
from the East, camping on the
shore of Lake Mcdonald, itself a bit
of wonderous scenic beauty, marvel
Gus tales of the wonders Of this spot,
their interest was aroused, and they
determined to visit this isolated re.
gion, and judge for themselves Of its
attractlveness.
Accordingly, they first proceeded
to the head of Lake Nc Donald, where
they secured as guides and packers
frontiers men, half.breeds, named
Geduhn and Apgar, who were familiar
with these wild mountains track less !
fITnGtE | M arl,AnA VppIaVf toll |
ing, but they toiled persistenty on
ward. The steep, narrow trail led |
northward from the lake for perhaps |
10 miles, when this distance had been
their journey was only |
just begun. For many miles they |
were obliged to chop their way through |
the dense forests and tangled under !
growth, where nothing but the trails |
of deer and footprints Of bears many |
of the latter very fresh could he de
tectcd
After two days of indefatgable la
Dor they suddenly came upon spot
of such rare beauty that DIR. l. b.
Sperry of Minneapolis, one Of the
party, and considered an authority on
American scenery, pronounced it "a
scenic gem Of the first water. "
This consisted of basin, in the shape
IF a horse shoe, about two miles in
length and a mile or mile and a half
IN width, surrounded on all sides by
walls of rock, rising almost perpendic-
1lar to nights varying from 1900 to
/. 900 feet. In the floor Of this basin.
lke jewel in its setting was a beau
.iful lake of deep, sapphire blue. annie
and a half in length by half mile in
width its waters of such perfect clear
ness that the specified trout. with
which they were filled. were plainly
tisible. The surrounding lodges of :
'ocks were surm0unted by numerous
peaks. rising to dizzy nights, loo
md 1900 feet above the timber line
heir SUBMITS white with perpetual ,
NOW.
At the head of the basin were two [
treams of icy water, pouring in beau Il
iful cascades over the rocks and /
lifts; sometimes clingiGg to the
walls, resembling ribbons and cords 5
# silver and sometimes dashing over {
he lodges, ditfusing themselves in :
LIQUIDS of rainbow tinted spray hun =
reds of feet below. The total hight
4 these silyery streams was estimated
o be at least ,, 800 feet. and they de
i've their supply from the vast fields
# eternal snow lying in the awful
olitudes far above.
A long "A portion of the southern
'all there was slope extending
hight Of ,. 600 feet down nearly to
he border of the lake. Here avail
inches are of frequent occurrence,
hooting down the slope with terrific
,rce, and with a rushing, roaring
pund. not unlike peals of thunder, and }
lunging into the unfathomable J
epths of rocky chasms. On account I
these oft-recurring avaanches, the {
arty christened this secluded noun
lin valley "Ayalanche Basin, and {
le surrounding peaks and pictur (
ique masses of rocks were given I
ames suggested by their appearance !
le Sphinx, the Dome, Cathedral !
pires, the Castle and the Matterhorn, )
e last on account of its surprising
TO the far famed Alpine }
ak.
The walls inclosing this bit of won y
.rland are of metamorphic sandstone,
me of the strata being of uncolored n
lartz, nearly as white as the sur n
unding SHOWS, while other strata are q
bright red. The formation of the y
cks exhibits many marvellous phe N
mena, and the place contains many 81
ientific glimpses of life. n