San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-01-20
A NEW WONDERLAND.
Montana Has a Rival Beauty Spot
to the Yose mite Valley.
1t Is Located Among the Snow Crown sd
Peaks of Remote Region and Sur
rounded by a Dense
Forest.

last season by party of scientists in
one of the most inaccessible portions of
Montana spot that for grandeur and
unique beauty gives promise of out
rivaling the Yosemite valley of Califor-
MIA, the Grand canyon of the Colorado,
and other famous scenic attractions of
the great west.
This newly-discovered wonderland is
situated north of Lake Mcdonald, near
the boundary line between Flathead
and Teton counties. among the snow
crowned peaks of that remote region,
and surrounded by almost impenetra-
bic forests. Until recently the beau
ties of this place had never been seen
except by Indians and half-breeds, and
possibly few trappers and prospectors.
A half-breed scout having told party
of wise men from the east" camping
on the shore of Lake McDonald-itself
a bit of wondrous scenic beauty-mar-
velous tales of the wonders of this spot,
their interest was aroused, and they de-
termined to visit this isolated region
and judge for themselves of its attrac-
tions.
Accordingly they first proceeded to the
head of Lake Mcdonald, where they Sc
cured as guides and packers two trusty
frontiersmen, half-breeds, named Ged-
uhn and Apgar, who were familiar with
these wild mountains and trackless for
ests. 1t was an arduous undertaking,
but they toiled persistently onward.
The steep, narrow trail led northward
from the lake for perhaps ten miles;
when this distance had been &C.
complished their journey was only
just begun. For many miles they were
obliged to chop their way through
dense forests and tangled underground.
where nothing but the trails of deer
and footprints of bears-many of the
latter very fresh-could be detected.
After two days of indefatigable labor
they suddenly came upon q spot of such
rare beauty that DR.. L. B. Sperry. of
Minneapolis, one of the party, consid-
cred an authority on American scenery,
pronounced it ga scenic gem of the first
water This consisted of a basin, in
the shape of a horseshoe, 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 perpen-
dicularly to heights varying from 1900
to 1000 feet. In the floor of this basin,
like jewel in its setting, was beauti-
full lake of deep sapphire blue, mile
and half in length by half mile in
width; its waters of such perfect clear
ness that the speckled trout, with
which they were filed, were plainly
visible. The surrounding lodges of
rocks were surmounted by numerous
peaks, rising to dizzy heights, 1000 and
1000 feet above the timber line, their
lofty SUBMITS white with perpetual
snow.
At the head of the basin were two
streams of icy water, pouring in beau
tiful cascades over the rocks and cliffs;
sometimes clinging to the walls, resem-
bling ribbons and cords of silver, and |
sometimes dashing over the lodges,
diffusing themselves in clouds of rain
bow-tinted spray, hundreds of feet be- |
low. The total height of these silvery |
streams was estimated to be at least |
$500 feet, and they derive their supply |
from the vast fields of eternal snow Iy- |
ing in the awful solitudes far above.
Along portion of the southern wall |
there was a slope extending from a
height of 1000 feet down nearly to the
border of the lake. Here avalanches
are of frequent occurrence, shooting
down the slope with terrific force, and
with rushing, roaring sound, not I'M
like peals of thunder, and plunging into
the unfathomable depths of rocky
chasms. On account of the oft-recur-
ring avalanches the party christened
this secluded mountain valley ava
lanche Basin" and the surrounding
peaks and picturesque masses of rock
were given names suggested by their
the Sphinx, the Dome,
Cathedral Spires, the Castle, and the
the last on account of its
resemblance to the far
famed Alpine peak.
walls inclosing this bit OF wonder
land are of metamorphic sandstone,
some of the strata being of uncolored
quartz, nearly as white as the surround
ing SHOWS, while other strata are of
bright red. The formation of the rocks
exhibits many marvellous phenomena
and the place contains many scientific
rs well as scenic attractions, and will
prove most interesting field OF study
Tor the geologist and mineralogist.
1t is very probable that long ago, in
he prehistoric ages, this spot was the
bed of some enormous inland lake of
great depth, of which the little lake
how existing in its center contains,
comparatively speaking, only the last
lew drops in the slowly emptying basin.