The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-18
OF YELLOWSTONE PARK.


The following extract from The Vel
| lowstone National Park" by Hiram Mar
| tin Crttenden. of the Robert Clark COM
pany, Cincinnati. gives a good idea of
the conditions 10 which President Roose-
| welt is exposed in the national reserva-
l ton, the difficulties OF travel and the
| great size OF the snow drifts:
From the end of September 20 the end
| of May the Park is closed 10 the tourist;
| that is, the hotels do not receive guests,
/ and camping is too precarious to be at
| tempted. 1t is generally possible, how
i ever, 10 get into the Park as late as the
| middle or end OF November, very rarely
| as late as Christmas. In May. the snow
! falls are light, but the Accommodations OF
the previous winter render travelling out
| of the question With great difficulty
| the hotel company reaches its nearest
| hotels as early as May 10 Some Of the
roads remain impossible fully month
| later.
| What the fall of snow is in the upper
| Park has never been determined; but at
| Mammoth Hot Springs. altitude 500 feet.
an average for six years. from November
! 20 April inclusive. is ten feet per year,
with maximum of fifteen feet and a
minimum OF five. But on the Park Pla-
teau. 100 to 1900 feet higher. the fall is
| certainly much greater No doubt It's
! light depth aggregates twenty feet The
weight of this snow often destroys the
railing of bridges and Injuries the build
ings of the Park.
| The drifts accumulate in phenomenal
| magnitude. No matter how deep raw
| inc may be, the wind will pile the snow
| up in il until il IS level with the sur
rounding country. Some Of these drifts
on the mountain sides are hundreds of
| feet deep and never entirely melt away.
Even on the general plateau they last
until the middles of July. The Canon
hotel is almost buried every winter
The snow actually reaches the second
story windows, and the drift behind the
hotel would last throughout the summer
We're its melting not facilitated by cut
ting IL in pieces with shovels. II verify
seems that all the conditions of climate
here conspire to make this region one of
| the snowiest in the world.
OF course, general access to the Park
under such conditions is wholly out of the
question. Only on snow shoes is it posi-
bic at all. The hotel company has a
Waterman at each of its buildings. who
drsgs out lonely existence through the
two hundred days from November TO
May. He can talk over the telephone line
with Mammoth Hot Springs, and at long
Intervals he receives call. and perhaps
mail. from Telephone Pete" who travels
the line to keep it in order. In some
places, also. small squads of soldiers are
stationed for the winter
The art of travelling by snow shoe is
thoroughly interesting one, notwith-
standing the fact that ii is about the
most difficult method of travel known.
ard is rarely resorted to except from
sheer necessity.
The instrument used in the Park for
this purpose Is called a ski pronounced
skee). 1t is long slender strip of wood
ASH, Norway pine, or hickory-some
twelve feet long, four or five inches wide.
and just thick enough to give needed
strength. About midway of its length is
a strap through which the toe is slipped
and by which the foot pulls the ski
along. The bearing surface of the two
skis is about eight square feet. and holds
the weight OF the body even in soft snow
without sinking more than few inches.
The bottom surface is polished smooth
and then rubbed with mixture of tallOw
ana beeswaX to make il free from fric-
ton. A pole is an important accompani-
ment. aiding 10, slide the traveller along
and steady him on the skis. II also serves
as brake in descending steep hills. the
traveller sitting astride it and bearing
the rear end into the snow
Down-hill work is indeed glorious. No
express train can rival the ski for speed.
Its only drawback is danger of acct
dent. On level country ski travelling is
simply walking on a board walk, except
him. and makes and unmakes the road
as fast as he goes. This is hard enough
especially If the snow is sticky but when
IL comes to uphill travelling il is a truly
laborious matter Ii the hill is steep /
there is danger Of losing ones grip on
the snow and sliding backward down the /
hill. Where the ascent is too steep to /
work up by direct forward movement, /
'corduroying'' is resOrted to- The trav-
eller works up sidewise. stepping up
foot or so with the upper ski and follow /
ing with the lower. Generally this side !
wise movement is combined with a slight /
forward movement, the skis being pointed !
up hill at steep an inclination as they
will hold. The dress and equipment of the /
snow-shoe traveller are reduced 10 +
minimum consistent with protection from /
the climate. This protection is really I
needed only at camping places. for the !
extraordinary exertion Of travelling keeps 4
the body In a continuous glow Of warmth. /
Generally. warm wooden underwear. with /
canvas surface garments 10 keep out the |
wind and 10 sheCr snow. are the essential /
worn. but a tightly drawn belt takes it's I
place. The feet are the weak point. /
Natural wool socks. then pair Of Indian /
moccasins. then a pair OF heavy gray |
army socks. then Arctic over-shoes and |
leggings. is the description az an equip /
lneHt actually uSeI. = bfOaG nat Is Ire I
quently worn to keep snow out Of the /
neck. and colored glasses are indspen-
sable 70 prevent snow blindness.
Baggage is limited to the strictest ne
cessities. and is so packed that il VIII 4
rest uniformly on the back from the
shoulders To the hips.
No eating Of. snow or drinking OF water
can be safely INDUCED in while en- route.
The traveller must go strictly dry be-
tween meals.
OF course. travelling OF this sort IS at
tended with much peril A man must
rely wholly on himself. No wagon or
saddle is available II he is injured or
sick. Heavy storms may blind him and
cause him 10 lose his way. In short. a
snnw-shoe trip through the Park IS an
undertaking which requires vigorous
physique. a determined VIII, and a good |
fund Of courage. Very few. except those
whose duty has required Il. have ever
made the attempt. But Il is the unani-
nous verdict of those who have that.
glorious as the Park is IN summer IL IS
even more glorious IN winter. One can
readily understand this TO 10 so. Ever
green forests never appear To better adj
vantage than when laden with snow. Ice
always enhance the beauty n
waterfalls. The rolling open valleys ~
the Park must be dOuby beautiful when
robed in drifted snow. II IS a pity that
this silvery- Landscape should forever To-
main excluded from the general view.