The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-11-26
YELLOWSTONE PARK
Is A WONDERLAND
Copyright Nov. 1914. by o. P. Dabney.
(Second instalImentl

other. We were all eager to see more
of the wonders of that mysterious land
As we proceeded on our way, the land
scape seemed 10 unfold before US. emit
ting one beauty spot after another. ol
some wonderful phenomena, and inter.
mingled with those was wild game
sauntering along near the roadside.
The birds were fitting about from tree
to tree, while the porcupine. ground
hogs, and other small animals. were
playing hide and seek around the rocks
and down timber. They all seemed to
realize that Uncle Sam stood behind
them and that they should have nc
fears for either Dudes" or 'Sav-
ages.
We are now passing 0bsidian (glass)
mountain, which is on our left 1t is a
strange looking formation Of black
glass, and so hard, we we're informed
by our guide. that in order to remove
the undetached debris, so that a road
might be built around the base of the
mountain, il was necessary to heat the
glass and while hot cold water was
thrown upon it and in that way it was
broken up and removed.
The next objects of interest were
Twin Lakes, to the right of US. each of
which was nearly half mile in length.
In one of these the water was as blue
as the sky above it, and in the other
one the water was as green as a Sham
rock, while between and connecting
them as a small lake whose water
was rich brown color.
But we dare not linger, for we were
all anxious to know from whence came
all the great noise ahead of US, and soon
we were in sight of Roaring Mountain,
towering up nearly 5000 feet above
sea level, and resembling a great ash
heap. There are many vents on the
side and top of the mountain from
which hot steam is continually escap-
ing and from some of these caverns or
vents comes the Kissing, roaring noise
like that of thousand demons.
The steam and heat has long ago
killed the scattering trees that once
grew on the mountain unmolested. but
now their white trunks stand here and
there like scared sentinels. A little
farther on and to our right was the
Devils Frying Pan," a wicked look
ing basin filled with frying. sputtering
stuff, that none but the devil might rel
ish.
Our next place of interest was Horns
Geyser Basin, where we saw the first
geysers on our trip, and which are
most wonderful and interesting. Among
them was the "Black Growler," that
continually discharges black water and
steam with such terrible force as to
cause growing. Kissing noise like
that of many demons. While we never
tire at looking at the beautiful pools
and geysers, many of which we're
clothed in purity and innocence, we
were glad to move on, when we came
to the "Black Growler."
We have left the field of geysers and
are going down the Gibbons Canyon,
following the pretty winding river by
that name, whose waters are as clear
as crystal and whose banks are dotted
here and here with chocolate and other
colored cones of various heights. rang
ing from five to fifteen feet, and in the
crater of these the hot water is boiling,
bubbling and running over the edges
and dripping down into the river below.
We are scarcely out of sight of one
wonder until some other one is in sight,
which is still different, so that now we
are passing the Beryl Pool. with its
various colors, which are very beau
tiful. For some time we have been
slowly climbing up and up, until we
are several hundred feet above the
river, and are now looking at the great
falls, where the water is pouring over
great precipice and dropping down into
whirlpool below, from whence it
winds its way like a silver thread
through deep gorge and around moss
covered boulders that are supporting
many evergreen trees that seem to be
imbedded in the very heart of the large
rock. We have now crossed the bridge
that spans the river mile below the
falls, and have halted at the Gibbons
lunch camp, in the shade of towering
pines.
The morning ride through that mys-
terious and beautiful country nearly
mile and half above the sea, had
whetted our appetites to keen edge.
Oh, my those hot rolls, butter, fried
trout. and then more trout, but must
not dwell on good things to eat, for
there are many more wonders yet to be
seen, and after a rest of two hours we
are again on the road, where we soon
leave the Gibbons river, with all its
grandeur, and cross the divide to Pine
Hole River. which we followed for sew
eral miles. Seemingly the farther we
drove the more romantic and fascinat-
ing the grand panorama unfolded be-
fore US, until we arrived at the Nez
Perce night camp, a historical spot,
uhara Enuon oph hic rfv
tured in 1877 by Chief Joseph and his
wandering band of savages.
The camp is in the edge of dense
forest and a hundred yards from Nez
Perce creek, where one may catch the
speckled beauties and by turn can
cook them in boiling pool few feet
away. Dinner is now over and our
guide piloted US to another field of
wonders two miles distant, and one of
the strange sights was a mud geyser,
where the ashen colored mud was con-
stantly being thrown into the air from
two to fifteen feet, and as it dropped
back into the crater the Jets would
form themselves into shapes of various
vegetables, flowers, animals, birds,
etc., soon to settle down into the great
stir, there to be thrown out again and
again. 1t all seems so wonderful that
really we we're mystified at its strange
actions. Among the other strange
things we saw was a well of black col
ored ink, and from which no doubt
there have been many effective love
letters written.
On our return, the campfire was
lighted, and the evening was taken up
with singing. story telling, eating pop
corn, etc., and thus ended the second
day of our trip, on July 8, 1914.
AS there were so many points of in
terest to visit on our third day, We left
camp at 2 a. m, and after short drive
across beautiful wild meadow dotted
over with many rare flowers, we
stopped at the Fountain Geyser Just in
time 10 see the great column of boiling
water thrown a hundred feet or more
into the air. and the millions of drops
in falling down looked in the sunlight
like so many diamonds. In the same
locality there were numerous other