River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-09-02

being a U. S. Army officer. Four
troops of the U. s. cavalry patrol
the park both summer and winter.
2ND. DAY IN THE PARK.
We left Mammoth Hot Springs at
49, NJ Mrs. Lorin, Mrs. Patton,
Miss Reed and | had surrey all by
ourselves. Our driver was Mr..
D avis, GOO looking young man.
1t was very cold. We started with
all the wraps we had on, two rugs
oyer US and wished for more. There
were f1urries of snow several times
during the day. The ride to Norris
Basin was very interesting. We
passed the great limestone Hoo
doc" rocks-many theories are ad-
vanced as to the origin of the Hoo
DOCS" The most plausible is that
the immense quantity of deposit
or formation seen lower down the
valley, even as far as Gardiner
f NlNGIg IWO l1i1lCS SLdI1iI WdO N1A
ried there in solution by the hot
waters of Mammoth Hot Springs
thus leaving honey combed caves
beneath; this present "Hoo-doo"
region was formed by the sur
face caving in, filling the cavern be.
low with high masses Of fractured
rocks. This condition is seen over
a total area of one square mile.
! These strange rocks stand pitched
at all imaginable angles and the road
twists through the midst of them.
Here the road makes an abrupt turn,
passing between great blocks of
silver gray limestone that rise fully
rs it,, this is Silver Crate. Four
miles from Mammoth Hot Springs
is one of the most picturesque drives
in the Park-a rugged pass between
the base of Bunsens Peak and Ter
race Mt. Through which flows a
branch of the Gardiner RIVER The
sides of these rocky walls which
rise 200 to 800 it. above the road
way are golden in color, yellow
mass covering some of them and
give it the name Golden Gate. The
pillar at the east entrance was or
iginally part of the Canyon wall.
The construction Of this road and
viaGuct of slate and concrete scarce
a mile in length was the most diff
cult and expensive piece Of road
building encountered by the gov
eminent engineers. 1t cost $40, 900.
The rustic falls at the head Of the
Gate is very attractive. We next
pass Swan Lake and Wylie Camp.
Then come to the Apollinaries
Spring, a natural spring that a
druggist could make a fortune out
of-then the Oksidian Cliffe, it is of
natural volcanic glass. This cliff
is $50 #. high and black. The con-
struction of the roadway ong its
base was accomplished in a novel
manner blasting powder being in
effectual great fires were built a.
round the huge blocks Of glass,
which when heated, were suddenly
: cooled by dashing water upon them
thus shattering the blocks into
: small fragments. This process
made possible the construction OF
this wonderful roadway, probably
the only piece of glass road in the
world. The Indians used to use
this rock to make arrow heads
| Next Beaver Lake, which is about
one mile long and a quarter of q
mile wide. Several beaver dams
! are constructed across the lake
forming a series of artificial OBJ.
structions each having a fall OF
from two to four feet. The drive
from Obsidian Cliffs to Norris
BASIN is over ridge which Separ-
ates the head waters of the Yellow
: stone and NJ ssouri Riyers-The
ascent is SO gentle that it is i'm.
possible to tell when the divide
is bassed. Next comes Roaring
Mt. steaming from countless open.
ing in it's furrowed sides It's ashen
color and the muffled sound Of IS.
Gaping steam makes this sight long
to be remembered. Near the road
side are greenish milky pools put
by rivulets Of sulpher water from
the springs. Twin Lakes are re.
markable on account of their beau.
tiful color-the one blue, the other
green. The Frying Pan is a basin