Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1921-02-09
VISITS YELLOWSTONE PARK

Editor Censor: Since | wrote last / have
seen more of the big play ground known as
Yellowstone Park. Tourists generally the
Park in four and a half days but they must
be swifter than for / have now spent a total
of over six months IN its confines. and now
believe that / know enough about il that !
can find the points of interest by using a guide.
Yellowstone Park contains at present 40ll
square miles. Please compare this area with
that of Vernon county and you can have a
conception of the size Of largest mosquito
and gnat incubRtors.
/ stayed at Yellowstone Lake until June 18th,
when / returned to Livingston to look after
business few days then made the trip by
horse team from Gardner To Mammoth. Norris
Basin where the Constant and Minute Man
introduce the travelling public TO the geyser
world. In Norris Basin i stood on rock
formation with water boiling up through
holes all sides and experienced the very
comfortable feeling that | was standing on a
thin shell of rack, over lake of boiling water.
The lower basin contains the fountain gey-
ser. This is a very beautiful geyser but has
been very irregular and sometimes has thrown
out muddy water and rocks. On the left of
the road as you leave this basin are the mann
moth paint pots. A large hole Of boiling mud
Of various colors.l The upper basin contains
the great area of geyser for motion whit Old
Faithful, the prominent feature. Old Faithful
is small compared with several others but is
on duty. Almost hourly. / have known her
to play twice in as minutes and again the
same day wait 62 minutes between plays.
She gave her name 20 the basin. camp and
Old Faithful inn. This il certainly a master
piece Of rustic architecture. / then drove out
to the Lone Star geyser and back the road
to the thumb Of Yellowstone Lake. stopped
on the top of the continental divide (s345 feet
altitude) and looked at lisa lake which gives
her food waters to both oceans. Also at the
tetons 80 miles away which in the rare at
mosphere looks very near.
After passing the west thumb Of Yellowstone
Lake, the road crosses branch Of the main
ridge. Over this the road runs II miles through
solid pine forest, and you must this 70
know how great is the variety of pine.
As / drove down toward the lake shore
saw ahead a little grassy park where con-
cluded TO camp for the night but just /
reached It one Of the biggest bears l ever saw
walked out into IL and stood still. Well. Of
course there was lots Of room 50 / camped two
miles further down. on the lake shore.
/ passed the lake hotel and camp and the
canyon This Is a very beautiful piece of
rough country and contains a great quantity
and variety Of bear. The official mark
on the road shows an average Of nine feet for
last winter.
spent about ten days at Mammoth for the
pleasure of soaking in the most beautiful
plunge / ever saw. Then spent q week in and
around Cooke City where / made one four
mile hike as follows Cooke has an altitude
of TITS. / walked up the Daisy pass trail 20
ingston to SO degrees in the shade and / think
I've had enough variety in Temperature and
altitude for one season but come and go with
me next summer and I'll do il all again just
for the pleasure Of IT,
] am very respectfully,
c. s. EUZNM, Livingston Mont.
p. S. ! almost forgot % tell you about the
mosquitoes and gnats. Now l didn't weigh or
measure any Of them. but Ed Pfenflin II La
Crosse was with me part Of the time and he
says they hatch in snow drifts and grow as
big az humming birds.