Evening star., 1928-10-01
BY A. G.. BIRCH.

BY A. G. BIRCH.
Special to The Star and North American
Newspaper Alliance.
DENVER, Colo, October 1.-More
than half of Wednesday. August 20, we
remained in camp at the foot Of john
sons Draw. We needed rest. Like
wise, the beauty of the spot was glori-
Gus. The moon was full the night we
spent there.
Az this point the vivid redness of the
sandstone walls ended abruptly, giving
place to an equally vivid yellow, and
the outlines of everything became grace
fully rounded instead of boldly sharp.
Across the river from our camp the
wall rose sheer for 1900 feet. Above
this cliff there was an inner plateau
the lower of two such neSaS-and
then more giant cliffs, bringing the top
OF the def1le $500 feet above the water.
Finally saying good-by to Fray Baker
and his cowpuncherS, who promised to
60 overland on horseback, about so
miles and meet US at Pats Hole, where
our Journey was to end, we put off in
the boat for HardingS Hole. miles be-
low JohnsonS Draw. Although we had
to drag the boat over three stretches OF
rocks, we reached our destination ii
good time.
the parks down in the Yampa Canyon.
It is approximately one mile wide by
two long. 1t is a great place for wild
horses.
BOX Canyons" Found.
Here We found some of the most
fantastic sandstone formations in the
whole gorge. Eight weird box
canyons"-side chasms that end blindly
in sheer walls-conle into Hardings
Hole, great twisting, contorted aiSles
emptying into a giants amphitheater.
If this spot ever could be opened to
tourists it would make several of our
popular national parks take a remote
back seat.
On the face of a cliff to the north
of the hole we discovered black open
ing that appeared to be the entrance
to cave. It was about 200 feet above
the floor of the park. and though the
opening was little higher than mans
head, it was fully 80 feet across We
promptly set out to explore the place,
It proved to be an Indian cave, where
countless bands of UteS, CheyenneS,
ArapahoeS. Crows and Blackfeet prob
ably had sought shelter while hunting
through the country. Its interior was
140 by 100 feet, with level floor COW
cred with fine sand. A ledge along the
face of the cliff had once given easy
access to the cave. but this was now
weathered away in places so passage
along it was difficult.
The walls OF the cave bore many
Indian sign paintings. done with dull
brownish-red paint. The smoke of the
Indians campfires, however, had SO
covered them that we could not make
successful photographs.
VicfaS of GRANDEUR
Leaving Hardings Hole the next morn
ing. we came to place where the
river makes seven-and-a-h -half-mile
detour to the north to pass barrier
only one-third of mile wide. Here
the canyon walls rose 5000 feet straight
from the water.
Near the mouth of this tortuous defile
we came upon series of fine springs
bubbling out of the rock few feet
above the river. This was the first
clear water We had encountered in the
canyon. The springs continued, never
more than 10 feet apart, for a distance
of half a mile, every one flowing
stream from to 10 inches in diameter.
The water had strong taste of iron.
The scenery here was so majestic
that we decided to try to reach the sum-
nit of the ridge around which the river
makes its -half-mile loop.
BY making a wide detour and climb