Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-08-01
Rambling Impressions Of a Motor 1rip
BY THE EDITOR.

golden-like rock in the one instance,
of white, silver colored rock In the
other, while at one side tumbled q
racing mountain stream. These were
very pretty but not so much differ
ent from what we have in abundance
right at home. But the geyser basins
present d sight never to be forgot
| ten.
The Norris Geyser Basin is large
depression some distance below the
highway, which skirts it. Scattered
through this basin are number of
small pools, varying in size. Someepf
them are constantly shooting water
into the air to hoirht Of one, two
three feet and even higher. Others
simmer and hiss and growl and all
of them give off steam. The orifices
Of the smaller ones are funnel shaped
in many instances, After the eruption
the water will disappear so that the
pool is practically empty. Then it will
start filling, will bubble and boil and
finally erupt. The water in the larger
pools does not disappear bat is con-
stantly boiling and erupting. From
the lower edge of the basin the escap-
ing water is marked by long lines of
various shades Of yellow, sulphur,
lemon and reds, another instance of
algae growing in the water, and in
some cases due to mineral in the
water. The water in the pools ID strik-
lngly clear, in some places a greenish,
IN others blush tinge, wonderfully
beautiful.
There are two other geyser basins
on the loop trip, the Lower Geyser
Basin and the Upper Geyser Basin.
The lower basinh is very similar in
formation to the Norris basin, except
that it is on an elevation instead of
depression. In driving there we
stopped the car within a foot or two
Of q small, funnel shaped hole in the
rock, empty Of water and apparently
dead But having seen the peculiar
capers of some Of the other small
geysers, we decided it would be safer
to move the car few yards. After
walking around the basin and TAX
ing IN the sights we came back to the
car past that quiet, innocent looking
little depression in the rock to find it |
spouting boiling, steaming water sew
eral feet into the air. We were glad
we had moved the car.
Here are also located the Mammoth |
Paint Pots, a strange sight. They con-
sist Of small craters some 20 to 80
feet across filled with a soft, putty
like substance that is slowly bubbling
and blubbing and giving off steam,
very similar to the slow boiling of
hot mush. The pit we watched was
filled with beautiful white substance
that looked ..just like the white frost
ing of cake" as Miss Helen re-
Around one side the white
substance gave way to a pink sub
stance-all of it slowly bubbling and
and giving off steam.
This paint pot is surrounded by a
heavy log railing and visitors are
ordered to keep outside the railing.
Since leaving the park we were told
hat few years ago two women ac-
,identally drove their car into the pit.
1AA Aiih WoiIiGtI WJIt llSldIlL1J SWdl-
owed by the steaming, sticky mess.
lo one knew who they were and their
IDENTIFY was only disclosed by check
# those who checked in and out Of
he park during the season. Two failed
o check out, probably the two women
Who had met such a tragic end
Driving on to the upper basin we
,ame to Old Faithful Geyser, the
ourist's friend. Most Of the other
,eysers are erratic in performance.
some erupt at intervals of hours,
lays, weeks and even months and no
me knows when they will perform.
3ut Old Faithful lives ND to its name
md shoots column Of water high
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