Yellowstone Lake

Geologists working in Yellowstone National Park say they've uncovered a natural timeline that could forecast future thermal activity.

A scientific feature published by Cowboy State Daily details how researchers were able to pull mud and sediment cores from the bottom of Yellowstone Lake by carbon-dating pollen, microalgae, and charcoal layers dating back 15,000 years.

Scientists say they can better understand climate shifts and predict geyser eruptions over centuries to come.

Also in Wyoming, the Natrona County School District is weighing a difficult closure proposal that could alter high school athletics history.

finally

the expedition reached yellowstone lake the focal point of their exploration causing hayden to remark on the twenty eighth of july we arrived at the lake and pitched our camp on the northeast shore in a beautiful grassy meadow or opening among the dense pines the lake lay before us a vast sheet of quiet water of a most delicate ultramarine hue one of the most beautiful scenes i have ever beheld the entire party was filled with enthusiasm the great object of our labours has been reached and we were amply paid for all our toils such a vision is worth a lifetime and only one of such marvellous beauty will ever greet human eye from whatever point of view one may behold it it presents a unique picture hayden's party split into groups with some continuing to explore the perimeter of the lake while hayden schoenburn and other members of the expedition went on towards the fire-hole geyser basin eventually the entire party arrived back at bertler's ranch having spent thirty-eight days in the wilderness the most important product of the expedition in addition to jackson's photos was a five hundred page report by hayden documenting findings of his party hayden presented this report and photos to senators congressmen his superiors in the interior department and nearly anyone else who could possibly influence the founding of a park he also wrote articles in magazines with national circulation and spent much personal time and effort in trying to convince congress to establish the park on december eighteenth eighteen seventy one a bill was introduced simultaneously in the senate by senator pomeroy of kansas and in the house of representatives by congressman clagett of montana for the establishment of a park at the headwaters of the yellowstone river the bill in each case was referred to the respective committees on public lands upon reporting the bill back to the senate on january twenty two eighteen seventy two senator pomeroy advised that body professor hayden and party have been there and this bill is drawn on the recommendation of that gentleman to consecrate for public uses this country for a public park end quote be it enacted and so forth that the tract of land in the territories of montana and wyoming lying near the head-waters of the yellowstone river and described as follows to wit commencing at the junction of gardiner's river with the yellowstone river and running east to the meridian passing ten miles to the eastward of the most eastward point of the yellowstone lake thence south along said meridian to the parallel of latitude passing ten miles south of the most southern point of yellowstone lake thence west along said parallel to the meridian passing fifteen miles west of the most western point of madison lake thence north along said meridian of the latitude of the junction of the yellowstone and gardiner's river thence east of the place of beginning is hereby reserved and withdrawn from settlement occupancy or sale under the laws of the united states and dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people and all persons who shall locate or settle upon or occupy the same or any part thereof except as hereinafter provided shall be considered trespassers and removed therefrom section two that said public park shall be under the exclusive control of the secretary of the interior whose duty it shall be as soon as practicable to make and publish such rules and regulations as he may deem necessary or proper for the care and management of the same such regulations shall provide for the preservation from injury or spoliation of all timber mineral deposits natural curiosities or wonders within said park and their retention in their natural condition the secretary may in his discretion grant leases for building purposes for terms not exceeding ten years of small parcels of ground at such places in said park as shall require the erection of buildings for the accommodation of visitors all of the proceeds of said leases and all other revenues that may be derived from any source connected with said park to be expended under his direction in the management of the same and the construction of roads and bridle paths therein he shall provide against the wanton destruction of the fish and game found within said park and against their capture or destruction for the purpose of merchandise or profit he shall also cause all persons trespassing upon the same after the passage of this act to be removed therefrom and generally shall be authorised to take all such measures as shall be necessary or proper to fully carry out the objects and purposes of this act on january twenty three eighteen seventy two senator pomeroy in response to questioning during consideration of the bill stated this bill originated as the result of the exploration made by professor hayden under an appropriation of congress last year with a party he explored the headwaters of the yellowstone and found it to be a great natural curiosity great geysers as they are termed water spouts and hot springs and having plotted the ground himself and having given me the dimensions of it the bill was drawn up as it was thought best to consecrate and set apart this great place or national resort as it may be in the future for the purpose of public enjoyment the senate sitting as committee of the whole gave its final consideration to the bill on january thirty there was limited floor discussion basically concerning whether or not the land was suitable for agricultural development the bill's chief supporters convinced their colleagues that the region's real value was as a park area to be preserved in its natural state and the bill passed by a comfortable margin the house considered the same bill on february twenty seventh again the question was raised as to whether the region should be left open for agricultural development however as in the senate the obvious value of the region as a scenic preserve made the task of the parks advocates an easy one the bill was readily passed with a hundred and fifteen years to sixty five days and sixty not voting On March 1, 1872, President Grant signed the bill into law establishing the Yellowstone region as a public park, thus setting a major conservation precedent.

The nation had its first national park, an area of unique beauty was set aside for the enjoyment of generations to come, and a tradition of preserving other such areas was established.

part two of yellowstone national park six early pieces by various the wonders of the yellowstone i had indulged for several years a great curiosity to see the wonders of the upper valley of the yellowstone the stories told by trappers and mountaineers of the natural phenomena of that region were so strange and marvellous that as long ago as eighteen sixty six i first contemplated the possibility of organizing an expedition for the express purpose of exploring it during the past year meeting with several gentlemen who expressed like curiosity we determined to make the journey in the months of august and september the yellowstone and columbia the first flowing into the missouri and the last into the pacific divided from each other by the rocky mountains have their sources within a few miles of each other both rise in the mountains which separate idaho from the new territory of wyoming but the headwaters of the yellowstone are only accessible from montana the mountains surrounding the basin from which they flow are very lofty covered with pines and on the southeastern side present to the traveler a precipitous wall of rock several thousand feet in height this barrier prevented captain reynolds from visiting the headwaters of the yellowstone while prosecuting an expedition planned by the government and placed under his command for the purpose of exploring that river in eighteen fifty nine the source of the yellowstone is in a magnificent lake nearly nine thousand feet above the level of the ocean in its course of one thousand three hundred miles to the missouri it falls about seven thousand two hundred feet its upper waters flow through deep caons and gorges and are broken by immense cataracts and fearful rapids presenting at various points some of the grandest scenery on the continent this country is entirely volcanic and abounds in boiling springs mud volcanoes huge mountains of sulphur and geysers more extensive and numerous than those of iceland old mountaineers and trappers are great romancers i have met with many but never one who was not fond of practising upon the credulity of those who listened to his adventures bridger than whom perhaps no man has experienced more of wild mountain life has been so much in the habit of embellishing his indian adventures that they are received by all who know him with many grains of allowance this want of faith will account for the scepticism with which the oft-repeated stories of the wonders of the upper yellowstone were received by people who had lived within one hundred and twenty miles of them and who at any time could have established their verity by ten days travel our company composed of some of the officials and leading citizens of montana felt that if the half was true they would be amply compensated for all the troubles and hazards of the expedition it was nevertheless a serious undertaking and as the time drew near for our departure several who had been foremost to join us upon the receipt of intelligence that a large party of indians had come into the upper yellowstone valley found excuse for their withdrawal in various emergent occupations so that when the day for our departure arrived our company was reduced in numbers to nine and consisted of the following named gentlemen general h d washburne who served with distinction during the war of the rebellion and subsequently represented the clinton district of indiana in the congress of the united states samuel t hauser president of the first national bank of helena cornelius hedges a leading member of the bar of montana the hon truman c evarts late united states assessor for montana walter trumbull son of senator trumbull ben stickney jr warren c gillette jacob smith and the writer the preparation was simple each man was supplied with a strong horse well equipped with california saddle bridle and cantinas a needle gun a belt filled with cartridges a pair of revolvers a hunting knife added to the usual costume of the mountains completed the personal outfit of each member of the expedition when mounted and ready to start we resembled more a band of brigands than sober men in search of natural wonders our provisions consisting of bacon dried fruit flour c were securely lashed to the backs of twelve broncos which were placed in charge of a couple of packers we also employed two colored boys as cooks major-general hancock in favorable response to our application for a military escort had given orders for a company of cavalry to accompany us which we expected to join at fort ellis in the gallatin valley a distance of one hundred and twenty miles from helena we were none the less obliged to general hancock for his prompt compliance with our application for an escort because of his own desire previously expressed to learn something of the country we explored which would be of service to him in the disposition of the troops under his command for frontier defence and if the result of our explorations in the least contributed to that end we still remained the debtor of that officer for his courtesy and kindness without which we might have failed altogether in our undertaking our ride to fort ellis through a well-settled portion of the territory was accomplished in four days that portion of the valleys of the missourian gallatin through which we passed dotted with numerous ranches presented large fields of wheat oats potatoes and other evidences of thrift common in agricultural districts large droves of cattle were feeding upon the bunch grass which carpeted the valleys and foot-hills even the mountains so wild solemn and unsocial a few years ago seemed to be domesticated as they reared their familiar summits in long and continuous succession along the bordering uplands at the three forks where the jefferson madison and gallatin unite and form the missouri a thriving agricultural community has sprung up which must eventually grow into a town of considerable importance entering the magnificent valley of the gallatin at this point our course up the river lay through one of the finest agricultural regions on the continent the soil is remarkably fertile and the valley stretches away on either side a distance of twenty miles to immense mountain ranges which traverse its entire length enclosing a territory as large as one of the larger new england states every foot of which is susceptible of the highest cultivation bozeman a picturesque village of seven hundred inhabitants situated at the foot of the belt range of mountains is considered one of the most important prospective business locations in montana it is near the mouth of one of the few mountain passes of the territory deemed practicable for railroad improvement its inhabitants are patiently awaiting the time when the cars of the northern pacific will descend into their streets the village is neatly built of wood and brick its surroundings are magnificent the eye can distinctly trace the mountains by which it is encircled a distance of four hundred miles fort ellis three miles distant is built upon a table of land elevated above the valley and which overlooks it for a great distance our party was welcomed by colonel raker the commandant and we pitched our tent near the post on the morning succeeding our arrival we were informed that owing to the absence on duty of most of the soldiers a fraction of a company five cavalrymen and a lieutenant in command were all that could be afforded for our escort but realizing that a small body of white men can more easily elude a band of indians than can a large party and without hesitating to consider the possible defence which we could make against a war-party of hostile sioux with this limited number we declared ourselves satisfied and took our departure for the terra incognita as fully assured of a successful journey as if our number had been multiplied by hundreds our pack horses were brought up and their loads fastened to them with that incredible rapidity and skill which is the result only of life-long practice the dexterity with which a skilful packer will load and unload his horse is remarkable the rope is thrown around the body of the animal and securely fastened in less time than it takes to tell it no matter what the character of the beast wild or tame it is under the perfect control of its master the broncho is however a refractory customer he has many tricks unknown to his well-trained brother of the east bucking is a frequent vice for which there is small remedy but as was proved in a single instance on the morning we left the fort that horse must be more expert than was any of our train who can foil an experienced packer every leap of the enraged brute only increased the tension of the cord which bound and finally subdued him and rendered him tractable once under way our little company now increased to nineteen presented quite a formidable appearance as by dint of whip and spur our steeds gaily wheeled across the plain towards the mountains after a tedious ride of several hours up steep acclivities over rocks and through dark defiles we at length passed over the summit of the mountain range took a last look of the beautiful valley of the gallatin and descended into a ravine coursed by the waters of trail creek following this two days we came to the yellowstone up which we rode to the solitary ranch of the brothers boteler the last abode of civilized man in the direction of our travels these hardy mountaineers received and entertained us in hardy mountain style giving us the best of everything their ranch afforded together with a great deal of information and advice about the country which we afterwards found to be invaluable the bodilers belong to that class of pioneers of which there are many in the new territories who are only satisfied when their location and field of operations are a little in advance of civilization exposed to privation and danger and yet unite with these discomforts some advantages of hunting trapping and fishing not enjoyed by men contented to dwell in safety free-hearted jolly and brave living upon such means as the country afforded accustomed to roam for days and weeks in the mountains in pursuit of game and furs their experience renewed our courage and the descriptions which they gave us of the wonders they had seen increased our curiosity it was not pleasant however to learn that twenty-five lodges of crows had gone up the valley a few days before our arrival or to be told by a trapper whom we met that he had been robbed by them and in common parlance been set on foot by having his horse and provisions stolen in anticipation of possible trouble from this source we organized our company and elected general h d washburn surveyor-general of montana commander it was understood that we should make but one march each day starting at eight a m and camping at three p m this obviated the necessity of unpacking and cooking a dinner at night the horses were to be carefully picketed a fire built beyond them and two of the company to keep guard until one o'clock then to be relieved by two others who were to watch until daylight this divided the labour among fourteen who were to serve as picket men twice each week these precautionary measures being fully understood we left bodilers plunging at once into the vast unknown which lay before us following the slight indian trail we travelled near the bank of the river amid the wildest imaginable scenery of river rock and mountain the foot-hills were covered with verdure which an autumnal sun had sprinkled with maroon-coloured tints very delicate and beautiful the path was narrow rocky and uneven frequently leading over high hills in ascent and descent more or less abrupt and difficult the increasing altitude of the route was more perceptible than any over which we had ever travelled and the river whenever visible was a perfect mountain torrent while descending a hill into one of the broad openings of the valley our attention was suddenly arrested by half a dozen or more mounted indians who were riding down the foot-hills on the opposite side of the river two of our company who had lingered behind came up with the information that they had seen several more making observations from behind a small butte from which they fled in great haste on being discovered they soon rode down on the plateau to a point where their horses were hobbled and for a long time watched our party as it continued its course of travel up the river our camp was guarded that night with more than ordinary vigilance a hard rain-storm which set in early in the afternoon and continued through the night may have saved us from an attack by these prowlers when we started the next morning general washburn detailed four of our company to guard the pack-train while he with four others rode in advance to make the most practicable selection of routes six miles above our camp we ascended the spur of a mountain which came down boldly to the river's edge from its summit we had a beautiful view of the valley stretched out before us the river fringed with cottonwood trees the foot-hills covered with luxuriant many-tinted herbage and over all the snow-crowned summits of the mountains many miles away but seemingly rising from the midst of the plateau at our feet looking up the river the valley opened widely and from the rock on which we stood was visible the train of pack-horses slowly winding their way along the sinuous trail which followed the inequalities of the mountain side the whole formed a scene of great interest pursuing our course a few miles further we camped just below the lower canon of the river our hunters provided us with a sumptuous meal of antelope rabbit duck grouse and trout the night was very cold the mercury standing at forty degrees when we broke camp at eight o'clock the next morning we remained some time at the lower canon of the yellowstone which as a single isolated piece of scenery is very beautiful it is less than a mile in length and perhaps does not exceed a thousand feet in depth its walls are vertical and seen from the summit of the precipice the river seems forced through a narrow gorge and is surging and boiling at a fearful rate the water breaking into millions of prismatic drops against every projecting rock after traveling six miles over the mountains above the canyon we again descended into a broad and open valley skirted by a level upland for several miles here an object met our attention which deserves more than a casual notice it was two parallel vertical walls of rock projecting from the side of a mountain to the height of a hundred and twenty five feet traversing the mountain from base to summit a distance of one thousand five hundred feet these walls were not to exceed thirty feet in width and their tops for the whole length were crowned with a growth of pines the sides were as even as if they had been worked by line and plumb the whole space between and on either side of them having been completely eroded and washed away we had seen many of the capricious works wrought by erosion upon the friable rocks of montana but never before upon so majestic a scale here an entire mountain-side by wind and water had been removed leaving as the evidence of their protracted toil these vertical projections which but for their immensity might as readily be mistaken for works of art as of nature their smooth sides uniform width and height and great length considered in connection with the causes which had wrought their insulation excited our wonder and admiration they were all the more curious because of their dissimilarity to any other striking objects in natural scenery that we had ever seen or heard of in future years when the wonders of the yellowstone are incorporated into the family of fashionable resorts there will be few of its attractions surpassing in interest this marvellous freak of the elements for some reason best understood by himself one of our companions gave to these rocks the name of the devil's slide the suggestion was unfortunate as with more reason perhaps but with no better taste we frequently had occasion to appropriate other portions of the person of his satanic majesty or of his dominion in signification of the varied marvels we met with some little excuse may be found for this in the fact that the old mountaineers and trappers who preceded us had been peculiarly lavish in the use of the infernal vocabulary every river and glen and mountain had suggested to their imaginations some fancied resemblance to portions of a region which their pious grandmothers had warned them to avoid it is common for them when speaking of this region to designate portions of its physical features as fire hole prairie the devil's glen hell roaring river and so forth and these names from a remarkable fitness of things are not likely to be speedily superseded by others less impressive we camped at the close of this day's travel near the southwestern corner of montana at the mouth of gardiner's river crossing this stream the next morning we passed over several rocky ridges into a valley which for a long distance was crowded with the spires of protruding rocks which gave it such a dismal aspect that we named it the valley of desolation the trail was so rough and mountainous that we were able to travel but six miles before the usual hour for camping much of the distance was through fallen timber almost impassable by the pack-train a mile before camping we discovered on the trail the fresh tracks of unshod ponies indicating that a party of indians had recently passed over it lieutenant doane with one of our company had left us in the morning and did not come into camp this evening one of our horses broke his lariat during the night and galloped through the camp rousing the sleepers who grasped their guns supposing the indians were really upon them we started early the next morning and soon struck the trail which had been travelled the preceding day by lieutenant doane it led over a more practicable route than the one we left the marks made in the soil by the travois lodge poles on the side of the trail showed that it had been recently travelled by a number of lodges of indians and a little colt which we overtook soon after making the discovery convinced us that we were in their immediate vicinity our party was separated and if we had been attacked our pack-train horses and stores would have been an easy conquest fortunately we were unmolested and when again united made a fresh resolution to travel as much in company as possible all precautionary measures however unless enforced by the sternest discipline are soon forgotten and danger until actually impending is seldom borne in mind a day had scarcely passed when we were as reckless as ever from the summit of a commanding range which separated the waters of antelope and tower creeks we descended through a picturesque gorge leading our horses to a small stream flowing into the yellowstone four miles of travel a great part of it down the precipitous slopes of the mountain brought us to the banks of tower creek and within the volcanic region where the wonders were supposed to commence on the right of the trail our attention was first attracted by a small hot sulphur spring a little below the boiling point in temperature leaving the spring we ascended a high ridge from which the most noticeable feature in a landscape of great extent and beauty was column rock stretching for two miles along the eastern bank of the yellowstone at the distance from which we saw it we could compare it in appearance to nothing but a section of the giant's causeway it was composed of successive pillars of basalt overlying and underlying a thick stratum of cement and gravel resembling pudding-stone in both rows the pillars standing in close proximity were each about thirty feet high and from three to five feet in diameter this interesting object more from the novelty of its formation and its beautiful surroundings of mountain and river scenery than anything grand or impressive in its appearance excited our attention until the gathering shades of evening reminded us of the necessity of selecting a suitable camp we descended the declivity to the banks of tower creek and camped on a rocky terrace one mile distant from and four hundred feet above the yellowstone tower creek is a mountain torrent flowing through a gorge about forty yards wide just below our camp it falls perpendicularly over an even ledge a hundred and twelve feet forming one of the most beautiful cataracts in the world for some distance above the falls the stream is broken into a great number of channels each of which has worked a tortuous course through a compact body of shale to the verge of the precipice where they reunite and form the fall the countless shapes into which the shale has been wrought by the action of the angry waters add a feature of great interest to the scene spires of solid shale capped with slate beautifully rounded and polished faultless in symmetry raise their tapering forms to the height of from eighty to a hundred and fifty feet all over the plateau above the cataract some resemble towers others the spires of churches and others still shoot up as lithe and slender as the minarets of a mosque some of the loftiest of these formations standing like sentinels upon the very brink of the fall are accessible to an expert and adventurous climber the position attained on one of their narrow summits amid the roar of waters and at a height of two hundred and fifty feet above the boiling chasm as the writer can affirm requires a steady head and strong nerves yet the view which rewards the temerity of the exploit is full of compensations below the fall the stream descends in numerous rapids with frightful velocity through a gloomy gorge to its union with the yellowstone its bed is filled with enormous boulders against which the rushing waters break with great fury many of the capricious formations wrought from the shale excite merriment as well as wonder of this kind especially was a huge mass sixty feet in height which from its supposed resemblance to the proverbial foot of his satanic majesty we called the devil's hoof the scenery of mountain rock and forest surrounding the falls is very beautiful here too the hunter and fisherman can indulge their tastes with the certainty of ample reward as a half-way resort to the greater wonders still farther up the marvellous river the visitor of future years will find no more delightful resting-place no account of this beautiful fall has ever been given by any of the former visitors to this region the name of tower falls which we gave it was suggested by some of the most conspicuous features of the scenery early the next morning several of our company left in advance to explore a passage for our pack-train over the mountains which were very steep and lofty we had been following a bend in the river but as no sign of a change in its course was apparent our object was by finding a shorter route across the country to avoid several days of toilsome travel the advance party ascended a lofty peak by barometrical measurement ten thousand five hundred and eighty feet above ocean level which in honor of our commander was called mount washburn from its summit four hundred feet above the line of perpetual snow we were able to trace the course of the river to its source in yellowstone lake at the point where we crossed the line of vegetation the snow covered the side of the apex of the mountain to the depth of twenty feet and seemed to be as solid as the rocks upon which it rested descending the mountain we came upon the trail made by the pack train at its base which we followed into camp at the head of a small stream flowing into the yellowstone following this stream in the direction of its mouth at the distance of a mile below our camp we crossed an immense bed of volcanic ashes thirty feet deep extending one hundred yards along both sides of the creek less than a mile beyond we suddenly came upon a hideous-looking glen filled with the sulphurous vapour emitted from six or eight boiling springs of great size and activity one of our company aptly compared it to the entrance to the infernal regions it looked like nothing earthly we had ever seen and the pungent fumes which filled the atmosphere were not unaccompanied by a disagreeable sense of possible suffocation Entering the basin cautiously, we found the entire surface of the earth covered with the encrusted cinder thrown from the springs.

Jets of hot vapor were expelled through a hundred natural orifices with which it was pierced, and through every fracture made by passing over it.

The springs themselves were as diabolical in appearance as the witch's cauldron in Macbeth, and needed but the presence of hecate and her weird band to realize that horrible creation of poetic fancy they were all in a state of violent ebullition throwing their liquid contents to the height of three or four feet the largest had a basin twenty by forty feet in diameter its greenish-yellow water was covered with bubbles which were constantly rising bursting and emitting sulphurous gas from various parts of its surface the central spring seethed and bubbled like a boiling caldron fearful volumes of vapour were constantly escaping it near it was another not so large but more infernal in appearance its contents of the consistency of paint were in constant noisy ebullition a stick thrust into it on being withdrawn was coated with lead-coloured slime a quarter of an inch in thickness nothing flows from this spring seemingly it is boiling down a fourth spring which exhibited the same physical features was partly covered by an overhanging ledge of rock we tried to fathom it but the bottom was beyond the reach of the longest pole we could find rocks cast into it increased the agitation of its waters there were several other springs in the group smaller in size but presenting the same characteristics the approach to them was unsafe the incrustation surrounding them bending in many places beneath our weight and from the fractures thus created would ooze a sulphury slime of the consistency of mucilage it was with great difficulty that we obtained specimens from the natural apertures with which the crust is filled a feat which was accomplished by one only of our party who extended himself at full length upon that portion of the incrustation which yielded the least but which was not sufficiently strong to bear his weight while in an upright position and at imminent risk of sinking into the infernal mixture rolled over and over to the edge of the opening and with the crust slowly bending and sinking beneath him hurriedly secured the coveted prize there was something so revolting in the general appearance of the springs and their surroundings the foulness of the vapours the infernal contents the treacherous incrustation the noisy ebullition the general appearance of desolation and the seclusion and wildness of the location that though awestruck we were not unreluctant to continue our journey without making them a second visit they were probably never before seen by white men the name of hell broth springs which we gave them fully expressed our appreciation of their character our journey the next day still continued through a country until then untravelled owing to the high lateral mountain spurs the numerous ravines and the interminable patches of fallen timber we made very slow progress but when the hour for camping arrived we were greatly surprised to find ourselves descending the mountain along the banks of a beautiful stream in the immediate vicinity of the great falls of the yellowstone this stream which we called cascade creek is very rapid just before its union with the river it passes through a gloomy gorge of abrupt descent which on either side is filled with continuous masses of obsidian that have been worn by the water into many fantastic shapes and cavernous recesses this we named the devil's den near the foot of the gorge the creek breaks from fearful rapids into a cascade of great beauty the first fall of five feet is immediately succeeded by another of fifteen into a pool as clear as amber nestled beneath over-arching rocks here it lingers as if half reluctant to continue its course and then gracefully emerges from the grotto and veiling the rocks down an abrupt descent of eighty-four feet passes rapidly on to the yellowstone it received the name of crystal the great falls are at the head of one of the most remarkable canyons in the world a gorge through volcanic rocks fifty miles long and varying from one thousand to nearly five thousand feet in depth in its descent through this wonderful chasm the river falls almost three thousand feet at one point where the passage has been worn through a mountain range our hunters assured us it was more than a vertical mile in depth and the river broken into rapids and cascades appeared no wider than a ribbon the brain reels as we gaze into this profound and solemn solitude we shrink from the dizzy verge appalled glad to feel the solid earth under our feet and venture no more except with forms extended and faces barely protruding over the edge of the precipice the stillness is horrible down down down we see the river attenuated to a thread tossing its miniature waves and dashing with puny strength the massive walls which imprison it all access to its margin is denied and the dark gray rocks hold it in dismal shadow even the voice of its waters in their convulsive agony cannot be heard uncheered by plant or shrub obstructed with massive boulders and by jutting points it rushes madly on its solitary course deeper and deeper into the bowels of the rocky firmament the solemn grandeur of the scene surpasses description it must be seen to be felt the sense of danger with which it impresses you is harrowing in the extreme you feel the absence of sound the oppression of absolute silence if you could only hear that gurgling river if you could only see a living tree in the depth beneath you if a bird would fly past if the wind would move any object in the awful chasm to break for a moment the solemn silence that reigns there it would relieve that tension of the nerves which the scene has excited and you would rise from your prostrate condition and thank god that he had permitted you to gaze unharmed upon this majestic display of natural architecture as it is sympathizing in spirit with the deep gloom of the scene you crawl from the dreadful verge scared lest the firm rock give way beneath and precipitate you into the horrid gulf we had been told by trappers and mountaineers that there were cataracts in this vicinity a thousand feet high but if so they must be lower down the canon in that portion of it which by our journey across the bend in the river we failed to see we regretted when too late that we had not made a fuller exploration for by no other theory than that there was a stupendous fall below us or that the river was broken by a continued succession of cascades could we account for a difference of nearly three thousand feet in altitude between the head and the mouth of the canon in that part of the canon which we saw the inclination of the river was marked by frequent falls fifteen and twenty feet in height sufficient if continuous through it to accomplish the entire descent the fearful descent into this terrific canon was accomplished with great difficulty by messrs hauser and stickney at a point about two miles below the falls by trigonometrical measurement they found the chasm at that point to be one thousand one hundred and ninety feet deep their ascent from it was perilous and it was only by making good use of hands and feet and keeping the nerves braced to the utmost tension that they were enabled to clamber up the precipitous rocks to a safe landing-place the effort was successfully made but none others of the company were disposed to venture from a first view of the canon we followed the river to the falls a grander scene than the lower cataract of the yellowstone was never witnessed by mortal eyes the volume seemed to be adapted to all the harmonies of the surrounding scenery had it been greater or smaller it would have been less impressive the river from a width of two hundred feet above the fall is compressed by converging rocks to one hundred and fifty feet where it takes the plunge the shelf over which it falls is as level and even as a work of art the height by actual line measurement is a few inches more than three hundred and fifty feet it is a sheer compact solid perpendicular sheet faultless in all the elements of grandeur and picturesque beauties The canyon, which commences at the upper fall, half a mile above this cataract, is here a thousand feet in depth.

From a shelf protruding over the stream, 500 feet below the top of the canyon and 180 above the verge of the cataract, a member of our company lying prone upon the rock let down a cord with a stone attached into the gulf and measured its profoundest depths the life and sound of the cataract with its sparkling spray and fleecy foam contrast strangely with the sombre stillness of the canon a mile below there all was darkness gloom and shadow here all was vivacity gaiety and delight one was the most unsocial the other the most social scene in nature we could talk and sing and whoop waking the echoes with our mirth and laughter in presence of the falls but we could not thus profane the silence of the canyon seen through the canon below the falls the river for a mile or more is broken by rapids and cascades of great variety and beauty between the lower and upper falls the canon is two hundred to nearly four hundred feet deep the river runs over a level bed of rock and is undisturbed by rapids until near the verge of the lower fall the upper fall is entirely unlike the other but in its peculiar character equally interesting for some distance above it the river breaks into frightful rapids the stream is narrowed between the rocks as it approaches the brink and bounds with impatient struggles for release leaping through the stony jaws in a sheet of snow-white foam over a precipice nearly perpendicular a hundred and fifteen feet high midway in its descent the entire volume of water is carried by the sloping surface of an intervening ledge twelve or fifteen feet beyond the vertical base of the precipice gaining therefrom a novel and interesting feature the churning of the water upon the rocks reduces it to a mass of foam and spray through which all the colors of the solar spectrum are reproduced in astonishing profusion what this cataract lacks in sublimity is more than compensated by picturesqueness the rocks which overshadow it do not veil it from the open light it is up amid the pine foliage which crowns the adjacent hills the grand feature of a landscape unrivalled for beauties of vegetation as well as of rock and glen the two confronting rocks overhanging the verge at the height of a hundred feet or more could be readily united by a bridge from which some of the grandest views of natural scenery in the world could be obtained while just in front of and within reaching distance of the arrowy water from a table one-third of the way below the brink of the fall all its nearest beauties and terrors may be caught at a glance we rambled around the falls and caon two days and left them with the unpleasant conviction that the greatest wonder of our journey had been seen we indulged in a last and lingering glance at the falls on the morning of the first day of autumn the sun shone brightly and the laughing waters of the upper fall were filled with the glitter of rainbows and diamonds nature in the excess of her prodigality had seemingly determined that this last look should be the brightest for there was everything in the landscape illuminated by the rising sun to invite a longer stay even the dismal canon so dark and gray and still reflected here and there on its vertical surface patches of sunshine as much as to say see what i can do when i try long vistas of light broke through the pines which crowned the contiguous mountains and the snow-crowned peaks in the distance glistened like crystal catching the spirit of the scene we laughed and sung and whooped as we rambled hurriedly from point to point lingering only when the final moment came to receive the very last impression at length we turned our backs upon the scene and wended our way slowly up the river bank along a beaten trail the last vestige of the rapids disappeared at the distance of half a mile above the upper fall the river expanded to the width of four hundred feet rolled peacefully between low verdant banks the water for some distance was of that emerald hue which is so distinguishing a feature of niagara the bottom was pebbly and but for the treacherous quicksands and crevices of which it was full we could easily have forded the stream at any point between the falls and our camping-place we crossed a little creek strongly impregnated with alum and three miles beyond found ourselves in the midst of volcanic wonders of great variety and profusion the region was filled with boiling springs and craters two hills each three hundred feet high and from a quarter to half a mile across had been formed wholly of the sinter thrown from adjacent springs lava sulphur and reddish-brown clay hot streams of vapor were pouring from crevices scattered over them their surfaces answered in hollow intonations to every footstep and in several places yielded to the weight of our horses steaming vapor rushed hissingly from the fractures and all around the natural vents large quantities of sulphur in crystallized form perfectly pure had been deposited this could be readily gathered with pick and shovel a great many exhausted craters dotted the hillside one near the summit still alive changed its hues like steel under the process of tempering to every kiss of the passing breeze the hottest vapors were active beneath the incrusted surface everywhere a thick leathern glove was no protection to the hand exposed to them around these immense thermal deposits the country for a great distance in all directions is filled with boiling springs all exhibiting separate characteristics the most conspicuous of the cluster is a sulphur spring twelve by twenty feet in diameter encircled by a beautifully scalloped sedimentary border in which the water is thrown to a height of from three to seven feet the regular formation of the border and the perfect shading of the scallops forming it are among the most delicate and wonderful freaks of nature's handiwork they look like an elaborate work of art this spring is located at the western base of crater hill above described and the gentle slope around it for a distance of three hundred feet is covered to considerable depth with a mixture of sulphur and brown lava the moistened bed of a small channel leading from the spring down the slope indicated that it had recently overflowed a few rods north of the spring at the base of the hill is a cavern whose mouth is about seven feet in diameter from which a dense jet of sulphurous vapor explodes with a regular report like a high-pressure engine a little farther along we came upon another boiling spring seventy feet long by forty wide the water of which is dark and muddy and in unceasing agitation about a hundred yards distant we discovered a boiling alum spring surrounded with beautiful crystals from the border of which we gathered a quantity of alum nearly pure but slightly impregnated with iron the violent ebullition of the water had undermined the surrounding surface in many places and for the distance of several feet from the margin had so thoroughly saturated the incrustation with its liquid contents that it was unsafe to approach the edge as one of our company was unconcernedly passing near the brink the incrustation suddenly sloughed off beneath his feet a shout of alarm from his comrades aroused him to a sense of his peril and he only avoided being plunged into the boiling mixture by falling suddenly backward at full length upon the firm portion of the crust and rolling over to a place of safety his escape from a horrible death was most marvellous and in another instant he would have been beyond all human aid our efforts to sound the depths of this spring with a pole thirty-five feet in length were fruitless beyond this we entered a basin covered with the ancient deposit of some extinct crater which contained about thirty springs of boiling clay these unsightly caldrons varied in size from two to ten feet in diameter their surfaces being from three to eight feet below the level of the plain the contents of most of them were of the consistency of thick paint which they greatly resembled some being yellow others pink and others dark brown this semi-fluid was boiling at a fearful rate much after the fashion of a hasty pudding in the last stages of completion the bubbles often two feet in height would explode with a puff emitting at each time a villainous smell of sulphurated vapor springs six and eight feet in diameter but four feet asunder presented distinct phenomenal characteristics there was no connection between them above or below the sediment varied in colour and not unfrequently there would be an inequality of five feet in their surfaces each seemingly was supplied with a separate force they were embraced within a radius of twelve hundred feet which was covered with a strong incrustation the various vents in which emitted streams of heated vapour our silver watches and other metallic articles assumed a dark leaden hue the atmosphere was filled with sulphurous gases and the river opposite our camp was impregnated with the mineral bases of adjacent springs the valley through which we had made our day's journey was level and beautiful spreading away two grassy foot-hills which terminated in a horizon of mountains we spent the next day in examining the wonders surrounding us at the base of adjacent foot-hills we found three springs of boiling mud the largest of which forty feet in diameter encircled by an elevated rim of solid tufa resembles an immense caldron the seething bubbling contents covered with steam are five feet below the rim the disgusting appearance of this spring is scarcely atoned for by the wonder with which it fills the beholder the other two springs much smaller but presenting the same general features are located near a large sulphur spring of milder temperature but too hot for bathing on the brow of an adjacent hillock amid the green pines heated vapor issues in scorching jets from several craters and fissures passing over the hill we struck a small stream of perfectly transparent water flowing from a cavern the roof of which tapers back to the water which is boiling furiously at a distance of twenty feet from the mouth and is ejected through it in uniform jets of great force the sides and entrance of the cavern are covered with soft green sediment which renders the rock on which it is deposited as soft and pliable as putty about two hundred yards from this cave is a most singular phenomenon which we call the muddy geyser it presents a funnel-shaped orifice in the midst of a basin one hundred and fifty feet in diameter with sloping sides of clay and sand the crater or orifice at the surface is thirty by fifty feet in diameter it tapers quite uniformly to the depth of about thirty feet where the water may be seen when the geyser is in repose presenting a surface of six or seven feet in breadth the flow of this geyser is regular every six hours the water rises gradually commencing to boil when about half-way to the surface and occasionally breaking forth in great violence when the crater is filled it is expelled from it in a splashing scattered mass ten or fifteen feet in thickness to the height of forty feet the water is of a dark lead colour and deposits the substance it holds in solution in the form of miniature stalagmites upon the sides and top of the crater as this was the first object which approached a geyser we naturally enough regarded it with intense curiosity the deposit contained in the water of this geyser comprises about one fifteenth of its bulk and an analysis of it made by professor augustus stites of montana gives the following result silica thirty six point seven alumina fifty two point four oxide of iron one point eight oxide of calcium three point two oxide of magnesia one point eight soda and potassa four point one and one hundred while returning by a new route to our camp dull thundering sounds which general washburn likened to frequent discharges of a distant mortar broke upon our ears we followed their direction and found them to proceed from a mud volcano which occupied the slope of a small hill embowered in a grove of pines dense volumes of steam shot into the air with each report through a crater thirty feet in diameter the reports though irregular occurred as often as every five seconds and could be distinctly heard half a mile each alternate report shook the ground a distance of two hundred yards or more and the massive jets of vapor which accompanied them burst forth like the smoke of burning gunpowder it was impossible to stand on the edge of that side of the crater opposite the wind and one of our party mr hedges was rewarded for his temerity in venturing too near the rim by being thrown by the force of the volume of steam violently down the outer side of the crater from hasty views afforded by occasional gusts of wind we could see at a depth of sixty feet the regurgitating contents this volcano as is evident from the freshness of the vegetation and the particles of dried clay adhering to the topmost branches of the trees surrounding it is of very recent formation probably it burst forth but a few months ago its first explosion must have been terrible we saw limbs of trees a hundred and twenty five feet high encased in clay and found its scattered contents two hundred feet from it we closed this day's labor by a visit to several other springs so like those already described that they require no special notice to be continued end of part two part three of yellowstone national park six early pieces by various this librivox recording is in the public domain part three the wonders of the yellowstone the writer in company with general washburn rode back three miles the next morning to resurvey crater hill and the spring in its vicinity the large sulphur spring was overflowing and boiling with greater fury than on the previous visit the water occasionally leaping ten feet high on our return we followed the trail of the train fording the river a short distance above the camp here we found the first evidence since leaving butlers that the country had been long ago visited by trappers and hunters it was a bank of earth two feet high presenting an angle to the river ingeniously concealed by interwoven willows thus forming a rifle-pit from which the occupant without discovery could bring down geese ducks swans pelicans and the numerous furred animals with which the river abounds near by we stopped a moment to examine another spring of boiling mud and then pursued our route over hills covered with artemisia sage-brush through ravines and small meadows into a dense forest of pines filled with prostrate trunks which had piled upon each other for years to the height of many feet our passage of two miles through this forest to the bank of the lake unmarked by any trail was accomplished with great difficulty but the view which greeted us at its close was amply compensatory there lay the silvery bosom of the lake reflecting the beams of the setting sun and stretching away for miles until lost in the dark foliage of the interminable wilderness of pines surrounding it secluded amid the loftiest peaks of the rocky mountains eight thousand three hundred and thirty seven feet above the level of the ocean possessing strange peculiarities of form and beauty this watery solitude is one of the most attractive natural objects in the world its southern shore indented with long narrow inlets not unlike the frequent fiords of iceland bears testimony to the awful upheaval and tremendous force of the elements which resulted in its creation the long pine-crowned promontories stretching into it from the base of the hills lend new and charming features to an aquatic scene full of novelty and splendor islands of emerald hue dot its surface and a margin of sparkling sand forms its jewelled setting the winds compressed in their passage through the mountain gorges lash it into a sea as terrible as the fretted ocean covering it with foam but now it lay before us calm and unruffled save by the gentle wavelets which broke in murmurs along the shore water one of the grandest elements of scenery never seemed so beautiful before it formed a fitting climax to all the wonders we had seen and we gazed upon it for hours entranced with its increasing attractions this lake is about twenty-five miles long and seventy-five or eighty in circumference doubtless it was once the mighty crater of an immense volcano it is filled with trout some of gigantic size and peculiar delicacy waterfowl in great variety dot in flocks its mirrored surface the forests surrounding it are filled with deer elk mountain sheep and lesser game and in the mountain fastnesses the terrible grizzly and formidable amice make their lairs in form it was by one of our party not inaptly compared to a human hand with the fingers extended and spread as much as possible the main portion of the lake is the northern which would represent the palm of the hand there is a large south-west bay nearly cut off that would represent the thumb while there are about the same number of narrow southern inlets as there are fingers on the hand enclosing this watery palm is a dense forest of pines until now untraversed by man it was filled with trunks of trees in various stages of decay which had been prostrated by the mountain blasts rendering it almost impassable but as the beach of the lake was in many places impracticable there was no alternative but to recede altogether or work our way through it our course for the first six miles lay along the beach passing a number of hot sulphur springs and lukewarm ponds three steam jets from incrusted apertures discharged with a hissing noise resembling the sound of steam escaping from an engine the water of the lake was thoroughly impregnated with sulphur and the edges at a distance of twenty to fifty feet from the beach bubbled with springs which like those on the bank discharged through pipes of siliceous these pipes though completely submerged were intensely hot while the water of the lake was too cold for a pleasant bath at one point along the shore are scattered curiously wrought objects of slate varying in size from a gold dollar to a locomotive we gathered specimens of cups which had been hollowed out by the elements discs long pestles resemblances to legs and feet and many other objects which nature in her most capricious mood had scattered over this watery solitude so strikingly similar were many of these configurations to works of art that a fanciful old trapper who had seen them told us that we would find on the borders of the lake the drinking-cups stone war clubs and remains of the idols of an extinct race which had once dwelt there these are doubtless the joint production of fire and water the former roughly fashioning and the latter beautifully polishing and depositing them where they could be easily obtained we gave to this locality the name of a curiosity point and added to our collection a number of specimens from its ample store ascending the plateau from the beach we became at once involved in all the intricacies of a primeval wilderness of pines difficulties increased with our progress through it severely trying the amiability of every member of the company our pack-horses would frequently get wedged between the trees or caught in the traps of a network of fallen trunks from which labour patience and ingenuity were severely taxed to extricate them the ludicrous sometimes came to our relief proving that there was nothing so effectual in allaying excitement as hearty laughter we had a remarkable pony in our pack-train which from the moment we entered the forest by his numerous acrobatic performances and mishaps furnished amusement for the company one part of the process of travel through this forest could only be accomplished by leaping over the fallen trunks an exploit which with all the spirit needful for the purpose our little bronco lacked the power always to perform as a consequence he was frequently found with the feat half accomplished resting upon the midriff his fore and hind feet suspended over the opposite sides of some huge log his ambition to excel was only equalled by the patience he exhibited in difficulty on one occasion while clambering a steep rocky ascent his head overtopping his haunches he literally performed three of the most wonderful backward head-springs ever recorded in equine history a continued experience of this kind after three weeks toilsome travel found him as sound as on the day of its commencement and we dubbed him the little invulnerable after fifteen miles of unvarying toil we emerged from the forest to the pebbly beach of the lake here we found carnelians agates and chalcedony in abundance the lake was rolling tumultuously its crested waves rising at least four feet high the scene was very beautiful and exhilarating our route the next day was divided between the beach of the lake and the forest and so much impeded by fallen timber that we travelled but ten miles part of this distance was along the base of a brimstone basin which stretched from the lake to a semicircular range of mountains in company with lieutenant doane the writer ascended this range traversing its slopes a distance of three or four miles and found it covered half-way to the summit with a mixture of carbonate of lime and flowers of sulphur exhalations issuing from all parts of the surface impregnated the atmosphere with strong sulphurous odors small rivulets of warm water holding sulphur in solution coursed their way down the mountain uniting at its foot in a considerable stream the surface over which we rode was strongly incrusted and sounded hollow beneath the tread of our horses it was filled with vents and fissures surrounded with sulphur deposits nearly washed away this mountain exhibited the same general phenomena as crater hill though not in an equal state of activity our course during the two following days was nearly southeast on a line parallel with the wind river mountains that remarkable range which forms so conspicuous a feature in mr irving's astoria and bonneville's adventures the faint outline of their distant peaks had been visible on the northeastern horizon for several days on our right seventy-five miles distant were the towering summits of the three tetons the great landmarks of the snake river valley the close of the day on september sixth found us near the southeastern arm of the lake into which a large river flows the ground was low and marshy and being unable to find a fording place we were compelled to make our camp at the base of a range of bluffs half a mile away during the night we were startled by the shrill and almost human scream of an amethyst or mountain lion which sounded uncomfortably near this terrible animal is much larger than the panther of the eastern forests but greatly resembles it in shape color and ferocity it is the terror of mountaineers and furnishes them with the staple for many tales full of daring exploits early the next morning our commander and several others left camp in search of a ford while the writer and lieutenant doane started in the direction of a lofty mountain from the summit of which we expected to obtain a satisfactory observation of the southern shore of the lake at the expiration of two hours we reached a point in the ascent too precipitous for further equestrian travel dismounting we led our horses for an hour longer up the steep side of the mountain pausing every few moments to take breath until we arrived at the line of perpetual snow here we unsaddled and hitched our horses and climbed the apex to its summit passing over a mass of congealed snow more than thirty feet in thickness the ascent occupied four hours we were more than six hundred feet above the snow-line and by barometric calculations eleven thousand three hundred and fifty feet above the ocean level the grandeur and vast extent of the view from this elevation beggar description the lake and valley surrounding it lay seemingly at our feet within jumping distance beyond them we saw with great distinctness the jets of the mud volcano and geyser but beyond all these stretching away into a horizon of cloud defined mountains was the entire wind river range revealing in the sunlight the dark recesses gloomy canyons stupendous precipices and glancing pinnacles which everywhere dotted its jagged slopes lofty peaks shot up in gigantic spires from the main body of the range glittering in the sunbeams like solid crystal the mountain on which we stood was the most westerly peak of a range which in long-extended volume swept to the southeastern horizon exhibiting a continuous elevation more than thirty miles in width its central line broken into countless points knobs glens and defiles all on the most colossal scale of grandeur and magnificence outside of these on either border along the entire range lofty peaks rose at intervals seemingly vying with each other in the varied splendors they presented to the beholder the scene was full of majesty the valley at the base of this range was dotted with small lakes and cloven centrally by the river which in the far distance we could see emerging from a canon of immense dimensions within the shade of which two enormous jets of steam shot to an incredible height into the atmosphere this range of mountains has a marvellous history as it is the loftiest so it is the most remarkable lateral ridge of the rocky range the indians regard it as the crest of the world and among the black feet there is a fable that he who attains its summit catches a view of the land of souls and beholds the happy hunting-grounds spread out below him brightening with the abodes of the free and generous spirits in the expedition sent across the continent by mr astor in eighteen eleven under command of captain wilson p hunt that gentleman met with the first serious obstacle to his progress at the base of this range after numerous efforts to scale it he turned away and followed the valley of the snake encountering the most discouraging disasters until he arrived at astoria later in eighteen thirty three the indomitable captain bonneville was lost in this mountain labyrinth and after devising various modes of escape finally determined to ascend the range selecting one of the highest peaks in company with one of his men mr irving says after much toil he reached the summit of a lofty cliff but it was only to behold gigantic peaks rising all around and towering far into the snowy regions of the atmosphere he soon found that he had undertaken a tremendous task but the pride of man is never more obstinate than when climbing mountains the ascent was so steep and rugged that he and his companions were frequently obliged to clamber on hands and knees with their guns slung upon their backs frequently exhausted with fatigue and dripping with perspiration they threw themselves upon the snow and took handfuls of it to allay their parching thirst at one place they even stripped off their coats and hung them upon the bushes and thus lightly clad proceeded to scramble over these eternal snows as they ascended still higher there were cool breezes that refreshed and braced them and springing with new ardour to their task they at length attained the summit.

End quote.

Okay.

Yellowstone Lake is the largest naturally occurring lake in which state?

Montana.

What is the age limit for horses competing in the Kentucky Derby?

What do the 13 stripes on the American flag represent?

The original 13 colonies.

Yellowstone Lake is the largest occurring lake in which state?

Wyoming.