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SEEING THE WEST
Suggestions for the Westbound Traveller
[Illustration: The Yosemite Valley]
SEEING THE WEST
Suggestions for the Westbound Traveller
by
K. E. M. Dumbell
Frontispiece
Garden City New York
Doubleday, Page & Company
1920
Copyright, 1920, by
Doubleday, Page & Company
All Rights Reserved, Including That of Translation into Foreign
Languages, Including the Scandinavian
Copyright, 1914, by James Pott & Company
“I knew it would call, or soon or late, a it calls the
whirring wings,
It’s the olden lure, it’s the golden lure, it’s the
lure of the timeless things.”
R. W. Service.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The author begs to acknowledge, with thanks, the courtesy of the
publishers and others named below for their kindness in granting her
permission to use the extracts from their publications incorporated in
this book:
The Century Company, Messrs. Barse & Hopkins, The American Forestry
Association, The U. S. Department of the Interior, The Western Guidebook
Company, Mr. George Perkins Merrill, The Western chambers of commerce,
and the various railroads.
The extracts from Mr. John Muir and Mr. J. G. Percival are published by
permission of, and by special arrangement with, Messrs. Houghton Mifflin
Company, publishers of their works.
To Mr. Robert Sterling Yard, Executive Secretary of the National Parks
Association, especial thanks are extended for his interest and
assistance and the permission to quote freely from his most valuable
book, “The Book of National Parks.”
CONTENTS
PART ONE
The Southern Rockies
I. The Rocky Mountain National Park
II. Colorado Springs and Pike’s Peak
III. Salt Lake City and the Zion National Park
PART TWO
The Northern Rockies
I. The Canadian Rockies
II. Glacier National Park and the Yellowstone National Park
PART THREE
The Northwest
I. Alaska and Crater Lake National Park
II. Mount Rainier National Park
III. Lake Chelan and the Columbia River Region
PART FOUR
California
I. Northern California
II. Central California
III. San Francisco and Environs
IV. Southern California
PART FIVE
The Southwest
I. The Grand Canyon
II. Historic Places in New Mexico and Arizona
Reference Books
Index
INTRODUCTION
To you who have travelled in our great American West this book may serve
not only as a reminder of what you saw, but also as a lure to draw you
back to the glorious regions which, perhaps, you were obliged to neglect
before. One, two, or three trips would fall far short of showing you all
your country has to offer, unless you were fortunate enough to make the
period of each visit cover many months.
The average American citizen has only a hazy knowledge of what he
possesses in his national playgrounds. The area alone is stupendous. We
have set aside, for our pleasure and amusement, nearly ELEVEN THOUSAND
SQUARE MILES of national parks.
It is your privilege to become a member of the National Parks
Association if you so wish; through this interesting channel you can
learn in detail the particular charms of each park.
If these playgrounds are ever connected by automobile highways, as we
hope they will be some day, there will be in this country a region for
sightseeing tours as the world has not yet dreamed of.
We have thought serious thoughts, and done serious things, for some time
past; now the reaction has set in and play we must and will.
In one park alone, within easy reach, close to Denver, “The Gateway to
the Rockies,” you may find 51 mountains having an altitude of more than
10,000 feet, mountain streams, mountain lakes, big game, etc., etc.,
indefinitely. Then go on to Mount Rainier National Park in Washington,
or Glacier Park in Montana, where await you sights that fairly stagger
even those who think they are familiar with mountain scenery, glaciers,
etc.
When weary of ascents, or seeking other sights, where, in what part of
the world, can you find anything to compare with the Grand Canyon of
Arizona? Here your _descent_ is one mile! No foreign picture gallery can
give you such pictures as you will get here, for it has not been given
to man to depict such things; Kipling’s “ten-league canvas with brushes
of comets’ hair” would be necessary!
Pass a night on the floor of this canyon, and choose the time of full
moon for it; you have never had such an experience, nor could you have
elsewhere. If you are fortunate enough to have unlimited time, do not
leave El Tovar until you have seen one superb storm, it will stretch
your very soul. This place draws so tremendously upon the emotions that
after it you will want—what? I can tell you what, the perfect peace of
the Yosemite Valley, for quiet, intimate beauty, ahead of any spot on
this continent. Here enter a camp and rest, and roam up and down the
valley floor at your will. Do not leave without climbing one of the
trails, or rather letting a horse or mule climb it with you on his back
At Glacier Point and you will know full well why I urge you to make the
trip.
For the student who would know more of his country, the West is an open
book, waiting only for him to turn the pages.
For the automobilist, Paradise awaits you! For the aviator, landings are
being prepared; the one which I saw at Crater Lake in the summer of 1919
will enable you to reach an extinct volcano of incomparable beauty. For
you who have never been in our wondrous West, may this book help you to
decide to spend what has been saved for your next trip there, where you
get 100 per cent. value for your money!
As my object is to give, in the shortest space possible, suggestions for
the westbound traveller, the matter is arranged in five parts.
K. E. M. D.
New London, N. H., July 1, 1920.
PART ONE
THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES
CHAPTER ONE
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
DENVER
Denver, the capital of Colorado, “The Gateway To The Rockies,” is
situated on the South Platte River and is only a few miles east of the
Rocky Mountains. The city has developed tremendously along civic lines
of recent years and there are many public buildings which are well worth
visiting, but as my rule will be throughout this book to omit any
descriptions of cities, I must begin here. One can always procure maps
of our cities and information regarding them from the Civic Centres, so
here we will consider Denver as the best starting place from which to
make countless charming trips.
Boulder is 29 miles northwest of Denver; this is a fine drive; the trip
to Georgetown and the famous “Loop” is also well worth while.
If one has time for an all-day trip, “Corona” is satisfying; situated,
as it is, on the crest of the main range, it is quite a tremendous
climb; this is said to be the highest point reached by a standard-gauge
railroad in the United States. The station is decidedly crude and there
was sad disorder to pass through in 1919, but having overlooked that,
the view fully repaid one.
The drive through Bear Creek Canyon, via Lookout Mountain, is
magnificent.
There are countless trips to be made all round the city of Denver. If
one only has a few hours here the view from the top of the Equitable
Building is perhaps the most satisfactory, and the beautiful city parks
may be visited.
In a wonderful unbroken line stand the great mountains, the view
extending from Long’s Peak on the north to Pike’s Peak on the south.
Almost any of these mountains may be ascended nowadays, some parties
starting from Denver, others from Estes Park.
The Denver and Rio Grande Railway makes a delightful tour called “Around
the Circle,” a four-day trip, stopping overnight at Durango, Silverton,
and Ouray. On this trip the traveller passes through four beautiful
canyons, over three or four mountain passes, winding back and forth over
1,000 miles of the Rocky Mountains. The ticket is good for 60 days, so
that the stops may be made to suit any one.
ESTES PARK
This beautiful park lies 7,500 feet above sea level, and can be reached
in five hours from Denver by the Union Pacific Railway or automobile.
In the park are splendid hotels, where the traveller is made welcome,
and from which fine tours are made through such scenery as only our
great West can boast, mountains, valleys, lakes, and rivers; the views
include many peaks of the Rocky Mountains—Long’s, 14,270 feet; Ypsilon,
13,500 feet; Hague, 13,832 feet. Mountain climbing to the heart’s
content, hunting, fishing, and all the quieter sports may also be
enjoyed here.
The trails take us in two hours from flower-strewn meadows to glaciers.
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Leaving Estes Park, which forms the eastern gateway to the Rocky
Mountain Park, we enter one of the finest sections of this magnificent
range.
The park embraces a most interesting part of the Continental Divide. For
the mountain climber this is a veritable Paradise, for there seem to be
peaks of every size and trails leading in every direction. For those who
like the more easy method, the automobile roads are excellent. The drive
through Big Thompson Canyon is one to rejoice the heart of the most
blasé. The area of the park is 398 square miles. “There are 51 mountains
with summits more than 10,000 feet high, also unnumbered canyons, about
200 lakes, waterfalls, glaciers, native forests, and endless numbers of
beautiful wild flowers.” The richness of this park is inconceivable. One
is tempted to go into endless detailed descriptions, but it must not be.
Many weeks may be spent here making different trips every day. There is
every kind of accommodation, from the simplest camp to the most
comfortable hotel, and all of this only 70 miles from Denver.
The big game in the park is increasing all the time, Rocky Mountain
sheep, elk, deer, etc., and there are one hundred varieties of wild bird
life.
“Entry to the park by any route is dramatic. If the visitor comes the
all-motor way through Ward he picks up the range at Arapaho Peak, and
follows it closely for miles. If he comes by any of the rail routes, his
motor stage emerges from the foothills upon a sudden spectacle of
magnificence—the snowy range, its highest summit crowned with cloud,
looming upon the horizon across the peaceful plateau. By any route the
appearance of the range begins a panorama of ever-changing beauty and
inspiration, whose progress will outlive many a summer’s stay.
“Wherever one lives, however one lives, in this broad tableland, he is
under the spell of the range. The call of the mountains is ever present.
Riding, walking, motoring, fishing, golfing, sitting under the trees
with a book, continually he lifts his eyes to their calm heights.
Unconsciously he throws them the first morning glance. Instinctively he
gazes long upon their gleaming moon-lit summits before turning in at
night. In time they possess his spirit. They calm him, exalt him,
ennoble him. Unconsciously he comes to know them in all their myriad
moods. Cold and stern before sunrise, brilliant and vivid in
mid-morning, soft and restful toward evening, gorgeously coloured at
sunset, angry, at times terrifying, in storm, their fascination never
weakens, their beauty changes but does not lessen.”
New roads and wonderful trails are being built on all sides here, and
there is every variety of mountain scenery, large and small canyons with
glacial lakes; broad, rolling plains, and mountain climbing, from the
most simple to the wildest, steepest that heart could desire. Some of
the smaller trips are those leading to Fern and Odessa lakes, to Bear
Lake at the outlet of the Tyndall Gorge, to Loch Vale, Sky Pond, and the
Lake of Glass, etc., etc., until one may reach Longs Peak’s western
precipice. “These spots are each a day’s round trip from convenient
overnight hotels, which deserve all the fame which will be theirs when
the people come to know them, for as yet only a few hundreds a summer,
of Rocky Mountain’s hundred thousand guests, take the trouble to visit
them.”
Those planning to stay any length of time in this park will find “The
Book of The National Parks,”[1] from which I should like to quote a
great deal more, their best guide.
CHAPTER TWO
COLORADO SPRINGS AND PIKE’S PEAK
COLORADO SPRINGS
Colorado Springs, to the south of Denver, with its sparkling,
life-giving air, is situated upon an elevated plateau from whence may be
had a superb view of Pike’s Peak, 14,100 feet.
This peak is probably the best known of the Rocky Mountains. It lies
about six miles west of Colorado Springs. It is ascended by a cog-wheel
railway, “The Manitou and Pike’s Peak Railway,” in about one and one
half hours, or by bridle path in six hours; there is also a most
excellent automobile road, and powerful cars with good drivers make the
round trip in six hours. On the summit there is a small inn, where a
light luncheon and a cup of coffee can be had. The ascent is made during
the summer months only, there being too much snow in winter. The view is
unusually extensive, and the fascination of being in such a world of
snow is not soon forgotten.
CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN
The Cheyenne Mountain Road may well be considered one of Colorado
Springs’ most beautiful trips. Passing around the base of Cheyenne
Mountain one glorious view after another appears. The road rises pretty
steadily and grows decidedly more narrow, so narrow that only those with
steady heads can really enjoy it. This drive takes us all the way to
Seven Lakes, a distance of about 22 miles, and by continuing some five
miles farther we come to Cripple Creek. From Colorado Springs the trip
to the Cheyenne Canyons may be made. See especially the South Canyon
which can be reached by electric car. There is a small admission fee (50
cents), but it is well worth it; there are beautiful walks here. An easy
climb takes one to the rim.
THE HIGH DRIVE
Seven Falls and the South Cheyenne Canyon are reached in about an hour’s
drive from Colorado Springs or Manitou, the return trip being made
through Bear Creek Canyon and over the famous High Drive. About three
hours should be allowed for the round trip, which is very well worth
while.
On this trip may be seen the last resting place of Helen Hunt Jackson,
who, according to her own request, lies at the head of Seven Falls.
Leave your car and stand between Hercules Pillars, where miles of
massive granite walls tower above you; a more impressive, picturesque
spot is hard to find. I was distressed here, as I am in many of the
beautiful places of our country, by the thoughtless scattering of
chewing-gum papers, candy boxes, etc. Why, when we are really learning
to love the great out-of-doors, should this awful disorder continue?
Where are the Boy and Girl Scouts? Why are they not enforcing the law of
order, at least by example?
CRIPPLE CREEK
The Cripple Creek trip is made in a day, either by train or automobile.
Here one is enabled to visit one of the world’s most famous gold mines.
MANITOU
The great charm of staying in Manitou is that you are within walking
distance of so many interesting sights, then, too, you are right among
the wonderful Springs. You can have the waters fresh from the source as
many times a day as you wish. Manitou is a fascinating little town,
situated in the foothills about Pike’s Peak and just at the head of the
old Ute Pass. It is six miles from Colorado Springs, and for those who
wish quiet, may be found more attractive as a stopping place, than the
more prosperous city.
THE GARDEN OF THE GODS
The Garden of the Gods is only a short walk from Manitou, and is a most
charming place in which to pass the sunset hour; where better could one
beat this time than beneath the Cathedral Spires? This is quite the most
impressive spot in this unique garden.
THE COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
“This monument, which is near Grand Junction, Colorado, is similar to
the Garden of the Gods, and is said by some to be more picturesque.
“It contains fine examples of erosion, particularly of lofty monoliths;
these latter are found in several tributary canyons, some of them of
very great size, one being more than 400 feet high.”
MOUNT MANITOU
The trip up Mount Manitou is made by incline. It would seem hardly worth
while to ascend so comparatively small a mountain so near the famous
Pike’s Peak; but this is not so; the view from the top of Manitou is
particularly pleasing, and the tramps on the top are very lovely. If I
had been obliged to miss either ascent I know now that I would rather it
had been Pike’s Peak.
THE CAVE OF THE WINDS
This cave is only a short walk from Manitou, about two miles, through
the lovely Williams Canyon, and following the Temple Drive. It is,
perhaps, rather too severe a climb for those who are not used to this
exercise, but the trip is easily made by automobile. The cave is most
unusually interesting, it is three quarters of a mile deep, and is
composed of sixteen large rooms and long, winding passages on three
levels. The stalactites and stalagmites are most fascinating in their
formation, and a brilliant electrical illumination shows off to
perfection all of this truly remarkable place. The cave alone would
repay one for the trip to Manitou.
CLIFF DWELLINGS
I went to see these dwellings the first time with rather scornful
feelings, having read and always understood that they were entirely
artificial; but I was so impressed by their natural appearance and
solidity that I made inquiries in Manitou, and was fortunate enough to
meet, and hear at first hand, the entire story of the bringing of this
dwelling from the Mesa Verde by the gentleman who moved it, brick by
brick and stone by stone. He assured me that the greatest care had been
used in resetting every atom exactly as it was found, in a cliff as
nearly like the original as possible. Hence, this dwelling may be taken
as a good example of the ancient cliff dwellings by those who are not
fortunate enough to see the original dwellings at the Mesa Verde.
CHAPTER THREE
SALT LAKE CITY AND THE ZION NATIONAL PARK
SALT LAKE CITY
The capital of the state of Utah is situated in a large valley
surrounded by mountains, chiefly the Wahsatch range. This city was
founded by the Mormons in 1847 before the “Territory of Utah” was
organized.
The Tabernacle was built in 1864-67, a large, unusual, oval-shaped
building, 250 feet long, 150 feet wide and 70 feet high; it is said to
seat 12,000 people. It is open to visitors. The Tabernacle was built in
its present form in 1893, and is reported to have cost more than
$4,000,000; this building is not open to visitors.
From Prospect Hill an excellent view of the city may be had, and a more
extensive view of the surrounding country from Ensign Peak.
THE GREAT SALT LAKE
Some 5 miles from Salt Lake City is the Great Salt Lake, 80 miles long
and 30 miles wide; it varies greatly in depth.
Beautiful mountainous islands rise out of the lake and the whole body of
water is picturesque to a degree. The tints of the water at sunset are
exquisite, and the floating spars, so often seen here, heavily encrusted
with salt crystals, add greatly to the dazzling effects of the rays of
light.
The trip across the lake by rail is one of the interesting experiences
in going to the Far West via Salt Lake City.
OGDEN AND THE OGDEN CANYON
Ogden lies 30 miles north of Salt Lake City; it is a railroad centre.
For those who may be delayed here it may be well to know that the Ogden
River Canyon is a beautiful spot. It can be reached by automobile or by
street car.
THE CANYON OF THE ARKANSAS
At Canyon City, situated at the mouth of the canyon of the Arkansas, if
you happen to have taken the “Denver and Rio Grande Scenic Railway” for
this section of your trip, you leave the Pullman car and take your seat
in a flat, uncovered observation car (during the summer months) and so
pass through this superb gorge. The next ten miles takes you through a
bit of scenery worth going anywhere to see. There is a fine piece of
engineering here. The train seems in spots to cling to the sides of the
gorge, and it is here that we cross the famous Hanging Bridge, the
waters of the Arkansas dashing madly past. Strangers who have never been
in this part of the world before may possibly be misled into thinking
they are seeing the Grand Canyon while passing through here; but this
canyon of the Arkansas must not be confounded with the canyon of the
Colorado River, which is known all over the world as “The Grand Canyon.”
It is a sad pity that the word GRAND has been used in connection with
these lesser canyons. It is a misnomer, and I know that many people have
been misled by it.
THE MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK
Of all the ruins of prehistoric peoples in our great Southwest, these
are the largest, best preserved, and most picturesquely situated, hence
Congress has set aside as a National Park this large area of 48,966
acres under the above title.
This mesa, or high tableland, is cut by many canyons, and in these
canyon walls are found most of the cliff dwellings of this truly
remarkable region. Much has been done here to make it possible for the
traveller to reach and explore, for himself, these dwellings of the
ancients.
The best approach is from Mancos, Colorado; from here to the ruins is
only 10 miles (as the crow flies) and some 30 miles by auto road on
account of the various canyons to be traversed; a trip more full of
interest would be hard to find in any country.
The trip from Mancos to Spruce Tree Camp is made in about three hours,
and here we are taken care of for the night.
The park was established to protect the wonderful cliff dwellings of the
Mancos Canyons, which are said to be among the most important remains of
this mysterious race. There is one dwelling here in excellent
preservation, others in varying stages of demolition. The age of these
ruins is supposed to be from 500 to 1,000 years. To those who are
especially interested in this region and who desire further information,
I recommend Mr. T. H. Chapin’s “The Land of the Cliff Dwellers.”
“The principle and most accessible ruins are the Spruce Tree House,
Cliff Palace, Balcony House, and Tunnel House. Spruce Tree House is
located in the head of Spruce Tree Canyon, a branch of Navajo Canyon. It
originally contained about 130 rooms, built of dressed stone laid in
adobe mortar, with the outside tiers chinked with chips of rocks and
broken pottery.
“Cliff Palace is located about two miles east of Spruce Tree House, in a
left branch of Cliff Canyon, and consists of a group of houses with
ruins of 164 rooms, including 20 round kivas, or ceremonial rooms, and a
tapering, loopholed tower forming a crescent of about 100 yards from
horn to horn, which is reputed to be one of the most famous works of
prehistoric man in existence.
“Balcony House, a mile east of Cliff Palace, in Ruin Canyon, contains
about 25 rooms, some of which are in almost perfect condition.
“Tunnel House, about two miles south of Spruce Tree House, contains
about 20 rooms and two kivas connected by an elaborate system of
underground passages, and a burial ground of 5,000 square feet. In each
of these villages is an elaborate system of fortification, with, in some
cases, walls two to three feet thick and 20 feet high, watchtowers 30
feet high, and blockhouses pierced with small loopholes for arrows....”
I should advise any traveller planning to visit any of the Southwest
Indian Reservations to go well armed with literature. The U. S.
Government circulars, from which the above is quoted, may be had from
the Department of the Interior, and the Santa Fé Railroad provides
excellent literature.
ZION NATIONAL PARK
“With the creation of the Zion National Park in 1919 there entered into
our National Park system a reservation as remarkable, as brilliantly
beautiful, and as highly differentiated from all others as any of the
distinguished group. It contains a hundred and twenty square miles of
painted terrace country of southern Utah, surrounding from its source a
shallow river whose carved and fretted and monumented canyon lies
between sandstone walls which rise two thousand feet in gorgeous mottled
reds, surmounted by a thousand feet in marble-white.
“This Park makes two principal appeals, that to the universal delight in
extraordinary beauty of colour and form, and that to the intelligence of
the student of earth’s history.... To the best of my knowledge, there is
no place in the world where one may see so easily so much of the record
of the earth’s history.
“This canyon winding like a snake, abounding in enormous peaks and domes
and glowing like a Roman sash, is one of the most striking spectacles
which America has to offer.”[2]
The canyon is some 60 miles north of the Grand Canyon; it is reached by
rail from Salt Lake City or Los Angeles; leaving the main line at Lund,
the last 100 miles is made by auto-stage.
NATURAL BRIDGES (NATIONAL MONUMENT)
“The natural bridges for whose preservation this National Monument in
San Juan County, Utah, was created are understood to be the largest
examples of their kind, the greatest of the three having a height of 222
feet and a thickness of 65 feet at the top of the arch. The arch is 28
feet wide, the span 261 feet and the height of the span 157 feet.
“The three bridges are within a five-mile area and constitute an
imposing spectacle. In this region are two fine cavern springs as well
as other interesting and scientifically valuable natural curiosities.”
THE DINOSAUR NATIONAL MONUMENT
Just south of the Uinta Mountains and 18 miles east of the town of
Vernal, in the northeastern section of Utah, lies this area (80 acres)
which has been set aside, as a national monument, under the above title,
on account of its remarkable fossil deposits of extinct reptiles of
great size. Remains of many enormous animals, which once inhabited what
is now our southwest, have been unearthed in a state of fine
preservation. These include complete and perfect skeletons of large
Dinosaurs.
Near here may be visited the Uinta Indian Reservation.
Footnotes for Part One
1: Robert Sterling Yard.
2: Robert Sterling Yard.
PART TWO
THE NORTHERN ROCKIES
CHAPTER ONE
THE CANADIAN ROCKIES
In writing of the Northern Rockies we must leave our own territory long
enough to say a few words of the superb section of this great range,
which is known as the “Canadian Rockies,” where for 500 miles, east and
west, the Canadian Pacific trains pass through incomparable scenery. One
stands amazed at the feats of engineering which have been carried
through all along these lines. One great mountain after another looms up
before us, their bald heads seeming to pierce the very sky, while the
snow lies many feet deep on their sides. The Selkirks defy description!
The train glides through one wonderful pass after another.
The traveller should arrange to stop at Banff, the gateway to the
Canadian Rockies. The railroad has a fine hotel there from which may be
made many splendid excursions in the vicinity, all are easily accessible
by motor, carriage, horseback, or on donkeys. The lake, about nine miles
off, known as “Lake Minnewanka,” sixteen miles long, makes a delightful
excursion; this lake, whose waters are very deep, is walled in by
tremendous cliffs; steam launches make the round trip.
Continuing westward from here, we come, in about two hours, to Laggan,
the station for Lake Louise. Leaving the train and taking an incline car
we soon find ourselves part way up one of these splendid mountains,
where this indescribable gem, Lake Louise, suddenly bursts upon our
sight. There is hardly a finer spot than this in Switzerland; the lake,
5,645 feet above sea level, lies in a hollow at the base of three great
mountains, and at the far end, in the most dramatic setting, is the
superb Victoria Glacier, facing directly the Château Lake Louise, where
we immediately try to procure rooms looking out upon this lovely view.
As soon as you are settled, start out and walk round the lake, 3 or 4
miles. This gives you an intimate, friendly feeling which will almost
undoubtedly be succeeded by a feeling of awe as the majestic splendour
of the place grows upon you.
From here a most interesting set of mountain trips may be made by either
road or bridle path; the latter is of course the better, as one can go
farther and climb higher. I cannot go into detail, but the hotel gives
full information, provides horses, guides, etc. Do not fail to see
Mirror Lake (altitude 6,550 feet) or Lake Agnes (altitude 6,820 feet),
truly a lake in the clouds, and encircled by majestic peaks. The beauty
of this region cannot be exaggerated.
The “Valley of the Ten Peaks” is unique, and this is a trip all can
make, a 10-mile drive over good roads. I shall attempt no description of
this valley, one must see it. Leaving Lake Louise and Laggan, we pass
through Field, where another stop may be made, and various interesting
excursions taken.
Glacier, near the summit of the inexpressibly beautiful Selkirk Range,
ought not to be passed by; here again comfortable accommodations have
been arranged. Mount Sir Donald, pointed out as we pass, rises to a
height of more than a mile from the railroad.
At Sicamous there is also a temptation to stop and explore, for we are
nearing the end of the five hundred miles of the Rocky Mountains through
which we pass. Beyond Ashcroft we enter the canyon of the Thompson,
through Agassiz and Mission Junction, and about 50 miles farther on we
reach Vancouver. I attempt no description of this interesting city for
the reason given above, adequate information and local maps can always
be had in every metropolis.
A suggestion for a camping trip, to be taken from Lake Louise, has just
come to me. I insert it for those who may wish to plan such a trip.
THE TRAIL OF THE STONEY INDIAN
“Lake Louise, Alberta, is the point from which you start on this
little-used and superb trail, with saddle and pack horses and the guides
who will cook the meals, wrangle the horses, and steer you safely over
any or all difficulties, bad trails, steep cliffs, and treacherous
glaciers. You take with you all your provisions, tents, and whatever you
may need for the trip.
“Along the Bow River you wend your way, vast snow-topped mountains on
every side, and the trail winding now over steep shale slopes, with the
panorama of sparkling glaciers, rushing rivers, and deep canyons; again,
plunging into a pine forest where the ground is covered with delicate
pink twin flowers and white anemones; riding all day and sleeping out
under the blue sky where, if you are fortunate, the Northern Lights
flash in flames of red and gold. Here one wants to linger indefinitely.
“Passing Pyramid Peak, with its almost insurmountable overhanging
cliffs, Mount Murchison, calm and majestic, at last you reach the
Saskatchewan River. The horses plunge up to their withers in icy water
which rushes by foaming around the knees of the rider, but the other
side is reached in safety. Sometimes your camping ground is by an old
wigwam of the Stoney Indians, littered with grotesque, carved wooden
animals and people, made by the children, with here and there a
discarded moccasin or broken knife; again you may find an Indian
‘sweat-bath’ made of saplings bent in a half circle; the Indians cover
this framework with blankets and pour water over red-hot stones which
are placed at one end, making a regular Turkish bath. Usually, however,
the trail is unmarred by signs of man; in many places great trees have
fallen across the path and have to be cut away before you can ride on.
“Mount Athabaska and Mount Wilcox loom before you, or perhaps you turn
to the north, into the Brazeau country, where the mountain sheep roam in
great flocks. But ever you follow the sparkling rivers, now passing deep
blue-green lakes nestling among the rocks and now crossing high,
treeless passes, or barren, boulder-strewn hillsides, and always
surrounded by the mountains with their ever-changing colours, now gray
and sombre, now red, amber, and purple as they catch the glow of the
sinking sun.
“The solitude and stillness are broken only by the thunder of a distant
avalanche, or murmur of a near-by stream, the glorious scenery and the
wildness of it all catching and holding you with a fascination that
cannot be cast off.”[1]
CHAPTER TWO
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK AND THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
The main features of interest to the average American traveller in this
Northern Rocky Mountain region are, of course, Glacier National Park and
the Yellowstone National Park.
Glacier Park is situated in the northwest of Montana. The reservation
comprises 915,000 acres and contains 260 lakes and 60 glaciers, varying
from five square miles to a few acres in area.
Here as in all the other great national parks of our western country,
camps have been provided, and every kind of accommodation, from this to
elaborate hotels, is to be had there.
It is quite impossible to attempt a description of all these parks
without a very long list of new adjectives, for Nature has been more
than generous in dowering this part of the world with wonderful scenery.
See lakes McDonald, St. Mary, McDuff, and Iceberg Lake; this last is
almost surrounded by great towering cliffs, many of them rising to an
elevation of 2,000 feet, in the crevices of which lie large glaciers.
Even in the short space of time which the average tourist gives this
spot, he is frequently rewarded by hearing and seeing some great
fragment break from its parent glacier and crash into the water, where,
in the form of small icebergs, they are always seen floating; hence the
name of the lake.
Blackfeet Glacier is the largest and by far the most impressive in the
park; none but hardy mountain climbers should attempt the ascent.
The park is reached by the Great Northern Railroad, from either Belton
or Glacier Park. “Stop-overs” are allowed on any transcontinental
ticket, and one, two, or three day tours will be arranged as requested.
There is a fine hotel at Glacier Park Station and from here automobile
roads lead in to the “Many-Glacier” Hotel and the chalet-like groups of
camping places.
But I do not wish to give the impression that Glacier Park is a place to
be visited en route; far from it; it is a place to go to for weeks or
months, a place for the invalid to rest in, for the student of Nature to
revel in, or for the most vigorous young people to tramp in. By far the
most attractive way to see the park is on foot and is becoming more and
more popular. Walking tours can be arranged at a very small cost, the
party either taking its own outfit, or using the chalets scattered
through the park for their benefit.
Full information on this park can be obtained from the Great Northern R.
R. or the Department of the Interior.
THE DEVIL’S TOWER (NATIONAL MONUMENT)
“The Devil’s Tower is one of the most conspicuous features in the Black
Hill region of Wyoming. It rises with extreme abruptness from the rough
Wyoming levels just back of the Black Hills. It is on the bank of the
Belle Fourche River. This extraordinary tower emerges from a rounded
forested hill of sedimentary rock which rises six hundred feet above the
plain; from the top of that the tower rises six hundred feet still
higher. It is visible for a hundred miles or more in every direction.
The visitor approaching by automobile sees it hours away, and its growth
upon the horizon as he approaches is the least of his memorable
experience....
“The Devil’s Tower can be likened to nothing but itself. It is the core
of a volcanic formation which doubtless once had a considerably larger
circumference. At its base lies an immense talus of broken columns which
the loosening frosts and the winter gales are constantly increasing; the
process has been going on for untold thousands of years, during which
the softer rock of the surrounding plains has been eroded to its present
level.”[2]
THE BITTER ROOT VALLEY, MONTANA
The Bitter Root Valley, at the foot of which Missoula lies, is one of
the rich and beautiful western valleys and is interesting historically.
Lewis and Clark traversed the valley in 1805-06 and some of their great
hardships were encountered in crossing the Bitter Root Mountains. The
point where their trail turned into the range is about 12 miles above
Missoula.
At Stevensville, about 28 miles up this valley, Father De Smet
established his first mission to the Salish, or Flathead, Indians, in
1841. The old church, St. Mary’s, still stands and is used at intervals.
The Indians were removed from here many years ago.
The valley has a great reputation for its fruits and vegetables.
At Ravalli, on the Flathead Reservation, the Government has established
a bison preserve of about 18,000 acres, with a herd of from one to two
hundred of these fine creatures. This reservation is reached by the
Northern Pacific Railroad from Arlee, Montana, and a drive of four or
five miles.
From here westward to Pend d’Oreille we follow the Clark fork of the
Columbia River. Lake Pend d’Oreille, Idaho, is one of the crystal gems
of the west; it is 55 miles long and from 2 to 15 miles wide. These
sparkling waters fill what was a deep mountain canyon. Soundings have
been made to the depth of 4,000 feet without finding bottom. Exquisitely
wooded mountains rise from the water’s edge, forming a wonderful
setting.
Lake Coeur d’Alene, the source of the Spokane River, is another lovely
spot in Idaho. Here there are some fine summer homes.
Through wild and rugged scenery we reach Spokane, and beyond cross the
beautiful Columbia River and enter the Yakima Valley, another perfection
of irrigation.
THE LEWIS AND CLARK CAVERN (NATIONAL MONUMENT)
Crossing a spur of the Rocky Mountains just west of Livingston, where
Lewis and Clark crossed in 1806, we pass through Galatin Valley, a
famous barley-raising region; here are more than 100 miles of irrigating
canals. At Bozeman the Montana State Agriculture College is located.
Near the great mining city of Butte is the Lewis and Clark Cavern,
presented to the United States, as a national monument, by the Northern
Pacific Railway. These huge, beautiful caves attract many visitors. Near
Butte are also the Pipestone Hot Springs and Boulder Hot Springs.
SPOKANE
Spokane, which used to be a trading post, is now a prosperous city.
Fort Wright, one of the military posts of the United States Government,
is on the outskirts of the city on the bank of the Spokane River.
Crossing the Cascade Range and passing down through the Green River
Canyon, we reach Seattle or Tacoma, at the extreme south of Puget Sound.
SHOSHONE CAVERN (NATIONAL MONUMENT)
On the way to the Yellowstone National Park by way of the Wyoming
entrance, at Cody, and three miles east of the great Shoshone Dam, a
limestone cave has been set apart under the above title.
The way in is rough and precipitous, and after entering the cave a
descent by rope is necessary to reach the chambers, which are of unusual
beauty and extend for more than a mile through galleries, some of which
are heavily encrusted with crystals.
THE YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
The Yellowstone National Park is situated in the extreme northwest
corner of Wyoming, extending a few miles into Montana on the north and
into Idaho and Montana on the west. The reservation, set apart by act of
Congress in 1872, is 5,500 square miles.
From Salt Lake City or Ogden this park is reached by the Denver Rio
Grande Railway or the Union Pacific in about 12 hours, but this trip,
like so many others, can be arranged for you by whatever line you take.
The Northern Pacific Railway offers a splendidly arranged tour to and
through the park by way of Livingston, the Gate of the Mountains, and
the Upper Yellowstone River to Gardiner, the original entrance to the
park, and only five miles from Mammoth Hot Springs, the official
headquarters of the park.
The Yellowstone Park season is from June 15th to September 15th. It is
not necessary to suggest what shall be seen here, for the trips are all
arranged for one, and none should leave without making the complete
tour. This park is unlike any other; it is unique in many ways. It
contains geysers, mud volcanoes, mineral springs, and the most
gloriously coloured pools. The Yellowstone Canyon can be compared with
no other; here we have a riot of colour, said by many to rival the
colours of the Grand Canyon, really so entirely different as to make
comparison impossible. The walls of the Yellowstone Canyon are divided
by a space of many miles at the top, which narrows down to three
quarters of a mile at the base, where the foaming waters dash between
them, and here the fragments of all the lost rainbows seem to have been
collected.
There are many fine mountain peaks, the finest being Mount Washburn,
which has an elevation of 10,346 feet, named for General Washburn, the
head of the Washburn-Doane exploration party, who first climbed it in
1870. From here one gets the only view of the park as a whole. I have
never forgotten a remark which I heard John Muir make about this spot;
he said: “When you go to the Yellowstone Park do not leave it under any
consideration until you have been taken up Mount Washburn, and when you
reach the top of the mountain refuse to come down until you have passed
a night on the summit; never mind about sleep; remember that there will
come a time when you will take a long enough sleep to make up for all
you can ever lose; this will be a sublime experience.”
Words cannot tell of the impressiveness of the geysers. One may sit
comfortably on the veranda of Old Faithful Inn and watch one eruption
after another, repeated endlessly. But with every change of light, early
morning, noontide, at sunset, or by moonlight, they are seen with new
interest, and on the moonless nights the visitors are called to see some
of these great spouts with the rays of a powerful searchlight upon them.
Old Faithful, which is described as the most perfect illustration of
geyseric phenomena and whose curious fascination and real beauty cannot
be described, plays every 85 minutes to a height of 125 to 150 feet, the
eruptions lasting about five minutes.
The Giant Geyser, generally conceded to be the finest in the park,
throws its great volume of water to a height of 250 feet, playing
irregularly about three times a month and lasting about 90 minutes.
The Castle Geyser, so named for its beautifully formed crater, plays
only once every 26 or 27 hours, but lasts from 25 minutes to three
quarters of an hour. This is truly an awe-inspiring sight.
The Riverside Geyser is among the favourites. Standing on the right bank
of the Firehole River, it throws its spray into the air in a beautiful,
graceful arch across the waters of the river, playing every 7 hours and
lasting about seven minutes, and almost invariably displaying wonderful
rainbow colours.
There is a plateau a quarter of a mile in extent, covered with hot
pools, each of the most marvellously brilliant colours—reds, greens,
yellows, etc.—perhaps the most beautiful of all being the one known as
Morning-Glory Pool, so named from its curious shape resembling this
well-known flower.
This park is a famous animal preserve. Elk deer, buffalo and bear thrive
here. The bears cause great entertainment, coming down near some of the
hotels to feed upon whatever may be offered them; having been protected
so long, they have no fear.
Of all of our national parks the Yellowstone is the largest. It is also
the highest and coolest. We are told that frosts occur there every month
of the year. Mr. Muir says of it: “The air is electric and full of
ozone; healing, reviving, exhilarating, kept pure by frost and fire,
while the scenery is wild enough to awaken the dead.
“It is a glorious place to grow in and rest in. Camping on the shores of
the lakes in the warm openings of the woods, golden with sunflowers, on
the banks of the streams, by the snowy waterfalls, beside the exciting
wonders or away from them in the scallops of the mountain walls
sheltered from every wind, on smooth, silky lawns enamelled with
gentians, up in the fountain hollows of the ancient glaciers between the
peaks, where cool pools and brooks and gardens of precious plants
charmingly embowered are never wanting....
“Again and again amid the calmest, stillest scenery you will be brought
to a standstill, hushed and awe-stricken before phenomena wholly new to
you. Boiling springs and huge, deep pools of purest green and azure
water, thousands of them are splashing and heaving in these high, cool
mountains as if a fierce fire were burning beneath each one of them; and
a hundred geysers, white torrents of boiling water and steam, like
inverted waterfalls, are ever and anon rushing up out of the hot, black
underworld.
“Some of these ponderous geyser columns are as large as sequoias—5 to 60
feet in diameter, 150 to 300 feet high—and are sustained at this great
height with tremendous energy for a few minutes, or perhaps nearly an
hour, standing rigid and erect, hissing, throbbing, booming, as if
thunderstorms were raging beneath their roots.... No frost cools them,
snow never covers them ... winter and summer they welcome alike ...
faithfully rising and sinking in fairy, rhythmic dance night and day, in
all sorts of weather, at varying periods of minutes, hours, or weeks....
The largest and one of the most beautiful of the springs is the
Prismatic, which the guide will be sure to show you. With a
circumference of three hundred yards, it is more like a lake than a
spring. The water is pure deep, blue in the centre, fading to green on
the edges, and its basin and the slightly terraced pavement about it are
astonishingly bright and varied in colour. This one of the Yellowstone
fountains is of itself object enough for a trip across the continent....
“Near the Prismatic Spring is the great Excelsior Geyser, which is said
to throw a column of boiling water 60 to 70 feet in diameter to a height
of from 50 to 300 feet at irregular periods....”
But I could quote this great nature lover indefinitely. He is absolutely
fascinating on any of these subjects. See for yourself “Our National
Parks,” by John Muir, and if you are going west, as he would have you
go, quietly, with time to draw near to nature, to read and to think,
take a copy of his book with you.
Mr. Muir used his pen as a great artist uses his brush, his descriptions
are the most exquisite of pictures.
“The Fossil Forests of the Yellowstone National Park cover an extensive
area in the northern portion of the park, being especially abundant
along the west side of Lamar River for about 20 miles above its junction
with the Yellowstone. Here the land rises rather abruptly to a height of
approximately 2,000 feet above the valley floor. It is known as Specimen
Ridge, and forms an approach to Amethyst Mountain. There is also a small
fossil forest containing a number of standing trunks near Tower Falls,
and near the eastern border of the park along Lamar River in the
vicinity of Cache, Calfee, and Miller creeks, there are many more or
less isolated trunks and stumps of fossil trees, but so far as known
none of these is equal in interest to the fossil forest on the slopes of
Specimen Ridge.”
The fossil forests are easily reached over the wagon roads from the
Mammoth Hot Springs, or from the Wylie Camp at Tower Falls.
Those who really wish to see these petrified trees must make a special
point of it, or else they may be told, as I was, that the two small
stumps seen in passing are all that are there.
In addition to a large redwood stump which stands 12 feet high, there
are two trunks which stand 25 feet high and are two feet in diameter;
another, three feet in diameter and 30 feet high, etc.
In addition to these standing trees many trunks lie prone upon the
ground.
Ten species of trees have been found in the fossil forests of this park
as well as some 150 fossil plants.
For further information on this, or any other of the national parks or
monuments, apply to “The Department of the Interior,” Washington, D. C.
JACKSON LAKE