Seeing the West: Suggestions for the Westbound Traveller — John Shaqi
Seeing the West: Suggestions for the Westbound TravellerDumbell, K. E. M. (Kate Ethel Mary)
History
Seeing the West: Suggestions for the Westbound Traveller
Dumbell, K. E. M. (Kate Ethel Mary)
West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
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.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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