| Show ISTHEYELLGWS10S I The Lights and Scenes in Ou National Park I BEAUTIES OF THE TETON BASIN Dr Park Distinguishlnc Himself n 1 Guide and Proves a Rival to Kit Carson Hiss Pratts Pluck i UrrEii GEISEK BASIS Yellowstone Park July 24 lS90Spe correspondence of THE HEUALDI presume your readers are generally acquainted with scenes and incidents connected with the Park so I will not base them on that subject but hey are not familiar with tho trip across the mountains Doctor John R Park B W Driggs Jr Milando Pratt Miss Viola Pratt his daughter and myself left Mar ket Lake on July 1 and went by convoy once to TKTON BASIN arriving there on the 12th This is a lovely valley extending thirty to forty miles from north to south and averaging ten to twenty miles in width I is one of the best watered valleys in the world Besides BeI sides tho Teton river which is about the size of the Bear river there are several large cafion streams which can bo easily conveyed by canals to water every acre of land in tho valley The valley is fast being settled with farmers and ranchers out there is plenty of good land unoccupied unoccu-pied and I think I am safe in saying that i is the best place within tho same distance of Salt Lake there is to be found The I mountains are full of fine timber and the I streams abound with trout This beautiful i valley lies directly under those majestic mountains known a The Three Tetons I The peaks loom up to an enormous height ani can be seen within the radius ot a hundred miles I On the morning of the 15th our entire party includingMiss Pratt ascended Teton canon up to tho foot of tho Three Tetons We did not attempt to climb the peaks for if we had had time and inclinations it would have been impossible as they are of solid rock and almost perpendicular I was extremely difficult to get as far as we went for there is neither road nor trail and it was a continuation of climbing over fallen timber and rocks working our way I through dense forests of pines and crossing over immense 8rifts of snow but we managed I man-aged to pull through and arrived homo late in tho evening and notwithstanding we were verytired felt well paid with out days labor On the 17th we left the Teton basin with saddle and pack horses BOUXD FOR THE PARK I was our intention to go by way of Jacksons lake but owing to tho high waters we were informed that it would be i impossible for us t ford the south fork of Snake river so we were compelled com-pelled to come back to Richburg and follow np the north fork or Henrys fork of Snake river and we have no cause to regret it for I think we passed through some of the grandest and most picturesque country in the world On our third day out we forded the Snake and traveled in a northeasterly direction until wo reached Warm river a tributary of Snake river We followed up this stream some twelve fifteen miles and camped This river is literally alive with trout A soon as we camped the doctor and I commenced to throw our flies to the speclded beauties and in a few moments mo-ments we had enough caught for supper and breakfast Tho doctor made the best catch of any of us on the trip ho stood out in the river on a rock and in ten minutes mnutes caught fifteen fine trout Next morning we left this river and I started across the mountains for Henrys fork Wo had not gone far when we lost the trail which was very indistinct and but little traveled but after several hours of most difficult traveling we struck the river or tho brink of the canon through b1 it flows here we beheld one of the grandest sights that you could imagine imagne The cafion here is very deep and is composed com-posed of two walls of lava rock looming up perpendicularly in some parts thousands of feet in height The river the entire distance dis-tance runs very rapidly and forms 1 series of cascades rapids We followed up on tho brink tho cailon for several miles finally coming to opening through which we could descend to the river A short distance dis-tance above where we reached the river are i THE VIOLA FALLS I and they are among the finest I have ever seen across the river is a hugo wall of lava rock over ono hundred feet high almost in shape like a horse shoe and over this wall tho entire river leaps with maddened fury covering everything for a great distance around with spray Above and below the falls tho gigantic cliffs tower up hundreds of feet and those below which catch the spray are covered several inches in thickness thick-ness with beautiful green moss varying in color from the palest emerald to the darkest dark-est chrome while far off in the distance I the mountains are covered with dense forests of pine and quakenasp tho whole scene Tine one of the grandest and most beautiful pictures that could bo Imagined and one that we will not soon forget After dinner we left tho river and canon and came to a large platform known n Allen Highlands This platform surprised us as much as anything we have seen on the whole trip I is as level as any valley I could be and resembles in appearance a huge park being covered the entire length with forests and pines and beautiful green meadows What the extent of this park or platform is I am unable to say but tv o travelled over it i a northwesterly direction direc-tion for nearly two whole days before we reached the other side On the night of the 22d we camped 011 Allens Highlands We had now been traveling two whole days without the sign I of a trail and scarcely knew where we I were and the next morning t make matters mat-ters worse it commenced raining very heavily and wo were enveloped in a dense fog The most of our party were in favor of remaining in cump until the storm cleared off but the doctor valliautly stepped step-ped forwaid and made tho wonderful announcement an-nouncement that ho could pot us through just as wea in a storm as In fair weather 1 I I we concluded to pack up and vamose I This is the day on which I I TiE UOCTOR DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF AS i I ouinn and had the celebrated Kit Carson been alive ho would have blushed with shame I The natural instinct for guiding nartlcs I overuntravcled country with which the I doctor is possesped is something almost superhuman We left camp about oclock l in the morning a pouring rain tho doc tot on lead apt the rest of us following Indian lile It was one of the most miserable mornings 1 cvet saw theta I the-ta grass and the bushes were i g < sopping wet from the rain and the sky was so black and gloomy that it seemed that it would never clear up again I can assure YOl that our spirits woro at a low ebb Wall the doctor load us through swamps over hillsr got us tangled up several times among wet bushes nntil we were thoroughly thor-oughly drenched and disheartened and all wished that tho Yellowstone park had t never been discovered Finally after we had been meandering about sdven hours in this manner and had forded Snake river rver some four oc Jive times at the danger of getting drowned we discovered u small column of blue smoke curling up throueh the bushes The doctor caused a halt and said as it was about time we were camping for noon h thought we had bettor head for tho smoke and probably the parties who were camped there could give us some information how much farther it was t the informaton park So away we wont as fast as our wet jaded animals would carry us and when we arrived there we thought the place had a familiar air about it and on closer examination exami-nation to naton OCR TITTER DISGUST AND SURPRISE we discovered thatit was our old camping place that wo had left just seven hours before be-fore The doctor said Boys you must not give this away and when we get over Jve I t the Fire Hole basin Ill stand treat but teat as I have quit drinking and thought the I joke straIght to rood to keep I have given it to you I immediately made the motion that we cal this the doctors cutoff route My motion was seconded and carried with the exception of one dissenting voice I think in the future that this short cutoff route of the doctors may become very popular and be the leading route to the park About 3 oclock tho storm broke up and we started off once more and shortly after struck the Buffalo river We followed its course for several miles and t our agreeable surprise stumbled on to the stage road running from Beaver cafion to the Park That night we camped on Howard creek It takes its name from General Howard who md his headquarters there when he was 1a leadCart fighting the Nez Perces Indians a few years ago He made his fortifications out of logs some of which are still here The next day which was yesterday we arrived at the Fire Hole Basin and like everybody else we are charmed and delighted with the wonderful geysers We had the pleasure of seeing the Excelsior geyser in motion This was quite a treat for it has been dor ment for nearly seven years and only began be-gan playing a few days ago I sends up an immense body of scalding water 150 feet high which runs into the Fire Hole river making tho water in the river so hot that you cannot bear your hand In it for sometime after the eruption This morning we came to the upper geyser basin and have seen THE CASTLE OETSER OLD FAITHFUL and several smaller ones play Tomorrow we leave for the Lower geyser basin and Mammoth hot springs We intend to come pawn on the east side of the Yellowstone lake and go out by way of Jucksons lake The hotels here are pretty well filled up There are on an average fifty tourists com lag in every day The park i infested with buffalo gnats mosqnitos and about fifteen different species of horseflies Before closing my letter I would like to make special mention af Miss Viola Pratt h3 charming eighteenyearold daughter of Vir Milando Pratt I Is now eight days since wo left the Teton Basin and we have been constantly in the saddle and the mosl of the time traveling trough 2 wild and rugged country without even a trail t guide us fording dangerous rivers ascending and descending precipitous precipi-tous mountains working our way through dense forests traveling in rain storms with no tent under which to Heat night but notwithstanding all these perils and hardships hard-ships she ha borne up with a heroism and fortitude that is simply remarkable and has ever had a smile and a kind word for us all and to quote our worthy doctor U I dont think there is one girl out of 500fr that could stand the trip as she has done HARRT SQUIPES |
