| Show 10 w I 1 f 91 ji IA T 3 N 41 Is 0 11 r at J wo awl T 7 I 1 N wit overnight ovEn NIGHT STAY big expedition takes off for another stretch of river after staying overnight fit janos large and small parties are increasing every year on exciting aliver trips doan the green and yampa ll 11 CU nd clu m P a C al IM 0 us Fasci newte cu river runners on areol avins nil IF the weird and ana beautiful canyons of the green nd md yampa rivers lure more mom peo pie each year to take the spec river trip through them once he enters the bajes tic portals ol 01 this agnold age old riv er highway the traveler wonders why did this river cut its is canyon here the story begins wore than million years ago age since that time arms of tile the sea have many times invaded north eastern utah thew these great sea ways extended from the gulf ot of lower california the gulf guk of mexico or the arctic oe oc ean can at times most of the western united states plates was covered with sea water the records of these great seas can be seen in the sediments that they left behind great forc forces eventually great of sandstone shale and limestone were laid down by the seas lakes streams and V ind at the close of the age of dinosaurs about 75 million years ago tilts this area was sub ejected to great forces in earth s cru crint it which folded these rocks and in some places broke them an example of such folding can be sen at split mountain gorge where the rocks are steeply tilted to form the flanks of split mountain arch As the mountains rose they were vere attacked by wind and water great masses of mat ina serials were eroded from the higher places andi and dumped upon tile the lowland finally at af ter many millions of years the mountains were reduced to low hills separated by ide dole valleys filled with eroded materials streams and rivers flowed in these valleys additional earth movements caused changes in these stream courses about a million years ago tile lie present courses of the green and yampa rivers were established since then the mountains have conti continua nud d to rise and these rivers have cut their channels deeper deepe and deeper to form tile the grotesquely shaped canyons that can be seen today cuttina action people ask how the tha water in a stream can cut the hard rocks on which it flows it Is not the water but the ma ina serials carried in the stream that does the cutting carried by the current stones roll along the bottom of the like river sand grains and broken rocks bump against each other causing them to erode into round smooth forms perhaps the most difficult part of tire the story for tile the visitor to understand is the tre men meedous clous amount of time involved each event takes countless centuries the most rapid elevation of a mountain and the charge change from one stream couri cour c to another took place so slowly that no crint change could be seen during one mans mails life yet today we see the sand arid and mud in the yampa and the fresh scars on cliff cliffs sides ldes where elections have fallen in to tile the river these are the clues that lead us to the con elusion that the present moun taina and canyons inri are still lit in tile the process of change indians indian lit in the caves of tile the monti went biebl we discover proofs that tile the canyons were inhabited by the indians long before white men inert knew that tile the world was round most of tile the caves ore are small arid and have slop ln floors so were probably used only for overnight cani camping pint in the rubble arid and sands that cover tile the floors of the caves are often found blis bits of charred wood from mcdent camp campfires fires arid and fragments of pottery it la Is front from the lie larger eaves caves such as mantles lit in castle park lark that we learn about tile the lives of the indians it Is probable that chiq i cave was occupied by agricultural indians between anti anil A D marigold cave at tire the lower end of castle park adds to the el evidence dence these indians indiana did riot not farm but lived by hunting anti and gathering wild wila fruits and seeds it Is possible that these hunters lived as tar far back hs fig 1500 II 11 C history fory tile the first willie white men inen to en ter coughtry cout itry come came from maitia fe clivy were Sparti spanish all priests priests who had been sent merit to elaze blaze a trail to the InIst mission lort of tion terey california they did riot not succeed but father tej who kept I 1 he le tet records described their camp camp ol of september 14 1770 on bit tile the banks ot of tire the green alver lVer 41 continued on page 16 GREEN AND YAMPA CANYONS FASCINATE ninn bunners nUN NERS continued rom page lotfe 0 close to the present boundary of 0 dinosaur national monument about 40 years yearn later ciul william henry ashley and six trappers ti appers caine flown flow the green iziver from lodore canyon to split Mo mountain gorg in 1820 1823 vor cor the next IB 10 years trappers gathered beaver in the canyons 0 the green and yampa and imborne times spent the fie winter filete although Althou Kli we khow little about them a few rotted cobins ms ichord ther presence indian murals mural tia most evidence of tile indians is the murals they left on the cliffs were t ither painted on lie ho walls or peeked pecked into them rhey ate are commonly called P or picture writ ing it is not known whether the picture tells a story represent pres crit religious symbols symbol clan markings or are ar merely doodles at any rate park service officials urge tourists to leave the materials alone ond and not to disfigure the piato 1 graphs as they are priceless and able last explorer major john wesley powell was the last of the explorers in 1869 and 1871 1671 he mafle made expeditions down the green and colorado lie ile was a scientist who mapped and measured the country these studies made known to the world the interesting canyons and other geological features that are now preserved in dinosaur national monument A history of the monument should include pat LN L nth etli lie he was a civil war veteran who heard of echo park from his friend major powell lie ile set tied led hire in his seventies and gave ave his name to pats hole ills shelters can be aund in castle park and pool creek canyon anyon pat was the first white man mail to uw use the canyons of the green and yampa one of his notes found in the shelter reads if in these caverns you shelter take plais do to them no harm lave ever thing you find around hang ing up or on the ground this motto could be used to day by the visiting tourist in tact fact DAno dinosaur national bonu merit ment staff members urge vis iford to keep the canyon in its natural state park regulation lation regulations of the national park service the following keep byoir camp site clean build your f fire ire in a completely safe place pre where one was built before durn burn all garbage and place ashes cans and bottles in fil the pits provided at the campsites refuse thrown in tile the streams is ur sightly kee them free of dirty cans should be 1 and flattened before going in to disposal pits if unburned animals animal may dig them up when you leave a campsite make a last quick check for neatness such a check insures that the site will be attract tive to the next user and it may mav also tun up a camera or some gear a member of your party would hate to lose douse fire make sure a fire is out by wetting it down and feeling the ashes then bury it guns are not allowed in the monument there is no danger of attack by animals here and all wildlife is protected fishing is permitted if a state license is held cutting green wood or picking wildflowers wild flowers is prohibited prospecting Is not authorized on government owned land park service employees are able and willing to give all the help they can to make the visit a memorable one |
