Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 194, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 September 1917 — YELLOWSTONE’S CODY ENTRANCE [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

YELLOWSTONE’S CODY ENTRANCE

THE eastern gateway to the Yellowstone National Park is cabled the Cody entrance, because at Cody, WyO., the eler leaves the train for a ride of 63 miles by automobile to the park boundary. Cody was founded many years ago by the famous scout, the late Col. William F. Cody, “Buffalo Bill,” andis a typical western plains town. It is situated on a bench or shelf above the Shoshone river and below the table land that stretches away toward the east. It is therefore invisible to the traveler on the roads from Thermopolis, Basin, Powell, and other Wyoming towns to the eastward until he comes very near the limits of the town. ——— Leaving Cody for the trip to Yellowstone park, the road leads into the Shoshone gorge, across the Shoshone river, and thence to the Burlington station on the plain opposite the town. From here the road turns southwestward through an arid, treeless waste. The sulphi?r mill on the east side of the river stands out prominently a short distance from Cody. The wonders of the trip to the park begin with the entrance to the Shoshone canyon, the stupendous gorge through which the Shoshone river takes its course. On the right lies Rattlesnake mountain and on the left Cedar mountain. The two constituted a single mountain until the river cut a deep, narrow gash through its center of solid rock. The waljs of the canyon are nearly perpendicular, and yet along the face of Rattlesnake mountain and on the left Cedar mountain. The two constituted a single mountain until the river cut a deep narrow gash, through its center of solid rock. The walls of the canyon are nearly perpendicular, and yet along the face of Rattlesnake mountain the reclamation service of the department of the interior blasted from the solid rock a splendid road eight miles long. Great Engineering Feat. In many places the* road passes through tunnels in the granite walls. This is the road that is traveled through the gorge and out to the park. The government found it necessary to construct this road through the appa- | rently inaccessible canyon in order to provide the means of transporting materials to construct the great dam of the Shoshone reclamation project. At the upper end of the canyon the Shoshone dam itself is reached. This dam is the second .highest in the world, 328 feet from the lowest foundation to the top of the parapet, being 48 -feet higher than the Flatiron building in New York. At its base it Is 108 feet? thick up and down stream and only 80 feet long-. On top It is 180 feet long and 10 feet thick. • The -cost of its constructing was $1,356,585, but the value of the crops raised by the use of the stored‘water in 1916 was $601,000, and only about one-sixth of the irrigable area was cropped last year. The irrigation system* is being rapidly extended and several thousand acres will be thrown open to homesteaders during the autumn. Leaving the dam, the road follows the shore of the beautiful Shoshone lake which was formed by closing, with the great wedge of concrete, the narrow gash in the rock walls of the ehnyon. Scientists state that this lake occupies the.basin of aft ancient body of water which existed thousands of years ago. Where this lake overflowed the water gradually wore a passageway through the solid granite mountain, and in the course of numberless

centuries formed the Shoshone gorge. Wonder of the Gorge. At the upper end of the lake the road turns into the valley of the North Fork of Shoshone river and skirts the boundaries of several large ranches, many of which are favorite resorts of the big game hunter. As the road continues westward beyond the ranch lands, a very mountainous region appears. The Shoshone national forest is entered at a point where the valley -suddenly narrows to a deep canyon. High mountains on each side of the river stand like huge sentinels at the gates of the forest. Proceeding into the canyon, many wonderful natural features appear on every side. The mountains are composed principally of red sandstone and have been carved into a million fantastic shapes by wind and water erosion. Signs attract the attention of visitors to the shaped formations, the most interesting of which are Holy City, Chimney Rock, Clock Tower, Hole in the Wall, Dead Indian, Elephant’s Head, Duck, Maimed Hand, and Pinnacle Point. As the park boundary is approached the mountains become more rugged and timber growth becomes heavier. The principal species of trees are Douglas fir and Engleman spruce. Just after crossing the middle fork of the Shoshone river and leaving it to the right, as the road proceeds up Middle Creek, Pahaska Tepee is reached. This is an old hunting lodge built and owned for many years by Buffalo Bill, and is very beautifully situated in the forest. Supplies of various kinds may be obtained at thls point. Two and four-tenths miles farther up Middle Creek the park boundary at the eastern gateway is reached.