| Summary: | 145 NORRIS GEYSER BASIN IN WINTER, YELLOWSTONE NAT. PARK, WYO. Increasing numbers of visitors see the Yellowstone Park each summer, 200,825 having passed through it in 1927 along, but few have nay idea of it in winter. The "season" lasts only from June 19 to Sept. 19 and practically only the Park Rangers, about 35 in number, see it at other times of year. Even they rarely visit the centers of scenic interest, being kept busy in patrolling the Park borders and in hunting down predatory animals. Years ago two thorough winter explorations of the Park were made, by parties fitted out as for Arctic expeditions, with skis, snowshoes, fur clothing and fur sleeping bags. The first one was made in January, 1887, by Lieut. Frederick Schwatka, the noted Arctic explorer and the second in March, 1894, by Capt. Scott. the Schwatka party found Norris Basin a wonderful sight, as we can well imagine from the scene before us, which discloses a part of this region, not, indeed, in its heaviest winter dress, yet snow-covered to a degree rarely seen by visitors. The snow was eight feet deep when Schwatka was there and tall trees buried in it appeared like bushes. The ice-laden foliage near the steam vents and geysers had assumed every imaginable form. The Firehole geyser basins resembled vast manufacturing centers and the steam at the Upper Basin, rising 2,000 ft. in air, was visible from the Lower Basin. The walls of the Grand Canyon were masses of pure white; icicles 200 feet long hung from the brink of the Lower Falls and an ice bridge 100 feet high had formed at its base. (View looking S. E. Elev. 7,500 ft. Lat. 45° N.; Long. 111° W.)
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