The Union Pacific Dining Hall is evidence of a longstanding assault on this gateway to YNP. The railroads exploited the National Parks and vice versa to create business for the newly built lines across the West when UP and the others weren't otherwise gainfully employed promoting homesteading to the unwary in the bruising plains north of YNP in Montana. This dining hall was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, the architect of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. Even though overlooked in the annals of wilderness architecture, this handsome "lodge" served masses of visitors before or after their YNP experience.
Hegben Lake expands behind a dam going back to pre-earthquake formation of it's partner lake sharing the same canyon. Carole plies the waters near Rainbow Campground, our home base for three nights after leaving YNP. Several would-be park campers were fellow neighbors when they were turned out of the park to look for a home for the night.
From Horse Butte on the peninsula, Lake Hegben stretches to the mountain ridges. Mosquitos here chased us back inside the truck even though far from the water and high on the butte.
In 1959 I learned of the earthquake creating a new lake at Yellowstone. That was an exciting event since I distilled from the dry school books that geology was something that was OVER and therefore something I had missed completely. Here was evidence that the world was more alive than I knew and might be attended greater respect. I took a 51 year journey to this shore to see what happened. On the way I diverted from a possible career in geology (and many other likely choices) to become a psychologist, but this might have turned the tide the other way.
The landslide crossed the canyon creating Quake Lake filled with trees preserved still standing in the cold lake water. In another 80 years, predictions suggest further pilgrimage here will go unrewarded, as the Madison River will erode through the landslide, returning to it's free running course of 1959. Got here just in time!
3 comments:
..turn the tide.. ? i doubt it weren't you a nuke physicist-in-training once upon a time geology would have been too tame nope being psycho-man was your calling
As one who lives on an island with three active volcanoes and a fourth forming offshore, I've come to appreciate the dynamism of geology and just how "alive" the earth is ....
As usual, great pics. Thanks
Dennis,
I'm sure I told you about the summer I worked in Montana at a fishing resort? It was right under the lake. I had some great times along that river. I wonder if you noted any of the old cabins that were lifted up in the flood and relocated. These were amazing to explore-- one was on a fairly steep hill. I learned that when the quake hit, a veritable tsunami was generated that splashed over the dam. If the dam had not held, a lot more people would have been killed.
Thanks for reminding me of this amazing area!
don
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