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The Geologic Story of the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

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The Geologic Story of the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado 782 R59 L48 flforttell Uniucraitg ffitbrarg THE GIFT OF UL.5. SoLpt. o|: Doca-manis, ^^JflAgJJ^-J^HV W&-J 1079F hiiUBfeillW^naf Cornell University Library F 782R59 L48 3 1924 028 879 082 olin Cornell University Library The original of this bool< is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924028879082 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR FRANKLIN K. lANE, Secretary NATIONAL PARK SERVICE STEPHEN T. MATHER, Director THE GEOLOGIC STORY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK COLORADO BY WILLIS T. LEE, Ph. D. Geologist, United States Geological SuiTey WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1917 n ^HnH- CONTENTS. Page. Introduction 7 Location and character 7 A brief historical sketch ^ 9 In the days of the aborigines 11 Accessibility 11 A general outlook 12 The making and shaping of the mountains 14 Geology and scenery 14 Before the Rockies were bom 15 The birth of the Rockies 19 How the mountains grew 21 How the mountains were shaped 22 Work of rain 23 Work of frost 24 Work of streams 25 Methods of work 25 Streams of park exceptional 27 Stripping of the mountains 27 An old plain of erosion'. 28 Many periods of uplift 28 Work of ice 29 . When and why glaciers form. •. 29 ' Living glaciers • 29 Ancient glaciers 31 Fall River Glacier 32 Thompson Glacier 32 Bartholf Glacier 33 Mills Glacier 33 Wild Basin Glacier 34 Glaciers of North Fork and its tributaries 84 Glaciers in the northern part of the park 37 How the glaciers worked 37 Approaches to the park 38 Loveland to Estes Park 38 Lyons to Estes Park - 41 Ward to Estes Park 42 Grand Lake route 43 The park as seen from the trails 45 Black Canyon trail 45 Lawn Lake 47 Hagues Peak and Hallett Glacier 47 Roaring River 49 Horseshoe Falls 50 Fall River road 50 Trail ridge 54 3 4 CONTENTS. Page. The park as seen from the trails—Continued. Specimen Mountain 55 Mihier Pass 57 ffigh Drive 58 Moraine Park 59 Fern Lake and Odessa Gorge 59 Sprague Glacier 61 Flattop trail 62 Bierstadt Lake 63 Flattop Mountain 63 Glaciers and gorges south of Flattop 66 West of the Continental Divide •- 67 Bartholf Park 68 Bear Lake 69 Loch Vale 69 Lake Mills 71 Estes Park to Longs Peak 71 Routes 71 Longs Peak Inn 72 Twin Sisters 72 Longs Peak trail 74 Points of interest near timber line 75 Mills Moraine 75 The Chasm 76 Timber-Line trees 77 Ascent of Longs Peak 78 North St. Vrain River 81 Wild Basin ". 82 An appreciation 83 Index •. 85 nXUSTEATIONS. Page. Plate I. Map of the Rocky Mountam National Park In pocket II. Falls at the mouth of Glacier Gorge 7 III. A, Carboniferous landscape; B, Modem landscape in the Rocky Mountain National Park 14 IV. A, Brontoaaurus; B, Stegosaurus 15 V. A, Pterodactyl; B, Allosaurus '. 18 VI. A, Tylosaurus; B, Spoon-billed dinosaiir 19 VII. Panoramas of Estes Park 28 VIII. Map of ancient glaciers 30 IX. Flattop Peneplain 34 X. Narrows of Thompson Canyon: View near mouth of canyon; Tilted quartzites; Sedimentary rocks of the foothills 35 XI. Rapids in Thompson Canyon: A typical scene; A pinnacle in the canyon wall; Water versus rocks; A "pothole". 44 XII. Views in the canyon of the St. Vrain: A, Rapid and crag; B, Steamboat Rock 45 XIII. Scenes in the valley of the North Fork of Grand River: A, Cascade Falls; B, Lodge on the North Fork 46 XIV. Views near Estes Park: A, Estes Park and Longs Peak from Stanley Hotel; B, A remnant of erosion 47 XV. Black Canyon: A, The Needles; B, Twin Owls 48 XVI. A, Lawn Lake region; B, Hallett Glacier 49 XVII. A, A glacial cirque; B, View from Hallett Glacier 50 XVIII. Scenes on Hallett Glacier: Entering a crevasse; Interior of a crevasse; Icebergs 50 XIX. A, View from High Drive; B, Glacial moraine south of Horseshoe Park 50 XX. A, Horseshoe Falls; B, Rapids on Roaring River 51 XXI. Scenes on Pall River: A beaver dam; Fall River valley; Glacial cirque at head of Fall River 52 XXII. Scenes from the Continental Divide: A, The Never-Sum- mer Range; B, Crest of Front Range 54 XXIII. Specimen Mountain: A, Gulch on Specimen Mountain; B, Breccia and conglomerate 55 XXIV. A, Odessa Gorge; B, Bierstadt Lake 58 XXV. Winter sports: On Fern Lake; Snowshoeing on the Con- tinental Divide; Sprague Glacier 60 XXVI. TimberHne trees in Odessa Gorge: A, Dwarfed trees; B, A Limber pine 61 XXVII. Scenes on Milk Creek: Ruiaed beaver lodge; Glacial bowlder; Forests destroyed by fire 64 XXVIII. Scenes on Flattop Trail: Guide monument; Longs Peak and Glacier Gorge; Hallett Peak 66 XXIX How a glacier is fed; A hanging glacier; An arm of Tyndall Glacier 67 5 6 ILLUSTEATIONS. Page. Plate XXX. Bergschrund on Tyndall Glacier; Enos A. Mills; Beaver lodge; Bighorn sheep 68 XXXI. A, Andrews Glacier; B, Side of Andrews Glacier 68 XXXII. A, Bear Lake and Hallett Peak; B, Lilypad Lake 68 XXXIII. Loch Vale 69 XXXIV. Scenes near Longs Peak: Fire observer's station; Balanced rock; Timber-line trees on Twin Sisters; Trail makers; View from Cabin Rock 70 XXXV. A, Mills Moraine; B, The Chasm on Longs Peak 71 XXXVI. A, Wall of The Chasm; B, Chasm Lake 72 XXXVII. A, Timber Hne on Longs Peak; B, A pine tree at timber- line 73 XXXVIII. Timber-Hne trees on Longs Peak: Trees sheared by snow blasts; Where trees grow lying down; "The Winged Vic- tory" 74 XXXIX. Scenes on Longs Peak: A, Bowlder Meld; B, The Key- hole 75 XL. The Trough on Longs Peak 76 XLI. A pocket lake in Glacier Gorge 77 XLII. Views near the top of Longs Peak: The Notch; The Nar- rows; Home Stretch; An ice-smoothed rock 80 XLIII. A, Copeland Lake; B, Melting basin and lateral moraine of Wild Basin Glacier 81 XLIV. Views in Wild Basin: A, Longs Peak and Thimder Lake; B, Rapids on the St. Vrain 82 XLV. Thunder Lake and Mount Alice 83 FiGUEE 1. Map showing routes to the Rocky Mountain National Park 8 2. Profile section across the Rocky Mountains through Longs Peak and Grand Lake 16 3. Leg bones of a dinosaur 17 4. Map of North America showing distribution of land and sea in Upper Cretaceous time 18 5. Sketch map showing the glacial moraines in the valley of the North Fork of Grand River 36 6. A, Stream-cut valley; B, Same valley after glaciation 37 PLATE II mW'-iiv FALLS AT THE MOUTH OF GLACIER GORGE. Photograph by Willis T. Lee, United States Geological Survey. THE GEOLOGIC STORY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, COLORADO. By Willis T. Lee, Ph. D. IHTEODTJCTIOIT. LOCATION AND CHARACTEB. On January 26, 1915, a particular section of the Rocky Mountains chosen as representative of the noblest qualities of the mountain region was set aside as the Eocky Mountain National Park. This park covers an area of approximately 398 square miles, situ- ated in the high mountains of the Front Range in north-central Colorado, about 50 miles in a straight hne northwest of Denver. Altitudes within it range from 8,000 to 14,255 feet above sea level. The moTintains are of such height that during the greater part of each year they are spangled or completely covered with snow. Hence the Front Range is often called the Snowy Range. Denver, the metropolis of the western plains, through which most of the visitors pass on their way to the Rocky Mountain National Park, is only 50 miles from Estes Park, the gateway. The park is within 30 hours of Chicago and St. Louis and is much closer to Kansas City and many other great centers of population in the cen- tral part of the United States. Probably no other national play- ground is more easily reached by a large munber of people. The appeal of this park to the tourist is varied, and few fail to find satisfaction here. In it are accommodations for visitors of every kind, from the man who wants the conveniences of the modern hotel to the one who wishes to throw off restraint and to Hve for a time the care-free life. Here he may bivouac by rock and stream in the primeval forest or obtain the comforts of modern Ufe in easy reach of perpetual ice, where cool breezes from the snow fields ren- der delightful the bright summer days and make welcome the warmth of the camp fire on the clear, cool evenings. The naturalist may find plant and animal hfe of all zones, from Temperate to Arctic. The artist has an inexhaustible supply of 7 8 ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK. landscapes, ranging in character from mountain crag to flowery glade. The weary in mind or body find new vigor, while the vigorous have inexhaustible opportunities of testing their endurance. For glorious, sunny days and cool, restful nights the Eocky Moun- tain National Park can not be surpassed. The weather is depend- able. The crisp, sparkHng atmosphere, laden with the pungent breath of pine and spruce, is a never-failing dehght to the experienced and to the amateur ahke. Here the oppressive heat of lower alti- tudes and damper cUmates is unknown, and mosquitoes need not be thought of, for the nights are too cold for them. There is an abun- dance of dead and down firewood for the great, roaring campfires, around which the cool evenings may be spent spinning yarns and telhng stories of adventure which no one need beheve.
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