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<br />firs, and cedars stand in -ionsivt- fnrests on the t inia Motint,airs and, cling
<br />to the rocks and gron-ing in the crevices, come down tix wniL. it the watt
<br />edge from Flaming Gorge to Echo Park. The red sandstones are lichened 6?
<br />delicate mosses grow in the moist places, and ferns festoon the walls.
<br />Echo Park.-About 6 miles below Hells Half '1-file the can,
<br />walls break ew-aiv and open into Echo Park; where Steamboat RQ1
<br />or Echo Cliff, marks the end of the beautiful Canyon of Lodore. it
<br />the Tampa River empties into the Green River from the east. ;
<br />Park is often spoken of in that vicinity as Pats Hole, because and
<br />hermit known as Pat Lynch made it, his home and worked a szn
<br />farm there in connection with some cattle range adjoining.
<br />1,pon entering Echo Park the Green River flows southward at-,j
<br />foot. of Steamboat Rock, which is about 700 feet high and a
<br />long; then it turns abruptly to the right and rur:s back in a northie,
<br />course almost parallel to its former direction for nearly another n
<br />thus havuig the opposite sides of a long, narrov rock for its right bai
<br />This tongue of rock resembles in general a huge ship and thus obt.
<br />its name. It has a mural escarpment along its entire east side;
<br />broken down in places on the west.
<br />The louder sounds around camp at the mouth of the Yampa 1
<br />were echoed from the cliff with remarkable clearness, and in
<br />places in the park two and three distinct echoes were audible,_
<br />fainter ones following as the sound died away.
<br />'Whir7pool Canyon.-Leaving Echo Park the river enters ,
<br />Canyon. The walls are high and vertical, the canyon is narrow .
<br />in places the water fills the gorge from wall to wall. The col
<br />and the pine trees dotting the steep slopes wherever they can ch
<br />similar to the same features in Red Canyon and the Canyon of
<br />but this one is much narrower through its upper 3 mules, and the-
<br />are much steeper. The water flows rapidly and is made to ed(l'
<br />spin in whirlpools by projecting rocks and sharp curves.
<br />Near the Colorado-Utah State line the canyon is wider, tiNi`'
<br />or less space between the stream bed and the walls. High on tb
<br />crags, pinnacles, and towers add to the architecture of the
<br />- - scene; and- a number-of wild canyons enter on each-side. Aho-'O V
<br />way through the canyon Jones Hole. Creek enters from the north
<br />is a beautiful crystal stream that was flowing about 100 secondJ
<br />August. 8, 1922, and was well stocked with fine mountain trouts.
<br />remains of camp fires and tin cans indicated several old camps
<br />place, either of oneor more parties exploring the river or-oi
<br />and hunting parties that may have comedown the creek.
<br />A Little more than a mile farther down, the canyon Sage Cree'L? 'i
<br />in, also from the north. It is e smaller creek flowing in a raii -
<br />canyon. Pro?pector's tools, the remains of an, old carnp, enG r
<br />prospect bales in the hillside a short distance down the
<br />noticed.
<br />UREEN RIVER CANYONS
<br />49
<br />'''hree miles helow Sage Creek the canyon opens into Island Park.
<br />T"e length of Whirlpool Canyon is 9 miles, and the total fall is 98 feet,
<br />or an average fall of 10.9 feet to the mile.
<br />Lsland Park.-Island Park was so named because of the numerous
<br />!Minds along the course of the river in this stretch. From the mouth
<br />of Whirlpool Canyon to the head of Split Mountain Canyon, where
<br />:tie river leaves the open area, it flows in a meandering course 7 miles
<br />lnnz, though the air-line distance between these points is only a little
<br />rarer 3 miles. The lower part of the park is cut off from the upper
<br />part by a tongue of low- rolling hills, and the greater part of this area
<br />hey been called Rainbow Park. Beyond this area is another smaller
<br />open area known as Little Park.
<br />Agriculture incident to ranching is carried on in.the upper part of
<br />1s;and Park at the Ruple ranch, and some land is irrigated from ditches
<br />a?ken out of the river. A deserted cabin, about a mile northwest of the
<br />R::ple cabin, marks the site of an abandoned homestead, and another
<br />tine at the edge of a cottonwood grove in the Rainbow Park area, with
<br />r,idences of attempts to cultivate some of the surrounding ground,
<br />ILa?ks a similar site.
<br />lfany small ravines drain into these park areas and carry water
<br />dt ring the spring thaws and local showers, but for the greater part
<br />of the year they are dry. The channels in several places show evi-
<br />dences of erratic torrential flow. Through one of these ravines a
<br />road leads out to Vernal. A small spring of clear water, heavily
<br />in,ipregnated with iron, rises about a mile up the ravine, flows a
<br />taw hundred feet, and sinks. In many places on the smooth rock
<br />ih, s of the walls of the ravine are Indian pictographs.
<br />`pl-f:t Mountain Canyon.-=On leaving Island Park the river goes
<br />back into the. mountain spur through which it has cut the lower part
<br />0 Whirlpool Canyon, and when it has reached the center of the spur it
<br />tt.'ms abruptly to the right, splitting the mountain longitudinally. On
<br />account of this feature the gorge was named Split Mountain Canyon.
<br />The canyon has a broad, flaring entrance, similar in structure to the
<br />mouth of Whirlpool Canyon. -__It-is _broad-And.rugged, with a line -
<br />of majestic crags and buttresses standing sentinel on each side.
<br />Rapids follow one another in quick succession through the canyon,
<br />1''-' none of them are particularly dangerous at the stage of the river
<br />'0 be expected during August in years of average run-off. There
<br />were two rapids that might be called worthy of,note. The first one of
<br />these is at a point where the ricer turns abruptly to the right, crossing
<br />Ghe canyon in s long chute at right angles and striki the o
<br />u111]where it has partly cuts c'hannef itz.the solid rock,, t
<br />s "ular to th&t at I:ower I)isaste Falls, in `tote 'attyon of Ladcre, hui
<br />^?,t ,far under. At the other rapid the river channel is atntractsd
<br />46D5G--30-5
<br />77
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