Myrtle Shipe Yellowstone Park diary, 1913

Myrtle Shipe's diary of her 1913 visit to Yellowstone National Park with her mother, Esther Kauffman, chronicles their six-day trip through the Park via the Grand Loop Road. Day one was spent viewing the geysers and pools en route from Livingston to Old Faithful Geyser, where they camped. The entire second day was spent in the Upper Geyser Basin, which includes Old Faithful Geyser. On day three, they proceeded through the mountains to the Yellowstone Lake area. On day four, they passed through the Hayden Valley to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, spending the night there. Day five sent them through Silver Gate to Mammoth Hot Springs and, on day six, they toured Norris Geyser Basin before ending the tour at Yellowstone, Montana (now West Yellowstone). Most of the details of the tour focus on the landscape: the views, waterfalls, geysers, and thermal pools, including their names and geological facts about them. Shipe also describes the scenery of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the difficult climb down the Canyon on Uncle Tom's Trail. There is some discussion of wildlife, a brief recounting of their earlier travels through the Northwestern states, and a short passage about the pleasant accommodations, staff, and traveling companions. The original record was written on stationery of the Shaw and Powell Camping Company of Livingston, Montana. The typed transcription was prepared by library staff.