Volume VI No. 3 - August, 1933

Gently stroke a marmot on the back -- he flattens out like a fur rug -- but be sure he gets the idea before you start the petting -- those sharp teeth might cause sad retrospection; influx of visitors well underway -- boy, place those garbage cans more conspicuously; "strength in numbers" found fallacious in E. C. W. boys' football game with 17 on one side, 10 on the other -- referee outmoded: -- O lady! Those flowers don't like to leave their homes -- naughty, naughty -- mustn't pick; rainbow spawning in the lake -- two to three months later than in water of ordinary temperature; tiny bear cub shinnying up a man's leg with Mamma Bear unpreturbed -- generally that man would be flirting with disaster; digging through five feet of snow to erect ranger-naturalists' tents at the lake rim -- no requests received from them for ice boxes; rangers enthusiastically aid scientist in quest of fleas from wild animals -- interpretation left to reader; boulder from rim wall catapults into beached rowboat -- matches no longer needed for toothpicks; 21 foot layer of snow at foot of lake trail a 6-5 favorite to last the summer; motorist demanding his permit dollar back -- evening climate termed too frigid; 73' 3" of snowfall covers a lot of sins during the winter - but they come to light again with the melting; no two sagebrusher parties ever want the fireplace in quite the same place; E. C. W. boys -- from the mid-west evince tremendous interest in the same mountain and forest work methods and lore; meanderings such as this call forth the catty remark to a poor driver -- "Drive it or park it." Let's park it!

One of the most interesting and at the same time the easiest trips in the Park is the walk to Discovery Point. Here one sees the Lake in an every changing setting. Time and all subsequent agencies has played a part in eroding the crater wall. It is just beyond this point that the discovery was made of the carbonized log within the inner slope of the crater rim. The story of the past and a prophecy of the future is here written as clearly as though in print.

Trees, no doubt, once firmly rooted in firm rocks and soil are now hanging on by roots on one side only. Others twisted, gnarled, and broken give evidence of the winter's blast. Again a small sapling growing near the brink will, without doubt, never reach maturity.

Rock ledges cracked and broken are adding their bit to talus slope and large boulders hanging in the balance are ready to crash downward to destroy a tree that even dares to grow.

Truly a battle is being waged and all the forces of nature have taken sides.