Geological Papers. ' 14? 



parks and beautiful lakelets, and a mile still further south is "0]>- 

 servation Point," from which those who desire to climb may see the 

 surrounding country from the blue ice of the Olympic glaciers to the! 

 stormy capes at the entrance of the Strait of Fuca. But the ques- 

 tion which particularly interests the geologist is why these springs 

 are hot? It will be seen when the geological part of the article is 

 discussed that in the Eocene epoch there was considerable volcanic 

 activity in the region in the vicinity of Point Crescent and Fresh- 

 water bay and extending inland to the Crescent lake region. Iti 

 therefore seems probable that, though primary volcanic activity- 

 has been non-active since that far-away time, secondary activity ia.' 

 the form of hot springs is still active, the earth's crust within still 

 being hot near the surface here. 



GLACIERS. 



The glaciers of the region, except a few temporary ones of small' 

 area, lie in the depression on the northwest slope of the central 

 mountain mass between Mounts Olympus and Constance, and cover' 

 some two townships in area when at their minimum size in August' 

 of each year. The ice mass seems to be several thousand feet in 

 thickness, and in its downward movement is caused to project out- 

 far over the canon walls of Glacier creek and Hoh river, leaving a 

 dark hole-like space beneath it, the supposed home of the "Thunder 

 bird," according to the Indian myths. A fissure loosens a great 

 block of thiri snow-field now and then and it plunges to the bottom 

 of the canon, 2000 feet below, with a terrible crash. This glacier 

 was very extensive in glacial times, reaching down the Hoh valley, 

 even beyond the present shore-line, to Destruction island. Its re- 

 treat was slow, and a halt of long duration is now marked by a 

 benched area in the middle section of that valley, the terminal 

 moraine of the glacier at that time. There is also evidence that 

 the glacier covered other faces of the mountain mass in the Glacial- 

 epoch. In recent times it has been reduced to a mere mountain 

 cap. But few people have ever visited it, and of its surface ap- 

 pearance practically little is known. 



THE PRAIRIES. 



Large areas of open, untimbered, grass-covered lands are found 

 in the mountainous portions, mostly upon the tops of the ridges, 

 between elevations of 4000 and 6000 feet. They are scattered 

 among the bunches of timber at timber-line. Their total area is 

 about 250 square miles. In the near future grazing in these parts 

 will no doubt become a profitable industry. 



Besides the open grassy lands at timber-line, several prairies are 



