Hi! Winnie Griggs here. Today I
want to share with you a little tidbit of history I stumbled across in my
research.
During the
early days of the westward movement, when travelers and adventurers were still
exploring the Colorado Rockies, there was a legend about a great wonder to be
found hidden in a rugged and nearly inaccessible area of the great mountain
range. Rumors floated around for decades
about an immense cross of snow that appeared only occasionally on the face of a
high mountain peak. Word of its
existence inspired many of the curious and/or devout to seek it out. But most who claimed to have seen the natural
wonder stumbled on the sight accidentally, while others who searched diligently
never caught so much as a glimpse. And
even those who saw it, found that it would subsequently disappear from view.
One of the
earliest recorded sighting comes from author Samuel Bowles in his 1869 book,
The Switzerland of America. In it he
wrote “Over one of the largest and finest, the snow fields lay in the form of
an immense cross, and by this it is known in all the mountain views of the
territory. It is as if God has set His sign, His seal, His promise there--a
beacon upon the very center and height of the Continent to all its people and
all its generations...as if here was a great supply store and workshop of
Creation, the fountain of Earth."
After the
Civil War, the Department of the Interior turned its attention to continuing the
exploration of the West, including mapping and charting the landscape. As part of that endeavor they hired
photographers and engravers to accompany the expeditions in order to capture
images of the environment and the people who populated it. Photographer William Henry Jackson was picked
to accompany the US Geological and Geographic Survey of the Territories from
1870 to 1878. During that period, Jackson heard the rumors
and legends about the extraordinary cross and became determined to be the first
to photograph it. He set out to do so in
the summer of 1873. An experienced wilderness
photographer, he led a small party to what was rumored to be the best vantage
spot. But this
was no easy trek up the mountain. This
arduous climb involved carrying hundreds of pounds of equipment without the aid
of pack animals. When they finally
reached their destination, Jackson and his team spent a night in the high
altitude air so that he could be in just the right spot to take the perfect
picture when the sun rose. But all these
efforts proved to be worth it. That
photograph won Jackson
numerous awards and, among other things, inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to
pen his poem The Cross of Snow.
The
next year, western artist Thomas Moran accompanied the expedition and made
several rough sketches. When he returned
to his studio he did not attempt to create a faithful reproduction of what he’d
seen, but rather a “true impression. As
one website stated “In
an attempt to capture the "true impression" of the scene rather than
a topographical view, Moran freely invented the foreground waterfall in his
painting. Forthright about his approach, Moran declared, "I place no value
upon literal transcripts from Nature. My general scope is not realistic; all my
tendencies are toward idealization....Topography in art is
valueless." The result was the 7’ x
5’ painting Mountain of the Holy Cross, finished in 1875.
Both Jackson ’s photograph and Moran’s painting were exhibited
in the 1876 Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia . The public was immediately looked for
religious implications of this natural wonder.
Many saw the presence of the cross in this particular location as a
blessing on the idea of the nation’s Manifest Destiny to continue the westward
expansion. Others went so far as to
assign it curative powers. It became
the destination of many pilgrimages and was credited with many cures.
Now
for the scientific explanation.
Centuries of erosion carved two very deep ravines in the rugged rock
face, and these intersected at a ninety degree angle. These ravines fill with snow during the
winter months, and their steep walls keep that snow sheltered in the spring and
part of the summer, well after the rest of the mountain’s snowfall has melted
away. It does eventually melt as well,
but for 2-3 months every year, a dramatically perfect white cross could be
viewed from great distances. The
vertical portion of the cross is about 1200 feet long and 50 feet wide. The horizontal arms have a combined length of
about 700 feet (though this varies with the season). The altitude of that particular mountain peak
is just over 17,600 feet.
.
In 1929
President Herbert Hoover designated the Mountain of the Holy Cross a National
Monument. The monument was then
transferred from the USDA Forest Service to the National Park Service in
1933. Then in 1950 it lost its National
Monument designation and was returned to the oversight of the Forest Service.
Eventually,
visitation to the site fell off, and nature took its toll on the mountain itself
as well. Erosion has caused the right
arm of the cross to virtually disappear, making it difficult to visualize the
cross as it once was.
The
AmericanDigest.org site describes it this way:
“The Mountain of the Holy Cross began as a myth and became a rumor. Then it became a
report, a photograph, and a painting. In time it became a destination for
pilgrims and tourists. Shortly after that it ceased to exist.”
So
what do you think? Do you think this was
just some natural phenomenon, some accident of nature? Or do you believe it was put there at that
time and place for a purpose?
And
do you have any first hand experience with this or any other natural phenomena
you’d like to share with us?
What a wonderful story, Winnie. Thanks for sharing. We'll never understand exactly why things happen the way they do and when they do. This "Snow Cross" is an example of God's hand in nature, and not simply an "accident." Perhaps it was needed at just that time to give the early pioneer travelers hope for the future. It also reminds us that God is in control over all the universe. I haven't had any experience with anything like this. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi Martha. I agree that this was God's way, at least in part, to encourage and provide hope - and what a magnificent way to do it!
DeleteI think the snow cross was put there by God. My family and I saw this last year. We had just moved to Colorado and for me, it was like it was put there to give hope to those coming to a new area. It really is beautiful to see. Thank you for sharing about it. I needed this reminder today!
ReplyDeleteHi Joy! How wonderful that you've been able to see this for yourself! And thanks for sharing that with us.
DeleteI am not sure if the cross of snow was there for a purpose. I tend to think it was a geological event. Thanks for the blog post. sharon, wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteHi Sharon, thanks for stopping by and sharing your opinion. Hope you're having a wonderful Christmas season.
Delete