I used to stop by here for some cool mineral water after riding
my road bike back from Woodland Park. There are several springs to
get water from in Manitou Springs. I always liked this one the
best.
The Ute Chief Spring is one o fthe five natural springs in the
Manitou Springs area. It is a major spring in the western end of
Manitou Avenue near the entrance to Ute Pass. It's presence acted
as a symbol for Indians to lay down their arms and be peaceful in
spirit.
For many years this spring and a 48 foot geyser across the road
greeted travelers enetering and leaving the Manitou area. For this
reason and because it is one of the sweeter tasting spring waters,
Ute Chief is one of the most well known of all springs.
Over the years, the original statue of an Indian pouring water
from his jug was destroyed. In 1989, Thomas Howard commissioned
artsit Steve Titus to construct a statue resembling the original.
This hammered iron statue stands approximately eight feet tell,
weighing 1,100 pounds. Ute Chief Spring was dedicated June 23,
1989.
The Indians who traveled in this region long ago considered the
land around the springs sacred. The bubbles, or natural carbonation
in the water, represented to them the breath of the Great Spirit
"Manitou". With the westward spread of early settlements and the
foresight of individuals like the town’s founder Dr. William A.
Bell, Manitou Springs developed around the mineral springs,
becoming a destination resort for people desiring a health vacation
in the "Saratoga of the West". Visitors arrived with doctors’
prescriptions to drink specific waters as a cure for their
ills.Water issuing from an artesian spring rises to a higher
elevation than the top of the confined aquifer from which it
issues. When water issues from the ground it may form into a pool
or flow downhill, in surface streams. Sometimes a spring is termed
a seep.
Minerals become dissolved in the water as it moves through the
underground rocks. This may give the water flavor and even carbon
dioxide bubbles, depending upon the nature of the geology through
which it passes. This is why spring water is often bottled and sold
as mineral water, although the term is often the subject of
deceptive advertising. Springs that contain significant amounts of
minerals are sometimes called 'mineral springs'. Springs that
contain large amounts of dissolved sodium salts, mostly sodium
carbonate, are called 'soda springs'. Many resorts have developed
around mineral springs known as spa towns.
To date, the Mineral Springs Foundation, in cooperation with the
City of Manitou Springs, private individuals and numerous
organizations have restored a number of the springs to their
original splendor. The waters are available free to the public.
People fill cups or jugs from their favorite spring. Walking tours
called "Springsabouts" are held and maps are available for those
who prefer to tour the springs at their own pace.
To get credit for the EC post a picture of yourself (face
included) with GPS in hand and the Indian Sculpture in the back
ground and answer the following questions.
1. What is the temp of the water?(estimated)
2. Estimate how fast the water is flowing (mph)
3. what kind of bottling company is located to the right of the
Spring?
PLEASE READ! BEING A OWNER OF ANY CACHE TYPE CAN BE A JOURNEY
IN ITSELF WITH THE VISITORS WHO LOG THE CACHES, BE IT A GOOD
EXPERIENCE OR BAD. IF YOU LOG THE EC IN ANY LANGUAGE OTHER THAN
ENGLISH, I AM ASKING FOR YOU TO TRANSLATE THE LANGUAGE TO ME
THROUGH EMAIL BEFORE POSTING. IF YOU USE ACRONYMS ONLY KNOWN TO
YOURSELF, AGAIN I AM ASKING FOR A DEFINITION BEFORE POSTING.
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE POSTED LOGGING REQUIREMENTS WILL RESULT IN A
LOG DELETION.
| Cav Scout has earned GSA's highest
level |
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Do not log this
EC unless you have answered the questions and have a picture ready
to post! Logs with no photo of the actual cacher (human face
included) logging the find or failure to answer questions or
negative comments will result in a log deletion without notice.
Exceptions will be considered if you contact me first (I realize
sometimes we forget our cameras or the batteries die). You must
post a photo at the time of logging your find. If your picture is
not ready then wait until you have a photo.
Sources of
information for the EarthCache quoted from the Garden of The Gods
website. I have used sources available to me by using google search
to get information for this earth cache. I am by no means a
geologist.. I use books, internet, and ask questions about geology
just like 99.9 percent of the geocachers who create these great
Earth Caches. I enjoy Earth Caches and want people to get out and
see what I see every time I go and explore this great place we live
in.