250 JOHN C. FKEMONT. 



country over which it passed, which was, in fact, 

 the main object of our expedition. 



"Our progress in this mountainous region was 

 necessarily slow; and, during ten days which it 

 occupied us to pass through about one hundred 

 miles of the mountainous country bordering the 

 eastern side of the Upper Colorado Valley, the great- 

 est depth of snow was, among the pines and aspens, 

 on the ridges about two and a half feet, and in the 

 valleys about six inches. The atmosphere is too cold 

 and dry for much snow, and the valleys, protected 

 by the mountains, are comparatively free from it and 

 warm. We here found villages of Utah Indians in 

 their wintering ground, in little valleys along the 

 foot of the highest mountains and bordering the 

 more open country of the Colorado Valley. Snow 

 was here (December 25) only a few inches deep, 

 the grass generally appearing above it, and there 

 being none under trees and on southern hill-sides. 



"The horses of the Utahs were living on the 

 range, and, notwithstanding that they were used in 

 hunting, were in excellent condition. One which 

 we had occasion to kill for food had on it about two 

 inches of fat, being in as good order as any buffalo 

 we had killed in November on the eastern plains. 

 Over this valley-country about one hundred and 

 fifty miies across the Indians informed us that snow 



