NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



239 



Deer, elk, and black bear are found 

 over a large portion of the forest. Cou- 

 gar occur in small numbers and bighorn 

 sheep occasionally. Trout are found 

 in most streams and lakes. 



Eraser, D. & S. L. R. R., is center of 

 lodgepole pine and Engelmann spruce 

 areas and several sawmill operations. 

 Ranger at Idlewild R. S., 5 mi. SE. 

 Small hotel at Eraser. 



Grand Lake is one of largest in state; 

 reached by stage from Granby, 20 mi., 

 or from Estes Park. Summer resort; 

 ample accommodations. Center for num- 

 ber small mountain lakes and peaks. 



Monarch Lake, 20 mi. from Granby 

 by auto road or 12 mi. from Tabernash 

 by trail. 



Plots 20 ft. square have been fenced 

 against grazing to study effect of grazing 

 on forage species. One is near Gilsonite 

 R. S., auto from Granby and two more 

 near Hot Sulphur Springs, walk. 



Winter range of deer and elk near Hot 

 Sulphur Springs. Williams Fork State 

 Game Refuge (1923) lies back of this 

 and extends to timber-line. 400 deer 

 and 400 elk in vicinity. 



Cochetopa National Forest (Colorado) 



Contains extensive areas of lodgepole 

 pine in northern portion, which is the 

 southern limit of lodgepole pine; Engel- 

 mann spruce at high elevations; mixed 

 stands of Douglas fir and yellow pine 

 at lower altitudes. Extensive burns in 

 spruce type on Saguache, Mineral and 

 Spring Creek drainages, 1893. Typical 

 burns may be seen at Marshall Pass 

 (D. & R. G. W. narrow-gauge) as well 

 as anywhere. Burns also in the lodge- 

 pole pine type during the last 35 or 40 

 years; probably entire tj^pe has followed 

 fires which occurred in the last 200 years, 

 and original tj^pe on northerly slopes in 

 present lodgepole pine stands was 

 largely Douglas fir. 



Bighorn sheep range, an area of 3200 

 acres, lies between the cattle range on 

 Spring and Mineral Creeks and the high 

 sheep range, so rough and inaccessible 

 that it is not grazed by domestic stock. 

 Reached bv few miles on foot, snow- 



shoes, or horseback from Cathedral 

 after 40-mile stage from Gunnison. 

 (D. & R. G. W. R. R.) Ranger at Cathe- 

 dral entire year. 



Poncha Pass State Game Refuge 

 (1923) lies near Salida and is bounded on 

 the north bj- the transcontinental auto- 

 highway over Monarch Pass. Similarly 

 the Cochetopa State Game Refuge 

 (1923) may be reached from Salida or 

 Saguache over the Cochetopa Pass high- 

 way, the area lying to the south of this 

 road and east of the Continental Divide. 

 Both highways are main routes of travel 

 to Gunnison and the west. 



Sargents (D. & R. G. W. R. R. froni 

 Salida) is in the center of the lodgepole 

 pine forest. Eight sample plots have 

 been established in this vicinity, 7 of 

 which are j acre and one 1 acre in area. 

 Designed to show the results of thin- 

 nings in lodgepole pine timber which 

 matures at mine-prop size. For further 

 details of location see ranger stationed 

 either at Sargent's or at Long Branch 

 ranger station 3 mi. distant. 



Sample plot of h acre on overgrazed 

 range badly infested with pingue (Hij- 

 menoxys). The original grama-grass 

 tj'pe has been largely replaced l)y pingue. 

 Grazing has been excluded from the 

 sample area by fence to determine 

 whether grama grass will recover and 

 dominate the pingue. Reached from 

 Moffat (D. & R. G. W. R. R.) by an 18- 

 mi. stage trip to Saguache, thence 17 

 mi. by auto to the area. Ranger at 

 Carnero R. S. can be reached by phone 

 from Saguache. 



Colorado National Forest (Colorado) 



The Forest covers portions of the 

 North and South Platte watersheds and 

 bounds the Rocky Mt. Nat. Park on 

 3 sides. Forests of lodgepole pine, 

 Engelmann spruce and alpine fir (Abies 

 lasiocaria) cover large areas in the higher 

 elevations. The type in the foothills 

 embraces yellow pine, with an admixture 

 of Douglas fir. About 20St burned and 

 cut-over. 



The Colorado State Game Refuge 

 (1921) covers a large part of the Forest. 



