FOEMER GLACIATIOX OF THE GREAT BASIN RANGES. 63 



The general result of all these explorations is the same as that so clearly 

 established in California, — namely, that comj^aratively only a very small por- 

 tion of the highest i-anges of mountains which stretch across that vast region 

 has ever been covered Avitli glaciers; and, furthermore, as a necessary conse- 

 quence of this, that there has never been, in this region, anything lil^e a 

 Northern Drift period, or a transportation of material in any general direc- 

 tion, independent of the present topograjjhical features of the country. 



No traces of former glaciers have been observed in any of the ranges of 

 Western Nevada, so far as known to the writer. The West Humboldt 

 Range, the culminating point of which. Star Peak, is 9,925 feet above the 

 sea-level, shows no signs of former glaciation. In the East Humboldt Range, 

 on the other hand, the ice-fields were once of considerable size, as reported 

 by Messrs. Emmons and Hague.* The commanding point of tliis range is 

 Mount Bonpland, which has a height of 11,321 feet, several other jDoints 

 reaching over 10,000 feet. According to the authority quoted, the summits of 

 the East Humboldt Range, from White Cloud Peak to the northern end, all 

 show abundant evidences of glaciation. In the caiion of the south branch 

 of the South Fork of the Humboldt River the glacier was eight miles 

 long. Fifty miles of the range present a pretty continuous area of glaciated 

 surfaces. 



The Wahsatch Mountains also furnish abundant evidences of former 

 glaciers, but only in their higher portions. According to Messrs. Ennnons 

 and Hague, such traces are most conspicuous in the Cottonwood region, or 

 that part of the Wahsatch Range which is included between Utah Lake and 

 Emisrration Caiion, where the mountain mass is about fifteen miles in width 

 and over 10,000 feet in average height, the highest point, Clayton's Peak, 

 reaching an elevation of '11,889 feet. From this dominating peak the main 

 system of glaciers radiated out, as shown by the topography, as well as by 

 moraines and the shapes of the caiions. Most of these glaciers, however, did 

 not descend to a very low level ; but that of Little Cottonwood is thought to 

 have extended down to the shore of the ancient lake which once filled the 

 Utah Basin. 



There appear also to be some evidences of former glaciers on the Uinta 

 Range; but, as for as can be judged from the published descriptions of that 

 region, the area covered by them was not extensive. Messrs. Emmons and 

 Hague speakf of shallow mountain lakes, occuj^ying glacier-worn basins in 



* Fortieth Parallel Survey, A'ol. UI. Descriptive Geologj', pp. 533, u37. 

 t 1. c, p. 312. 



