ENGELMANN — ALTITUDE OF PIKE'S PEAK. 131 



raised almost exclusively along the South Platte, or near the 

 base of the mountains, where irrigating streams can be con- 

 ducted over alluvial flats. Within the mountains, at an eleva- 

 tion of 8,000-9,000 ft., rarely some sunny nook in a sheltered 

 valley is planted with potatoes, turnips, and other kitchen 

 vegetables. At an elevation of 8,500 feet potatoes become 

 precarious, and the doctor saw a small potatoe patch, at 8,738 

 feet altitude, cut down by frost on August 4th. Turnips do 

 better. These facts are curious, because it is generally as- 

 sumed that cereals can be raised in mountain districts almost 

 as high up as trees will grow. The pastures are good far up 

 the alpine slopes, and unsurpassed in the upper part of the 

 Middle Park, 8,000-8,700 feet high ; but they are poor on the 

 rocky slopes lower down. 



1. Route from Omaha to Denver. Feet. 



Omaha, library in statehouse, 211 feet above the Missouri .... 1,155 

 Baker's and Fales' Ranch, 2 miles above lower crossing of 



South Platte 3,161 



Julesburg, upper crossing of South Platte, 8 feet above river.. 3,703 



Mouth of Beaver Creek, 4 feet above river 4,284 



Bijou Creek, on "Cut-off" 4,712 



Mail Station, 12 miles from last point, now abandoned 4,963 



Thirteen-mile Creek, 13 miles from Denver 5,776 



Denver City, lower bottom of Platte, near mouth of Cherry 



creek 5,303 



2. Route from Denver southwestwardly to Tarry all, 80 miles. 



Mount Vernon, at the base of the mountains, 12 miles from 



Denver 6,421 



Bergen's Ranch, 10 miles further south-west 7,752 



Bear-creek Station, 15 feet above level of creek 7,198 



Bradford Junction, 8 miles further 8,069 



Dr. Casto's Ranch, 1J miles from last 8,380 



Elk Creek, 6 miles from Junction, 25 ft. above level of creek.. 8,150 



Summit of hill on road leading down to the Platte 8,881 



North branch of South Platte, 10 feet above water level 8,028 



Same, 6 miles higher up, at Lee's Ranch, 30 ft. do. do 8,435 



Same, 3 miles higher up, at a deserted Ranch, 6 ft. do. do — 8,657 

 Same, 11 miles higher up, junction of the upper branches, 



near a deserted Ranch, 8 feet above water level 9,153 



First appearance of Pinus aristata on the road 9,342 



Lake-house, on the Divide leading down to the South Park ...10,041 



South Park, at Junction Ranch 9,453 



Same, near the town of Jefferson 9,842 



Range-house, near Georgia Pass 10,498 



Georgia Pass, or Jefferson Pass, over the Snowy Range to 



Georgia Gulch* 11,487 



• It may be this pass which Fremont crossed June 22, 1844, estimating 

 its altitude at 11,200 feet. He had, by the boiling point, found his camp 

 on the northern slope to be 10,430 feet high ; " still the pine forests con- 

 tinued j" the divide itself was estimated about 800 feet higher. 



