American Big Game in its Haunts 



Ord and Thomas peaks. These elevated plains are 

 separated from those of the Little Colorado to the 

 north by the belt of forests already described as 

 covering the abrupt northern wall of the plateau. 

 On the other sides of the "Big Mesa" an unbroken 

 forest extends away over the undulating mountainous 

 country as far as the eye can reach. The northerly 

 slopes of the higher elevations in this section are 

 covered with spruce forest. 



The most varied and beautiful part of the entire 

 Black Mesa Reserve lies in the country extending 

 southeasterly from Ord and Thomas peaks and im- 

 mediately south of the "Big Mesa." This is the ex- 

 treme upper part of the basin of Black River, which 

 is formed by numerous little streams rising from 

 springs and wet meadows at an elevation of from 

 8,500 to 9,500 feet. The little meadows form attrac- 

 tive grassy openings in the forest, covered in summer 

 with a multitude of wild flowers and surrounded by 

 the varied foliage of diflferent trees and shrubs. The 

 little streams flow down gently sloping courses, which 

 gradually deepen to form shallow side cafions leading 

 into the main river. Black River is a clear, sparkling 

 trout stream at the bottom of a deep, rugged box 

 canon, cut through a lava bed and forming a series 

 of wildly picturesque views. The sides of Black 

 River Canon and its small tributaries are well for- 

 ested. On the cool northerly slope the forest is made 

 up of a heavy growth of pines, firs, aspens and alder 

 bushes, which give way on the southerly slope, where 

 the full force of the sun is felt, to a thin growth of 

 pines, grass and a little underbrush. 



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