FOREST RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 589 



ever did. Denver^ which formerly obtained her supplies of lumber within twenty or 

 thirty miles, now has to haul much of it sixty. Other examples might be cited, but it 

 would only be an accumulation of evidence. 



Professor Hayden, in speaking of the resources of Wyoming Terri- 

 tory, in his report of 1871 (p. 224), says:^ 



The principal timbered sections of Wyoming are those along the southern boundary 

 of the Territory and in the extreme northwestern corner ; largo tracts of country, even 

 within the mountain districts, as Laramie Plains, the Green River Plains, and Sweet- 

 water country being almost; entirely timberless. 



Mr. Henry Gannett, in reporting to Professor Hayden the geography 

 of a division between parallels of latitude 38° 45' and 39° 80', aud be- 

 tween the 8th guide-meridian of the land-survey on the east, and by 

 the 107th meridian on the west, makes the following statements con- 

 cerning the timber : 



The plains forming the eastern part has no timber, except on the summit of the 

 divide. The Colorado or Front Range, a plateau region rising abruptly from the 

 plains, is sparsely timbered with pine and spruce. Between Tarryall Creek and the 

 South Platte, the country is open, park-like, and well watered, as also is most of the coun- 

 try lying south of the South Platte. There is plenty of the best timber aud grass. There 

 is'uo timber iu South Park except on the sides, but in the mountains there is an abun- 

 dance of the best timber. West of the Park Range is the valley of the headwati-rs of 

 the Arkansas River, 5 to 10 miles wide,well watered, and sparsely timbered. Eagle River 

 heads opposite the head of the Arkansas, iu Tennessee Pass, and flows northwest to 

 the Grand River. There is an abundance of timber in the hills. The vegetation of 

 the mountain valleys, drained by the Gunnison River and Roaring Fork, have a rich 

 soil, derived from limestone and sandstone, with pine and spruce trees covering the 

 ridges heavily, while the bottoms are choked by quaking aspen trees. 



Mr. Gannett, in his botanical notes, mentions as among the trees 

 affording timber, the Populus balsamifera var. candicans, the cottonwood 

 occurring at middle elevation, and the only poplar that could be used as 

 timber ; Finns ponderosa, the yellow pine, growing 70 to 100 feet high, 

 and common on the lower slopes, a most useful timber tree; Pinus 

 Jlexilis, on the divide between South Park and the Arkansas Valley ; 

 Pinus edulis, the piiiou pine, near Colorado Springs and Twin Lakes, 

 and AMes Engehnanni^ the white pine, growing 60 to 100 feet high, wood 

 closely allied to the black spruce of the cast, and found on the mountain 

 slopes of the Elk and Sawatch ranges. 



The timber line was found as follows: 



Foet. 



Pike's Peak, east face 11,721 



Mount Guyot, north face 11,811 



Mount Silverheels, northeast face 11,549 



Mount Lincoln, east face 12,051 



At head of Buckskin Gulch, south face 11, 587 



Station 52, Park Range, east face 11,063 



Station .50, Park Range, east face 11,752 



Park range. Mosquito Trail, west face 11,656 



Park range. Mosquito Trail, east face 11,656 



Station 40, near Mount Evans, south face 11,559 



Buftalo Peak, northwest face 12, 041 



Sawatch Range, head of Frying-pan Creek, west face 11,583 



Massive Mountain, north face 11,607 



Mount Elbert, east face ' 11,871 



La Plata, east face 12,080 



Grizzly Peak, south face 11, 7.5S 



Mount Harvard, east face 12, 117 



Station 89, near Mount Princeton 11,514 



Station 03, Elk Mountains, east face 11,513 



White Rock Moiiutains, south face 11,919 



Station 68, Elk Mountains 11,686 



Station 82 on ridge north of Frying-pan Creek 11, 830 



Station 75, near head of Texas Creek 11,574 



Mean elevation of timber line 11,694 



' Report, 1873, p. 671. 



