ROUTE TO BAYOU SALDAE. 287 



several inches, but the lapse of a few hours served to disclose the bare 

 vegetation of the valleys, and denuded spots upon the mountain sides. 



Again en route, we continued up a large stream from the south and struck 

 into a broad trail, which led through large openings and forests of aspen 

 across the main mountain chain, to the waters of Grand river, into a beau- 

 tiful valley known as the Old Park, where we remained encamped the two 

 days subsequent. 



Our nearest route to Fort Lancaster would have been by Cache a la 

 Poudre, or Long's Peak ; but, accumulating snows admonished us to aban- 

 don the Atlantic side of the mountains for a more southern latitude. 



The country in the vicinity of the Old Park is highly interesting. Item- 

 braces a large tract of fertile territory, v/ell watered and timbered, but more 

 or less undulating, and is hemmed in by high mountains, which are clothed 

 with lateral forests of pine, cedar, and aspen. 



This valley ranges from east to west ; and, heading at the base of Long's 

 Peak, finds its opposite extremity at the canon by which Grand river 

 emerges through the opposing barriers of mountain spurs. 



The Old Park also, like the New, receives its appellation from the great 

 abundance of game for which it is celebrated. 



CHAPTER XXVin. 



From Grand river to Bayou Saliide. — Observations by the way. — Description of the 

 Bayou. — Voracity of magpies. — ^Journey to Cherry creek. — Country en route. — 

 Crystal creek. — Abundance of game. — Antelope hunting. — Remarkable sagacity of 

 wolves. — Snow storms and amusement. — Ravens. — Move camp. — Comfortable win- 

 ter quarters. — Animal food conducive to general health and longevity. — A laugha- 

 ble instance of sound sleeping. — Astonishing wolfine rapacity. — Beaver lodges anJ 

 all about beaver. — Hunting excursion.— Vasque's creek, its valleys, table lands, 

 mountains, and prairies. — Camp. — Left alone. — Sensations, and care to avoid dan- 

 ger. — A nocturnal visitor. — Thrilling adventure and narrow escape. — A lofty speci- 

 men of" gettin down stairs." — Geological statistics. 



While camped at the Old Park, I improved the opportunity for ranging 

 among the adjacent mountains, whose stern recesses disclosed many smil- 

 ing beauty-spots. The weather continued pleasant, though somewhat colder 

 than usual ; and, notwithstanding the snow in places lay quite deep, it had 

 acquired great solidity and compactness. 



On the 10th of December we were again under way. 



Crossing Grand river and continuing up a southern tributary, through a 

 a narrow detile of mountains, to a large valley formed at the junction of 

 three principal branches, known us La Bonte's-hole, and choosing the mid- 

 dle one, we proceeded to its head, — thence, passing the dividing ridge by a 

 well-beaten bufililo trail, to the right of Long's Peak, on the 16th wd 



