DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN ROUTE. 97 
About a mile north of Nathrop the Denver & Rio Grande Western 
crosses to the east side of Arkansas River, and a short distance far- 
ther on it crosses the Colorado & Southern Railway, which follows 
the east side of the valley from this point up to Buena (bway’na) 
Vista. After he crosses this railway the traveler, if the light is 
just right, may see faintly in the distance on the side of Mount 
Princeton a wagon road that zigzags up the south spur of the moun- 
tain to some old mines, from which it has been extended to the top. 
This road may soon be so improved that automobiles can reach the 
top of the mountain, from which an even wider view may be ob- 
tained than that from Pikes Peak, for Mount Princeton is sur- 
rounded by range after range that can be seen only from some com- 
manding eminence. The height of Mount Princeton is 14,177 feet. 
Its relation to the Arkansas Valley is well shown in Plate XLVI. 
Near milepost 237 the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad 
again crosses Arkansas River, and a short distance beyond this cross- 
ing the traveler may see Trout Creek Pass on the east (right). The 
Colorado Midland Railway formerly operated a line through this 
pass. At a lower level he may see the Colorado & Southern Rail- 
way, which crosses through the same pass. This road formerly con- 
nected the lines of this system in South Park with the line that runs 
southward from Buena Vista, but it is not now in operation. 
About 2 miles north of the river crossing just mentioned, on the 
east side of the track, is the State Reformatory, to which juvenile 
offenders are sent. After crossing Cottonwood Creek, at fine, swift, 
clear mountain torrent, the railroad reaches Buena Vista (“good 
view”), a town embowered in a beautiful grove of cottonwood trees 
and one of the most attractive places in this part of 
Buena Vista. the Arkansas Valley. It stands at the intersection 
Elevation 7,968 fect. of two of the most noted automobile roads in the 
rie ok mins ‘State—the Rainbow Highway from Canon City up 
the Arkansas and the road from Colorado Springs 
Dy way of South Park. These roads, after uniting, continue north- 
ward through Tennessee Pass and westward to Glenwood Springs and 
tand Junction. Cottonwood Creek, which furnishes an abundance 
of pure water for domestic use and for irrigation, comes down in a 
deep canyon between Mount Princeton and Mount Yale from the » 
Continental Divide, which is some distance west of these high peaks. 
Long ago a great glacier occupied the canyon and scoured it out, ie 
it came down only to the point where the canyon opens out into 
ES cise iad tae ER ae cas A catalase 12 cin 
may not h owever, he can be almost certain that 
only a eit atti: feuareallies neh - fire has swept over that tract and 
Seeds could survive. Where the tray- | was followed by a heavy fall of seed 
eler sees a dense patch of these pine | and. favorable weather during the sub- 
trees in a tract on the mountain side, | sequent growing season, 
