112 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 
near the railroad, where the trees have been cut for use in building 
the railroad and in working the mines. It is now a part of the Holy 
Cross National Forest, which is described by Smith Riley in the foot- 
note.** 
Like most mountain valleys that stand at a high altitude the valley 
of Piney Creek is broad and has gentle slopes. The old roadbed 
of the narrow-gage line, which crossed the summit of the pass, may 
be seen on the left of the present road, several hundred feet above it. 
The old line made a great detour to the west into the main valley, 
and its bed joins that of the present line at the station of Mitchell. 
Few rocks can be seen in place, but the tunnel at the pass was driven 
in granite, which is exposed also from place to place in cuts on the 
railroad. Just below Mitchell the stream has cut a 
Mitchell. rugged trench in the granite on the east side of its 
Elevation 9,925 feet. valley, upon which it had been crowded by a great 
Cee mass of boulders and clay pushed out by a glacier 
that came down from the west. This glacier came 
at least as far as the creek, and at times the ice probably turned north- 
ward and followed the creek for several hundred.yards. The condi- 
tions here resembled those that prevailed in Wildhorse Canyon, 
already described. 
elow this point the stream has cut a deep gorge in its rocky floor, 
and its descent is so rapid that the railroad can not follow it, but 
climbs down more gradually along the west wall of the canyon. The 
* After passing through the tunnel 
at Tennessee Pass the traveler enters 
the Holy Cross National Forest. This 
forest, which covers 577,634 acres and 
includes 2 of the drainage basin of 
Eagle River, takes its name from the 
furnished with timber from the dead 
trees on the large tracts that. were 
Swept by fires before the national for- 
country, and some is shipped westward 
and made into crates for the fruit that 
is jeg in the vicinity of Grand 
Cy 
= 
nctio: 
The pus fishing in the waters of 
the Holy Cross Forest is pip ir one lade 
the Bureau of Fisheries and the 
ce keep the streams and att 
well cicomee by yearly “ od nts” of 
young fish. (See Pl. LI, B.) Game 
animals and birds of all kinds are con- 
is severe and food is scarce, the wild 
thorities are informed and steps are 
taken to feed them. Wild deer and 
mountain sheep (see Pl. LVII, A, 
. 182) feed each winter in Glenwood 
