116 GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 
As the railroad curves about the terminal moraine that marks the 
lower limit of the glacier the traveler may catch, far to the west 
(left), a fleeting glimpse of the Mount of the Holy Cross (13,986 
feet), so named because the snow on its east slope clings throughout 
the summer in a great vertical cleft that extends nearly the whole 
height of the mountain and in a horizontal cleft that crosses the 
vertical cleft, the two together having the form of a cross. The 
Mount of the Holy Cross is familiar to many persons through 
Moran’s painting, which has been reproduced extensively in colored 
prints and postcards. It is doubtful whether from Pando the trav- 
eler can see, even in the best weather, more than the crest of the peak, 
but farther along the road, near Minturn, he may obtain a somewhat 
better view of this well-known mountain. The cross and the moun- 
tain that bears it are well shown in Plate LITI. 
In some places the rock beds are bent-upward and the underlying 
granite appears in great irregular masses, but beyond such bosses, 
which continue only for short distances, the quartzite takes its ac- 
customed place at railroad leve 
The course of the river is ‘nearly due north to the pediation with | 
Weary Man’s Creek, which comes in from the east. The combined 
stream turns abruptly and flows west until it joins Homestake Creek 
and is again in its rightful valley. At the sharp turn from north to 
west is situated the mining camp of Redcliff, which 
is also the county seat of Eagle County. This val- 
ley was the route of an A ae party under the 
command of Capt. (afterward Gen.) John C. 
Frémont, and a flag on a rocky eminence on the 
siigbih of the railroad in Redcliff i is said to mark the site of an en- 
gagement with the Ute Indians in one of his expeditions between 
1842 and 1845. 
Several mines are in operation in the vicinity of Redcliff, and 
others may be seen in the canyon between Redcliff and Minturn. 
(See Pls. L, B, and LIV.) Some of these mines have found gold 
in the dranits near the railroad track, but most of them are operat- 
ing in the Leadville limestone at the top of the canyon wall and the 
Redcliff.. - 
Elevation 8,608 feet. 
Population 34 
Denver 294 miles 
at that time are shown on the accom- 
panying map (PI. LIT) 
on the west side of the valley, is here 
at creek level on the right; and a at 
The contrast of the broad valley 
above Pando and the narrow rocky 
gorge into which the stream plunges 
near milepost 290 is striking. To add 
to the ruggedness of the scene the 
Rink which up to this point has 
been high up on the slopes, especially 
milepost 290 the base of the quartzite 
crosses the stream and makes cliffs 
on both sides of the gorge. The gorge 
is so narrow that it can accommodate 
only the stream and the railroad, but 
even in order to build the ra 
much rock cutting was necessary. 
4 
