﻿PEALE.] 
  SIEEEA 
  LA 
  SAL 
  SINDBAD's 
  VALLEY. 
  61 
  

  

  rise 
  close 
  to 
  Dolores 
  and 
  flow 
  toward 
  the 
  south 
  and 
  northwest, 
  cutting 
  

   deeper 
  and 
  deeper 
  into 
  the 
  rocks 
  as 
  they 
  proceed. 
  

  

  The 
  southern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Salt 
  Mountains 
  is 
  drained 
  by 
  a 
  number 
  

   of 
  branches 
  flowing 
  approximately 
  parallel 
  to 
  each 
  other 
  toward 
  the 
  

   southeast, 
  uniting 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  stream 
  flowing 
  east 
  and 
  southeast 
  into 
  the 
  

   Dolores. 
  

  

  Station 
  68 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  highest 
  peak 
  of 
  the 
  Salt 
  Mountains. 
  It 
  rises 
  ab- 
  

   ruptly 
  from 
  its 
  base 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  3,277 
  feet. 
  From 
  the 
  base 
  toward 
  

   the 
  Dolores 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  more 
  gradual 
  slope 
  over 
  stratified 
  beds. 
  The 
  peak 
  

   is 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  porphyritic 
  trachyte, 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  near 
  the 
  

   top, 
  which 
  is 
  flat 
  and 
  tablelike, 
  and 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  yellow 
  and 
  

   reddish 
  sandstones 
  and 
  metamorphosed 
  argillaceous 
  shales. 
  These 
  are 
  

   probably 
  of 
  Cretaceous 
  age, 
  and 
  are 
  doubtless 
  the 
  remnant 
  of 
  strata 
  

   that 
  once 
  extended 
  over 
  the 
  mountains 
  previous 
  to 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  any 
  

   erosive 
  influences. 
  The 
  trachyte 
  probably 
  forced 
  its 
  way 
  through 
  the 
  

   underlying 
  layers, 
  and 
  carried 
  this 
  layer 
  up 
  with 
  it. 
  In 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   peaks 
  immediately 
  north, 
  between 
  stations 
  68 
  and 
  67, 
  black 
  shales 
  (prob- 
  

   ably 
  No. 
  2 
  and 
  No. 
  3 
  Cretaceous) 
  appear 
  on 
  the 
  sides, 
  imbedded 
  in 
  the 
  

   mass 
  of 
  trachyte. 
  Groves 
  of 
  quaking-aspens 
  grow 
  about 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  

   station, 
  extending 
  some 
  distance 
  down 
  the 
  ridges 
  between 
  the 
  creeks. 
  

   Where 
  the 
  creeks 
  unite 
  there 
  is 
  open 
  valley, 
  but 
  from 
  this 
  valley 
  the 
  

   main 
  stream 
  (Tukuhnikavatz 
  Creek) 
  plunges 
  into 
  a 
  caiion, 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  

   lateral 
  caSon 
  of 
  the 
  caiion 
  of 
  tlie 
  Eio 
  Dolores. 
  Nearly 
  two 
  miles 
  farther 
  

   down 
  the 
  Dolores, 
  the 
  next 
  creek 
  comes 
  in, 
  flowing 
  down 
  the 
  broad 
  

   anticlinal 
  valley, 
  (Paradox 
  Valley,) 
  across 
  wbich 
  the 
  Dolores 
  cuts 
  before 
  

   the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Miguel 
  is 
  reached. 
  This 
  creek 
  does 
  not 
  head 
  in 
  

   the 
  mountains, 
  but 
  drains 
  the 
  country 
  east 
  of 
  station 
  68. 
  Opposite 
  its 
  

   mouth 
  another 
  creek 
  joins, 
  coming 
  from 
  the 
  southeast 
  in 
  an 
  equally 
  broad 
  

   valley. 
  On 
  either 
  side 
  the 
  rocks 
  beneath 
  the 
  red 
  beds 
  are 
  exposed. 
  

   This 
  valley 
  is 
  probably 
  of 
  later 
  origin 
  than 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Dolores. 
  

  

  The 
  next 
  creek 
  (Eoc 
  Creek) 
  is 
  of 
  considerable 
  size, 
  draining 
  the 
  eastern 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  range. 
  The 
  main 
  stream 
  has 
  an 
  easterly 
  course, 
  and 
  rises 
  

   in 
  the 
  heart 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  between 
  stations 
  67 
  and 
  68. 
  The 
  other 
  branches 
  

   are 
  north 
  of 
  station 
  67. 
  They 
  flow 
  out 
  from 
  the 
  mountains 
  directly 
  east 
  

   for 
  about 
  three 
  miles 
  to 
  a 
  creek 
  flowing 
  to 
  the 
  southeast. 
  This 
  marks 
  the 
  

   axis 
  of 
  a 
  synclinal 
  fold. 
  The 
  beds 
  are 
  Triassic, 
  dipping 
  from 
  the 
  mount- 
  

   ains, 
  and 
  forming 
  the 
  summits 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  peaks 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  edge 
  

   of 
  the 
  range. 
  Dark-red 
  shales 
  show 
  beneath 
  the 
  red 
  sandstones. 
  There 
  

   are 
  parks 
  on 
  these 
  creeks, 
  although 
  they 
  cut 
  deeply 
  into 
  the 
  strata. 
  The 
  

   main 
  creek, 
  after 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  this 
  branch, 
  cuts 
  into 
  the 
  red 
  beds. 
  

   For 
  a 
  very 
  short 
  distance 
  it 
  follows 
  the 
  synclinal. 
  Where 
  it 
  joins 
  the 
  

   Dolores 
  it 
  is 
  in 
  a 
  profound 
  caiion. 
  The 
  synclinal 
  we 
  have 
  referred 
  to 
  

   is 
  caused 
  by 
  an 
  elevation 
  in 
  the 
  strata 
  about 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Salt 
  Creek. 
  

   There 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  a 
  center 
  of 
  elevation 
  on 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  a 
  fold, 
  which 
  

   may 
  have 
  been 
  caused 
  by 
  an 
  eruption 
  of 
  trachyte 
  which 
  did 
  not 
  reach 
  

   the 
  surface. 
  The 
  strata 
  were 
  probably 
  fractured, 
  and 
  now 
  we 
  have 
  at 
  

   this 
  point 
  a 
  basin 
  (Sindbad^s 
  Valley) 
  around 
  which 
  the 
  rocks 
  dip 
  away 
  

   from 
  the 
  valley 
  in 
  all 
  directions. 
  The 
  rocks 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  this 
  qua- 
  

   quaversal 
  are 
  Carboniferous. 
  On 
  the 
  western 
  side 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  line 
  of 
  

   faulting 
  near 
  which 
  I 
  obtained 
  Carboniferous 
  fossils, 
  Productus^ 
  Corals^ 
  

   &c., 
  I 
  shall 
  refer 
  to 
  this 
  valley 
  again 
  under 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Sindbad's 
  Valley. 
  

   Salt 
  Creek 
  is 
  named 
  from 
  its 
  being 
  largelj^ 
  impregnated 
  with 
  salt, 
  which 
  

   it 
  seems 
  to 
  acquire 
  just 
  before 
  it 
  leaves 
  the 
  basin. 
  The 
  rocks 
  irom 
  which 
  

   it 
  gets 
  the 
  salt 
  are 
  probably 
  of 
  Upper 
  Carboniferous 
  age, 
  containing, 
  be- 
  

   side 
  ssalt, 
  gypsum, 
  alkalies, 
  and 
  sulphur. 
  The 
  southern 
  branch, 
  rising 
  in 
  

   the 
  basin, 
  flows 
  past 
  a 
  bluff 
  just 
  before 
  it 
  enters 
  the 
  caiion. 
  From 
  this 
  

  

  