﻿GEOLOGICAL 
  REPORT 
  ON 
  THE 
  SOUTHEASTERN 
  DISTRICT. 
  

  

  INTRODCJCTIOK 
  

  

  The 
  district 
  assigned 
  to 
  our 
  party 
  during 
  the 
  field-season 
  for 
  1875 
  

   extended 
  from 
  longitude 
  104° 
  30' 
  west 
  to 
  longitude 
  108° 
  west, 
  was 
  bor- 
  

   dered 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  by 
  north 
  latitude 
  30° 
  45', 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  by 
  

   north 
  latitude 
  37° 
  50'. 
  On 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  it 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  work 
  

   of 
  1874, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  with 
  that 
  of 
  1873. 
  From 
  June 
  7, 
  we 
  were 
  in 
  

   the 
  field 
  until 
  October 
  12, 
  and 
  during 
  that 
  time 
  the 
  district 
  apportioned 
  

   to 
  us 
  was 
  surveyed 
  topographically 
  and 
  geologically, 
  we 
  having 
  covered 
  

   an 
  area 
  of 
  12,500 
  square 
  miles. 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  mountain 
  groups 
  were 
  not 
  so 
  massive 
  as 
  during 
  the 
  

   preceding 
  year, 
  and 
  there 
  was 
  a 
  smaller 
  number 
  of 
  very 
  high 
  peaks, 
  

   yet 
  the 
  more 
  diversified 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  region 
  proved 
  very 
  

   satisfactory 
  to 
  the 
  party 
  exploring. 
  Approaching 
  from 
  the 
  great 
  plains 
  

   westward 
  toward 
  the 
  mountains, 
  the 
  foot-hills 
  are 
  first 
  encountered, 
  

   difi'ering 
  in 
  their 
  general 
  features 
  from 
  those 
  farther 
  north. 
  Neither 
  

   the 
  rugged, 
  precipitous 
  ascents 
  of 
  the 
  Colorado 
  Springs 
  region 
  nor 
  the 
  

   classical 
  "hog- 
  backs" 
  near 
  Golden 
  were 
  represented. 
  A 
  long 
  line 
  of 
  

   broken, 
  plateau 
  like 
  bluffs 
  stretches 
  for 
  twenty-five 
  miles 
  westward 
  until 
  

   the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  Eauge 
  is 
  reached. 
  Monotonous 
  in 
  shape, 
  mo- 
  

   notonous 
  in 
  the 
  ever-repeated 
  change 
  of 
  sandstone 
  with 
  shale 
  and 
  

   shale 
  with, 
  sandstone, 
  thej^ 
  offered 
  but 
  few 
  good 
  points 
  either 
  for 
  

   topographer 
  or 
  geologist. 
  At 
  one 
  locality, 
  however, 
  this 
  was 
  altered, 
  

   at 
  the 
  Spanish 
  Peaks. 
  These 
  old 
  landmarks, 
  that 
  perpetuate 
  in 
  their 
  

   name 
  the 
  fame 
  of 
  the 
  earliest 
  explorers 
  of 
  Colorado 
  under 
  Coronado, 
  lift 
  

   their 
  heavy 
  forms 
  high 
  above 
  all 
  surrounding 
  them. 
  Although 
  their 
  

   peers 
  in 
  beauty 
  and 
  height 
  are 
  not 
  far 
  distant, 
  yet 
  they 
  are 
  sufficiently 
  

   far 
  to 
  allow 
  these 
  volcanic 
  monuments 
  the 
  most 
  prominent 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  

   eye 
  of 
  one 
  advancing 
  toward 
  them 
  from 
  the 
  plains. 
  Numerous 
  settle- 
  

   ments 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  along 
  the 
  edge 
  of 
  these 
  foot-hills 
  and 
  within 
  them, 
  

   in 
  the 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  they 
  contain. 
  Mexicans 
  and 
  Americans, 
  

   by 
  way 
  of 
  distinction, 
  follow 
  either 
  agricultural 
  pursuits 
  or 
  raise 
  sheep. 
  

   Still 
  going 
  westward, 
  we 
  leave 
  the 
  foot-hills, 
  and 
  are 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

   Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  Range. 
  Beginning 
  at 
  Poncho 
  Pass, 
  it 
  runs 
  east 
  of 
  south 
  

   for 
  more 
  than 
  130 
  miles. 
  Its 
  high 
  peaks, 
  presenting 
  the 
  boldest 
  out- 
  

   lines, 
  look 
  very 
  forbidding 
  when 
  seen 
  standing 
  in 
  relief 
  against 
  the 
  sky. 
  

   The 
  evenness 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  elevated 
  points, 
  the 
  symmetry 
  of 
  form, 
  and 
  

   the 
  fields 
  of 
  snow 
  that 
  never 
  disappear 
  entirely, 
  lend 
  this 
  range 
  a 
  charm 
  

   that 
  can 
  never 
  be 
  forgotten 
  by 
  one 
  who 
  has 
  ever 
  seen 
  it. 
  Ascending 
  

   the 
  highest 
  mountain 
  of 
  the 
  range, 
  Blanca 
  Peak, 
  we 
  have 
  a 
  view 
  that 
  

   richly 
  repays 
  the 
  fatigue 
  and 
  danger 
  of 
  the 
  climb. 
  Looking 
  west, 
  we 
  

   see 
  beyond 
  the 
  broad 
  expanse 
  of 
  San 
  Luis 
  Valley 
  the 
  mountains 
  of 
  the 
  

   Sawatch 
  Range, 
  farther 
  on 
  still 
  the 
  Uncompahgre 
  group 
  and 
  the 
  black, 
  

   rugged 
  peaks 
  of 
  the 
  Quartzite 
  Mountains. 
  To 
  the 
  south, 
  the 
  level 
  plain 
  

   of 
  San 
  Luis 
  gives 
  us 
  an 
  idea 
  of 
  distance, 
  and 
  the 
  two 
  small 
  round 
  hills 
  

   that 
  later 
  we 
  meet 
  as 
  Mount 
  San 
  Antonio 
  and 
  Ut© 
  Peak 
  look 
  insignifi- 
  

   cant 
  when 
  viewed 
  through 
  the 
  haze 
  of 
  fifty 
  miles. 
  A 
  little 
  east 
  of 
  south 
  

   the 
  numerous 
  peaks 
  of 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  present 
  themselves 
  in 
  a 
  

  

  105 
  

  

  