﻿CHAPTER 
  III. 
  

  

  THE 
  SAWATCH 
  EANGE. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  chapter 
  the 
  Sawatch 
  Eange 
  shall 
  be 
  considered. 
  Topographi- 
  

   cally 
  this 
  may 
  be 
  considered 
  as 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  Mountains. 
  

   It 
  will 
  include 
  all 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  rivers 
  Pinos, 
  Piedra, 
  San 
  Juan, 
  

   Blanco, 
  Navajo, 
  and 
  Ohama. 
  The 
  division 
  of 
  the 
  entire 
  district 
  has 
  been 
  

   made 
  in 
  this 
  way 
  for 
  the 
  sake 
  of 
  convenience. 
  We 
  have 
  for 
  consideration 
  

   this 
  range, 
  which 
  mainly 
  consists 
  of 
  one 
  geological 
  formation 
  and 
  on 
  its 
  

   western 
  slopes 
  the 
  upper 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  rivers 
  mentioned 
  composed 
  of 
  

   sedimentary 
  beds. 
  Thus 
  both 
  description 
  and 
  classification 
  will 
  be 
  facili- 
  

   tated 
  and 
  a 
  more 
  uniform 
  field 
  will 
  be 
  left 
  for 
  the 
  discussion 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  

   Juan 
  Eiver 
  region 
  in 
  Chapter 
  IV. 
  Although 
  this 
  chapter 
  will 
  cover 
  quite 
  

   a 
  considerable 
  area, 
  the 
  formations 
  found 
  represented 
  herein 
  are 
  very 
  

   simple 
  in 
  their 
  character, 
  presenting 
  but 
  few 
  points 
  of 
  special 
  interest, 
  

   and 
  the 
  stratigraphy 
  of 
  the 
  sedimentary 
  beds 
  shows 
  scarcely 
  any 
  varia- 
  

   tion. 
  We 
  are, 
  in 
  this 
  region, 
  gradually 
  approaching 
  the 
  great 
  stretches 
  

   of 
  similar 
  or 
  identical 
  formations 
  that 
  characterize 
  the 
  southwestern 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States. 
  As 
  has 
  correctly 
  been 
  said, 
  "America 
  is 
  

   the 
  country 
  of 
  big 
  trees 
  and 
  of 
  widely 
  extended 
  geological 
  formations." 
  

   A 
  few 
  points 
  of 
  special 
  interest 
  were 
  observed, 
  but 
  the 
  general 
  interest 
  

   lies, 
  in 
  this 
  district, 
  in 
  the 
  correlation 
  of 
  the 
  groups 
  with 
  contiguous 
  

   ones. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  San 
  Luis 
  Valley 
  rises 
  the 
  Sawatch 
  Eange, 
  or 
  

   rather 
  its 
  southern 
  continuation. 
  North 
  of 
  Del 
  Norte, 
  the 
  mountains 
  

   show 
  steep 
  slopes 
  and 
  reach 
  high 
  altitudes, 
  while 
  some 
  distance 
  south 
  

   of 
  that 
  town 
  the 
  upward 
  slope 
  is 
  by 
  far 
  more 
  gradual. 
  Bluffs 
  with 
  ver- 
  

   tical 
  faces 
  form 
  the 
  transition 
  between 
  the 
  high 
  mountains 
  and 
  the 
  valley 
  

   on 
  the 
  north 
  side, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  the 
  valley 
  itself 
  seems 
  gradually 
  to 
  

   slope 
  upward 
  until 
  the 
  high 
  peaks 
  in 
  the 
  background 
  are 
  reached. 
  

   Traveling 
  up 
  the 
  Eio 
  Grande 
  everything 
  we 
  see 
  around 
  us 
  is 
  volcanic 
  

   to 
  the 
  very 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  excepting 
  one 
  small 
  sedimentary 
  area 
  

   below 
  Bristol 
  Head. 
  Bluff 
  after 
  bluff 
  we 
  pass, 
  while 
  the 
  mountains 
  

   remain 
  in 
  the 
  distance. 
  Broad 
  valleys 
  are 
  found 
  along 
  the 
  river, 
  and 
  

   again 
  canons, 
  passable 
  only 
  for 
  pack-animals. 
  Steep 
  walls 
  on 
  either 
  

   side 
  inclose 
  the 
  swift 
  stream 
  that 
  receives 
  a 
  constant 
  supply 
  of 
  fresh, 
  

   clear 
  water 
  from 
  the 
  adjacent 
  mountains. 
  Settlements 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  

   in 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  the 
  valleys 
  through 
  which 
  the 
  river 
  winds 
  its 
  serpentine 
  

   course, 
  and 
  stores 
  have 
  been 
  established 
  for 
  the 
  accommodation 
  of 
  the 
  

   numerous 
  prospectors 
  and 
  miners 
  entering 
  the 
  well-known 
  mining 
  dis- 
  

   tricts 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  country 
  by 
  that 
  route. 
  A 
  good 
  wagon-road 
  leads 
  

   beyond 
  Pole 
  Creek, 
  leaving 
  the 
  river 
  only 
  where 
  it 
  is 
  demanded 
  by 
  the 
  

   serious 
  obstacle 
  of 
  a 
  canon. 
  Pinons 
  and 
  cedars 
  cover 
  the 
  low 
  bluffs 
  near 
  

   San 
  Luis 
  Valley, 
  but 
  farther 
  up 
  the 
  river 
  dense 
  timber 
  is 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  

   surrounding 
  hills 
  and 
  mountains. 
  Aspen, 
  spruce, 
  and 
  fir, 
  contrasting 
  in 
  

   their 
  colors, 
  lend 
  life 
  and 
  variety 
  to 
  the 
  dark-colored 
  rocks 
  exposed 
  on 
  

   bluffs 
  and 
  mountain 
  sides. 
  Above 
  the 
  great 
  bend 
  in 
  the 
  Eio 
  Grande, 
  

   just 
  south 
  of 
  Bristol 
  Head, 
  Antelope 
  Park 
  is 
  located. 
  This 
  little 
  valley 
  

  

  150 
  

  

  