﻿ENDLicH.] 
  SAWATCH 
  EANGE 
  DESCRIPTION. 
  151 
  

  

  contains 
  a 
  small 
  settlement 
  known 
  as 
  San 
  Juan 
  City, 
  and 
  presents 
  a 
  

   l)leasiiig 
  change 
  from 
  the 
  high 
  walls 
  that 
  inclose 
  the 
  river 
  directly 
  

   above. 
  In 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  1874 
  the 
  region 
  from 
  here 
  upward 
  has 
  been 
  

   discussed, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  portion 
  remaining 
  for 
  this 
  chapter 
  is 
  below 
  the 
  

   park 
  in 
  question, 
  and 
  all 
  that 
  region 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Eio 
  Grande. 
  Although 
  

   the 
  Sawatch 
  Mountains 
  here 
  present 
  more 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  

   large 
  plateau, 
  studded 
  with 
  isolated 
  peaks, 
  its 
  gradual 
  narrowing 
  toward 
  

   the 
  south 
  preserves 
  for 
  it 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  a 
  range. 
  On 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  

   it 
  falls 
  off 
  very 
  steeply 
  into 
  the 
  beautiful 
  valleys 
  of 
  those 
  rivers 
  that 
  

   form 
  the 
  main 
  drainage 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Juan. 
  Rocky 
  slopes, 
  with 
  deeply-cut 
  

   canons 
  separating 
  them, 
  present 
  a 
  bold 
  front 
  when 
  viewed 
  from 
  the 
  

   west, 
  and 
  give 
  from 
  there 
  the 
  impression 
  of 
  an 
  exceedingly 
  rugged 
  range 
  

   of 
  high 
  mountains 
  instead 
  of 
  a 
  plateau. 
  

  

  By 
  the 
  Sawatch 
  Range 
  the 
  continental 
  divide 
  is 
  formed, 
  running 
  here 
  

   in 
  a 
  direction 
  approximating 
  northwest 
  to 
  southeast. 
  Owing 
  to 
  the 
  

   plateau-like 
  character, 
  the 
  divide 
  makes 
  many 
  small 
  turns 
  and 
  curves, 
  

   which 
  would 
  be 
  avoided 
  had 
  we 
  before 
  us 
  a 
  continuous 
  sharp 
  range 
  with 
  

   a 
  well-defined 
  crest. 
  As 
  usual, 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  stations 
  were 
  located 
  on 
  

   peaks 
  occurring 
  along 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  the 
  water-shed, 
  because 
  there 
  generally 
  

   we 
  find 
  prominent 
  points 
  that 
  command 
  good 
  views 
  of 
  the 
  surrounding 
  

   country. 
  Stations 
  35, 
  28, 
  21, 
  20, 
  19, 
  87, 
  84, 
  81, 
  63, 
  and 
  62 
  are 
  all 
  on 
  the 
  

   divide, 
  beginning 
  in 
  their 
  enumeration 
  from 
  the 
  north. 
  On 
  the 
  summit 
  

   of 
  the 
  plateau 
  swamps 
  abound 
  above 
  timber-line, 
  owing 
  their 
  existence 
  

   to 
  the 
  unbroken 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  underlying 
  strata. 
  They 
  greatly 
  

   impede 
  progress 
  for 
  animals 
  and 
  men, 
  but 
  form 
  a 
  delightful 
  abode 
  for 
  the 
  

   millions 
  of 
  mosquitoes 
  that 
  were 
  there 
  encountered. 
  Grassy 
  slopes 
  are 
  

   frequently 
  met 
  with 
  ; 
  also 
  those 
  broad 
  expanses 
  of 
  rock 
  -fragments 
  that 
  

   German 
  geologists 
  so 
  characteristically 
  term 
  "i^efeenmeer" 
  (ocean 
  of 
  

   rocks). 
  From 
  these 
  latter 
  the 
  peaks 
  rise, 
  presenting, 
  however, 
  less 
  

   steep 
  outlines 
  than 
  those 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  same 
  volcanic 
  material 
  farther 
  

   west 
  in 
  the 
  district 
  of 
  1874. 
  Steep 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  plateau 
  aft'ord 
  good 
  sta- 
  

   tions, 
  as 
  they 
  permit 
  extensive 
  views 
  into 
  the 
  country 
  lying 
  below 
  them. 
  

   They 
  are 
  frequent 
  in 
  occurrence, 
  owing 
  their 
  existence 
  either 
  to 
  erosion 
  

   and,subsequent 
  "drops," 
  or 
  to 
  the 
  latter 
  alone. 
  With 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  

   some 
  small 
  outcrops 
  of 
  metaraorphic 
  rocks 
  in 
  the 
  south, 
  the 
  entire 
  

   Sawatch 
  Range, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  belonging 
  in 
  this 
  chapter, 
  contains 
  nothing 
  but 
  

   volcanic 
  formations, 
  and 
  their 
  boundaries 
  define 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  range. 
  In 
  

   the 
  latter 
  head 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  large 
  streams, 
  flowing 
  partly 
  into 
  the 
  Rio 
  

   Grande, 
  partly 
  into 
  the 
  San 
  Juan, 
  the 
  Pacific 
  drainage. 
  Beginning 
  in 
  

   the 
  south 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  we 
  find 
  Rio 
  San 
  Antonio, 
  

   which, 
  flowing 
  in 
  a 
  direction 
  north 
  of 
  east, 
  joins 
  Rio 
  Conejos. 
  This 
  lat- 
  

   ter 
  heads 
  near 
  station 
  19, 
  flows 
  first 
  northeast, 
  then 
  makes 
  a 
  sudden 
  

   turn 
  to 
  the 
  south, 
  reverting 
  again 
  to 
  its 
  original 
  course 
  after 
  reaching 
  

   San 
  Luis 
  Valley, 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  joins 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  near 
  station 
  102. 
  Rio 
  

   Alamosa 
  also 
  starts 
  near 
  station 
  19, 
  and 
  flows 
  into 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande. 
  Rio 
  

   San 
  Francisco 
  heads 
  at 
  station 
  18, 
  and, 
  after 
  a 
  northeasterly 
  course, 
  

   reaches 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  below 
  Del 
  Norte. 
  All 
  these 
  streams 
  leave 
  the 
  

   mountains 
  and 
  flow 
  for 
  a 
  distance 
  through 
  San 
  Luis 
  Valley, 
  while 
  the 
  

   remainder 
  of 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  drainage 
  remains 
  within 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  the 
  

   mountainous 
  country. 
  The 
  main 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  is 
  the 
  South 
  Fork, 
  

   heading 
  near 
  station 
  20, 
  and 
  joining 
  the 
  river 
  about 
  sixteen 
  miles 
  in 
  a 
  

   straight 
  line 
  above 
  Del 
  Norte. 
  Hot 
  Springs 
  Creek 
  starts 
  from 
  station 
  

   28, 
  and, 
  flowing 
  about 
  north, 
  empties 
  into 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  at 
  Wagon- 
  

   wheel 
  Gap. 
  South 
  River 
  joins 
  it 
  opposite 
  station 
  27. 
  

  

  Besides 
  these 
  more 
  prominent 
  streams, 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  

   smaller 
  creeks 
  that 
  carry 
  their 
  wjiter 
  into 
  the 
  river 
  both 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  

  

  