﻿ExWLicH.l 
  SAWATCH 
  KAlS-afi 
  — 
  TRIBUTAEIES 
  OF 
  SAN 
  JUAN. 
  169 
  

  

  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Pagosa 
  Peak 
  (station 
  38) 
  a 
  creek 
  flows 
  southward, 
  with 
  

   its 
  branches, 
  adding 
  to 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  water. 
  As 
  farther 
  south, 
  at 
  the 
  

   headwaters 
  of 
  other 
  streams, 
  so 
  here, 
  too, 
  trachyte 
  surrounds 
  the 
  entire 
  

   head- 
  drainage. 
  Caiions 
  are 
  cut 
  into 
  the 
  strata, 
  and 
  there 
  tbey 
  show 
  

   exposures 
  that 
  prove 
  them 
  to 
  be 
  identical 
  with 
  those 
  both 
  north 
  and 
  

   south. 
  They 
  show 
  that 
  the 
  entire 
  volcanic 
  series 
  belongs 
  to 
  one 
  period, 
  

   and 
  that 
  great 
  constancy 
  of 
  its 
  single 
  members 
  is 
  maintained. 
  In 
  the 
  

   deeper 
  caiions 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  western 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  the 
  

   trachytic 
  conglomerate 
  appears, 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  relative 
  position 
  

   as 
  farther 
  south. 
  It 
  retains 
  its 
  characteristic 
  tendency 
  to 
  form 
  steep 
  

   walls 
  and 
  bluffs, 
  which 
  farther 
  north 
  changes, 
  ouv 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  harder 
  

   composition. 
  

  

  The 
  largest 
  northern 
  tributary 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  is 
  Eio 
  Piedra. 
  This 
  

   latter 
  has, 
  as 
  the 
  former, 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  branches 
  that 
  join 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  

   southwest 
  of 
  station 
  39, 
  from 
  there 
  downward 
  forming 
  the 
  main 
  river. 
  

   As 
  the 
  most 
  prominent 
  among 
  them 
  I 
  would 
  mention 
  Weeminuche 
  

   Creek, 
  which 
  heads 
  south 
  of 
  station 
  35, 
  and 
  flowing 
  from 
  there 
  almost 
  

   due 
  south, 
  enters 
  the 
  Piedra 
  in 
  its 
  broad 
  valley 
  west 
  of 
  station 
  40. 
  Eun- 
  

   ning 
  parallel 
  to 
  it 
  are 
  two 
  streams 
  farther 
  east, 
  the 
  Eios 
  Huerto 
  and 
  

   Abborato, 
  carrying 
  good 
  supplies 
  of 
  water. 
  Heading 
  at 
  station 
  28 
  is 
  

   the 
  Piedra 
  proper. 
  Its 
  course 
  through 
  the 
  mountains 
  is 
  almost 
  straight, 
  

   and 
  remains 
  so 
  until 
  southwest 
  of 
  station 
  39, 
  where 
  the 
  river 
  turns 
  to 
  

   the 
  south. 
  On 
  the 
  drainage 
  of 
  this 
  stream 
  Pagosa 
  Peak 
  (station 
  38) 
  

   is 
  located, 
  reaching 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  12,674 
  feet. 
  As 
  the 
  entire 
  range 
  

   there, 
  it 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  trachyte, 
  belonging 
  mainly 
  to 
  No. 
  3. 
  Pagosa 
  

   Peak 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  prominent 
  mountain 
  of 
  pyramidal 
  shape, 
  rising 
  as 
  it 
  does 
  

   4,600 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  adjoining 
  valley 
  west. 
  Under 
  the 
  

   trachytes 
  forming 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  mountain, 
  we 
  again 
  find 
  a 
  good 
  

   development 
  of 
  the 
  trachytic 
  conglomerate. 
  Compared 
  with 
  that 
  occur- 
  

   ring 
  farther 
  south, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  observed 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  by 
  far 
  harder, 
  owing 
  

   to 
  an 
  admixture 
  of 
  more 
  clay 
  in 
  the 
  cementing 
  material, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  to 
  

   the 
  fact 
  of 
  having 
  been 
  at 
  that 
  region 
  subjected 
  to 
  heat. 
  Although 
  not 
  

   decomposing 
  or 
  eroding 
  so 
  readily, 
  it 
  preserves 
  in 
  its 
  outlines 
  the 
  some- 
  

   what 
  fantastic 
  features 
  that 
  are 
  its 
  characteristics 
  at 
  other 
  places. 
  Its 
  

   thickness 
  here 
  is 
  somewhat 
  increased, 
  the 
  beds 
  reaching 
  about 
  1,200 
  to 
  

   1,300 
  feet. 
  On 
  the 
  Piedra, 
  just 
  as 
  it 
  leaves 
  the 
  trachytic 
  mountains, 
  a 
  

   very 
  fine 
  water-fall 
  was 
  found. 
  Immense 
  bowlders 
  of 
  the 
  compact 
  con- 
  

   glomerate 
  are 
  piled 
  up 
  before 
  a 
  vertical 
  wall 
  about 
  120 
  feet 
  in 
  height, 
  

   over 
  which 
  the 
  stream 
  falls 
  in 
  a 
  rapid 
  torrent. 
  On 
  either 
  side 
  the 
  ver- 
  

   tical 
  rocks 
  reach 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  500 
  to 
  600 
  feet 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  exclude 
  any 
  access 
  

   from 
  the 
  fall 
  upward. 
  A 
  little 
  farther 
  up-stream 
  is 
  another 
  cascade, 
  

   about 
  30 
  feet 
  high, 
  which 
  pours 
  its 
  water 
  into 
  a 
  deep 
  basin 
  Irom 
  

   where 
  it 
  flows 
  on 
  to 
  the 
  lower 
  fall. 
  The 
  picture 
  is 
  rendered 
  unique 
  

   in 
  its 
  character 
  by 
  the 
  absence 
  of 
  any 
  vegetation 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  

   vicinity 
  of 
  the 
  falls. 
  Nothing 
  is 
  presented 
  to 
  the 
  eye 
  but 
  the 
  bar- 
  

   ren 
  rocks 
  and 
  the 
  dark 
  blue 
  water 
  collecting 
  in 
  deep 
  pools 
  worn 
  into 
  

   the'cou 
  glomerate 
  by 
  the 
  incessant 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  falling 
  stream. 
  Appro- 
  

   priately, 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  retaining 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  the 
  river, 
  we 
  

   have 
  called 
  them 
  Piedra 
  Falls. 
  On 
  either 
  side 
  the 
  conglomerate 
  

   walls, 
  containing 
  numerous 
  fissures 
  and 
  caves, 
  inclose 
  the 
  ui)per 
  caQou 
  

   of 
  the 
  stream 
  until 
  it 
  emerges 
  therefrom 
  and 
  enters 
  the 
  broad 
  grassy 
  

   valley 
  that 
  is 
  nowhere 
  more 
  beautiful 
  than 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  mount- 
  

   ains. 
  Viewed 
  from 
  there 
  the 
  conglomerate 
  shows 
  many 
  weird 
  forms 
  

   on 
  the 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  steep 
  bluffs 
  it 
  forms. 
  Spires 
  and 
  towers, 
  the 
  

   products 
  of 
  erosion, 
  ornament 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  bluff', 
  and 
  descend 
  

   along 
  its 
  edges 
  into 
  the 
  timber 
  below. 
  Higher 
  up 
  in 
  the 
  background 
  

  

  