﻿300 
  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  which 
  separate 
  it 
  from 
  Taos 
  Yalley, 
  along 
  the 
  line 
  of 
  36° 
  45' 
  north 
  lat- 
  

   itude, 
  giving 
  it 
  a 
  total 
  length 
  from 
  north 
  to 
  south 
  of 
  114 
  miles, 
  with 
  a 
  

   breadth 
  at 
  the 
  south 
  end 
  of 
  2S 
  miles, 
  while 
  along 
  the 
  central 
  portion 
  it 
  

   is 
  from 
  40 
  to 
  45 
  miles 
  in 
  width, 
  tapering 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  at 
  Puncho 
  Pass, 
  with 
  

   a 
  total 
  area 
  of 
  3,470 
  square 
  miles. 
  I 
  

  

  The 
  Eio 
  Grande 
  del 
  Norte 
  enters 
  the 
  valley 
  from 
  the 
  west 
  about 
  mid- 
  

   way 
  between 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  ends. 
  As 
  it 
  passes 
  through 
  the 
  valley 
  | 
  

   it 
  makes 
  a 
  long 
  sweeping 
  curve, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  time 
  it 
  reaches 
  the 
  center 
  

   of 
  the 
  valley 
  it 
  has 
  changed 
  its 
  course 
  and 
  flows 
  nearly 
  due 
  south 
  through 
  

   a 
  small 
  group 
  of 
  volcanic 
  table-like 
  hills, 
  which 
  occupy 
  this 
  ])ortion 
  of 
  j 
  

   the 
  valley, 
  and 
  enters 
  a 
  narrow 
  basaltic 
  caiion, 
  through 
  which 
  it 
  flows, 
  

   until 
  reaching 
  Taos 
  Yalley 
  below. 
  The 
  valley 
  has 
  a 
  general 
  elevation 
  

   ranging 
  from 
  7,400 
  to 
  8,000 
  feet. 
  All 
  the 
  central 
  or 
  bottom 
  portion 
  is 
  

   covered 
  with 
  a 
  thin 
  growth 
  of 
  sage-brush, 
  intermingled 
  with 
  scattering 
  

   bunch-grass. 
  Along 
  the 
  borders 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  foot-hills 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  

   good 
  growth 
  of 
  grass, 
  while 
  along 
  the 
  main 
  streams 
  the 
  bottom-land 
  

   produces 
  fair 
  crops 
  of 
  hay. 
  The 
  soil 
  along 
  the 
  streams 
  is 
  very 
  good 
  and 
  

   easily 
  irrigated, 
  but 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  shortness 
  of 
  the 
  summer 
  season 
  it 
  is 
  

   only 
  the 
  more 
  hardy 
  vegetables 
  and 
  grains 
  that 
  are 
  successfully 
  grown. 
  

  

  The 
  settlers 
  have 
  turned 
  their 
  attention 
  mostly 
  to 
  the 
  raising 
  of 
  I 
  

   sheep 
  and 
  cattle; 
  the 
  valley 
  being 
  of 
  such 
  an 
  immense 
  size, 
  is 
  capable 
  '{ 
  

   of 
  supporting 
  large 
  herds 
  of 
  stock. 
  

  

  The 
  Denver 
  and 
  Eio 
  Grande 
  Eailway 
  is 
  now 
  being 
  built 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  

   Yeta 
  Pass, 
  striking 
  the 
  valley 
  at 
  Fort 
  Garland, 
  and 
  will 
  probably 
  be 
  

   carried 
  across 
  the 
  valley 
  to 
  Del 
  Korte, 
  thence 
  up 
  the 
  Eio 
  Grande 
  to 
  the 
  

   San 
  Juan 
  mines, 
  thus 
  giving 
  an 
  outlet 
  to 
  the 
  products 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  mines 
  in 
  the 
  mountains 
  beyond. 
  

  

  The 
  San 
  Juan 
  Mountains 
  is 
  a 
  peculiarly 
  massive 
  range, 
  composed 
  

   almost 
  entirely 
  of 
  volcanic 
  rocks, 
  and 
  presenting 
  probably 
  a 
  greater 
  

   area 
  above 
  12,000 
  feet 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  mountain 
  mass 
  of 
  similar 
  size 
  on 
  

   this 
  continent. 
  

  

  The 
  greater 
  mass 
  of 
  this 
  range 
  is 
  that 
  portion 
  lying 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  

   Baker's 
  Park, 
  and 
  is 
  drained 
  by 
  the 
  San 
  Miguel, 
  IJncompahgre, 
  Eio 
  

   Grande, 
  and 
  Animas 
  Elvers. 
  From 
  this 
  center 
  of 
  upheaval 
  the 
  range 
  

   trends 
  a 
  little 
  south 
  of 
  east, 
  gradually 
  curving 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  until 
  it 
  

   reaches 
  latitude 
  37° 
  10', 
  where 
  its 
  general 
  trend 
  is 
  nearly 
  due 
  south, 
  

   whence 
  it 
  soon 
  spreads 
  out 
  and 
  loses 
  its 
  identity 
  in 
  the 
  low 
  hills 
  to 
  

   the 
  south. 
  The 
  heights 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  main 
  peaks 
  along 
  the 
  western 
  por- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  this 
  range 
  were 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  report 
  of 
  1874 
  ; 
  therefore 
  I 
  will 
  only 
  

   give 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  more 
  important 
  points 
  along 
  the 
  southeastern 
  exten- 
  

   sion: 
  

  

  Names. 
  Elevation 
  in 
  feet. 
  

  

  South 
  River 
  Peak 
  13,160 
  

  

  Pagosa 
  Peak 
  12, 
  674 
  

  

  Summit 
  Peak 
  13,323 
  

  

  PiutadaPeak 
  13,176 
  

  

  ConejogPeak 
  13, 
  183 
  

  

  Banded 
  Peak 
  12,860 
  

  

  Brazos 
  Peak 
  11,214 
  

  

  Black 
  Head 
  Peak 
  12,514 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  but 
  three 
  passes 
  over 
  this 
  range 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  south 
  of 
  

   the 
  one 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  Eio 
  Grande, 
  over 
  which 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  travelers 
  

   to 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  mines 
  pass. 
  The 
  first 
  is 
  called 
  Weeminnche 
  Pass, 
  and 
  is 
  

   crossed 
  by 
  a 
  very 
  fair 
  Indian 
  trail, 
  which 
  leaves 
  the 
  Eio 
  Grande 
  some 
  

   twelve 
  miles 
  above 
  Antelope 
  Park, 
  descends 
  to 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  

   Piedra, 
  a 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Juan, 
  thence 
  leading 
  to 
  Pagosa 
  Springs, 
  

   and 
  branching 
  off" 
  to 
  the 
  southwest. 
  The 
  elevation 
  of 
  this 
  pass 
  is 
  only 
  

  

  