﻿EHODA] 
  THE 
  SOUTHEASTERN 
  DISTRICT. 
  303 
  

  

  Luis 
  Valley 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  latitude 
  of 
  Sierra 
  Blanca 
  are 
  caught 
  by 
  this 
  

   funnel 
  and 
  a 
  great 
  part 
  of 
  them 
  forced 
  through 
  the 
  pass. 
  In 
  the 
  begin- 
  

   ning 
  of 
  our 
  climb 
  of 
  station 
  5 
  we 
  found 
  evidence 
  of 
  this 
  in 
  a 
  peculiar 
  

   gap 
  cut 
  through 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  mountain-ridge. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  narrow 
  gate- 
  

   way 
  probably 
  not 
  over 
  100 
  feet 
  in 
  width, 
  while 
  the 
  walls 
  on 
  either 
  hand 
  

   rise 
  an 
  equal 
  distance 
  vertically. 
  The 
  west 
  slope 
  wa« 
  very 
  steep, 
  but 
  

   the 
  east 
  was 
  the 
  same 
  as 
  the 
  general 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  mountain, 
  and 
  was 
  

   covered 
  with 
  low 
  pines. 
  The 
  trees 
  that 
  reached 
  to 
  the 
  crest 
  were 
  

   dwarfed 
  down 
  and 
  planed 
  off 
  as 
  smoothly 
  as 
  if 
  it 
  had 
  been 
  done 
  with 
  

   shears. 
  The 
  west 
  side 
  presented 
  a 
  bare 
  face 
  of 
  fine 
  loose 
  rock 
  without 
  

   vegetation. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  but 
  that 
  this 
  whole 
  gap 
  has 
  been 
  grad- 
  

   ually 
  worn 
  through 
  the 
  mountain 
  by 
  the 
  west 
  winds. 
  Being 
  near 
  the 
  

   center 
  of 
  the 
  depression 
  in 
  the 
  range 
  which 
  forms 
  the 
  pass, 
  it 
  gets 
  the 
  

   most 
  concentrated 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  mass 
  of 
  air 
  passing 
  through 
  the 
  great 
  

   funnel 
  above 
  described. 
  Of 
  course 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  

   work 
  has 
  been 
  performed 
  by 
  drifting 
  snow 
  and 
  beating 
  rains 
  ; 
  but 
  that 
  

   the 
  wind, 
  unaided' 
  by 
  other 
  elements, 
  has 
  at 
  times 
  done 
  great 
  execution 
  

   here 
  cannot 
  be 
  doubted. 
  Climbing 
  up 
  through 
  the 
  gateway 
  we 
  ascended 
  

   the 
  ridge 
  south 
  of 
  it, 
  and 
  this, 
  after 
  a 
  long 
  walk, 
  brought 
  us 
  to 
  the 
  

   summit 
  of 
  the 
  mountain. 
  On 
  the 
  eo,st 
  side 
  a 
  deep 
  cafion 
  is 
  formed 
  

   between 
  this 
  and 
  a 
  somewhat 
  similar 
  mass 
  about 
  three 
  miles 
  distant* 
  

   This 
  drains 
  to 
  the 
  southeast 
  into 
  the 
  Cucharas 
  Eiver. 
  The 
  mountain, 
  

   has 
  a 
  general 
  trend 
  from 
  northwest 
  to 
  southeast, 
  being 
  nearly 
  straight. 
  

   The 
  crest 
  is 
  very 
  sharp, 
  while 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  steep 
  slides 
  of 
  loose 
  rock 
  

   extend 
  2,000 
  feet 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  timber. 
  The 
  only 
  trees 
  on 
  the 
  side-slopes 
  

   of 
  the 
  mountain 
  are 
  a 
  few 
  pines 
  near 
  the 
  gap 
  through 
  the 
  ridge. 
  This 
  

   peculiar 
  barrenness 
  of 
  vegetation 
  gives 
  to 
  the 
  peak 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  

   great 
  height, 
  but 
  in 
  truth 
  the 
  summit 
  is 
  only 
  11,512 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  sea, 
  

   or 
  500 
  feet 
  below 
  the 
  true 
  timber-line. 
  Almost 
  all 
  the 
  related 
  knobs 
  to 
  

   the 
  east 
  and 
  north 
  have 
  bare 
  crests 
  also, 
  although 
  the 
  highest 
  is 
  still 
  

   lower 
  than 
  station 
  5. 
  The 
  ridge 
  of 
  this 
  station 
  is 
  nearly 
  2 
  miles 
  long, 
  

   and 
  has 
  its 
  highest 
  point 
  a 
  little 
  southeast 
  of 
  the 
  middle. 
  From 
  here 
  

   an 
  extensive 
  and 
  interesting 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  surrounding 
  country 
  is 
  ob- 
  

   tained. 
  The 
  fact 
  that 
  it 
  occupies 
  a 
  position 
  opposite 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  

   pass 
  and 
  high 
  above 
  it, 
  makes 
  it 
  a 
  key-point 
  for 
  the 
  topography 
  around 
  

   it. 
  To 
  the 
  south 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  Cucharas 
  are 
  spread 
  out 
  before 
  

   you, 
  with 
  the 
  junction-points 
  and 
  important 
  bends 
  so 
  sharply 
  defined 
  as 
  

   to 
  be 
  accurately 
  sighted 
  with 
  the 
  instrument. 
  In 
  the 
  same 
  direction, 
  

   but 
  distant 
  about 
  16 
  miles, 
  the 
  two 
  Spanish 
  Peaks 
  — 
  notable 
  landmarks 
  

   in 
  this 
  region 
  — 
  stand 
  out 
  boldly 
  with 
  their 
  curious 
  system 
  of 
  radiating 
  

   dikes 
  extending 
  many 
  miles 
  into 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Cucharas. 
  

  

  Between 
  the 
  West 
  Spanish 
  Peak 
  and 
  the 
  main 
  range 
  there 
  are 
  some 
  

   hogbacks, 
  so 
  sharp 
  and 
  so 
  continuous 
  that 
  from 
  a 
  distance 
  they 
  would 
  

   certainly 
  be 
  taken 
  for 
  dikes 
  also, 
  but 
  a 
  closer 
  inspection 
  reveals 
  their 
  

   true 
  nature. 
  To 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  station 
  5 
  we 
  see 
  Trinchara 
  Peak, 
  distant 
  

   about 
  20 
  miles 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  line, 
  but 
  as 
  we 
  are 
  looking 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  

   the 
  range, 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  high 
  mountains 
  near 
  it 
  are 
  hidden. 
  . 
  To 
  the 
  south- 
  

   west 
  we 
  can 
  look 
  over 
  the 
  depression 
  in 
  the 
  range, 
  and 
  get 
  a 
  view 
  of 
  

   the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  San 
  Luis 
  Valley. 
  To 
  the 
  right 
  of 
  this 
  we 
  see 
  the 
  

   great 
  mass 
  of 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Blanca, 
  with 
  the 
  bare 
  smooth 
  crest 
  of 
  " 
  Old 
  

   Baldy 
  " 
  in 
  the 
  front. 
  Korth 
  of 
  us, 
  and 
  about 
  30 
  miles 
  distant, 
  we 
  could 
  

   see 
  the 
  depression 
  of 
  Wet 
  Mountain 
  Valley, 
  with 
  the 
  Wet 
  Mountains 
  

   east 
  of 
  it, 
  culminating 
  in 
  the 
  bald 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  Greenhorn 
  Mountain. 
  

   To 
  the 
  east 
  these 
  mountains 
  fall 
  very 
  abruptly 
  to 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  

   plains. 
  About 
  one 
  hundred 
  degrees 
  of 
  the 
  horizon 
  east 
  of 
  us, 
  extending 
  

  

  