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  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  from 
  Greenhorn 
  Mountain 
  around 
  to 
  East 
  Spanish 
  Peak, 
  is 
  taken 
  up 
  by 
  

   the 
  plains. 
  

  

  The 
  general 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  Huerfano 
  is 
  traceable 
  by 
  its 
  low 
  bluffs 
  

   almost 
  to 
  its 
  junction 
  with 
  the 
  Arkansas 
  Eiver. 
  The 
  curious 
  little 
  vol- 
  

   canic 
  cone 
  east 
  of 
  Sain£ 
  Mary's 
  forms 
  quite 
  a 
  prominent 
  landmark 
  in 
  

   the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  river. 
  Several 
  other 
  cones, 
  much 
  resembling 
  it 
  in 
  

   appearance, 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  east 
  of 
  station 
  5 
  and 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Spanish 
  

   Peaks. 
  

  

  Leaving 
  the 
  peak, 
  we 
  traveled 
  down 
  the 
  west 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  pass 
  and 
  

   found 
  camp 
  on 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Oristo 
  Creek. 
  The 
  vicinity 
  of 
  this 
  pass 
  

   is 
  one 
  of 
  special 
  interest, 
  and 
  a 
  description 
  of 
  it 
  may 
  be 
  necessary. 
  The 
  

   pass 
  proper 
  is 
  a 
  double 
  one 
  ; 
  the 
  road 
  over 
  the 
  northern 
  branch 
  leads 
  

   to 
  the 
  northeast 
  down 
  a 
  small 
  vstream 
  to 
  Badito, 
  while 
  that 
  over 
  the 
  

   other 
  leads 
  down 
  the 
  Cucharas 
  to 
  La 
  Veta. 
  The 
  north 
  pass 
  is 
  called 
  

   the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo, 
  the 
  south 
  Yeta. 
  The 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  former 
  is 
  9,454: 
  

   feet, 
  while 
  the 
  latter 
  is 
  9,300 
  feet. 
  It 
  is 
  by 
  way 
  of 
  this 
  latter 
  pass 
  that 
  

   the 
  Denver 
  and 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  Railroad 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  extended 
  to 
  San 
  Luis 
  

   Yalley. 
  All 
  heavily-loaded 
  teams 
  going 
  west 
  must 
  take 
  the 
  Cucharas 
  

   route, 
  as 
  it 
  offers 
  a 
  very 
  even 
  and 
  gentle 
  grade, 
  but 
  the 
  distance 
  is 
  sev- 
  

   eral 
  miles 
  greater. 
  On 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  summit 
  the 
  two 
  roads 
  unite 
  

   and 
  follow 
  down 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  Creek 
  with 
  a 
  gentle 
  grade 
  to 
  San 
  

   Luis 
  Valley. 
  

  

  Turning 
  up 
  a 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side, 
  we 
  

   made 
  station 
  0,on 
  a 
  peak 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  timber-line. 
  We 
  found 
  some 
  min- 
  

   ers 
  at 
  work 
  along 
  the 
  stream, 
  on 
  placer-claims, 
  but 
  they 
  seemed 
  to 
  be 
  do- 
  

   ing 
  poorly, 
  as 
  the 
  gold 
  was 
  very 
  scarce. 
  Returning 
  again 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  

   stream, 
  we 
  marched 
  to 
  Fort 
  Garland, 
  making 
  station 
  7 
  on 
  a 
  low 
  point 
  

   near 
  the 
  creek. 
  The 
  next 
  station 
  to 
  be 
  made 
  was 
  on 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  

   of 
  the 
  Sierra 
  Blanca. 
  We 
  had 
  seen 
  this 
  mountain 
  mass 
  from 
  all 
  sides, 
  

   and 
  nowhere 
  did 
  we 
  see 
  any 
  easy 
  way 
  to 
  the 
  summit. 
  The 
  center 
  peak 
  

   was 
  buttressed 
  on 
  all 
  sides 
  by 
  secondary 
  peaks, 
  over 
  which 
  we 
  would 
  

   have 
  to 
  climb 
  to 
  reach 
  it. 
  After 
  camping 
  high 
  up 
  on 
  Ute 
  Creek, 
  north 
  

   of 
  the 
  fort, 
  we 
  started 
  on 
  the 
  morning 
  of 
  June 
  19 
  to 
  make 
  the 
  ascent. 
  

   Knowing 
  what 
  was 
  before 
  us, 
  we 
  took 
  an 
  early 
  start, 
  leaving 
  camp 
  at 
  

   half 
  past 
  five 
  in 
  the 
  morning. 
  Following 
  up 
  a 
  ridge 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  slope 
  

   of 
  the 
  mountain, 
  we 
  were 
  compelled 
  to 
  tear 
  our 
  way 
  through 
  thick, 
  

   quaking 
  aspen 
  over 
  very 
  rocky 
  ground. 
  But, 
  taken 
  altogether, 
  this 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  climb 
  was 
  no 
  more 
  difficult 
  than 
  usual. 
  We 
  succeeded 
  in 
  

   riding 
  as 
  high 
  as 
  the 
  timber-line, 
  where 
  we 
  left 
  our 
  mules. 
  From 
  this 
  

   point, 
  taking 
  our 
  books 
  and 
  instruments, 
  we 
  traveled 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  

   the 
  distance 
  on 
  foot. 
  Climbing 
  upward 
  about 
  2,000 
  feet 
  over 
  the 
  loose 
  

   rocks, 
  and 
  crossing 
  over 
  a 
  low 
  peak 
  by 
  the 
  way, 
  we 
  reached 
  the 
  sum- 
  

   mit 
  of 
  the 
  high 
  secondary 
  peak 
  which 
  appears 
  so 
  prominent 
  when 
  

   viewed 
  from 
  Fort 
  Garland. 
  From 
  here 
  the 
  fort 
  was 
  distinctly 
  visible, 
  

   although 
  it 
  was 
  nine 
  miles 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  distant 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  line, 
  and 
  

   5,670 
  feet 
  below 
  us. 
  From 
  this 
  point 
  we 
  had 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  a 
  clear 
  

   and 
  distinct 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  difficulties 
  before 
  us. 
  Extending 
  across 
  from 
  

   us 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  peak 
  was 
  a 
  narrow, 
  sharp 
  ridge, 
  one 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  miles 
  in 
  

   length, 
  cut 
  across 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  by 
  deep 
  notches. 
  Even 
  in 
  these 
  mount- 
  

   ains, 
  so 
  characteristic 
  for 
  their 
  ruggedness, 
  this 
  ridge 
  was 
  a 
  wonder 
  of 
  

   narrowness 
  and 
  sharpness. 
  On 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  it 
  was 
  a 
  great 
  amphitheater, 
  

   1,500 
  to 
  2,000 
  feet 
  in 
  depth, 
  the 
  one 
  on 
  our 
  left 
  draining 
  out 
  to 
  the 
  south- 
  

   west 
  through 
  a 
  narrow 
  gorge, 
  while 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  right 
  drained 
  into 
  Ute 
  

   Creek 
  through 
  a 
  much 
  larger 
  gap. 
  Each 
  was 
  about 
  one 
  mile 
  in 
  diame- 
  

   ter, 
  each 
  contained 
  many 
  great 
  banks 
  of 
  snow. 
  The 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  

   was 
  most 
  perfect 
  in 
  form, 
  and 
  was 
  more 
  nearly 
  surrounded 
  by 
  great 
  

  

  