﻿310 
  EEPOET 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  exchanged 
  for 
  timbered 
  slopes 
  and 
  ridges, 
  the 
  air 
  felt 
  warmer 
  as 
  we 
  

   reached 
  a 
  lower 
  level, 
  and 
  the 
  valley 
  was 
  covered 
  with 
  scattering 
  yellow 
  

   pine. 
  This 
  species 
  never 
  grows 
  above 
  a 
  certain 
  line, 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  

   given 
  roughly 
  at 
  9,000 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  never 
  grows 
  in 
  thick 
  

   forests, 
  but 
  in 
  groves 
  of 
  scattering 
  trees. 
  The 
  individual 
  trees 
  attain 
  a 
  

   height 
  of 
  from 
  70 
  to 
  100 
  feet, 
  and 
  a 
  diameter 
  at 
  the 
  ground 
  of 
  2 
  to 
  4 
  feet. 
  

   In 
  our 
  ride 
  down 
  the 
  stream 
  we 
  passed 
  a 
  saw-mill 
  in 
  a 
  grove 
  of 
  these 
  

   same 
  pines, 
  near 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  little 
  valley. 
  We 
  made 
  camp 
  on 
  the 
  

   Eio 
  Grande 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  above 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Fork. 
  Following 
  

   up 
  the 
  narrow 
  barren 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande, 
  on 
  the 
  fourth 
  of 
  July 
  | 
  

   we 
  made 
  station 
  25 
  near 
  Wagon-Wheel 
  Gap, 
  just 
  above 
  the 
  toll-house. 
  

   The 
  region 
  of 
  this 
  gap 
  is 
  very 
  curious 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  its 
  great 
  bare 
  bluft's. 
  

   The 
  gap 
  itself 
  is 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  river-bottom, 
  probably 
  300 
  

   feet 
  wide 
  and 
  a 
  few 
  hundred 
  yards 
  long, 
  with 
  a 
  detached 
  wall 
  o*n 
  the 
  

   west 
  and 
  the 
  bluff 
  edge 
  of 
  a 
  high 
  but 
  small 
  plateau 
  on 
  the 
  east. 
  

   The 
  wall 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  is 
  about 
  300 
  feet 
  high, 
  while 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  that 
  on 
  

   the 
  east 
  is 
  600 
  or 
  700. 
  The 
  plateau 
  has 
  probably 
  at 
  some 
  time 
  been 
  con- 
  

   tinuous 
  where 
  the 
  gap 
  now 
  is, 
  and 
  the 
  river 
  must 
  have 
  passed 
  through, 
  

   a 
  low 
  place 
  a 
  few 
  hundred 
  yards 
  southwest 
  from 
  the 
  gap. 
  The 
  detached 
  

   table 
  ou 
  the 
  west 
  or 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  has 
  been 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  

   Indians 
  to 
  guard 
  the 
  passage 
  up 
  the 
  liver. 
  Many 
  little 
  walls 
  of 
  loose 
  

   rock, 
  to 
  shoot 
  over, 
  line 
  the 
  whole 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  bluflt". 
  The 
  wonderful 
  

   adaptation 
  of 
  the 
  gap 
  for 
  defense 
  against 
  intruders 
  must 
  have 
  been 
  no- 
  

   ticed 
  by 
  every 
  observant 
  person 
  who 
  hits 
  passed 
  through 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  

   almost, 
  if 
  not 
  altogether, 
  impossible 
  to 
  get 
  up 
  the 
  river 
  except 
  through 
  

   this 
  narrow 
  defile, 
  which 
  affords 
  a 
  roadway 
  not 
  more 
  than 
  50 
  to 
  100 
  

   feet 
  in 
  width. 
  It 
  is 
  supposed 
  that 
  the 
  fortifications 
  have 
  been 
  built 
  by 
  

   the 
  Utes, 
  who 
  held 
  the 
  mountains 
  in 
  their 
  wars 
  with 
  the 
  Arapahoes 
  and 
  

   Cheyennes 
  of 
  the 
  plains. 
  

  

  The 
  i)lateau 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  side 
  is 
  far 
  from 
  level, 
  but 
  dips 
  toward 
  the 
  

   northwest. 
  The 
  bluffs 
  continue 
  eastward 
  from 
  the 
  gap, 
  following 
  the 
  

   course 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  till 
  opposite 
  the 
  toll-house, 
  where 
  they 
  attain 
  their 
  

   greatest 
  elevation. 
  The 
  walls 
  here 
  have 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  about 
  1,900 
  feet, 
  

   nearly 
  perpendicular. 
  On 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  we 
  made 
  station 
  25, 
  ridiug 
  

   up 
  to 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  side. 
  These 
  high 
  bluffs, 
  being 
  of 
  a 
  dull 
  gray 
  

   color 
  and 
  presenting 
  little 
  variety 
  of 
  form, 
  may 
  be 
  imposing, 
  but 
  are 
  

   very 
  far 
  from 
  picturesque. 
  In 
  making 
  the 
  station 
  we 
  were 
  treated 
  to 
  a 
  

   cold 
  drenching 
  rain, 
  accompanied 
  by 
  hail 
  and 
  sleet. 
  Opposite 
  to 
  the 
  

   station 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  a 
  stream, 
  called 
  Hot 
  Spring 
  Creek, 
  joined 
  the 
  main 
  

   river. 
  Near 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  this 
  creek 
  we 
  camped. 
  A 
  little 
  up 
  stream 
  

   Irom 
  camp 
  were 
  some 
  large 
  hot 
  sulphur-springs, 
  with 
  a 
  temperature 
  

   ranging 
  from 
  120° 
  to 
  130° 
  Fahrenheit, 
  but 
  the 
  great 
  quantities 
  of 
  sul- 
  

   phur 
  and 
  soda 
  contained 
  in 
  them 
  made 
  the 
  water 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  boiling. 
  

   A 
  number 
  of 
  invalids 
  were 
  in 
  attendance. 
  The 
  morning 
  of 
  July 
  5 
  we 
  

   moved 
  up 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande, 
  and 
  ou 
  the 
  way 
  crossed 
  over 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  

   side 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  made 
  station 
  2G 
  on 
  a 
  high 
  peak, 
  in 
  the 
  group 
  south 
  

   of 
  Los 
  Piiios, 
  on 
  which 
  station 
  33 
  of 
  1873 
  and 
  station 
  2 
  of 
  1874 
  were 
  

   located. 
  From 
  this 
  point 
  we 
  had 
  quite 
  an 
  extensive 
  view 
  of 
  the 
  plateau- 
  

   system 
  which 
  extends 
  southward 
  from 
  this 
  mass. 
  While 
  at 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  

   summit, 
  clouds 
  began 
  to 
  gather, 
  and 
  we 
  had 
  the 
  novel 
  experience 
  of 
  a 
  

   snow 
  storm 
  on 
  the 
  5th 
  of 
  July, 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  rarity 
  even 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  of 
  

   storms 
  and 
  cold. 
  When 
  we 
  left, 
  the 
  snow 
  covered 
  the 
  peak, 
  but 
  not 
  

   deep 
  enough 
  to 
  be 
  much 
  in 
  the 
  way. 
  After 
  camping 
  on 
  the 
  river 
  about 
  

   five 
  miles 
  above 
  the 
  gap, 
  we 
  again 
  moved 
  up 
  stream, 
  making 
  station 
  27 
  

   on 
  a 
  hill 
  south 
  of 
  Bristol 
  Head. 
  Crossing 
  the 
  river 
  we 
  struck 
  iut6 
  the 
  

   range 
  south. 
  In 
  this 
  vicinity 
  the 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  bends 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  miles 
  to 
  

  

  