﻿344 
  EEPOET 
  . 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  Mountains, 
  is 
  almost 
  destitute 
  of 
  water 
  other 
  than 
  the 
  

   Dolores. 
  One 
  or 
  two 
  small 
  streams 
  carry 
  a 
  little 
  water 
  throughout 
  the 
  

   year, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  (and 
  generally 
  more) 
  alkaline. 
  There 
  are 
  a 
  

   few 
  springs 
  and 
  water-holes 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  depended 
  on, 
  not 
  only 
  for 
  

   water 
  but 
  alkali, 
  and 
  often 
  more 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  than 
  the 
  former. 
  

  

  Speaking 
  generally, 
  grass 
  is 
  very 
  scarce 
  and 
  sage 
  is 
  abundant. 
  The 
  

   little 
  timber 
  consists 
  of 
  piQon 
  pine 
  and 
  cedar. 
  It 
  is 
  valueless 
  to 
  the 
  

   agriculturist 
  and 
  nearly 
  so 
  to 
  the 
  stock-raiser. 
  

  

  The 
  Sierra 
  la 
  Sal 
  is 
  a 
  small 
  group 
  of 
  eruptive 
  mountains 
  standing 
  

   south 
  of 
  Grand 
  Eiver 
  and 
  surrounded 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  south 
  by 
  the 
  

   Dolores. 
  Tbe 
  group 
  is 
  about 
  12 
  miles 
  in 
  length 
  from 
  north 
  to 
  south 
  

   and 
  6 
  miles 
  in 
  breadth. 
  It 
  derives 
  its 
  name 
  from 
  a 
  small 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  

   Dolores, 
  whose 
  water 
  is 
  a 
  strong 
  brine. 
  This 
  stream 
  heads 
  in 
  a 
  small 
  

   valley 
  at 
  the 
  eastern 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  mountains. 
  

  

  These 
  mountains 
  are 
  in 
  three 
  groups, 
  connected 
  with 
  one 
  another 
  by 
  

   low 
  saddles. 
  Their 
  summits 
  are 
  12,000 
  to 
  13,000 
  feet 
  high, 
  while 
  the 
  

   plateau 
  near 
  them 
  is 
  6,000 
  to 
  7,000 
  and 
  the 
  beds 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  streams 
  

   are 
  4,000 
  to 
  5,000 
  feet 
  above 
  sea-level. 
  

  

  Heights 
  of 
  the 
  principal 
  peaks 
  are 
  given 
  in 
  the 
  annexed 
  table, 
  with 
  

   their 
  approximate 
  latitude 
  and 
  longitude. 
  

  

  Approximate 
  Approximate 
  Elevation 
  

   latitude. 
  lougitude. 
  feet. 
  * 
  

  

  Northern 
  group 
  : 
  o 
  / 
  " 
  o 
  / 
  /' 
  

  

  Mount 
  Waas 
  , 
  38 
  32 
  00 
  109 
  13 
  00 
  12.586 
  

  

  Station66 
  38 
  33 
  00 
  109 
  14 
  00' 
  12,032 
  

  

  Stationer 
  38 
  30 
  00 
  109 
  09 
  00 
  12,218 
  

  

  22-66 
  38 
  32 
  30 
  109 
  14 
  00 
  12,237 
  

  

  i 
  38 
  32 
  30 
  109 
  14 
  K:) 
  12,421 
  

  

  m 
  38 
  32 
  00 
  109 
  14 
  15 
  12,468 
  

  

  e 
  38 
  3100 
  109 
  14 
  00 
  12,522 
  

  

  Mount 
  Tomasaki 
  38 
  30 
  30 
  109 
  13 
  00 
  12,489 
  

  

  & 
  38 
  32 
  00 
  109 
  12 
  00 
  12,062 
  

  

  a 
  38 
  32 
  00 
  109 
  1130 
  11,997 
  

  

  Middle 
  group 
  : 
  

  

  Mount 
  Peale 
  38 
  26 
  00 
  109 
  13 
  30 
  12,980 
  

  

  h 
  38 
  28 
  00 
  109 
  14 
  00 
  12.890 
  

  

  k 
  38 
  26 
  00 
  109 
  15 
  30 
  12,724 
  

  

  I 
  ." 
  38 
  26 
  30 
  109 
  16 
  00 
  12,300 
  

  

  Southern 
  group 
  : 
  

   Mount 
  Tukuhnikavats 
  38 
  24 
  00 
  109 
  15 
  30 
  12,004 
  

  

  Since 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  talk 
  of 
  utilizing 
  the 
  salt 
  deposits 
  in 
  Sindbad's 
  

   Valley, 
  as 
  the 
  valley 
  in 
  which 
  Salt 
  Creek 
  heads 
  has 
  been 
  named 
  by 
  the 
  

   miners 
  in 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  region, 
  I 
  will 
  briefly 
  mention 
  here 
  the 
  best 
  

   route 
  to 
  reach 
  them. 
  I 
  know 
  of 
  no 
  route 
  practicable 
  for 
  wagons, 
  and 
  

   can 
  conceive 
  of 
  none 
  which 
  can 
  be 
  opened 
  without 
  great 
  labor. 
  The 
  

   best 
  and 
  most 
  direct 
  trail 
  leads 
  down 
  the 
  southwestern 
  bank 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  

   Miguel, 
  keeping 
  back 
  some 
  distance 
  from 
  it, 
  leaves 
  it 
  at 
  the 
  foot 
  of 
  the 
  

   western 
  bend, 
  and 
  keeps 
  a 
  northwest 
  course 
  down 
  a 
  long 
  valley, 
  crosses 
  

   the 
  Dolores 
  in 
  this 
  valley, 
  climbs 
  its 
  eastern 
  wall 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  farther 
  on, 
  

   and 
  enters 
  Sindbad's 
  Valley 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  side. 
  This 
  trail 
  is 
  marked 
  on 
  

   the 
  drainage 
  map 
  accompanying 
  this 
  report. 
  The 
  only 
  bad 
  place 
  is 
  in 
  

   getting 
  down 
  the 
  wall 
  of 
  Sindbad's 
  Valley. 
  

  

  These 
  salt 
  deposits, 
  though 
  not 
  extensive, 
  are 
  worthy 
  of 
  examination 
  

   for 
  economic 
  purposes. 
  

  

  The 
  Grand 
  Eiver, 
  below 
  the 
  mouth 
  of 
  the 
  Gunnison, 
  flows 
  in 
  a 
  valley 
  for 
  

   about 
  20 
  miles, 
  closely 
  hugging 
  the 
  precipices, 
  which 
  here 
  form 
  the 
  border 
  

  

  