﻿GANSKTT] 
  GRAKD 
  RIVER 
  DISTRICT. 
  347 
  

  

  WAGON-ROADS, 
  TRAILS, 
  ETC. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  are 
  the 
  principal 
  wagon-roads 
  in 
  the 
  district 
  under 
  con- 
  

   sideration 
  : 
  

  

  Wagon-road 
  from 
  Los 
  Pinos 
  {old 
  agency) 
  to 
  the 
  Uncompahgre 
  agency. 
  — 
  

   This 
  wagon-trail, 
  though 
  at 
  present 
  in 
  a 
  rough 
  condition, 
  can 
  be 
  put 
  in 
  

   good 
  oi'der 
  at 
  slight 
  expense. 
  It 
  leaves 
  the 
  toll-road 
  to 
  Lake 
  City 
  at 
  

   Lake 
  Fork, 
  and 
  almost 
  iminediately 
  climbs 
  the 
  high 
  i)lateau 
  which 
  

   borders 
  this 
  stream 
  on 
  the 
  west. 
  This 
  ascent 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  diflicult 
  

   parts 
  of 
  the 
  route, 
  from 
  its 
  length 
  and 
  steepness, 
  and 
  requires 
  consider- 
  

   able 
  grading, 
  cutting, 
  and 
  embanking 
  to 
  render 
  it 
  practicable 
  for 
  heavy 
  

   loads. 
  On 
  tbe 
  plateau 
  it 
  runs 
  nearly 
  northwest, 
  over 
  a 
  gently 
  undula- 
  

   ting 
  surface, 
  crossing 
  two 
  streams 
  whose 
  banks 
  are 
  quite 
  steep, 
  for 
  a 
  

   distance 
  of 
  about 
  8 
  miles, 
  where 
  it 
  meets 
  Gunnison's 
  wagon-trail. 
  This 
  

   is 
  the 
  easiest 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  route. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  improvement 
  needed, 
  ex- 
  

   cept 
  slight 
  cuttings 
  in 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  streams" 
  mentioned 
  above. 
  

   The 
  road 
  thence 
  follows 
  Gunnison's 
  wagon-trail 
  to 
  the 
  Uncompahgre 
  

   Valley. 
  It 
  passes 
  along 
  a 
  depression 
  between 
  the 
  spurs 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  

   Mountains 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  and 
  a 
  high 
  plateau 
  on 
  the 
  north. 
  This 
  depres- 
  

   sion 
  is 
  cut 
  by 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  northward 
  flowing 
  streams 
  into 
  a 
  series 
  

   of 
  saddles. 
  The 
  ascents 
  and 
  descents 
  of 
  these 
  saddles 
  are 
  quite 
  steep, 
  

   but 
  by 
  a 
  little 
  cutting 
  easy 
  grades 
  can 
  be 
  made. 
  The 
  road 
  strikes 
  the 
  

   Uncompahgre 
  at 
  the 
  old 
  ford, 
  and 
  follows 
  the 
  river 
  upon 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  

   to 
  the 
  agency. 
  Wood, 
  water, 
  and 
  grass 
  are 
  abundant 
  everywhere 
  on 
  

   the 
  route, 
  except 
  between 
  the 
  crossing 
  of 
  Oebolla 
  Creek 
  and 
  the 
  Un- 
  

   compahgre. 
  Here 
  is 
  a 
  stretch 
  of 
  25 
  miles 
  without 
  water, 
  except 
  in 
  two 
  

   alkaline 
  springs, 
  as 
  Cedar 
  Creek 
  is 
  dry 
  nearly 
  all 
  the 
  year. 
  

  

  From 
  December 
  to 
  April 
  this 
  route 
  is 
  not 
  practicable 
  for 
  wagons, 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  snow 
  ; 
  and 
  for 
  three 
  months 
  at 
  least 
  traveling 
  it 
  with 
  

   pack-animals 
  is 
  impossible. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  other 
  route 
  from 
  the 
  east 
  

   practicable 
  for 
  wagons, 
  and 
  in 
  winter 
  thi? 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  available 
  mail- 
  

   route, 
  and 
  at 
  any 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  year 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  shortest 
  and 
  best. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  table 
  is 
  made 
  out 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  few 
  distances 
  and 
  elevations 
  

   on 
  this 
  route 
  : 
  

  

  Miles. 
  Elevation, 
  

   feet. 
  

  

  Los 
  Pinos, 
  (old 
  agency) 
  ■ 
  9, 
  290 
  

  

  Broad 
  Plateau, 
  average 
  elevation 
  10, 
  300 
  

  

  White 
  Earth 
  River 
  '. 
  16.0 
  8,300 
  

  

  Leave 
  Earth 
  River 
  19.4 
  8,100 
  

  

  Plateau 
  summit 
  22.2 
  8,900 
  

  

  .Lake 
  Fork 
  27.8 
  7,860 
  

  

  Plateau, 
  gradually 
  rising 
  to 
  37.6 
  8, 
  900 
  

  

  Mountain 
  Creek 
  38 
  8,739 
  

  

  Divide 
  38..5 
  8,900 
  

  

  Blue 
  Creek 
  39.3 
  8,600 
  

  

  Divide 
  40.0 
  8,800 
  

  

  Creek 
  40.4 
  8,300 
  

  

  Divide 
  41.6 
  8,500 
  

  

  Strike 
  Cimmaron 
  Creek 
  44.6 
  7,459 
  

  

  Leave 
  Cebolla 
  Creek 
  4.5.5 
  6,874 
  

  

  Divide 
  , 
  51.0 
  7,900 
  

  

  Ford 
  of 
  Uncompahgre 
  70..'7> 
  5, 
  800 
  

  

  Uncompahgre 
  agency 
  81.5 
  6, 
  400 
  

  

  SKETCH 
  OF 
  THE 
  SALT 
  LAKE 
  WAGON-EOAD 
  FROM 
  OURAY, 
  COLO., 
  TO 
  

  

  SALINA, 
  UTAH. 
  

  

  As 
  many 
  inquiries 
  concerning 
  this 
  road 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  recently 
  by 
  

   settlers 
  in 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  region 
  of 
  Southwestern 
  Colorado, 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  

  

  