﻿CHAPTER 
  I. 
  

  

  THE 
  CREST 
  OF 
  THE 
  MAIN 
  EOOKY 
  MOUNTAINS 
  FROM 
  LAT- 
  

   ITUDE 
  40O 
  30' 
  TO 
  TENNESSEE 
  PASS 
  (130 
  MILES). 
  

  

  EANGE 
  OF 
  FIRST 
  ORDER. 
  

  

  Long's 
  Peak, 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  in 
  Northern 
  Colorado, 
  is 
  detached 
  1^ 
  

   miles 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Colorado 
  or 
  Front 
  Range. 
  Its 
  precise 
  location 
  is 
  lon- 
  

   gitude 
  1050 
  37', 
  latitude 
  40° 
  15'. 
  The 
  trend 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Front 
  

   Range 
  from 
  near 
  Long's 
  Peak 
  is 
  directly 
  north 
  45° 
  west. 
  This 
  course 
  

   is 
  unchanged 
  for 
  20 
  miles 
  until 
  the 
  range 
  approaches 
  the 
  western 
  limit 
  

   of 
  the 
  district 
  to 
  be 
  described 
  in 
  these 
  notes, 
  viz, 
  40° 
  30', 
  where 
  a 
  sud- 
  

   den 
  turn 
  changes 
  its 
  direction 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  until 
  the 
  range 
  abuts 
  against 
  

   the 
  Medicine 
  Bow 
  Range 
  in 
  longitude 
  105° 
  54' 
  and 
  about 
  latitude 
  40° 
  

   30'. 
  The 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Front 
  Range 
  referred 
  to 
  here 
  represents 
  perhaps 
  

   the 
  most 
  rugged 
  and 
  extensive 
  mountain 
  mass 
  in 
  the 
  whole 
  Front 
  Range. 
  

   The 
  immense 
  spurs 
  which 
  are 
  detached 
  all 
  along 
  from 
  the 
  range 
  in 
  the 
  

   direction 
  of 
  the 
  Grand 
  Lake 
  and 
  Grand 
  River 
  resemble 
  in 
  their 
  massive- 
  

   ness 
  short 
  but 
  powerful 
  separate 
  ranges. 
  The 
  drainage 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  

   slope 
  flows 
  in 
  deep 
  and 
  rugged 
  caiions 
  toward 
  the 
  Upper 
  Grand 
  River. 
  

   To 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  Long's 
  Peak 
  and 
  6,000 
  feet 
  beneath 
  its 
  lofty 
  summit 
  lies 
  

   that 
  beautiful 
  valley 
  area 
  called 
  Estes 
  Park, 
  with 
  a 
  chain 
  of 
  huge 
  mount- 
  

   ains 
  and 
  peaks 
  encircling 
  it 
  on 
  nearly 
  all 
  sides 
  in 
  a 
  grand 
  amphithea- 
  

   tral 
  shape. 
  The 
  average 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  crest 
  north 
  of 
  Long's 
  

   Peak 
  is 
  12,250 
  feet, 
  while 
  the 
  mean 
  elevation 
  of 
  the 
  peaks 
  is 
  12,600 
  feet. 
  

   The 
  east 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  crest 
  is 
  much 
  eroded, 
  and 
  the 
  spurs 
  thrown 
  out 
  in 
  

   the 
  direction 
  of 
  Estes 
  Park 
  are, 
  particularly 
  in 
  their 
  upper 
  and 
  middle 
  

   portion, 
  sharp 
  and 
  serrated. 
  Their 
  bold 
  and 
  weather-beaten 
  appearance 
  

   adds 
  much 
  to 
  the 
  impressiveness 
  and 
  magnificence 
  of 
  the 
  scenery 
  which 
  

   we 
  obtain 
  from 
  Estes 
  Park 
  in 
  a 
  western 
  direction. 
  

  

  Directly 
  west 
  of, 
  and 
  only 
  2,640 
  feet 
  distant 
  from, 
  Long's 
  Peak 
  lies 
  a 
  sad- 
  

   dle, 
  with 
  an 
  elevation 
  ofl3,000feet,andonlyl^mileswestof 
  Long'sPeak 
  

   rises 
  another 
  lofty 
  point 
  with 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  13,800 
  feet. 
  This 
  latter 
  

   peak 
  attaches 
  itself 
  again 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  crest 
  which 
  trends 
  from 
  here 
  almost 
  

   c!ue 
  south 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  Arapahoe 
  Peak. 
  

  

  The 
  distance 
  along 
  the 
  crest 
  from 
  Long's 
  Peak 
  to 
  Arapahoe 
  Peak 
  is 
  

   21 
  miles, 
  while 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  line 
  it 
  is 
  only 
  16 
  miles. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  

   prominent 
  peaks 
  and 
  points 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  on 
  the 
  crest 
  amount 
  to 
  thirty- 
  

   one, 
  having 
  a 
  mean 
  height 
  of 
  12,800 
  feet. 
  Fifteen 
  more 
  peaks 
  and 
  

   prominent 
  points 
  exist 
  on 
  eastern 
  side 
  spurs, 
  reaching 
  a 
  mean 
  elevation 
  

   of 
  12,600 
  feet. 
  The 
  saddles 
  have 
  a 
  general 
  height 
  of 
  12,200 
  feet. 
  

   The 
  highest 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  crest 
  is 
  much 
  eroded, 
  particularly 
  on 
  the 
  

   east 
  side. 
  Large 
  mountain 
  amphitheaters 
  with 
  a 
  chaotic 
  accumulation 
  

   of 
  debris, 
  and 
  immense 
  snow-flats, 
  characterize 
  the 
  upper 
  portions 
  of 
  

   those 
  mountains. 
  The 
  water 
  accumulates 
  from 
  these 
  snow-flats 
  in 
  small, 
  

   narrow, 
  and 
  rugged 
  mountain 
  caiions, 
  impenetrable 
  to 
  most 
  men, 
  in 
  

   which 
  the 
  turbulent 
  and 
  ever-foaming 
  water 
  is 
  hurried 
  down 
  with 
  great 
  

  

  373 
  

  

  