﻿BECHLER] 
  CREST 
  OF 
  THE 
  MAIN 
  ROCKY 
  MOUNTAINS. 
  377 
  

  

  tliem, 
  Glacier 
  Peak, 
  with 
  12,654 
  feet, 
  stands 
  directly 
  above 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  

   Montezuma 
  and 
  the 
  reduction-works 
  of 
  St. 
  Johns. 
  Another 
  spur, 
  with 
  

   an 
  average 
  height 
  of 
  11,400 
  feet, 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  latter, 
  presses 
  for- 
  

   ward 
  between 
  Keystone 
  and 
  Buffalo 
  Creeks 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  Snake 
  

   Eiver. 
  Again 
  this 
  last 
  spur 
  detaches 
  still 
  another 
  branch 
  with 
  a 
  mean 
  

   elevation 
  of 
  10,400 
  feet 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  and 
  east 
  of 
  Swan 
  and 
  Blue 
  Rivers. 
  

   From 
  Mount 
  Guyot 
  a 
  spur 
  descends 
  down, 
  between 
  Swan 
  River 
  and 
  

   French 
  Gulch, 
  which 
  also 
  terminates 
  near 
  the 
  Blue 
  River 
  Valley. 
  The 
  

   latter 
  shows 
  an 
  average 
  elevation 
  of 
  11,000 
  feet, 
  with 
  a 
  relative 
  height 
  

   of 
  1,600 
  feet 
  above 
  Swan 
  and 
  Blue 
  Rivers. 
  The 
  most 
  western 
  extremi- 
  

   ties 
  of 
  this 
  latter 
  spur 
  have 
  only 
  1,000 
  feet 
  relative 
  height 
  above 
  Swan 
  

   and 
  Blue 
  Rivers, 
  and 
  are 
  principally 
  composed 
  of 
  drift, 
  which 
  furnish 
  

   abundant 
  material 
  for 
  hydraulic 
  mining. 
  

  

  One 
  mile 
  west 
  of 
  Hamilton 
  Peak 
  the 
  main 
  crest 
  falls 
  off 
  again 
  from 
  

   13,200 
  feet 
  to 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  11,800 
  feet. 
  At 
  this 
  point 
  Hamilton 
  Pass 
  

   lies, 
  which 
  affords 
  communication 
  between 
  the 
  Middle 
  and 
  South 
  Park. 
  

   From 
  this 
  pass 
  the 
  range 
  again 
  rises 
  to 
  over 
  13,000 
  feet, 
  and 
  continues 
  

   for 
  several 
  miles 
  increasing 
  in 
  height, 
  until 
  at 
  Silverheel 
  Mountain 
  it 
  

   reaches 
  its 
  maximum 
  of 
  13,650 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  range 
  descends 
  from 
  Silverheel 
  Mountain 
  with 
  a 
  moderately 
  steep 
  

   slope 
  down 
  to 
  Hoosier 
  Pass, 
  12,364 
  feet 
  in 
  height, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  commu- 
  

   nicating 
  pass 
  between 
  the 
  mining 
  towns 
  of 
  Fairplay 
  and 
  Breckenridge. 
  

  

  From 
  Hoosier 
  Pass 
  the 
  range 
  takes 
  a 
  direct 
  westerly 
  course, 
  and 
  after 
  

   ascending 
  again 
  to 
  the 
  altitude 
  of 
  13,800 
  feet 
  crosses 
  the 
  Park 
  Range 
  at 
  

   a 
  right 
  angle, 
  distant 
  from 
  Mount 
  Lincoln 
  only 
  4 
  miles. 
  Mount 
  Lincoln 
  

   rests 
  on 
  an 
  eastern 
  side-spur 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Range, 
  and 
  IJ 
  miles 
  distant 
  

   from 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  latter. 
  A 
  person 
  standing 
  on 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  intersec- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  and 
  Main 
  Range, 
  and 
  not 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  topography 
  

   of 
  the 
  country, 
  would 
  be 
  tempted 
  to 
  judge 
  from 
  the 
  bold 
  mountain-range 
  

   running 
  in 
  a 
  north 
  and 
  south 
  direction 
  and 
  bristling 
  with 
  so 
  many 
  lofty 
  

   peaks, 
  that 
  in 
  either 
  one 
  or 
  the 
  other 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Range 
  the 
  

   main 
  chain 
  would 
  take 
  its 
  course, 
  but 
  instead 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  the 
  main 
  crest 
  

   of 
  the 
  continental 
  divide 
  goes 
  still 
  farther 
  westward, 
  and 
  after 
  crossing 
  

   the 
  Park 
  Range 
  descends 
  nearly 
  2,000 
  feet 
  within 
  4 
  miles, 
  but 
  only 
  to 
  rise 
  

   again 
  at 
  Mount 
  Arkansas 
  to 
  the 
  height 
  of 
  13,647 
  feet, 
  6 
  miles 
  distant 
  

   from 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  crossing. 
  

  

  The 
  distance 
  along 
  the 
  continental 
  divide 
  from 
  a 
  point 
  of 
  crossing 
  on 
  

   the 
  Park 
  Range 
  near 
  Mount 
  Lincoln 
  to 
  Tennessee 
  Pass 
  is 
  lOJ 
  miles. 
  

   Mount 
  Arkansas 
  stands 
  directly 
  above 
  and 
  only 
  two 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  

   Tennessee 
  Pass. 
  Its 
  position 
  appears 
  isolated, 
  as 
  it 
  rests 
  between 
  two 
  

   saddle 
  depressions. 
  Ten 
  Mile 
  and 
  Tennessee 
  Trail 
  Passes. 
  It 
  is 
  more 
  a 
  

   a 
  mountain-group 
  than 
  a 
  peak, 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  crest 
  2 
  miles 
  long; 
  and, 
  with 
  

   an 
  elongated 
  escarpment 
  lying 
  north 
  and 
  south, 
  it 
  resembles 
  Mount 
  

   Hamilton, 
  and 
  even 
  Silverheels. 
  Its 
  position 
  is 
  commanding, 
  as 
  it 
  lies 
  

   directly 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  Arkansas 
  and 
  Eagle 
  Rivers, 
  and 
  no 
  rival 
  

   peak 
  is 
  in 
  very 
  close 
  proximity, 
  at 
  least 
  not 
  within 
  6 
  miles, 
  to 
  detract 
  

   its 
  bold 
  appearance. 
  Tennessee 
  Pass 
  is 
  yet 
  only 
  a 
  trail 
  pass, 
  but 
  

   the 
  gentle 
  slope 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  pass 
  would 
  offer 
  no 
  great 
  ob- 
  

   stacle 
  for 
  a 
  wagon-road. 
  This 
  would 
  particularly 
  apply 
  to 
  the 
  Arkan- 
  

   sas 
  Valley 
  up 
  to 
  its 
  headwaters 
  and 
  the 
  immediate 
  vicinity 
  on 
  the 
  Eagle 
  

   River 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  pass. 
  But 
  as 
  for 
  the 
  Eagle 
  River 
  Valley, 
  the 
  obstruc- 
  

   tions 
  would 
  be 
  more 
  numerous 
  and 
  greater, 
  and 
  the 
  country 
  along 
  and 
  

   about 
  the 
  Eagle 
  River 
  would 
  have 
  to 
  be 
  in 
  a 
  more 
  advanced 
  state 
  of 
  

   development 
  to 
  justify 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  a 
  wagon-road 
  along 
  the 
  lat- 
  

   ter 
  river. 
  

  

  