﻿BFCiiLEB.] 
  ■ 
  THE 
  -PARK 
  RANGE. 
  379 
  

  

  cipal 
  one) 
  between 
  the 
  South 
  Park 
  Basin 
  and 
  the 
  Arkansas 
  Valley, 
  dis- 
  

   appears 
  or 
  flattens 
  out 
  as 
  it 
  approaches 
  the 
  extreme 
  southwest 
  corner 
  

   of 
  the 
  South 
  Park 
  basin, 
  \7hile 
  the 
  main 
  Park 
  Eange 
  continues 
  on 
  for 
  

   25 
  miles 
  in 
  a 
  straight 
  southward 
  course, 
  across 
  the 
  Trout 
  Creek 
  CaQon, 
  

   and 
  it 
  again 
  increases 
  in 
  elevation 
  as 
  it 
  approaches 
  nearer 
  to 
  the 
  Arkan- 
  

   sas 
  Eiver 
  at 
  a 
  point 
  where 
  the 
  great 
  Arkansas 
  Caiion 
  takes 
  its 
  com- 
  

   mencement. 
  South 
  of 
  the 
  Arkansas 
  the 
  Park 
  Eange 
  continues 
  as 
  the 
  

   same 
  upheaval 
  but 
  with 
  the 
  name 
  changed 
  into 
  Saugre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  Eange. 
  

  

  RAKGE 
  OF 
  FIRST 
  ORDER. 
  

  

  ParJi 
  Eange, 
  nortkicard 
  from 
  point 
  of 
  crossing 
  icWi 
  the 
  main 
  range 
  to 
  Ten 
  

  

  ' 
  Mile 
  Creeli 
  Canon. 
  

  

  The 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Mountain 
  escarpment 
  from 
  its 
  intersection 
  

   with 
  the 
  main 
  range 
  north 
  to 
  Ten 
  Mile 
  Creek 
  Caiion 
  is 
  18.} 
  miles. 
  The 
  

   features 
  of 
  the 
  crest 
  and 
  the 
  upper 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  remain 
  rugged 
  

   during 
  its 
  whole 
  length, 
  and 
  correspond 
  in 
  characteristics 
  precisely 
  to 
  

   that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Eange 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  highest 
  portion, 
  lying 
  in 
  the 
  

   neighborhood 
  of 
  Quandary, 
  Lincoln, 
  and 
  Buckskin 
  Peaks. 
  

  

  The 
  crest 
  is 
  much 
  serrated, 
  and 
  in 
  consequence 
  sharp 
  and 
  rugged 
  on 
  

   the 
  eastern 
  face, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  on 
  the 
  western. 
  The 
  peaks 
  are 
  singularly 
  

   sharp 
  and 
  many 
  of 
  them 
  totally 
  inaccessible. 
  The 
  number 
  of 
  peaks 
  

   resting 
  on 
  the 
  main 
  escarpment, 
  with 
  a 
  mean 
  height 
  of 
  12,900 
  feet, 
  

   amount 
  to 
  23. 
  Fourteen 
  peaks, 
  with 
  variable 
  heights, 
  rest 
  on 
  side 
  spurs. 
  

   The 
  average 
  elevation 
  of 
  the 
  crest 
  is 
  12,150 
  feet. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  many 
  rectangular 
  spurs 
  detached 
  by 
  the 
  range 
  toward 
  the 
  

   Blue 
  Eiver, 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  short, 
  as 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  is 
  but 
  4 
  miles 
  

   distant 
  from 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  Bine 
  Eiver 
  Valley. 
  

  

  The 
  immense 
  quantity 
  of 
  debris 
  in 
  the 
  higher 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  amphi- 
  

   theaters 
  indicates 
  a 
  rapid 
  disintegration 
  of 
  the 
  crest. 
  The 
  spurs 
  are 
  

   extremely 
  sharp 
  for 
  about 
  half-way 
  down 
  in 
  their 
  descent 
  to 
  the 
  valley 
  

   of 
  the 
  Blue. 
  The 
  timber-belt 
  that 
  girds 
  the 
  lower 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  

   on 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope 
  is 
  narrow 
  and 
  broken, 
  while 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  slope 
  

   we 
  can 
  hardly 
  speak 
  of 
  a 
  timber-belt 
  at 
  all, 
  the 
  mountain-range 
  appear- 
  

   ing 
  as 
  a 
  solid 
  rocky 
  structure, 
  with 
  very 
  few 
  outrunners 
  or 
  spurs. 
  It 
  

   compares 
  more 
  with 
  a 
  massive 
  wall 
  with 
  needle-like 
  points 
  rising 
  here 
  

   and 
  there 
  above 
  the 
  general 
  crest. 
  

  

  A 
  general 
  derangement 
  or 
  displacement 
  seems 
  to 
  have 
  taken 
  place 
  in 
  

   that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Eange 
  which 
  lies 
  between 
  Ten 
  Mile 
  Canon 
  (or 
  

   exit 
  of 
  Ten 
  Mile 
  Creek) 
  and 
  Eed 
  Mountain, 
  a 
  point 
  10 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  

   northwest. 
  The 
  imposing 
  mountain- 
  wall 
  which 
  stretches 
  in 
  an 
  unbro- 
  

   ken 
  northward 
  direction 
  for 
  19 
  miles 
  from 
  Mount 
  Lincoln, 
  and 
  which 
  is 
  

   covered 
  with 
  so 
  many 
  lofty 
  peaks, 
  comes 
  suddenly 
  to 
  a 
  stop 
  at 
  Ten 
  Mile 
  

   Cauon. 
  The 
  eye 
  searches 
  in 
  vain 
  for 
  a 
  visible 
  point 
  of 
  connection 
  or 
  

   an 
  unmistakable 
  trace 
  of 
  the 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  that 
  range, 
  

   but, 
  though 
  we 
  find 
  low 
  mountain 
  masses 
  and 
  spurs 
  in 
  abundance 
  on 
  

   approaching 
  Ten 
  Mile 
  Caiion, 
  yet 
  they 
  are 
  totally 
  devoid 
  of 
  the 
  charac- 
  

   teristics 
  which 
  the 
  Park 
  Eange 
  has 
  exhibited 
  hitherto. 
  Only 
  an 
  expe- 
  

   rienced 
  eye 
  will 
  discover, 
  beyond 
  the 
  depressed 
  mountain 
  portion, 
  north- 
  

   west 
  of 
  Ten 
  Mile 
  Cafion, 
  how 
  gradually 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  that 
  range 
  emerges 
  

   and 
  develops 
  again 
  by 
  degrees 
  into 
  a 
  shape 
  and 
  altitude 
  more 
  becoming 
  

   to 
  that 
  great 
  mountain-belt. 
  

  

  Several 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  Eed 
  Peak 
  the 
  Park 
  Eange 
  again 
  attains 
  a 
  

   height 
  of 
  11,750 
  feet, 
  and 
  two 
  ])eaks, 
  one 
  with 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  11,902 
  

   feet 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  11,800 
  feet, 
  appear 
  on 
  the 
  escarpment. 
  Near 
  the 
  

  

  