﻿380 
  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  most 
  southern 
  of 
  these 
  peaks 
  the 
  Eagle 
  Eiver 
  Eange 
  connects 
  with 
  the 
  

   Park 
  Eange. 
  

  

  At 
  Eed 
  Peak 
  a 
  new 
  division 
  of 
  mountain 
  characteristics 
  is 
  introduced. 
  

   Surrounded 
  by 
  several 
  peaks 
  of 
  nearly 
  equal 
  height 
  stands 
  Eed 
  Peak, 
  

   with 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  12,382 
  feet, 
  and 
  directly 
  at 
  the 
  main 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  

   Gores 
  Branch 
  of 
  the 
  Eagle 
  Eiver. 
  A 
  sharp 
  saddle 
  of 
  11,700 
  feet 
  in 
  height 
  

   connects 
  Eed 
  Peak 
  with 
  the 
  Gores 
  Eange. 
  This 
  remarkable 
  range,* 
  

   which 
  is 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Eange, 
  measures 
  about 
  21^ 
  miles 
  along 
  

   the 
  crest 
  from 
  Eed 
  Peak 
  to 
  the 
  Front 
  Peak, 
  or 
  a 
  peak 
  2 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  

   Mount 
  Powell. 
  The 
  peculiar 
  conditions 
  of 
  this 
  mountain 
  portion 
  are 
  

   that, 
  for 
  several 
  thousand 
  feet 
  downward 
  from 
  the 
  crest, 
  the 
  range 
  in 
  its 
  

   main 
  structure 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  spurs 
  is 
  thoroughly 
  exposed 
  and 
  disintegrated 
  

   and 
  nowhere, 
  that 
  is 
  on 
  neither 
  face, 
  is 
  it 
  clothed 
  with 
  any 
  mantle 
  o 
  

   verdure. 
  A 
  mountain-range 
  more 
  barren 
  and 
  more 
  absolutely 
  exposed! 
  

   and 
  subjected 
  to 
  erosion 
  in 
  every 
  form, 
  will 
  hardly 
  be 
  found 
  elsewhere 
  

   It 
  is 
  in 
  a 
  state 
  of 
  rapid 
  decay, 
  its 
  crest 
  being 
  serrated 
  lik<) 
  a 
  saw, 
  and 
  

   the 
  general 
  appearance 
  of 
  points 
  or 
  peaks 
  not 
  unlike 
  upturned 
  icicles.; 
  

   Only 
  in 
  the 
  huge 
  and 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  flattened 
  amphitheaters 
  that 
  lie 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  the 
  sharp-crested 
  and 
  barren 
  spurs, 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  terraced 
  offsets 
  

   that 
  lead 
  through 
  caiions 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  amphitheaters, 
  have 
  forest 
  trees 
  a 
  

   chg^nce 
  to 
  vegetate 
  up 
  to 
  its 
  allowable 
  altitude. 
  Only 
  with 
  difficulty 
  and 
  

   by 
  means 
  of 
  at 
  least 
  two 
  hundred 
  and 
  thirty 
  angles, 
  taken 
  from 
  various 
  

   positions, 
  have 
  we 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  arrive 
  at 
  an 
  approximate 
  average 
  calcu- 
  

   lation 
  of 
  the 
  altitude 
  of 
  the 
  saddle 
  or 
  main 
  escarpment, 
  which 
  was 
  found 
  

   to 
  be 
  about 
  12,350 
  feet. 
  I 
  have 
  recorded, 
  for 
  the 
  main 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  Gores 
  

   Eange, 
  thirty-seven 
  peaks, 
  with 
  a 
  mean 
  height 
  of 
  12,750 
  feet. 
  For 
  ':he 
  

   side 
  spurs 
  the 
  record 
  gives 
  tifty-four 
  peaks, 
  with 
  an 
  average 
  height 
  of 
  

   11,800 
  feet.t 
  

  

  The 
  spurs 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope, 
  which 
  run 
  toward 
  Blue 
  Eiver 
  Valley, 
  

   fall 
  off 
  suddenly 
  when 
  withi<n 
  one-third 
  of 
  their 
  distance 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  

   escarpment 
  and 
  the 
  Blue 
  Eiver 
  Valley. 
  From 
  the 
  lower 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  

   debris 
  slope, 
  the 
  spurs 
  flatten 
  out 
  and 
  descend 
  in 
  terrace-shape 
  toward 
  

   the 
  valley. 
  The 
  flattened 
  spurs 
  consist 
  principally, 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  parts, 
  

   of 
  glacial 
  drifts, 
  and 
  they 
  constitute 
  a 
  sort 
  of 
  a 
  foreland, 
  covered 
  with 
  

   dense 
  pine 
  forests, 
  which, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  fallen 
  or 
  dead 
  timber, 
  baffle 
  

   any 
  common 
  attempt 
  to 
  approach 
  the 
  mountains 
  from 
  the 
  flank. 
  Th 
  

   rise 
  of 
  the 
  debris 
  slope 
  or 
  foreland 
  is 
  about 
  1,200 
  feet 
  within 
  4 
  to 
  5' 
  

   miles. 
  The 
  relative 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  crest 
  above 
  Blue 
  Eiver 
  is 
  

   about 
  4,350 
  feet 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  the 
  relative 
  height 
  is 
  about 
  4,500 
  

   feet 
  above 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  Gores 
  Creek 
  with 
  the 
  Eagle 
  Eiver. 
  Abundant 
  

   evidences 
  of 
  glacial 
  action 
  are 
  found 
  on 
  the 
  middle 
  and 
  lower 
  portions 
  

   of 
  the 
  spurs 
  leading 
  toward 
  Piney 
  Eive'r. 
  The 
  caiions 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  

   steep 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  spurs 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  by 
  the 
  face 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  mountains 
  

   on 
  the 
  west 
  side, 
  constitute 
  a 
  perfect 
  labyrinth 
  of 
  giant 
  fissures 
  with 
  

   steep 
  walls, 
  often 
  2,000 
  feet 
  high 
  on 
  either 
  side. 
  We 
  are 
  amazed, 
  

   thrilled, 
  and 
  yet 
  fascinated 
  when 
  we 
  look 
  down 
  from 
  the 
  dizzy 
  height 
  

   into 
  the 
  deep 
  chasm 
  below, 
  with 
  nothing 
  to 
  break 
  the 
  silence 
  within 
  

   this 
  barren 
  and 
  yet 
  grand 
  and 
  sublime 
  rocky 
  structure, 
  but 
  the 
  sound 
  

   of 
  the 
  turbulent, 
  rushing, 
  and 
  ever-foaming 
  canon 
  stream. 
  

  

  The 
  total 
  length 
  of 
  the 
  spurs 
  detached 
  on 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  Gores 
  

   Eange, 
  is 
  about 
  equal 
  to 
  72 
  miles 
  linear 
  measure. 
  

  

  '^Tbe 
  old 
  term 
  " 
  Gores 
  Range'' 
  is 
  retained 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  distinguishing 
  it 
  from 
  

   the 
  other 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Range. 
  

  

  t 
  Considering 
  the 
  inaccessibility 
  of 
  these 
  mountains, 
  the 
  complicated 
  arrangement 
  

   of 
  e8car[)nieut 
  and 
  detached 
  side 
  spurs, 
  which 
  creates 
  otten 
  difiticulty 
  to 
  dehne 
  and 
  

   separate 
  one 
  object 
  from 
  another, 
  errors 
  occurring 
  in 
  the 
  count 
  of 
  peaks 
  on 
  that 
  range 
  

   should 
  be 
  judged 
  with 
  more 
  indulgence 
  than 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  si 
  

  

  