﻿BECHLER.] 
  EAGLE 
  EIVER 
  MOUNTAINS. 
  383 
  

  

  Valley 
  Peak, 
  originate 
  the 
  principal, 
  at 
  tbe 
  longest 
  branches, 
  of 
  the 
  

   North 
  Platte 
  Eiver, 
  flowing 
  immediately 
  north 
  and 
  beneath 
  the 
  two 
  

   peaks, 
  in 
  a 
  basin-like 
  area. 
  

  

  The 
  western 
  slopes 
  of 
  Park 
  View 
  Mountain 
  descend, 
  within 
  2^ 
  miles, 
  

   1,800 
  feet 
  into 
  a 
  deep 
  saddle; 
  which 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  gives 
  rise 
  to 
  an- 
  

   other 
  large 
  tributary 
  of 
  North 
  Platte 
  River, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  

   the 
  saddle 
  to 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  forks 
  from 
  East 
  Troublesome 
  Creek. 
  A 
  half 
  a 
  

   mile 
  west 
  of 
  this 
  saddle 
  a 
  sharp 
  peak 
  rises 
  1,000 
  feet 
  above 
  this 
  saddle, 
  

   and 
  3 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  that 
  another 
  one 
  of 
  200 
  less 
  height, 
  11,400, 
  makes 
  

   its 
  appearance. 
  From 
  this 
  last 
  peak 
  which 
  stands 
  between 
  the 
  sources 
  

   of 
  the 
  two 
  forks 
  of 
  the 
  Troublesome 
  Creek, 
  " 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  which 
  we 
  

   gave 
  the 
  name 
  of 
  Troublesome 
  Peak 
  to 
  it," 
  the 
  Continental 
  Divide 
  

   makes 
  an 
  angle 
  again 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  15° 
  west. 
  

  

  Following 
  along 
  this 
  crest 
  for 
  2 
  miles 
  we 
  again 
  come 
  to 
  a 
  peak 
  of 
  

   11,600 
  feet 
  m 
  height, 
  and 
  still 
  2 
  miles 
  farther 
  we 
  arrive 
  at 
  the 
  fourth 
  one 
  

   on 
  the 
  crest 
  since 
  Park 
  View 
  Park, 
  which 
  we 
  called 
  Basalt 
  Peak, 
  11,906 
  

   feet, 
  from 
  its 
  center 
  position 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  capping 
  of 
  basaltic 
  lava. 
  

  

  From 
  this 
  last 
  peak, 
  which 
  also 
  rises 
  a 
  little 
  over 
  11,600 
  feet, 
  the 
  crest 
  

   turns 
  west 
  again, 
  exhibiting 
  from 
  there 
  more 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  high, 
  ter- 
  

   raced 
  table-land, 
  descending 
  lower 
  and 
  lower 
  toward 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  

   Muddy, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  between 
  the 
  latter 
  and 
  West 
  Troublesome. 
  

  

  From 
  Basalt 
  Peak, 
  a 
  formidable 
  even-topped 
  but 
  high 
  mountain 
  mass 
  

   6 
  miles 
  long 
  goes 
  forward 
  in 
  direction 
  north 
  15° 
  west, 
  and 
  breaks 
  with 
  

   its 
  broad 
  and 
  bulky 
  spurs 
  the 
  units 
  of 
  the 
  Upper 
  Basin 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  

   North 
  Park. 
  

  

  That 
  broad, 
  massy 
  table-land 
  between 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  

   rivers. 
  Muddy 
  and 
  Troublesome, 
  shelving 
  toward 
  the 
  south, 
  pushes 
  a 
  

   bulky, 
  flattish 
  spur 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  last-named 
  rivers, 
  which 
  exhibits 
  

   on 
  its 
  faces 
  toward 
  the 
  Muddy 
  much-eroded 
  slopes 
  and 
  terraces. 
  

  

  Before 
  reaching 
  Eabbit 
  Ears 
  Butte 
  we 
  see 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  

   of 
  the 
  Muddy 
  once 
  more 
  an 
  object 
  of 
  prominency 
  rising, 
  not 
  so 
  notice- 
  

   able 
  for 
  its 
  great 
  height 
  as 
  for 
  its 
  sharpness. 
  The 
  Upper 
  Muddy 
  Butte, 
  

   "a 
  sharp 
  pyramidal 
  structure 
  of 
  basalt", 
  with 
  an 
  altitude 
  of 
  9,848 
  feet, 
  

   lies 
  but 
  5 
  miles 
  southeast 
  of 
  Muddy 
  Pass, 
  a 
  saddle-depression 
  that 
  offers, 
  

   evidently, 
  from 
  its 
  easy 
  access 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  very 
  moderate 
  altitude, 
  every 
  

   advantage 
  for 
  communication 
  between 
  the 
  northwestern 
  portion 
  of 
  

   Middle 
  and 
  southwestern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Park. 
  

  

  The 
  intervening 
  mountain 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  Continental 
  Divide, 
  between 
  

   Muddy 
  Pass 
  and 
  Eabbit 
  Ears, 
  exhibits 
  no 
  features 
  of 
  prominence. 
  The 
  

   mass 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  consists 
  is 
  broad 
  and 
  bulky, 
  with 
  strongly-marked 
  

   terrace 
  features 
  facing 
  the 
  Muddy. 
  Its 
  crest 
  is 
  crowned 
  with 
  numerous 
  

   little 
  buttes, 
  composed 
  of 
  basaltic 
  lava, 
  which 
  explains 
  their 
  preservation, 
  

   among 
  that 
  otherwise 
  so 
  softly 
  organized 
  material 
  in 
  that 
  particular 
  

   neighborhood. 
  

  

  We 
  can 
  state 
  the 
  crest-length 
  of 
  the 
  Continental 
  or 
  Park 
  Divide 
  to 
  

   be 
  about 
  55 
  miles 
  ; 
  from 
  the 
  Upper 
  Grand 
  Valley 
  Peak, 
  westward 
  to 
  

   Eabbit 
  Ears 
  Butte, 
  10,719 
  feet. 
  The 
  mean 
  elevation 
  of 
  high 
  j)oints 
  in 
  

   general 
  is 
  about 
  10,750 
  feet, 
  while 
  the 
  average 
  saddle 
  height 
  will 
  amount 
  

   to 
  about 
  10,180 
  feet. 
  

  

  RANGE 
  OF 
  SECOND 
  ORDER. 
  

  

  Eagle 
  Eiver 
  Mountains. 
  

  

  The 
  mountains 
  that 
  constitute 
  that 
  short 
  but 
  massive 
  range 
  rise 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  Ten 
  Mile 
  Creek 
  and 
  Eagle 
  Eiver 
  Valleys. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  parallel 
  range 
  

   to 
  the 
  Park 
  Eange, 
  but 
  different 
  in 
  character. 
  The 
  entire 
  district 
  that 
  

  

  