﻿BECHLER] 
  VASQUEZ 
  RIDGE. 
  385 
  

  

  of 
  Ute 
  Pass 
  up 
  to 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  12,800 
  feet 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  on 
  the 
  

   Williams 
  Eange. 
  Another 
  peak 
  named 
  Williams 
  Point, 
  with 
  an 
  eleva- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  11,700, 
  rests 
  on 
  the 
  northern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  about 
  4 
  miles 
  

   north 
  of 
  Ute 
  Pass. 
  We 
  cannot 
  properly 
  apply 
  to 
  any 
  points 
  on 
  the 
  

   northern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  the 
  term 
  peak, 
  for 
  none 
  of 
  them 
  project 
  vis- 
  

   ibly 
  and 
  bold 
  enough 
  above 
  the 
  crest, 
  which 
  is 
  in 
  its 
  totality 
  only 
  wave- 
  

   like 
  from 
  Ute 
  Pass 
  to 
  the 
  Grand 
  River. 
  A 
  bolder 
  character 
  prevails 
  

   south 
  of 
  Ute 
  Pass 
  in 
  the 
  mountain 
  structure 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  peaks. 
  

   Fifteen 
  projecting 
  points 
  which 
  I 
  counted 
  among 
  the 
  peaks 
  show 
  an 
  

   average 
  of 
  12,400 
  feet, 
  while 
  the 
  mean 
  saddle-height 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  less 
  

   than 
  12,000 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  relative 
  height 
  of 
  Williams 
  or 
  Blue 
  Eiver 
  Range 
  above 
  

   the 
  mean 
  height 
  of 
  Blue 
  River 
  Valley 
  is 
  3,000 
  feet. 
  The 
  western 
  slopes 
  

   of 
  range, 
  or 
  the 
  slopes 
  facing 
  Blue 
  River 
  Valley, 
  are 
  rugged 
  and 
  terraced, 
  

   and 
  show 
  occasionally 
  a 
  very 
  sudden 
  descent, 
  while 
  the 
  eastern 
  slopes 
  

   of 
  the 
  northern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  range, 
  that 
  is, 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Ute 
  Pass, 
  

   show 
  a 
  gentler 
  ciescent. 
  These 
  slopes 
  show 
  also 
  good 
  pasturage 
  from 
  

   Williams 
  River 
  Valley 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  lower 
  margin 
  of 
  the 
  timber-belt. 
  

  

  Viewing 
  Williams 
  Range 
  from 
  the 
  northeast 
  it 
  affords 
  an 
  imposing 
  

   sight 
  in 
  spite 
  of 
  the 
  undulating 
  character 
  of 
  its 
  crest. 
  When 
  approach- 
  

   ing 
  its 
  northern 
  terminus 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  is 
  7 
  miles 
  distant 
  from 
  

   Williams 
  River, 
  and 
  but 
  3 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  Blue 
  River. 
  

  

  RIDGE 
  OF 
  THIRD 
  ORDER. 
  

  

  Vasquez 
  Bidge. 
  

  

  Vasquez 
  Ridge 
  is 
  detached 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  or 
  Colorado 
  Range, 
  about 
  

   nine 
  miles 
  northwest 
  from 
  Gray's 
  and 
  Torrey's 
  Peaks. 
  Vasquez 
  Creek 
  

   drains 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  or 
  higher 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  ridge, 
  

   while 
  tributaries 
  of 
  the 
  Williams 
  River 
  drain 
  the 
  western 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  

   upper 
  and 
  higher 
  parts 
  of 
  that 
  ridge. 
  The 
  axis 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  has 
  a 
  due 
  

   northern 
  course, 
  and 
  leads 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Park, 
  

   or 
  to 
  the 
  hot 
  sulphur 
  springs, 
  where 
  its 
  topographical 
  features 
  termi- 
  

   nate. 
  

  

  Close 
  to 
  the 
  intersection 
  with 
  the 
  Colorado 
  Range 
  is 
  the 
  highest 
  por- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  ridge. 
  Its 
  characteristics 
  there 
  are 
  equal 
  to 
  any 
  high 
  moun- 
  

   tains 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  order, 
  equal 
  in 
  altitude 
  and 
  surpassing 
  in 
  ruggedness 
  

   even 
  the 
  neighboring 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  or 
  Colorado 
  Range, 
  which 
  latter 
  

   is 
  more 
  broad 
  planed 
  than 
  otherwise. 
  The 
  Vasquez 
  Ridge 
  retains 
  these 
  

   characteristics 
  for 
  six 
  miles 
  north. 
  Four 
  peaks 
  of 
  nearly 
  equal 
  eleva- 
  

   tion, 
  among 
  them 
  Mount 
  Byers, 
  12,778 
  feet, 
  crown 
  the 
  top 
  of 
  that 
  ridge 
  

   in 
  this 
  upper 
  region. 
  For 
  about 
  800 
  to 
  1,000 
  feet 
  downward 
  the 
  slopes 
  

   of 
  the 
  peaks 
  descend 
  very 
  abruptly, 
  and 
  show 
  weather-beaten 
  faces 
  east 
  

   as 
  well 
  as 
  west. 
  

  

  Directly 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  ridge 
  heavy 
  spurs 
  branch 
  off, 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  which 
  

   slope 
  into 
  deep 
  canons, 
  and 
  which 
  constitute 
  a 
  portion 
  of 
  that 
  greatly- 
  

   eroded 
  canon 
  district 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  Williams 
  River. 
  The 
  spurs 
  lead- 
  

   ing 
  off 
  to 
  the 
  northwest 
  descend 
  rapidly 
  and 
  soon 
  become 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  com- 
  

   plicated, 
  undulating, 
  and 
  heavily-timbered 
  branch 
  spurs, 
  which 
  are 
  

   almost 
  completely 
  flattened 
  out 
  as 
  they 
  approach 
  nearer 
  to 
  Williams 
  

   River. 
  The 
  slopes 
  leading 
  down 
  to 
  Vasquez 
  Creek 
  are 
  heavily 
  timbered 
  

   and 
  rapidly 
  descending. 
  The 
  sharpness 
  of 
  the 
  spurs 
  give 
  each 
  drain- 
  

   age-channel 
  between 
  them 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  a 
  canon. 
  Four 
  miles 
  north 
  

   of 
  Mount 
  Byers 
  there 
  is 
  quite 
  an 
  offset 
  in 
  the 
  mountains, 
  which 
  forms 
  

   also 
  a 
  point 
  or 
  line 
  of 
  division 
  between 
  the 
  different 
  characteristics 
  of 
  

   25 
  G 
  s 
  

  

  