﻿BECHLER.] 
  CHAllACTEKISTICS 
  OF 
  MIDDLE 
  PARK. 
  393 
  

  

  its 
  margiDS, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  very 
  moderate 
  hill 
  and 
  tferrace- 
  slopes, 
  are 
  

   well 
  grassed. 
  Its 
  average 
  fall 
  per 
  mile 
  is 
  192 
  feet. 
  

  

  Only 
  half 
  a 
  mile 
  below, 
  where 
  Stillwater 
  Greek 
  intersects 
  the 
  Grand, 
  

   the 
  river 
  enters 
  a 
  granite 
  caiion 
  and 
  remains 
  in 
  it 
  for 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  1| 
  

   miles. 
  The 
  granite 
  bluffs 
  along 
  this 
  cafion 
  are 
  of 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  100 
  to 
  150 
  

   feet, 
  and 
  constitute 
  the 
  end 
  portions 
  of 
  a 
  spur 
  coming 
  from 
  the 
  huge 
  

   and 
  bulky 
  granite 
  masses 
  which 
  lie 
  directly 
  west 
  of 
  Arapahoe 
  Peak. 
  

  

  Four 
  and 
  a 
  half 
  miles 
  below 
  Stillwater 
  Creek 
  we 
  arrive 
  . 
  at 
  the 
  

   entrance 
  of 
  

  

  WILLOW 
  CREEK. 
  

  

  This 
  stream, 
  with 
  a 
  total 
  length 
  of 
  26 
  miles, 
  has 
  many 
  smaller 
  tributa- 
  

   ries 
  but 
  no 
  important 
  side 
  branches. 
  It 
  has 
  its 
  origin 
  in 
  two 
  branches, 
  

   the 
  main 
  one 
  in 
  that 
  mountain 
  amphitheater 
  in 
  Willow 
  Creek 
  Mountain 
  

   4 
  miles 
  southwest 
  from 
  Upper 
  Grand 
  Valley 
  Peak, 
  and 
  the 
  lesser 
  

   beneath 
  Willow 
  Creek 
  Pass, 
  in 
  a 
  depressed 
  basin 
  east 
  of 
  Park 
  View 
  

   Mountain. 
  In 
  its 
  circling 
  course 
  toward 
  the 
  Grand, 
  many 
  smaller 
  

   gulch 
  and 
  canon 
  streams 
  coming 
  from 
  Corral 
  Peak 
  and 
  Whiteface 
  

   Cluster 
  unite 
  with 
  it. 
  The 
  .middle 
  portion 
  of 
  Willow 
  Creek, 
  within 
  a 
  

   distance 
  of 
  6 
  to 
  7 
  miles, 
  is 
  in 
  canon, 
  or 
  nearly 
  so. 
  Its 
  course 
  is 
  not 
  

   direct 
  but 
  crescent-shaped, 
  following 
  at 
  first 
  a 
  southwestern, 
  then 
  

   ^southern, 
  and 
  after 
  that 
  a 
  southeastern, 
  course. 
  When 
  the 
  creek 
  

   approaches 
  within 
  2 
  to 
  3 
  miles 
  of 
  the 
  Grand 
  River, 
  the 
  mountain 
  slopes 
  

   to 
  the 
  left 
  of 
  Willow 
  Creek 
  become 
  greatly 
  depressed, 
  and 
  the 
  country 
  

   still 
  lower 
  changes 
  gradually 
  into 
  a 
  gentle 
  terraced 
  country, 
  which 
  

   extends 
  all 
  along 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  Grand 
  River 
  and 
  eastward 
  up 
  to 
  

   Grand 
  Lake. 
  There 
  is 
  an 
  Indian-trail 
  along 
  Willow 
  Creek 
  leading 
  from 
  

   that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Park 
  over 
  a 
  low 
  pass 
  into 
  the 
  North 
  Park. 
  

   The 
  average 
  fall 
  of 
  Willow 
  Creek 
  is 
  92 
  feet 
  per 
  mile, 
  and 
  its 
  total 
  fall 
  

   from 
  its 
  source 
  about 
  2,400 
  feet. 
  Again, 
  4:^ 
  miles 
  down 
  the 
  Grand 
  from 
  

   the 
  junction 
  of 
  Willow 
  and 
  Grand, 
  another 
  important 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  

   Middle 
  Park 
  drainage 
  enters 
  into 
  the 
  river 
  from 
  the 
  southeast, 
  viz, 
  

  

  FRAZIER 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  This 
  river, 
  together 
  with 
  its 
  tributaries, 
  forms 
  a 
  distinct 
  drainage- 
  

   system 
  of 
  a 
  separate 
  area, 
  or 
  subzone, 
  which 
  constitutes 
  at 
  least 
  one- 
  

   fifth 
  of 
  the 
  Middle 
  Park 
  area. 
  The 
  boundaries 
  of 
  this 
  area 
  extend 
  from 
  

   the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  Colorado 
  Range, 
  near 
  Arapahoe 
  Peak, 
  14 
  miles 
  across 
  

   to 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  Vasquez 
  Ridge, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  Grand 
  River 
  south 
  to 
  the 
  

   crest 
  of 
  the 
  Main 
  Range, 
  which 
  circles 
  from 
  James 
  Peak 
  around 
  to 
  

   Gray's 
  Peak. 
  The 
  drainage 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  Frazier 
  River 
  Zone 
  comprises 
  

   about 
  320 
  square 
  miles, 
  or 
  204,800 
  acres 
  of 
  surface. 
  

  

  The 
  slopes 
  of 
  James 
  Peak, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  those 
  of 
  Vasquez 
  Peak, 
  and 
  the 
  

   whole 
  length 
  of 
  14 
  miles 
  of 
  slope 
  between 
  these 
  two 
  mountains, 
  com- 
  

   prising 
  the 
  northern 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  big 
  bend 
  with 
  its 
  rugged 
  canons 
  and 
  

   long-stretched 
  spurs, 
  furnish 
  tributary 
  water 
  to 
  the 
  common 
  channel 
  of 
  

   Frazier 
  River. 
  Again, 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  western 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  Main 
  or 
  

   Colorado 
  Range 
  from 
  James 
  Peak 
  north 
  to 
  a 
  point 
  2 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  Arap- 
  

   ahoe 
  Peak, 
  and 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope 
  of 
  Vasquez 
  Ridge, 
  pour 
  

   their 
  accumulated 
  waters 
  into 
  the 
  bed 
  of 
  Frazier 
  River. 
  

  

  There 
  exists 
  a 
  natural 
  division 
  in 
  the 
  Frazier 
  River 
  Basin 
  which 
  breaks 
  

   its 
  unity 
  and 
  divides 
  the 
  latter 
  into 
  upper 
  and 
  lower 
  basin. 
  The 
  cause 
  

   of 
  this 
  break 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  attributed 
  to 
  an 
  orographical 
  feature 
  that 
  exists 
  about 
  

   7 
  to. 
  Smiles 
  south 
  from 
  the 
  Frazier 
  and 
  Grand 
  River 
  junction. 
  West 
  

   of 
  Arapahoe 
  Peak, 
  and 
  also 
  still 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  Main 
  or 
  Colorado 
  Range, 
  

  

  