﻿EECHLER.] 
  BLUE 
  RIVER 
  AND 
  ITS 
  VALLEY. 
  403 
  

  

  inTDs 
  Range 
  lies 
  closer 
  to 
  tlie 
  river 
  than 
  elsewbere. 
  A 
  little 
  northwest 
  

   (»t 
  Ute 
  Pass 
  it 
  is 
  but 
  2 
  miles, 
  while 
  7 
  miles 
  below 
  it 
  is 
  3 
  miles 
  distaui 
  

   from 
  the 
  river. 
  The 
  relative 
  height 
  of 
  the 
  Williams 
  Eange 
  along 
  here 
  

   is 
  3.200 
  feet 
  above 
  mean 
  river-level, 
  while 
  the 
  mean 
  absolute 
  height 
  of 
  

   the 
  river 
  is 
  about 
  7,800 
  feet. 
  

  

  Oil 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Blue 
  Eiver 
  the 
  features 
  are 
  just 
  reversed 
  from 
  

   those 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  side. 
  

  

  The 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  Gores 
  Eange 
  rise 
  in 
  a 
  gradual 
  rather 
  bulky 
  and 
  

   irregular-shaped 
  character 
  toward 
  the 
  Gores 
  Mountains, 
  the 
  axis 
  of 
  

   which 
  is 
  from 
  8 
  to 
  10 
  miles 
  distant 
  from 
  the 
  river. 
  Powerful 
  streams 
  

   continue 
  to 
  come 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  amphitheater 
  and 
  dark-looking 
  gorges, 
  and 
  

   pursue 
  with 
  swiftness 
  their 
  course 
  through 
  the 
  densely-wooded 
  district 
  

   of 
  the 
  moraines. 
  

  

  Three 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Blue 
  River 
  Valley 
  Butte, 
  the 
  river 
  changes 
  

   from 
  a 
  northwest 
  into 
  a 
  due-west 
  course, 
  and 
  turning 
  around 
  that 
  butte, 
  

   the 
  base 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  washes, 
  assumes 
  from 
  this 
  poiut 
  a 
  course 
  north 
  16° 
  

   west. 
  The 
  butte, 
  standing 
  in 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  valley, 
  is 
  connected 
  with 
  

   the 
  Williams 
  Range 
  by 
  a 
  very 
  low 
  saddle, 
  over 
  which 
  the 
  road 
  pasvses. 
  

   It 
  produces 
  a 
  singular 
  scenic 
  efltect. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  trachytic 
  uplift, 
  with 
  steep 
  

   faces 
  toward 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  moderate 
  descent 
  toward 
  the 
  low 
  pass, 
  which 
  

   connects 
  the 
  contours 
  of 
  the 
  butte 
  with 
  those 
  of 
  the 
  Williams 
  Range. 
  

  

  The 
  northern 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  rugged 
  group 
  of 
  the 
  Gores 
  Mountains, 
  with 
  

   Mount 
  Powell 
  as 
  its 
  most 
  elevated 
  point, 
  lies 
  about 
  nearly 
  south, 
  and 
  

   about 
  9 
  miles 
  distant 
  from 
  the 
  Blue 
  River 
  Valley 
  Butte. 
  From 
  this 
  

   butte 
  the 
  distance 
  to 
  the 
  Grand 
  River 
  Junction 
  is 
  12 
  miles; 
  the 
  Blue, 
  

   as 
  above 
  stated, 
  has 
  from 
  here, 
  with 
  only 
  16° 
  western 
  deviation, 
  a 
  pretty 
  

   direct 
  northern 
  trend 
  for 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  its 
  course. 
  The 
  character- 
  

   istics 
  of 
  the 
  Williams 
  Mountains 
  indicate 
  no 
  material 
  change 
  from 
  here. 
  

   The 
  same 
  evenness 
  in 
  feature 
  prevails 
  which 
  the 
  W^illiams 
  Range 
  ex- 
  

   hibited 
  all 
  the 
  way 
  down 
  from 
  Ute 
  Pass, 
  except 
  perhaps 
  a 
  greater 
  

   prominency 
  of 
  terrace 
  features 
  that 
  cbaracterizes 
  particularly 
  the 
  slopes 
  

   of 
  those 
  mountains 
  from 
  Ute 
  Pass 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  Blue 
  Valley 
  Butte. 
  

  

  A 
  marked 
  change, 
  however, 
  takes 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  features 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  

   Range, 
  directly 
  on 
  a 
  line 
  with 
  Blue 
  River 
  Peak, 
  the 
  last 
  prominent 
  peak 
  

   of 
  the 
  Gores 
  Mountains. 
  This 
  last-named 
  peak 
  stands 
  on 
  an 
  extension, 
  

   l)ulpit-like, 
  about 
  1 
  mile 
  north 
  of 
  Mount 
  Powell, 
  while 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  

   Park 
  Range 
  has 
  detached 
  itself 
  already 
  from 
  Mount 
  Powell, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   curve 
  somewhat 
  toward 
  the 
  west, 
  still 
  forming 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  nipples 
  aver- 
  

   aging 
  about 
  12,000 
  feet 
  above 
  sea-level, 
  and 
  causing 
  thereby, 
  beneath 
  

   and 
  west 
  of 
  Mount 
  Powell, 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  the 
  huge 
  amphitheaters 
  which 
  

   are 
  so 
  characteristic 
  in 
  that 
  most 
  rugged 
  of 
  the 
  ranges 
  of 
  Northeastern 
  

   Colorado. 
  

  

  On 
  a 
  line 
  almost 
  east 
  and 
  west 
  with 
  the 
  Blue 
  River 
  Peak, 
  the 
  Park 
  

   Eange 
  (as 
  alluded 
  to 
  already 
  in 
  a 
  previous 
  chapter 
  referring 
  to 
  the 
  Park 
  

   Range) 
  shows 
  no 
  more 
  ruggeduess 
  in 
  its 
  course 
  toward 
  and 
  across 
  the 
  

   Gores 
  Caiion, 
  but 
  exhibits 
  a 
  smooth, 
  rolling 
  contour, 
  showing 
  only 
  once 
  

   more 
  an 
  isolated 
  peak 
  (Lone 
  Peak) 
  to 
  break 
  the 
  monotony 
  of 
  its 
  crest. 
  

  

  Though 
  the 
  slope-angles 
  have 
  greatly 
  diminished 
  since 
  the 
  commence- 
  

   ment 
  of 
  the 
  smooth 
  contoured 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Range, 
  the 
  spurs 
  still 
  

   show 
  great 
  ruggedness 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  portions, 
  just 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  

   Gores 
  Range. 
  Cliffy 
  terraces 
  line 
  the 
  north 
  sides 
  of 
  gulches 
  in 
  the 
  

   upper 
  portions, 
  and 
  make 
  ascent 
  on 
  that 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  not 
  only 
  im- 
  

   practicable, 
  but, 
  together 
  with 
  the 
  dense 
  growths 
  of 
  pines 
  and 
  fallen 
  

   timber, 
  impossible. 
  The 
  belt 
  of 
  forest 
  lies 
  generally 
  along 
  the 
  mid- 
  

   dle 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  range, 
  and 
  extends 
  in 
  abundance 
  to 
  within 
  5 
  or 
  6 
  miles 
  

   Irom 
  the 
  Gores 
  Caiion, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  pines 
  appear 
  only 
  in 
  isolated 
  

  

  