﻿414 
  REPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  parts 
  of 
  the 
  hills, 
  causing 
  mostly 
  flat 
  tops 
  on 
  buttes 
  and 
  very 
  even 
  

   crests 
  on 
  ridges 
  and 
  terraces. 
  

  

  Thirtynine 
  Mile 
  Mountain, 
  " 
  so 
  called 
  in 
  early 
  time 
  from 
  its 
  distance 
  

   from 
  CaSon 
  City", 
  is 
  the 
  largest 
  and 
  most 
  compact 
  mountain 
  mass 
  in 
  that 
  

   vicinity. 
  It 
  stands 
  only 
  5^ 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  parallel 
  38° 
  45', 
  and 
  shows 
  a 
  

   pretty 
  even 
  crest, 
  extending 
  about 
  4 
  miles 
  east 
  and 
  west. 
  The 
  top 
  of 
  

   this 
  mountain 
  is 
  about 
  2,400 
  feet 
  average 
  height 
  above 
  that 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  

   Platte 
  Eiver 
  where 
  it 
  leaves 
  the 
  South 
  Park 
  to 
  enter 
  the 
  Upper 
  CarLon. 
  

  

  The 
  southern 
  slopes 
  fall 
  off 
  steep 
  right 
  below 
  its 
  top 
  part, 
  but 
  assume 
  

   gentler 
  contours 
  when 
  in 
  their 
  middle 
  portion, 
  and 
  become 
  particularly 
  

   moderate 
  in 
  their 
  descent 
  when 
  approaching 
  those 
  basin-shaped 
  valleys 
  

   where 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  Main 
  Oil 
  Creek 
  and 
  Currant 
  Creek 
  assemble. 
  

   The 
  country 
  west 
  of 
  Thirty-nine 
  Mile 
  Mountain 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  clus- 
  

   ter 
  of 
  peaks 
  and 
  hills 
  of 
  volcanic 
  material, 
  which 
  slope 
  off 
  suddenly 
  and 
  

   terminate 
  into 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  low 
  ridges 
  and 
  terraces 
  near 
  the 
  Platte 
  Eiver. 
  

   Five 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  group 
  of 
  hills 
  lies 
  Black 
  Mountain, 
  a 
  promi- 
  

   nent 
  peak, 
  11,626 
  feet 
  high, 
  from 
  which 
  a 
  spurgoes 
  westward, 
  assuming 
  

   the 
  shape 
  of 
  a 
  low 
  ridge, 
  which 
  forms 
  the 
  southern 
  border 
  of 
  the 
  south- 
  

   western 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Park, 
  gradually 
  lowering 
  and 
  finally 
  disap- 
  

   pearing 
  into 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  park 
  area. 
  

  

  THE 
  pike's 
  peak 
  GROUP 
  — 
  RANGE 
  OF 
  FIRST 
  ORDER. 
  

  

  The 
  exact 
  location 
  of 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  of 
  this 
  group 
  is 
  longitude 
  

   105O 
  2' 
  2G", 
  and 
  latitude 
  38° 
  50' 
  27". 
  We 
  deem 
  it 
  somewhat 
  necessary 
  

   to 
  begin 
  with 
  locating 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  this 
  interesting 
  mountain 
  group 
  

   for 
  facilitating 
  a 
  more 
  rapid 
  comprehension 
  of 
  its 
  whereabouts, 
  which 
  

   is 
  the 
  more 
  necessary 
  as 
  this 
  wonderful 
  mountain 
  cluster 
  lies 
  detached 
  

   by 
  many 
  miles 
  from 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  and 
  main 
  mountain 
  upheavals, 
  

   Vthich 
  would 
  otherwise 
  in 
  describing 
  it 
  offer 
  some 
  connecting 
  link. 
  

  

  Pike's 
  Peak, 
  as 
  the 
  culminating 
  point 
  of 
  that 
  great 
  massive 
  granite 
  

   cluster, 
  stands 
  like 
  a 
  huge 
  watch-tower 
  fronting 
  the 
  plains, 
  the 
  margin 
  

   of 
  which 
  lies 
  only 
  10 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  peak. 
  

  

  The 
  foot-hills 
  that 
  border 
  the 
  plains, 
  starting 
  from 
  a 
  point 
  some 
  10 
  

   miles 
  east 
  of 
  Pike's 
  Peak, 
  sweep 
  northward, 
  with 
  a 
  slight 
  bend 
  to 
  the 
  

   west, 
  and 
  swing 
  around 
  again 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  when 
  116 
  miles 
  north 
  ', 
  or, 
  in 
  

   other 
  words, 
  if 
  we 
  start 
  from 
  Pike's 
  Peak 
  and 
  travel 
  northward 
  on 
  its 
  

   geographical 
  meridian, 
  we 
  will 
  travel 
  during 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  40 
  miles 
  for 
  the 
  

   greatest 
  part 
  on 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  Prout 
  Eange 
  and 
  for 
  the 
  rest 
  among 
  

   t^purs 
  in 
  the 
  foot-hills. 
  After 
  that 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  the 
  foot-hills 
  recede 
  

   gradually 
  to 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  after 
  another 
  40 
  miles 
  of 
  straight 
  northward 
  

   course, 
  the 
  foot-hills 
  will 
  be 
  13 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  us 
  ; 
  and 
  if 
  we 
  again 
  

   proceed 
  on 
  for 
  36 
  miles 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  course 
  to 
  parallel 
  40° 
  30', 
  or 
  the 
  

   northern 
  end 
  of 
  our 
  district, 
  the 
  foot-hills 
  have 
  approached 
  east 
  again, 
  

   and 
  are 
  only 
  4 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  us. 
  

  

  The 
  approximate 
  area 
  of 
  this 
  formidable 
  mountain 
  massof 
  Pike's 
  Peak 
  

   proper, 
  with 
  its 
  immediate 
  spurs 
  sweeping 
  down 
  from 
  its 
  very 
  center, 
  

   amounts 
  to 
  72 
  square 
  miles. 
  This 
  excludes 
  60 
  square 
  miles, 
  the 
  remain- 
  

   der 
  of 
  tiiat 
  portion 
  of 
  mountains 
  to 
  which 
  Cheyenne 
  Mountains 
  and 
  

   Monta 
  Rosa 
  form 
  culminating 
  i^oints, 
  and 
  by 
  being 
  attached 
  to 
  Pike's 
  

   Pciik 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  a 
  saadle, 
  help 
  to 
  complete 
  that 
  great 
  mountain 
  clus- 
  

   ter 
  so 
  well 
  known 
  at 
  homo 
  and 
  abroad, 
  and 
  so 
  impressive 
  and 
  com- 
  

   manding 
  when 
  seen 
  from 
  the 
  plains. 
  

  

  The 
  summit 
  of 
  Pike's 
  Peak 
  presents 
  a 
  somewhat 
  flattish 
  top, 
  gently 
  

   sloping 
  toward 
  south 
  and 
  west. 
  Steep 
  and 
  rugged 
  granite 
  canons, 
  how- 
  

  

  