﻿416 
  KEPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  length 
  of 
  45 
  miles 
  and 
  its 
  principal 
  terminus 
  is 
  about 
  a 
  point 
  at 
  meri- 
  

   diau 
  105° 
  G' 
  and 
  parallel 
  39° 
  30'. 
  

  

  Amoug 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  the 
  southern 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Front 
  

   Kange, 
  from 
  Pike's 
  Peak 
  to 
  the 
  Platte 
  Kiver 
  Canon, 
  we 
  have 
  to 
  point 
  

   out 
  principally 
  its 
  level 
  top, 
  rising 
  or 
  falling 
  within 
  some 
  20 
  miles 
  

   hardly 
  from 
  400 
  to 
  500 
  feet, 
  and 
  boasting 
  of 
  very 
  few 
  prominent 
  points 
  

   which 
  rise 
  to 
  the 
  dignity 
  of 
  peaks. 
  

  

  With 
  exception 
  of 
  Platte 
  Peak, 
  "described 
  in 
  the 
  notes 
  pertaining 
  to 
  

   the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Platte 
  Canon 
  and 
  Manitou 
  Creek, 
  and 
  which 
  holds 
  a 
  

   central 
  position 
  on 
  the 
  range," 
  all 
  others, 
  though 
  few 
  in 
  numbers, 
  rest 
  

   immediately 
  on 
  the 
  front 
  slopes. 
  Though 
  the 
  range 
  may 
  in 
  its 
  general 
  

   character 
  be 
  level 
  planed, 
  and 
  in 
  consequence 
  broad 
  and 
  bulky, 
  we 
  

   must 
  not 
  infer 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  molded 
  with 
  equal 
  plainness 
  in 
  regard 
  of 
  

   details 
  ; 
  on 
  the 
  contrary, 
  we 
  are 
  at 
  a 
  loss 
  to 
  compare 
  it 
  with 
  any 
  other, 
  ' 
  

   for, 
  considering 
  its 
  very 
  moderate 
  height, 
  a 
  range 
  more 
  rugged 
  ov 
  

   one 
  more 
  difficult 
  to 
  explore 
  cannot 
  be 
  found. 
  The 
  main 
  cause 
  of 
  this 
  

   is 
  that 
  the 
  range 
  is 
  uniformly 
  topped, 
  from 
  its 
  crest, 
  lying 
  as 
  stated 
  

   before, 
  to 
  5 
  to 
  6 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  crest, 
  and 
  where 
  the 
  tail 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  

   spurs 
  "falling 
  off 
  very 
  suddenly 
  toward 
  the 
  plains" 
  are 
  nearly 
  as 
  high 
  

   as 
  the 
  main 
  broad 
  crest 
  itself. 
  For 
  instance 
  : 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  on 
  this 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  Front 
  Eange 
  lies 
  at 
  its 
  extreme 
  southern 
  end, 
  and 
  gives 
  

   about 
  9,600 
  feet 
  in 
  height, 
  while 
  Blodget's 
  Peak, 
  situated 
  on 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  

   extended 
  spurs 
  5 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  gives 
  a 
  height 
  of 
  9,340 
  feet, 
  and 
  a 
  

   like 
  relation 
  exists 
  all 
  along 
  the 
  crest 
  and 
  the 
  front 
  spurs. 
  The 
  crest 
  is 
  

   very 
  difficult 
  to 
  discern 
  and 
  we 
  are 
  only 
  able 
  to 
  do 
  .so 
  by 
  exploring 
  it. 
  

  

  The 
  drainage 
  consists 
  in 
  numerous 
  deeply 
  eroded 
  caGons 
  lying 
  all 
  

   parallel 
  to 
  each 
  other, 
  and, 
  starting 
  from 
  its 
  main 
  crest, 
  flow, 
  "at 
  least 
  

   those 
  on 
  the 
  southern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  range," 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  eastward 
  or 
  

   nearly 
  so, 
  to 
  join 
  the 
  larger 
  drainage 
  channel 
  of 
  Monument 
  Creek. 
  

   iSTumerous 
  deep 
  and 
  rugged 
  caiions, 
  resembling 
  immense 
  gorges 
  at 
  the 
  

   a])proaches 
  of 
  the 
  plains, 
  are 
  the 
  consequence 
  of 
  it, 
  and 
  so 
  flow 
  all 
  the 
  

   side 
  branches 
  in 
  lesser 
  caiions 
  which, 
  if 
  we 
  take 
  them 
  in 
  their 
  totality, 
  

   have 
  chopped 
  the 
  eastern 
  slopes 
  of 
  that 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Range 
  en- 
  

   tirelj- 
  into 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  canons, 
  separated 
  by 
  the 
  remnants 
  of 
  a 
  once 
  broad 
  

   plateau. 
  

  

  Twenty-six 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  Platte 
  CaSon, 
  the 
  Front 
  Eange 
  sends 
  

   forth 
  toward 
  the 
  east 
  that 
  flat 
  and 
  very 
  broad 
  summit 
  "known 
  as 
  the 
  

   Arkansas 
  Divide." 
  From 
  this 
  very 
  low 
  divide, 
  which 
  strangers 
  to 
  the 
  

   country 
  would 
  hardly 
  notice, 
  the 
  water 
  flows 
  in 
  numerous 
  creeks 
  north- 
  

   ward 
  into 
  the 
  Platte, 
  and 
  southward 
  into 
  the 
  Arkansas 
  Eiver. 
  

  

  The 
  summit 
  of 
  the 
  Divide, 
  nearest 
  to 
  the 
  Front 
  Mountain, 
  over 
  which 
  

   the 
  Denver 
  and 
  Rio 
  Grande 
  Railroad 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  wagon-road 
  passes, 
  

   is 
  only 
  of 
  7,208 
  feet 
  elevation. 
  Near 
  that 
  summit 
  the 
  Front 
  Mountain 
  

   slopes 
  are 
  naturally 
  not 
  by 
  far 
  so 
  high 
  as 
  farther 
  to 
  the 
  south. 
  

  

  Not 
  quite 
  so 
  badly 
  eroded 
  is 
  the 
  western 
  slope 
  of 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   Front 
  Range, 
  though 
  the 
  streams 
  come 
  down 
  in 
  narrow 
  gulches 
  into 
  the 
  

   Manitou 
  Valley 
  with 
  occasional 
  rugged 
  spots 
  in 
  them 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  general 
  

   features 
  on 
  the 
  western 
  slope 
  show 
  more 
  moderation 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  rugged 
  

   forms 
  are 
  concerned. 
  

  

  The 
  average 
  height 
  of 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  Front 
  Range 
  is 
  about 
  9,200 
  

   feet. 
  Its 
  width 
  across 
  from 
  the 
  base 
  near 
  the 
  foot-hills 
  or 
  eastern 
  slope 
  

   to 
  the 
  one 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  side 
  is 
  about 
  9 
  to 
  10 
  miles. 
  

  

  The 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  ground 
  on 
  the 
  top 
  makes 
  its 
  exploration 
  difficult, 
  

   for 
  notwithstanding 
  its 
  general 
  uniform 
  top, 
  the 
  numerous 
  small 
  groups 
  

   of 
  exposed 
  rocks, 
  very 
  fitly 
  to 
  be 
  compared 
  with 
  roosters' 
  crests, 
  

  

  