﻿BECHLERl 
  SOUTH 
  PARK 
  DRAINAGE. 
  423 
  

  

  Manitou 
  Creek 
  can 
  pride 
  itself 
  on 
  a 
  fine 
  valley, 
  which 
  begins 
  but 
  5 
  

   miles 
  from 
  its 
  headwaters 
  and 
  extends 
  for 
  12 
  miles 
  north, 
  lying 
  directly 
  

   along 
  the 
  western 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  Front 
  Eange. 
  A 
  low 
  spur, 
  coming 
  from 
  

   the 
  Hayden 
  Park 
  Plateau, 
  divides 
  Manitou 
  Creek 
  from 
  West 
  Creek. 
  

   The 
  distance 
  between 
  the 
  East 
  Branch 
  of 
  West 
  Creek 
  a=nd 
  Manitou 
  

   Creek 
  is 
  otten 
  but 
  2 
  miles. 
  Both 
  creeks 
  join 
  in 
  a 
  canon 
  3 
  miles 
  before 
  

   they 
  enter 
  combined 
  the 
  Platte 
  Eiver. 
  

  

  The 
  western 
  branch 
  of 
  West 
  Creek 
  comes 
  from 
  about 
  2 
  miles 
  north- 
  

   east 
  of 
  Topaz 
  Butte, 
  and 
  strikes 
  the 
  East 
  Fork 
  in 
  an 
  oblique 
  direction. 
  

   It 
  also 
  possesses 
  pretty 
  valley 
  features 
  in 
  some 
  parts, 
  and 
  is 
  well 
  supplied 
  

   with 
  water. 
  Its 
  length 
  is 
  not 
  far 
  from 
  9 
  miles, 
  while 
  the 
  eastern 
  branch, 
  

   including 
  the 
  distance 
  below 
  the 
  junction 
  with 
  the 
  western 
  fork, 
  is 
  

   nearly 
  17 
  miles. 
  

  

  Before 
  the 
  united 
  West 
  Creek 
  enters 
  Manitou 
  Creek, 
  it 
  passes 
  for 
  5 
  

   miles 
  along 
  the 
  eastern 
  base 
  of 
  a 
  commanding-looking 
  butte. 
  Thunder 
  

   Butte 
  — 
  quite 
  a 
  landmark 
  in 
  this 
  region 
  — 
  which 
  rises 
  abruptly 
  to 
  a 
  

   height 
  of 
  2,400 
  feet 
  above 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  the 
  creek. 
  The 
  height 
  of 
  this 
  

   butte 
  above 
  sea-le?el 
  is 
  9,430 
  feet, 
  and 
  it 
  rises 
  3,000 
  feet 
  above 
  Platte 
  

   Eiver, 
  estimated 
  from 
  near 
  the 
  entrance 
  of 
  Manitou 
  Creek. 
  The 
  shape 
  

   of 
  Thunder 
  Butte 
  is 
  elongated, 
  with 
  a 
  northwest 
  trend, 
  and 
  shows 
  very 
  

   steep 
  and 
  rugged 
  spurs 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  side. 
  While 
  its 
  crest 
  may 
  be 
  nearly 
  

   3 
  miles 
  long, 
  the 
  highest 
  point 
  of 
  it 
  lies 
  to 
  the 
  south. 
  

  

  Manitou 
  Creek* 
  has 
  a 
  length 
  of 
  27 
  miles, 
  a 
  total 
  fall 
  of 
  2,000 
  feet, 
  

   and 
  an 
  average 
  fall 
  of 
  118 
  feet 
  per 
  mile. 
  The 
  valley 
  is 
  named 
  Manitou 
  

   Park 
  ; 
  in 
  its 
  center 
  stands 
  a 
  tine 
  hotel, 
  from 
  which 
  a 
  road 
  leads 
  over 
  the 
  

   Front 
  Eange 
  in 
  the 
  direction 
  of 
  Sadalia, 
  and 
  another 
  one 
  to 
  Colorado 
  

   Springs. 
  

  

  CHARACTERISTICS 
  OF 
  THE 
  SURROUNDINGS 
  OF 
  WIGWAM 
  CREEK, 
  MANI- 
  

   TOU 
  CREEK, 
  AJSD 
  SOUTH 
  FORK 
  OF 
  PLATTE 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  The 
  surroundings 
  about 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  Wigwam 
  Creek, 
  Manitotb 
  

   Creek, 
  and 
  South 
  Fork 
  of 
  South 
  Platte 
  Eiver 
  are 
  not 
  so 
  devoid 
  of 
  

   interesting 
  features 
  as 
  to 
  forbid 
  allusion 
  to 
  them. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  in 
  the 
  preceding 
  paragraph, 
  concerning 
  the 
  drainage 
  of 
  

   Manitou 
  Cretk, 
  given 
  already 
  an 
  outline 
  sketch 
  of 
  Thunder 
  Butte, 
  a 
  

   long-crested, 
  imposing-looking 
  butte, 
  with 
  a 
  point 
  rising 
  some 
  3,000 
  feet 
  . 
  

   above 
  Platte 
  Eiver. 
  

  

  Of 
  nearly 
  equal 
  scenic 
  interest 
  is 
  the 
  country 
  to 
  the 
  northwest 
  as 
  

   well 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  east. 
  Seven 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  northwest 
  is 
  the 
  imposing 
  

   Kanosha 
  Eange, 
  with 
  Freeman's 
  Peak 
  as 
  the 
  last 
  high 
  point 
  crowning 
  

   it, 
  and 
  only 
  4 
  miles 
  opposite 
  and 
  across 
  Webster's 
  Pass 
  stands 
  another 
  

   conspicuous 
  landmark, 
  Virginia 
  Mountain, 
  with 
  a 
  longitudinal 
  crest 
  of 
  

   several 
  miles, 
  steep 
  and 
  rugged, 
  with 
  long 
  spurs 
  falling 
  off, 
  terrace- 
  

   sha])ed 
  toward 
  the 
  south 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  margins 
  of 
  Wigwam 
  Creek. 
  

  

  The 
  crown 
  parts 
  of 
  Virginia 
  Mountain 
  fall 
  off 
  suddenly 
  about 
  2,000 
  

   feet, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  mountain 
  masses 
  descend 
  in 
  long, 
  sloping, 
  broad 
  

   spurs 
  toward 
  the 
  Platte 
  Canon, 
  and 
  between 
  the 
  spurs 
  follow 
  deep 
  

   carved 
  gulches 
  and 
  caiians, 
  which 
  to 
  penetrate 
  and 
  explore 
  would 
  

   seem 
  hazardous 
  for 
  the 
  average 
  man 
  and 
  ihe 
  inexperienced. 
  Seven 
  

   miles 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  confluence 
  of 
  Platte 
  Eiver 
  and 
  Manitou 
  

   Creek 
  stands 
  another 
  interesting 
  monument 
  of 
  mountain 
  structure, 
  

  

  * 
  Mauiton, 
  I 
  was 
  inforrued, 
  was 
  the 
  Dame 
  first 
  given 
  to 
  this 
  creek. 
  An 
  English 
  party 
  

   taking 
  possession 
  of 
  its 
  valley, 
  and 
  following 
  largely 
  the 
  pro^jagation 
  of 
  trout, 
  named, 
  

   it 
  Trout 
  Creek. 
  As 
  we 
  have 
  just 
  about 
  1,(J(J0 
  Trout 
  Creeks 
  in 
  the 
  Eocky 
  Mountains, 
  I 
  

   have 
  allowed 
  Manitou 
  to 
  stand. 
  

  

  