﻿428 
  EEPOET 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL' 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  "willow 
  park, 
  of 
  about 
  40 
  acres 
  area, 
  near 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  stream. 
  Except- 
  

   ing 
  this 
  small 
  patch 
  of 
  comparatively 
  level 
  surface, 
  there 
  is 
  uot 
  oue-quar- 
  

   ter 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  ou 
  the 
  whole 
  creek's 
  length 
  that 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  termed 
  abso- 
  

   lute 
  cafion. 
  A 
  rough 
  trail, 
  obstructed 
  by 
  down 
  timber 
  and 
  rocks, 
  leads 
  

   along 
  this 
  creek 
  into 
  Lost 
  Park, 
  and 
  can 
  only 
  be 
  traveled 
  on 
  foot 
  or 
  ou 
  

   mules, 
  and 
  even 
  then 
  with 
  difficulty. 
  

  

  One 
  mile 
  above 
  its 
  junction 
  with 
  the 
  Sotith 
  Platte 
  Elver, 
  Wigwam 
  

   Creek 
  receives 
  Webster's 
  Creek 
  as 
  a 
  tributary, 
  which 
  leads 
  ou 
  the 
  

   souih 
  side 
  of 
  Webster's 
  Pass 
  or 
  the 
  pass 
  which 
  leads 
  between 
  Free- 
  

   man's 
  Peak 
  and 
  Virginia 
  Mountain 
  over 
  into 
  the 
  main 
  Butfalo 
  Creek 
  

   country. 
  

  

  The 
  upper 
  or 
  mountainous 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  through 
  which 
  Wig- 
  

   wam 
  Creek 
  flows 
  is 
  heavilj^ 
  timbered. 
  After 
  it 
  leaves 
  the 
  abrupt 
  mount- 
  

   ain 
  part, 
  timber 
  becomes 
  somewhat 
  scarce. 
  While 
  the 
  Abies 
  species 
  

   exists 
  principally 
  in 
  the 
  upper 
  part, 
  the 
  Pimis 
  sylvestris 
  ijredominates 
  

   in 
  the 
  lower 
  region 
  altogether. 
  

  

  Total 
  length 
  of 
  Wigwam 
  Creek 
  is 
  10 
  miles; 
  total 
  fall, 
  2,600 
  feet 
  

   average 
  fall 
  per 
  mile, 
  260 
  feet. 
  

  

  CREIG 
  CREEK 
  AND 
  THE 
  SUMMIT 
  VALLEY. 
  

  

  The 
  Summit 
  Valley, 
  with 
  Creig 
  Creek 
  originating 
  at 
  its 
  head, 
  ex- 
  

   hibits 
  such 
  remarkable 
  orographic 
  features 
  that 
  it 
  must 
  be 
  considered 
  

   a 
  curiosity 
  not 
  frequently 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  Eocky 
  Mountains. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  regular, 
  

   well-developed 
  valley 
  (Hochthal*) 
  of 
  about 
  nearly 
  seven 
  miles 
  in 
  

   length 
  and 
  from 
  1,000 
  to 
  2,000 
  feet 
  in 
  width, 
  well 
  grassed 
  and 
  watered 
  

   with 
  a 
  beautiful 
  stream. 
  It 
  extends 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  mountain 
  

   crests 
  of 
  Kanosha 
  Range 
  and 
  North 
  Platte 
  River 
  Mountains, 
  at 
  a 
  mean 
  

   height 
  of 
  11,400 
  feet 
  above 
  sea-level. 
  Both 
  of 
  the 
  ridges 
  rise 
  about 
  

   800 
  feet 
  in 
  average 
  above 
  that 
  mountain 
  valley, 
  while 
  their 
  peaks 
  rise 
  to 
  

   a 
  relative 
  height 
  of 
  1,200 
  feet 
  above 
  it. 
  The 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  is 
  di- 
  

   rectly 
  southeast, 
  like 
  the 
  two 
  ranges, 
  and 
  the 
  descent 
  is 
  only 
  1,200 
  feet 
  

   within 
  7 
  miles. 
  A 
  quantity 
  of 
  large 
  springs 
  and 
  numerous 
  i)onds 
  at 
  

   the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  make 
  the 
  stream 
  powerful 
  at 
  its 
  infancy. 
  After 
  

   7 
  miles 
  of 
  moderately 
  gentle 
  flow 
  the 
  stream 
  is 
  pressed 
  between 
  the 
  steep 
  

   sides 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  ridges, 
  and 
  for 
  3 
  miles 
  it 
  is 
  bustling 
  and 
  tumbling 
  in 
  

   rapid 
  descent 
  down 
  to 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  8,400 
  fe6t, 
  which 
  shows 
  the 
  rapid 
  

   fall 
  of 
  that 
  stream 
  of 
  3,000 
  feet 
  within 
  the 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  3 
  miles. 
  

  

  During 
  this 
  rapid 
  trip 
  through 
  the 
  mountain 
  narrows 
  the 
  stream 
  as- 
  

   sumes 
  an 
  eastern 
  course, 
  and 
  after 
  passing 
  through 
  a 
  small 
  but 
  impen- 
  

   etrable 
  caiiou 
  of 
  li 
  miles 
  in 
  length 
  it 
  turns 
  directly 
  to 
  the 
  northward 
  for 
  

   a 
  few 
  miles, 
  where 
  it 
  enters 
  the 
  north 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Platte 
  River 
  

   at 
  a 
  mean 
  elevation 
  of 
  7,400 
  feet. 
  

  

  The 
  peaks 
  on 
  either 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  Mountain 
  Valley 
  of 
  Creig 
  Creek 
  are 
  

   neither 
  bold 
  nor 
  huge 
  in 
  formation. 
  They 
  rise 
  from 
  200 
  to 
  400 
  leet 
  above 
  

   the 
  general 
  saddle-height 
  of 
  the 
  two 
  langes 
  and 
  are 
  in 
  most 
  cases 
  sim- 
  

   ple 
  granite 
  exposures, 
  the 
  contiguous 
  strata 
  having 
  given 
  away 
  more 
  

   readily 
  to 
  erosion. 
  

  

  Tbe 
  slopes 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  are 
  moderately 
  steep, 
  with 
  sparse 
  

   timber 
  on 
  them, 
  while 
  the 
  side 
  fronting 
  the 
  North 
  Fork 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  

   Platte 
  is 
  very 
  rugged 
  and 
  precipitous. 
  The 
  spurs 
  are 
  sharp 
  granite 
  

   edges, 
  with 
  smaller 
  peaks 
  and 
  rocky 
  pulpits 
  on 
  them. 
  The 
  range 
  ou 
  the 
  

   west 
  side 
  of 
  Creig's 
  Mountain 
  Valley 
  is 
  tbe 
  higher 
  and 
  priucij)al 
  range, 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  iiaiuc 
  '' 
  Summit 
  Valley" 
  is 
  uot 
  eutirely 
  equivalent 
  to 
  tLe 
  German 
  '• 
  Hoclithal." 
  

   These 
  valleys 
  of 
  cont^ideiable 
  absolute 
  elevation 
  are 
  but 
  rarely 
  met 
  with 
  in 
  the 
  EocLy 
  

   Mountains, 
  while 
  their 
  occurrence 
  is 
  very 
  frequent 
  iu 
  the 
  Alps. 
  

  

  