﻿BECHLER.] 
  SOUTH 
  PARK 
  DRAINAGE. 
  429 
  

  

  while 
  tbe 
  eastern 
  raonntains 
  swing 
  around 
  alongside 
  of 
  Oreig 
  Creelr, 
  

   aud 
  the 
  last 
  spar 
  of 
  it 
  comes 
  to 
  a 
  terminus 
  at 
  the 
  very 
  junction 
  of 
  Creig 
  

   Creek 
  with 
  the 
  Korth 
  Fork 
  of 
  the 
  Platte 
  River. 
  The 
  western 
  range 
  con- 
  

   tinues 
  on 
  to 
  Freeman's 
  and 
  Virginia 
  Peak, 
  near 
  the 
  headwaters 
  of 
  

  

  Buffalo. 
  , 
  , 
  . 
  , 
  

  

  The 
  tributaries 
  of 
  Creig 
  Creek 
  are 
  insignificant 
  and 
  have 
  their 
  rise 
  

   along 
  the 
  mountain-slopes 
  close 
  by 
  the 
  stream. 
  If 
  we 
  except 
  a 
  small 
  

   narrow 
  strip 
  of 
  park 
  with 
  plenty 
  of 
  willows 
  and 
  some 
  good 
  grass, 
  con- 
  

   taining 
  perhaps 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  30 
  acres 
  below 
  the 
  most 
  abrupt 
  part 
  through 
  

   which 
  the 
  stream 
  has 
  to 
  pass, 
  and 
  again 
  some 
  small 
  open 
  creek 
  bends 
  

   near 
  its 
  junction 
  with 
  the 
  Xorth 
  Platte 
  Fork, 
  Creig 
  Creek 
  is, 
  in 
  its 
  

   totality, 
  a 
  wild, 
  rugged, 
  and 
  impassable 
  stream. 
  

  

  NORTH 
  FORK 
  OF 
  THE 
  SOUTH 
  PLATTE 
  RIVER 
  AND 
  ITS 
  VALLEY 
  FEA- 
  

   TURES. 
  

  

  The 
  North 
  Fork 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Platte 
  Eiver 
  has 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  valley 
  fea- 
  

   tures 
  just 
  a 
  trifle 
  more 
  than 
  the 
  mere 
  appearance 
  of 
  them. 
  We 
  use 
  the 
  

   term 
  valley 
  principally 
  in 
  this 
  case 
  to 
  make 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  cert 
  in 
  distinction 
  

   between 
  this 
  stream 
  and 
  others 
  that 
  come 
  down 
  from 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope 
  

   into 
  the 
  Platte, 
  for 
  they 
  are 
  mostly 
  all 
  caiion 
  streams 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  they 
  

   remain 
  in 
  the 
  mountains. 
  

  

  This 
  valley 
  seldom 
  widens 
  more 
  than 
  one-fourth 
  of 
  a 
  mile, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  

   closed 
  verv 
  frequently 
  by 
  the 
  steep 
  hillsides 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  admit 
  simply 
  a 
  

   passage 
  for 
  the 
  stream. 
  In 
  such 
  places 
  the 
  road 
  is 
  meandering, 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  several 
  hundred 
  feet 
  higher 
  than 
  the 
  river 
  along 
  the 
  mountain 
  

   spurs, 
  until 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  permits 
  again 
  an 
  approach 
  to 
  the 
  

   stream. 
  

  

  The 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  North 
  Fork 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Platte 
  commences 
  near 
  the 
  

   red 
  action- 
  w^orks 
  of 
  Hallstown, 
  where 
  several 
  mountain 
  streams 
  issue 
  

   their 
  water 
  into 
  one 
  channel. 
  The 
  main 
  stream 
  comes 
  from 
  Whale 
  Mine 
  

   Gulch. 
  Other 
  important 
  tributaries 
  are 
  Gibbons 
  Creek, 
  Bullion 
  Creek, 
  

   and 
  Hand-Cart 
  Creek, 
  in 
  junction 
  with 
  other 
  small 
  streams 
  that 
  rush 
  

   down 
  to 
  the 
  right 
  and 
  the 
  left 
  from 
  the 
  mountains. 
  From 
  here 
  down 
  to 
  

   a 
  noint 
  5 
  miles 
  below, 
  where 
  a 
  small 
  creek 
  comes 
  from 
  Kanosha 
  Pass, 
  

   the 
  features 
  of 
  a 
  valley 
  are 
  more 
  definitely 
  expressed 
  than 
  elsewhere 
  on 
  

   the 
  whole 
  stream 
  ; 
  oiily, 
  before 
  we 
  get 
  quite 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  

   Kanosha 
  Pass 
  Creek, 
  the 
  valley 
  closes 
  again 
  into 
  a 
  narrow 
  defile 
  for 
  a 
  

   short 
  distance, 
  but 
  down 
  to 
  here 
  the 
  valley 
  has 
  had 
  everywhere 
  else 
  a 
  uni- 
  

   form 
  width 
  from 
  one-fourth 
  to 
  one-third 
  of 
  a 
  mile, 
  and 
  it 
  contains 
  fre- 
  

   quently 
  some 
  good 
  patches 
  of 
  pasturage. 
  

  

  'A 
  quarter 
  of 
  a 
  mile 
  below 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  Kanosha 
  Pass 
  Creek 
  the 
  

   valley 
  becomes 
  very 
  narrow, 
  and 
  continues 
  to 
  be 
  so 
  for 
  3 
  miles 
  to 
  a 
  

   point 
  where 
  Geneva 
  Creek 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  north 
  as 
  a 
  powerful 
  mountain 
  

   stream. 
  It 
  originates 
  among 
  the 
  spurs 
  and 
  mountains 
  near 
  and 
  about 
  

   Mount 
  Evans 
  and 
  has 
  a 
  fine 
  cataract 
  or 
  fall 
  4 
  J 
  miles 
  above 
  this 
  point. 
  

   From 
  here 
  the 
  valley 
  closes 
  and 
  opens 
  within 
  a 
  distance 
  of 
  7 
  miles 
  very 
  

   frequently. 
  The 
  road 
  seldom 
  approaches 
  the 
  river 
  very 
  closely, 
  the 
  un- 
  

   evenness 
  of 
  ground 
  and 
  rugged 
  nature 
  of 
  its 
  margins 
  preventing 
  it. 
  Yet 
  

   extremely 
  narrow 
  as 
  the 
  valley 
  is 
  here, 
  we 
  find 
  some 
  attempts 
  made 
  at 
  

   settlements, 
  owing 
  to 
  the 
  good 
  grass 
  along 
  the 
  hillsides, 
  which 
  enables 
  

   the 
  settlers 
  to 
  raise 
  some 
  cattle. 
  

  

  At 
  a 
  point 
  called 
  Slaght's, 
  7 
  miles 
  east 
  from 
  junction 
  of 
  Geneva 
  Gulch, 
  

   the 
  valley 
  again 
  opens 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  one 
  mile, 
  and 
  we 
  see 
  for 
  

   the 
  first 
  time 
  some 
  fields 
  and 
  some 
  level 
  bottom 
  pasture. 
  Below 
  this 
  

   spot 
  the 
  river 
  again 
  is 
  hemmed 
  in 
  by 
  the 
  mountains 
  and 
  remain 
  so 
  until 
  

  

  