﻿CHAPTER 
  V. 
  

  

  DRAINAGE 
  A^D 
  PRIKCIPAL 
  CHARACTERISTICS 
  OF 
  THE 
  

   EASTERN 
  ROCKY 
  MOUNTAIN 
  SLOPE. 
  

  

  BEAR 
  CREEK. 
  

  

  Bear 
  Creek 
  is 
  the 
  first 
  large 
  water 
  wbich 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope 
  

   of 
  Evaus 
  Ridge, 
  and 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Platte 
  Caiion. 
  It 
  drains 
  quite 
  a 
  

   respectable 
  mountain 
  area, 
  comprising 
  about 
  2,000 
  square 
  miles. 
  The 
  

   main 
  source 
  of 
  Bear 
  Creek 
  comes 
  directly 
  from 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope 
  of 
  

   Mount 
  Evans, 
  while 
  another 
  big 
  branch, 
  Roeder 
  Creek 
  % 
  originates 
  east 
  

   of 
  Mount 
  Rosalie. 
  

  

  The 
  southern 
  mountain 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  mountain 
  called 
  the 
  "Chief," 
  give 
  

   rise 
  to 
  several 
  streams, 
  named 
  Corral 
  Creek, 
  Metz 
  Creek, 
  and 
  Vance 
  

   Creek, 
  and 
  all 
  the 
  waters 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  Upper 
  Bear 
  drainage 
  assem- 
  

   ble 
  in 
  a 
  splendid 
  little 
  park 
  near 
  Systie's 
  rau'^h, 
  whence 
  a 
  road 
  leads 
  

   out 
  into 
  Bergen's 
  Park, 
  and 
  from 
  there 
  to 
  the 
  Foot 
  Hills. 
  

  

  Bergen's 
  Park 
  consists 
  of 
  perhaps 
  9 
  square 
  miles 
  of 
  gently-sloping 
  

   area, 
  and 
  has 
  proved 
  to 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  available 
  spots 
  for 
  settlers 
  

   in 
  the 
  mountain 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  Foot 
  Hills. 
  

  

  Four 
  miles 
  southeast 
  of 
  Bergen's 
  post-office, 
  and 
  just 
  at 
  the 
  Bear 
  

   River 
  bridge. 
  Cub 
  Creek 
  enters. 
  This 
  branch 
  heads 
  near 
  the 
  last 
  high 
  

   peak, 
  "Cub 
  Mountain" 
  (10,623 
  feet 
  high), 
  on 
  the 
  eastern 
  end 
  of 
  that 
  

   ridge 
  which 
  (Mount 
  Evans) 
  stretches 
  toward 
  the 
  plains, 
  between 
  the 
  

   South 
  Platte 
  River 
  and 
  Bear 
  River 
  drainage. 
  

  

  From 
  near 
  that 
  point 
  where 
  Cub 
  Creek 
  enters. 
  Bear 
  River 
  buries 
  

   itself 
  in 
  a 
  canon 
  from 
  which 
  it 
  only 
  emerges 
  seven 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  

   near 
  Morrison 
  Village, 
  at 
  the 
  Foot 
  Hills. 
  

  

  From 
  here 
  it 
  breaks 
  through 
  the 
  hogbacks, 
  and 
  is 
  joined 
  two 
  miles 
  

   below 
  by 
  Turkey 
  Creek, 
  draining 
  the 
  extreme 
  outrunners 
  of 
  the 
  Evans 
  

   Ridge. 
  

  

  Along 
  Turkey 
  Creek, 
  "though 
  a 
  canon", 
  leads 
  the 
  Denver 
  and 
  Fair 
  

   Play 
  wagon-road. 
  

  

  Bear 
  River 
  drainage 
  system 
  belongs 
  to 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  rugged 
  por- 
  

   tions 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope, 
  Clear 
  Creek 
  excepted. 
  Clear 
  Creek 
  drainage 
  

   zone 
  contains 
  an 
  area 
  of 
  about 
  330 
  square 
  miles, 
  and 
  originates 
  in 
  sev- 
  

   eral 
  large 
  streams 
  coming 
  from 
  among 
  the 
  eastern 
  slopes 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  

   range, 
  and 
  out 
  of 
  that 
  district 
  which 
  is 
  inclosed 
  by 
  the 
  main 
  range, 
  in 
  

   making 
  the 
  big 
  bend 
  from 
  James 
  Peak 
  to 
  Mount 
  Evans. 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  four 
  large 
  streams 
  running 
  from 
  that 
  mountain 
  inclosure; 
  

   three 
  of 
  them 
  unite 
  near 
  Georgetown, 
  and 
  the 
  fourth 
  one 
  joins 
  4^ 
  miles 
  

   below 
  this 
  city. 
  Between 
  each 
  of 
  these, 
  heavy 
  mountain 
  spurs 
  press 
  

   forward 
  in 
  magnitude 
  hardlj 
  less 
  grand 
  than 
  the 
  main 
  range 
  itself. 
  

   From 
  Mount 
  Evans 
  a 
  colossal 
  ridge 
  is 
  detached 
  which 
  leads 
  off 
  in 
  an 
  

   eastern 
  direction, 
  and 
  occupies 
  the 
  space 
  between 
  Bear 
  and 
  Chicago 
  

   Creeks 
  and 
  Clear 
  Creek, 
  rising 
  and 
  falling 
  alternately, 
  and 
  terminates 
  

   at 
  the 
  Foot 
  Hills. 
  The 
  highest 
  altitude 
  attained 
  by 
  this 
  ridge 
  after 
  

   leaving 
  Mount 
  Evans 
  is 
  11,833 
  feet 
  (Chief 
  Mountain). 
  

   432 
  

  

  