﻿BECHLEE.] 
  EASTERN 
  ROCKY 
  MOUNTAIN 
  SLOPE. 
  435 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  in 
  this 
  respect 
  almost 
  entirely 
  unique, 
  having 
  with 
  the 
  other 
  

   streams 
  only 
  in 
  common 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  being 
  a 
  canon 
  stream. 
  

   The 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  country, 
  however, 
  in 
  which 
  Ralston 
  Creek 
  rises 
  is 
  

   somewhat 
  different 
  from 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  that 
  canon 
  district, 
  occupying 
  

   nearly 
  the 
  whole 
  area 
  between 
  Clear 
  Creek 
  and 
  Korth 
  Saint 
  Vrain. 
  Its 
  

   sources 
  lie 
  in 
  a 
  mountain 
  basin, 
  caused 
  by 
  very 
  gradual 
  descending- 
  

   slopes 
  from 
  a 
  ridge 
  which 
  connects 
  11 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  with 
  James 
  

   Peak. 
  In 
  the 
  rear 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  this 
  basin 
  stands 
  that 
  cluster 
  of 
  

   hills 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Ealston 
  Buttes, 
  a 
  cluster 
  wliich 
  deserves 
  that 
  name 
  

   to 
  the 
  full 
  extent, 
  for 
  it 
  consists 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  sharp 
  peaks 
  

   resting 
  all 
  on 
  a 
  common 
  mountain. 
  The 
  peaks 
  are 
  not 
  over 
  10,590 
  feet 
  

   high, 
  but 
  of 
  a 
  commanding 
  appearance 
  when 
  compared 
  with 
  nearly 
  all 
  

   the 
  rest 
  of 
  its 
  surroundings. 
  A 
  rough 
  road 
  leads 
  over 
  this 
  hilly 
  cluster 
  

   from 
  Black 
  Hawk 
  into 
  the 
  Coal 
  Creek 
  Valley. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  south 
  side 
  of 
  Ealston 
  Creek, 
  and 
  just 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  buttes 
  

   referred 
  to, 
  we 
  find 
  another 
  ridge 
  occupying 
  the 
  space 
  between 
  Ralston 
  

   and 
  Clear 
  Creek 
  drainage, 
  with 
  an 
  irregular 
  crest, 
  showing 
  alternately 
  

   peaks 
  and 
  deep 
  .saddles. 
  This 
  ridge 
  is 
  perhaps 
  5 
  miles 
  long, 
  and 
  its 
  

   peculiar 
  characteristics 
  terminate 
  when 
  arriving 
  at 
  its 
  easternmost 
  and 
  

   highest 
  point. 
  Golden 
  Peak. 
  

  

  Ralston 
  Caiion 
  is 
  as 
  yet 
  impassable. 
  A 
  path 
  leads 
  from 
  the 
  foot- 
  

   hills, 
  where 
  a 
  small 
  settlement 
  exists, 
  for 
  about 
  2 
  miles 
  into 
  the 
  caiion, 
  

   but 
  then 
  ceases. 
  A 
  few 
  settlers 
  have 
  availed 
  themselves 
  of 
  some 
  small 
  

   patches 
  of 
  ground 
  on 
  the 
  ridges 
  and 
  above 
  the 
  caiion 
  to 
  cultivate 
  some 
  

   potatoes. 
  

  

  COAL 
  CREEK. 
  

  

  Lirtle 
  can 
  be 
  said 
  of 
  this 
  stream 
  as 
  a 
  mountain 
  stream 
  ; 
  it 
  rises 
  on 
  the 
  

   eastern 
  slopes 
  of 
  Ralston 
  Buttes, 
  and 
  has 
  but 
  a 
  short 
  course. 
  Like 
  

   Ralston 
  Creek, 
  it 
  can 
  boast 
  of 
  a 
  little 
  mountain 
  basin 
  near 
  its 
  head, 
  

   which 
  is 
  occupied 
  by 
  some 
  settlers. 
  Into 
  this 
  basin 
  the 
  road 
  from 
  

   Blackhawk 
  descends 
  to 
  resume 
  its 
  meandering 
  tour 
  through 
  the 
  narrow 
  

   caiion 
  which 
  follows 
  this 
  basin 
  toward 
  the 
  foot-hills. 
  

  

  THE 
  BOULDER 
  CREEKS. 
  

  

  a. 
  Isfortli 
  Boulder 
  Cree/t.— 
  The 
  Boulder 
  Creek 
  of 
  the 
  plain 
  consists 
  of 
  

   three 
  branches, 
  but 
  the 
  middle 
  branch 
  unites 
  wiih 
  the 
  North 
  Fork 
  while 
  

   yet 
  in 
  the 
  mountains, 
  and 
  the 
  remaining 
  two 
  branches 
  enter 
  the 
  plain 
  

   at 
  points 
  about 
  5 
  miles 
  from 
  each 
  other. 
  The 
  North 
  Branch 
  of 
  the 
  

   Boulder 
  originates 
  near 
  the 
  northern 
  slopes 
  of 
  Arapaho 
  Peak 
  and 
  north 
  

   of 
  it. 
  This 
  peak, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  along 
  a 
  large 
  tract 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  range, 
  

   throws 
  a 
  big 
  spur 
  in 
  an 
  eastern 
  direction 
  which 
  divides 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  

   the 
  Middle 
  and 
  North 
  Boulder. 
  The 
  middle 
  stream 
  takes 
  its 
  sources 
  

   mainly 
  in 
  numerous 
  amphitheaters 
  beneath 
  the 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  range 
  

   beneath 
  Arapho 
  Peak 
  and 
  Boulder 
  Pass. 
  Three 
  principal 
  head 
  branches, 
  

   which 
  form 
  the 
  Middle 
  Boulder, 
  are, 
  from 
  their 
  very 
  beginning, 
  inclosed 
  

   in 
  caiion, 
  and 
  the 
  streams 
  remain 
  in 
  it 
  until 
  near 
  Netherlands, 
  where, 
  

   for 
  the 
  short 
  distance 
  of 
  1^ 
  miles, 
  the 
  comparatively 
  low 
  ridges 
  on 
  both 
  

   sides 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  recede 
  a 
  little, 
  giving 
  the 
  latter 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  a 
  

   modest-looking 
  valley-bottom. 
  Soon, 
  however, 
  the 
  granite 
  walls 
  again 
  

   approach 
  the 
  river, 
  inclosing 
  it 
  down 
  to 
  and 
  beyond 
  its 
  junction 
  with 
  the 
  

   North 
  Boulder. 
  Both 
  rivers 
  are 
  caiioned 
  up 
  at 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  their 
  junc- 
  

   tion, 
  and 
  have 
  been 
  so 
  for 
  many 
  miles 
  back. 
  

  

  The 
  river 
  is 
  so 
  much 
  wrapped 
  up 
  in 
  precipitous 
  mountains 
  during 
  

   nearly 
  18 
  miles 
  that 
  the 
  road 
  leading 
  along 
  the 
  caiion 
  is 
  considered 
  one 
  

  

  