﻿436 
  EEPORT 
  UNITED 
  STATES 
  GEOLOGICAL 
  SURVEY. 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  great 
  road-building 
  achievements 
  in 
  Colorado. 
  This 
  road 
  was, 
  

   indeed, 
  constructed 
  with 
  difficulty. 
  It 
  has 
  to 
  cross 
  and 
  recross 
  inces- 
  

   santly 
  to 
  make 
  its 
  existence 
  possible, 
  and 
  in 
  many 
  places 
  whatever 
  

   space 
  the 
  road 
  needed 
  had 
  to 
  be 
  hewn 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  solid 
  granite. 
  Another 
  

   tributary 
  to 
  the 
  North 
  Boulder 
  is 
  Four 
  Mile 
  Creek, 
  which 
  is 
  12 
  miles 
  

   long, 
  and 
  rises 
  in 
  the 
  mountain 
  spurs 
  descending 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  range, 
  

   about 
  3 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  Ward 
  City. 
  This 
  creek 
  flows 
  between 
  two 
  

   rugged 
  ridges 
  until 
  3 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Sugar 
  Loaf 
  Mountains 
  it 
  arrives 
  at 
  

   the 
  meridian 
  of 
  Gold 
  Hill, 
  from 
  where 
  it 
  bends 
  to 
  the 
  southeast, 
  joining 
  

   with 
  North 
  Boulder 
  1^ 
  miles 
  before 
  the 
  latter 
  passes 
  the 
  hogbacks 
  

   near 
  Boulder 
  City. 
  

  

  b. 
  The 
  South 
  Boulder. 
  — 
  Almost 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  branch 
  runs 
  

   the 
  South 
  Boulder, 
  a 
  formidable 
  stream, 
  and 
  in 
  volumes 
  of 
  water 
  perhaps 
  

   equal 
  to 
  the 
  united 
  Middle 
  and 
  North 
  Boulder. 
  Among 
  the 
  rugged 
  

   mountain 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  range 
  between 
  Boulder 
  Pass 
  and 
  James 
  

   Peak 
  itself 
  are 
  the 
  sources 
  of 
  this 
  stream. 
  Pour 
  miles 
  beneath 
  the 
  

   strongly 
  eroded 
  mcuncain 
  sides, 
  north 
  of 
  James 
  Peak, 
  lies 
  a 
  lake 
  in 
  a 
  

   magnificent 
  valley, 
  inclosed 
  on 
  all 
  sides 
  by 
  huge 
  mountains. 
  This 
  

   valley 
  or 
  mountain 
  basin,* 
  perhaps 
  IJ 
  miles 
  in 
  length 
  and 
  half 
  a 
  

   mile 
  in 
  width, 
  is 
  the 
  prettiest 
  spot 
  along 
  the 
  whole 
  stream. 
  After 
  

   leaving 
  it, 
  the 
  river 
  enters 
  a 
  caQon, 
  and 
  is 
  freed 
  from 
  it 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  space 
  

   when 
  arriving 
  close 
  to 
  Rollinsville, 
  whence 
  a 
  road 
  leads 
  to 
  Netherlands 
  

   and 
  to 
  the 
  Middle 
  Boulder 
  Valley, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  toBlackhawk, 
  and 
  another 
  

   one 
  to 
  Boulder 
  City, 
  by 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  Bear 
  Caiion. 
  After 
  leaving 
  Kollins- 
  

   ville 
  and 
  that 
  small 
  patch 
  of 
  bottom, 
  the 
  South 
  Boulder 
  plunges 
  again 
  

   into 
  a 
  cafion, 
  impenetrable 
  as 
  yet, 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  remains 
  until 
  its 
  exit 
  near 
  

   the 
  foot-hills, 
  5 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  of 
  Boulder 
  City. 
  North, 
  Middle, 
  and 
  

   South 
  Boulder 
  streams 
  drain 
  together 
  15 
  miles 
  of 
  slope 
  along 
  the 
  main 
  

   or 
  Colorado 
  Range. 
  

  

  JIM 
  CREEK. 
  

  

  This 
  stream 
  enters 
  the 
  plain 
  8 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  North 
  

   Boulder 
  emerges 
  from 
  the 
  mountains. 
  It 
  consists 
  of 
  two 
  forks 
  ; 
  the 
  one 
  

   being 
  the 
  main 
  Jim 
  Creek, 
  and 
  the 
  second 
  Left 
  Hand 
  Creek. 
  They 
  

   unite 
  before 
  entering 
  the 
  plain. 
  For 
  their 
  whole 
  length 
  they 
  are 
  both 
  

   inclosed 
  in 
  caiions, 
  excepting 
  where 
  the 
  mountain-walls 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  fork 
  

   spread 
  apart 
  to 
  leave 
  room 
  for 
  the 
  settlement 
  of 
  Jim 
  Town, 
  an 
  incon- 
  

   siderable 
  mining 
  village. 
  This 
  principal 
  branch 
  heads 
  beneath 
  the 
  main 
  

   crest, 
  7 
  miles 
  west 
  of 
  Ward 
  City, 
  and 
  4 
  miles 
  north 
  of 
  Arapaho 
  Peak. 
  

   The 
  second 
  branch 
  (Left 
  Hand 
  Creek) 
  originates 
  in 
  the 
  mountains 
  

   directly 
  north 
  of 
  Ward 
  City. 
  

  

  SAINT 
  VRAIN'S 
  creek. 
  

  

  This 
  stream 
  heads 
  in 
  two 
  large 
  branches, 
  the 
  North 
  and 
  South 
  Saint 
  

   Yrain's, 
  just 
  below 
  the 
  main 
  crest 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  or 
  Colorado 
  Range. 
  There 
  

   is 
  also 
  a 
  Middle 
  Branch, 
  which, 
  although 
  heading 
  slightly 
  farther 
  up 
  on 
  

   the 
  range 
  than 
  the 
  South 
  Branch, 
  is 
  a 
  tribut'iry 
  to 
  it, 
  and 
  loses 
  its 
  

   name 
  at 
  the 
  junction. 
  The 
  South 
  Saint 
  Yrains 
  does 
  not 
  gather 
  its 
  

   waters 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  crest, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  slopes 
  of 
  that 
  long 
  spur 
  stretch- 
  

   ing 
  east 
  from 
  Mount 
  Audubon. 
  The 
  middle 
  and 
  north 
  branches 
  

   together 
  drain 
  22 
  miles 
  of 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope 
  of 
  the 
  main 
  divide. 
  The 
  

   southern 
  slopes 
  of 
  Long's 
  Peak, 
  and 
  the 
  huge 
  amphitheaters 
  to 
  the 
  

   south 
  and 
  west 
  of 
  it, 
  furnish 
  a 
  large 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  

   North 
  Saint 
  Train's. 
  

  

  * 
  See 
  crest 
  ortlie 
  maiu 
  Rocky 
  Mouutaius. 
  

  

  