﻿BECHLEH.] 
  EASTERN 
  ROCKY 
  MOUNTAIN 
  SLOPE. 
  437 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  many 
  fast-falling 
  mountain 
  streams 
  have 
  united 
  below 
  and 
  

   on 
  the 
  southern 
  face 
  of 
  Long's 
  Peak, 
  the 
  stream 
  flows 
  along, 
  cauoned 
  up 
  

   on 
  the 
  one 
  side 
  by 
  the 
  broad 
  granite 
  faces 
  of 
  Bald 
  Mountain, 
  and 
  on 
  

   the 
  other 
  by 
  the 
  long 
  morainal 
  spurs 
  of 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  Long's 
  Peak. 
  Soon, 
  

   however, 
  the 
  North 
  Saint 
  Vrain's 
  is 
  completely 
  inclosed 
  in 
  one 
  of 
  those 
  

   granite 
  canons 
  sp 
  common 
  in 
  this 
  country, 
  and 
  in 
  it 
  receives 
  a 
  tributary 
  

   from 
  the 
  south, 
  which 
  originates 
  on 
  the 
  southeastern 
  sides 
  of 
  Bald 
  

   Mountain. 
  This 
  stream, 
  only 
  one 
  mile 
  from 
  its 
  junction, 
  penetrates 
  

   the 
  granitic 
  mass 
  which 
  holds 
  the 
  North 
  Saint 
  Vrain's 
  in 
  its 
  narrow 
  

   path. 
  The 
  united 
  streams 
  continue 
  for 
  2^ 
  miles 
  with 
  straight 
  caiion 
  

   sides, 
  when 
  another 
  carioned 
  tributary 
  is 
  received, 
  coming 
  from 
  between 
  

   Long's 
  Peak 
  and 
  Lillie's 
  Mountain. 
  This 
  completes 
  the 
  main 
  volume 
  of 
  

   water 
  which 
  the 
  North 
  Saint 
  Vrain's 
  carries 
  through 
  a 
  continuous 
  

   canon 
  till 
  near 
  the 
  " 
  Hogbacks," 
  among 
  which 
  it 
  is 
  joined 
  by 
  the 
  South 
  

   Branch, 
  which 
  has 
  just 
  completed 
  its 
  journey 
  through 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  boldest 
  

   districts 
  in 
  those 
  ijarts 
  near 
  the 
  foot-hills. 
  

  

  The 
  whole 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  South 
  Saint 
  Vrain's 
  is 
  in 
  canon, 
  partially 
  

   rugged, 
  but 
  for 
  the 
  most 
  part 
  of 
  only 
  moderate 
  steepness, 
  the 
  bordering 
  

   country 
  bearing 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  a 
  granite 
  plateau. 
  The 
  sources, 
  as 
  I 
  

   have 
  mentioned 
  before, 
  lie 
  along 
  the 
  northern 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  spurs 
  which 
  

   form 
  the 
  eastern 
  extension 
  of 
  Mount 
  Audubon. 
  

  

  LITTLE 
  THOMPSON. 
  

  

  This 
  stream 
  enters 
  the 
  plains 
  about 
  4 
  J 
  miles 
  northeast 
  of 
  North 
  

   Boulder 
  exit. 
  Its 
  sources 
  lie 
  in 
  the 
  middle 
  portion 
  of 
  that 
  cluster 
  of 
  

   hills 
  lying 
  5f 
  miles 
  east 
  of 
  Long's 
  Peak, 
  of 
  which 
  Lillie's 
  Mountain 
  

   (11,433 
  feet) 
  is 
  the 
  dominating 
  point. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  stream^ 
  is 
  formed 
  by 
  three 
  large 
  branches, 
  the 
  chief 
  

   and 
  most 
  western 
  one 
  coming 
  from 
  the 
  east 
  slope 
  of 
  Lillie's 
  Mountain. 
  

   Several 
  miles 
  eastward 
  this 
  main 
  branch 
  is 
  joined 
  by 
  Muggins 
  Creek, 
  

   along 
  which 
  the 
  road 
  leads 
  from 
  Longmont 
  into 
  Estes 
  Park. 
  The 
  third 
  

   branch, 
  being 
  the 
  north 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  Little 
  Thompson, 
  comes 
  directly 
  

   from 
  among 
  that 
  immensely 
  rugged 
  granite 
  mass 
  which 
  occupies 
  the 
  

   whole 
  area 
  between 
  the 
  Big 
  and 
  Little 
  Thompson 
  Elvers. 
  

  

  VICINITY 
  OF 
  ESTES 
  PARK 
  AND 
  THE 
  BIG 
  THOMPSON 
  RIVER. 
  

  

  Within 
  the 
  district 
  treated 
  in 
  these 
  notes 
  we 
  will 
  scarcely 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  

   find 
  a 
  region 
  so 
  favorably 
  distihguished 
  as 
  that 
  presented 
  by 
  Estes 
  

   Park. 
  Not 
  only 
  has 
  nature 
  amply 
  supplied 
  this 
  valley 
  with 
  features 
  of 
  

   rare 
  beauty 
  and 
  surroundings 
  of 
  admirable 
  grandeur, 
  but 
  it 
  has 
  thus 
  

   distributed 
  them 
  that 
  the 
  eye 
  of 
  an 
  artist 
  may 
  rest 
  with 
  perfect 
  satis- 
  

   faction 
  on 
  the 
  complete 
  picture 
  presented. 
  It 
  may 
  be 
  said, 
  perhaps, 
  

   that 
  the 
  more 
  minute 
  details 
  of 
  the 
  scenery 
  are 
  too 
  decorative 
  in 
  their 
  

   character, 
  showing, 
  as 
  they 
  do, 
  the 
  irregular 
  picturesque 
  groups 
  of 
  hills, 
  

   buttes, 
  products 
  of 
  erosion, 
  and 
  the 
  finely-molded 
  ridges 
  in 
  the 
  very 
  

   center 
  of 
  the 
  park. 
  Although 
  this 
  arrangement 
  separates 
  the 
  otherwise 
  

   broad 
  expanse 
  into 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  small 
  areas, 
  the 
  total 
  effect 
  is 
  pleasing 
  

   in 
  the 
  extreme. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  huge 
  mountains 
  which 
  here 
  inclose 
  us 
  flow 
  

   down 
  the 
  streams 
  concentrating 
  in 
  Estes 
  Park. 
  Fish 
  Creek 
  comes 
  

   from 
  the 
  south 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  northern 
  slopes 
  of 
  Lillie's- 
  Mountains; 
  

   South 
  Fork 
  of 
  Thompson, 
  directly 
  from 
  the 
  verycarLon 
  west 
  and 
  beneath 
  

   of 
  Long's 
  Peak. 
  Main 
  Thompson 
  rushes 
  its 
  waters 
  down 
  from 
  the 
  high 
  

   main 
  range 
  12 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  northwest. 
  Fall 
  Eiver 
  originates 
  in 
  a 
  great 
  

  

  