116 



GUIDEBOOK OF THE WESTERN UNITED STATES. 



As the railroad curves about the terminal moraine that marks the 

 lower limit of the glacier the traveler may catch, far to the west 

 (left), a fleeting glimpse of the Mount of the Holy Cross (13,980 

 feet), so named because the snow on its east slope clings throughout 

 the summer in a great vertical cleft that extends nearly the whole 

 height of the mountain and in a horizontal cleft that crosses the 

 A'ertical cleft, the two together having the form of a cross. The 

 Mount of the Holy Cross is familiar to many persons through 

 Moran's painting, which has been reproduced extensively in colored 

 prints and postcards. It is doubtful whether from Pando the trav- 

 eler can see, even in the best weather, more than the crest of the peak, 

 but farther along the road, near Minturn, he may obtain a somewhat 

 better view of this well-known mountain. The cross and the moun- 

 tain that bears it are well shown in Plate LIII. 



In some places the rock beds are bent upward and the underlying 

 granite appears in great irregular masses, but beyond such bosses, 

 which continue only for short distances, the quartzite takes its ac- 

 customed place at railroad level. 



The course of the river is nearly due north to the junction with 

 Weary Man's Creek, which comes in from the east. The combined 

 stream turns abruptly and flows west until it joins Homestake Creek 

 and is again in its rightful valley. At the sharp turn from north to 

 west is situated the mining camp of Redcliif , which 

 is also the county seat of Eagle County. This val- 

 ley was the route of an exploring party under the 

 command of Capt. (afterward Gen.) John C. 

 Fremont, and a flag on a rocky eminence on the 

 right of the railroad in Eedcliff is said to mark the site of an en- 

 gagement with the Ute Indians in one of his expeditions between 

 1842 and 1845. 



Several mines are in operation in the vicinity of Eedcliff, and 

 others may be seen in the canyon between Eedcliff and Minturn. 

 (See Pis. L, B^ and LIV.) Some of these mines* have found gold 

 in the granite near the railroad track, but most of them are operat- 

 ing in the Leadville limestone at the top of the canyon wall and the 



Redcliff. 



Elevation 8,fi08 feet. 

 Population 347. 

 Denver 294 miles. 



at that time are shown on the accom- 

 panying map (PI. LII). 



The contrast of the broad valley 

 above Pando and the narrow rocky 

 gorge into which the stream plunges 

 near milepost 290 is striking. To add 

 to the ruggedness of the scene the 

 quartzite, which up to this point has 

 been high up on the slopes, especially 



on the west side of the valley, is here 

 at creek level on the right ; and at 

 milepost 290 the base of the quartzite 

 crosses the stream and makes cliffs 

 on both sides of the gorge. The gorge 

 is so narrow that it can accommodate 

 only the stream and the railroad, but 

 even in order to build the railroad 

 much rock cutting was necessary. 



