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several stations near that stream. The road soon ended, and we fol- 

 lowed its continuation, an Indian trail, to the Pinos Riv^r. This 

 trail, by an oversight, was not represented on the map. It leaves the 

 Animas about half a mile north of station 46, and thence over to the 

 Florida, up which it follows for several miles, then strikes across to the 

 Pinos, and crosses that stream at the mouth of the Vallecito ; cross- 

 ing thence over the next ridge, it strikes the Ute trail from Los Pinos 

 agency. It is not much used, and is consequently quite hard to follow. 

 There is some fine bottom-land on the Florida, capable of a high de- 

 gree of cultivation, but of small extent. Near the junction of the Yal- 

 iecito and Los Pinos is another small area of splendid land. These 

 two streams running down from the quartzite peaks, run at least one- 

 half more water than any other streams of the same drainage area in 

 the district. 



The next day after passing this point, October 2, snow began falling, 

 and, camping near a peak on which we had to make a station, we quietly 

 waited for the weather to clear oK By a remarkable accident we had 

 halted in a splendid camping-place, there being none worthy the name 

 for miles ahead of us, as we afterward found. Snow fell continuously 

 for four days, and we found sitting in camp very hard work. On 

 account of our peculiarly protected position the snow that fell near our 

 camp melted as it fell, but a mile up stream it lay two feet deep. Had 

 It not been for the good grass and shelter here offered, our wornout 

 mules would have fared badly. A thing worthy of note is the fact 

 that very slight thunder and lightning continued through the whole of 

 this snow-storm. Lieutenant Wheeler narrates a similar experience in 

 this part of the country. On the fourth day the weather cleared off, 

 and we succeeded in making our station, though on the summit the snow 

 was two or three feet deep, which, with our shoes nearly worn out, was 

 very disagreeable. Eeturniug early from the peak we moved up the 

 ridge. The trail being entirely hidden by the snow we had to give it 

 up, and after a very difficult day's march we only just succeeded in get- 

 ting out of the snow, and then had to camp in swampy ground, mak- 

 ing our beds on pine boughs, which we cut from the trees. We knew 

 now that winter had commenced, and we wanted to get out of the mount- 

 ains as fast as our mules could carry us. The next day we crossed the 

 divide at the head of Los Pinos Kiver, by way of the Ute trail. The pass 

 this way was good, though covered with snow. In the summer it must be 

 very easy and pleasant. We felt thankful when quite late in the after- 

 noon we reached the Eio Grande and struck camp near the wagon-road. 

 The next day we traveled down the road, which here is a very good one, 

 to Antelope Park, which we found to be quite an extensive piece of plain 

 country, forming here the Valley of the Eio Grande, and continued 

 below, by a narrow strip of low land, along the river. The eleva- 

 tion of the park is about 9,000 feet. There are several houses dotted 

 about over it and farms laid out, although the elevation is too great 

 to allow much to be produced in the way of grain. The next day, 

 October 9, we ascended Bristol Head and made station 54. This is a 

 very curious bald mountain, a few miles east of Antelope Park, being the 

 southern culminating point of a high plateau. To the east it slopes 

 down quite gently, but on the west side it falls abruptly nearly 

 4,000 feet to the bottom of a very curious sink. In some places the 

 bluff is quite vertical for over a thousand feet. Being composed of 

 trachyte, the rock breaks off along vertical planes and gives to the pre- 

 cii)ice the character peculiar to volcanic formations. The sink already 

 mentioned is a little valley from a quarter to half a mile broad, bor- 



