484 EEPdRT UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



while on all sides but the west, where a knife-like ridge connects with 

 the west peak, sheer precipices extend downward for thousands of 

 feet. The view from this summit is very impressive, North of us, and 

 almost at our feet, the Yellowstone winds its sinuous course down a 

 beautiful valley. In a few miles it flows in among densely-wooded 

 mountains, where it is lost to sight for several miles; then.it reappears, 

 more distant, in a second valley, down which it flows until lost in the 

 haze of the distance. East of this stream rises the Yellowstone Eange, 

 whose snowy peaks limit nearly half the horizon. East of us Sepulchre 

 Mountain seems but a stone's throw away, and below it is the lower 

 valley of the Gardiner, with the white hill of the Mammoth Springs and 

 the long, straight cliff line of Mount Evarts. From the crest of this 

 extends eastward the plateau of the Third Caiion, while the line of the 

 caiion is scarcely discernible. Farther to the right are the flat summits 

 of the Washburn Mountains. Turning to the south we look down the 

 broad, open \'alley of the upper waters of Gardiner's River gradually 

 rising and changing into the densely-wooded plateaus about the heads 

 of the southern branches of this stream and Gibbon Fork, and far 

 above it all rises the needle-like peak of the Grand Teton. A few de- 

 grees farther to the right include the peaks of the Gallatin Range, over 

 which we see the timbered valley of the Madison, Tyghee Pass, and the 

 mountains about Henry's Lake. To the west and northwest the view is 

 one of peaks, mountain rising above mountain, seemingly in endless 

 confusion, a sea of mountains whose white-tipped waves are sorely vexed 

 by contrary winds. 



The mountain is not diflBcult of access. It can be approached from 

 the north by following up the valley of Trail Creek and riding up the 

 spur next to the peak. By taliing this route one can ride nearly to the 

 summit. A shorter route is from the valley of the Middle Gardiner, 

 south of the peak ; but here the climb would necessarily be much more 

 concentrated, though shorter, and a much greater distance would re- 

 quire to be made on foot. 



Electric Peak is not on the divide between the Yellowstone and Gal- 

 latin, but, as is so often the case, the watershed follows a lower and far 

 less prominent ridge, the peak being on a spur separating Gardiner's 

 River from several small streams draining directly into the Yellowstone. 

 This watershed passes three or four miles west of Electric, with a gen- 

 eral southward course, but with many windings. It keeps on the west 

 side of the bodj^ of the range, presenting an abrupt wall to the west- 

 ward, with long, heavy spurs, in most cases exceeding in height the 

 watershed itself, trending off to the eastward, and breaking off abruptly 

 in precipices to the valley of the Middle Gardiner. The streams on the 

 east side of the watershed all drain into the latter river, and all flow, 

 while in the mountains, in F-shaped canons. Altogether the range 

 sends down to the eastward five large streams— Electric, Fawn, Pan- 

 ther, Indian, and an unnamed stream from the south of Mount Holmes. 



The structure of this range is very peculiar. It is made up of strati 

 fled rocks, dipping northward, i. e., nearly in the trend of the range. 

 Its eastern portion appears to have been eroded away, leaving a line of 

 cliffs at the ends of the spurs. Some of the creeks coming from the 

 mountains have cut cafions, with precipitous walls on both sides, while 

 others have a precipice on the north, while on the south the slope is 

 gentle, following the dip. Electric and Fawn Creeks are of the latter 

 class, while Panther and Indian Creeks are of the former. Quadrant 

 Mountain, between Fawn and Panther Creeks, has a very peculiar 

 shape. The summit, with the northern and western slopes, form a 



