CHAPTER IL 
WYOMING RANGE. 
TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES, &C. 
In the country to the south the Wyoming Range forms the water- 
divide between the Green on the east and the drainage of Bear and: 
Snake rivers on the west; but within the present territory its drainage 
is effected by numerous water courses tributary to Snake River. On the 
west it is defined by the valley of Salt River, and on the east by Hoback’s 
Basin. The intermediate space is penetrated by John Day’s River, and 
the southern affluents of the Hoback, a comparatively narrow belt along 
the north side draining directly into the Snake along that part of its 
course known as the Grand Canon. To the northwest the same mount- 
ain belt is continued, scarcely diminished in relative altitude, under 
the name of the Snake River Range into the region partially explored 
the preceding season by the Téton division of the survey. Inits passage 
across this mountain chain Snake River follows a southwesterly direc- 
tion in a direct line from the mouth of Hoback’s River, where the canon 
may be said to begin, to the confluence of John Day’s River, where it 
enters its lower valley, of about 20 miles. It forms a rift through the 
mountains the upper portion of which is occupied by terraces and oce¢a- 
sional tracts of gtavelly intervals continuous with the benches in the 
lower part of Jackson’s Basin; but the lower half is said to be scarcely 
wider than the bed of the river. 
The main ridge of the range lies between John Day’s and Salt rivers 
on the extreme western border, occupying a space about 10 miles across, 
east-west, and which has received in the district to the south the name 
“Salt River Range.” From either side it presents a bold, rugged 
mountain barrier, attaining 10,400 feet actual altitude, and is known to 
be largely made up of Carboniferous strata. Towards the north end 
the John Day’s has excavated a deep passage across the ridge parallel 
with and only about 4 miles south of the lower portion of the Grand 
Canon, joining the Snake just below the debouchure from the mountains. 
Above this gorge the stream forks, sending off a fine tributary to the 
eastward whose sources lie in the crest of the Hoback Canon, or eastern- 
most mountain ridge of the range, the main stream from the forks pur- 
suing a southerly course and confined to a narrow valley in that part 
passing through our territory. 
The central portion of this highland belt is traversed in a nearly north- 
south direction by a narrow ridge, the north half constituting a barrier 
between the drainage flowing directly into the Snake on the west and 
that of the Hoback on the east. To the south, however, this ridge is 
cut across by the Kast Fork John Day’s River, in an exceedingly wild, 
narrow cailon, whose adjacent slopes are densely wooded with coniferous 
forests. South of the cafion the ridge reaches its maximum elevation, 
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