APPENDIX SS. 1803 



THE TIERRA AMARILLA SECTION. 



From Conejos the route of the old Chama trail to Tieira Amarillo is occupied by 

 the new wagon-road, which has been left unfinished for about 12 miles of the way; 

 distance about 60 miles. 



Another trail between the same points passes from Conejos up Los Pinos Creek for 

 some distance, and along the great volcanic plateaus west of San Antonio Peak to the 

 headwaters of the Rio Brazos, thence descending to the Mexican towns of the Tierra 

 Amarilla. It is a shorter trail than the former; length about 52 miles. 



Still another but a longer line between the same points reaches Tierra Amarilla or 

 its main plazas, Las Nutntas, by following down the creek of the same name, crossing 

 the Servilleta and other creeks en route from San Antonio Peak. Trails from Tierra 

 Amarilla also pass to the southeast toward Ojo Caliente, southwest down the Chama, 

 and northwest to Pagosa via Canon Amaigo. The latter distance by wagon-road 

 is 58 miles; by the trail several miles shorter. Another trail up the West Fork of the 

 Chama reaches Pagosa via the Hot Springs on the Rio Navajo, and after passing one 

 of its tributaries and the Blanco watershed follows down a pretty valley and is merged 

 into the county road. Trails from Tierra Amarilla also pass direct to the Rio Piedra 

 and other points west, leaving Pagosa to the east. 



THE NAVAJO AND THE BLANCO. 



Up the Navajo itself a good Indian trail part way exists; hence to the Blanco a dim 

 and very old trail is found, being followed with great difficulty, east and several miles 

 distant from the county road. 



Along the Blanco a deer-trail was followed for a few miles in the canon, the trail in 

 general, however, having to be cut. No evidences of any Indian camps were found in 

 the large valley of the Blanco above the bend. From the Blanco to the San Juan 

 below Pagosa Springs, a trail to the left, lying on the south of the county road the lat- 

 ter part of the way, made the route a direct line, and resulted in a saving of about 

 two miles. 



THE SAN JUAN AND PAGOSA SPRINGS. 



From Pagosa Springs, always a popular resort for Indian tribes, a trail passes up 

 the San Juan, over the range, and down the South Fork of the Rio Grande to its mouth, 

 distance about 50 miles. On the northern side of the main divide a branch passes to 

 the summit, about 39 miles from Pagosa. This is an old Indian trail which has been 

 blazed by whites. 



The principal trail to the Summit mining district from the springs is mainly upon 

 the right bank and through the canon of the river until the upper valley is attained, 

 where the trail from some new ranches on the West Fork covers over the separating 

 divide. The trail rapidly ascends the mountains of the upper canon of the San Juan, 

 and at its highest portions is very good. It passes over slopes so nearly precipitous 

 that two hours' work were necessary within 50 yards at one place to "build it out" 

 for the passage of pack animals, after heavy rains that had preceded us. The cross- 

 ing of the continental divide is below timber-line, and this part of the way to the 

 summit, some four miles, was excessively boggy in August from melting snow-banks. 



Above Pagosa, a new trail ascending the West Fork and crossing the divide to the 

 main river avoids the canon locality near its mouth; it was cut by an American, and 

 is very steep. 



From Pagosa a trail passes northwest to the Piedra, about 25 miles, crossing a stream 

 of the Nutria watershed en route thence 23 miles to the summit of the Weeminuche 

 Pass, whose altitude is 10,600 feet, one of the finest passes on the great divide in the 

 Colorado section of the Rocky Mountains. Upon the Rio Grande side, which river the 

 pass overlooks, the slope is abrupt, the trail descending 1,300 feet to the river in the 

 distance of about 4 miles. This trail, from the Rio Piedra, is along Weeminuche 

 Creek, possessing one of the loveliest mountain valleys in the entire San Juan, with 

 magnificent grazing and abundant game; it was largely frequented by the Capote 

 Utes in August. 



Beyond that it descends abruptly into the upper canon of the Los Pinos and along 

 that water to the pass referred to. 



A branch of the main trail continues up the Middle Fork of the Piedra. and, crossing 

 the continental divide at a good pass some 40 miles from Pagosa, reaches the Rio 

 Grande about 12 miles distant, descending the valley of the West Fork thereof. This 

 is in Antelope Park, here of wide extent, Alden's Junction, or Antelope Springs, a stage 

 station on the Lake City and Del Norte road, being about 1£ miles north of the river. 



THE RIO NUTRIA. 



From this stream, at the mouth of the spring near which is the ranch of Colonel 

 Pfeirfer, a trail passes from the county road to the north, reaching the Piedra at the 



