1806 REPORT OP THE CHIEF OF ENGINEERS. 



great depression nearly 15 miles in diameter, called the "Amphitheater." Thence one 

 branch passes down Disappointment Creek, so called from the waters sinking in the 

 earth, a distance of about 28 miles to the Dolores, and thence on the east side of the 

 river about 50 miles to the Grand River, meeting the Salt Lake wagon-road running 

 down from the Gunnison. The main trail at the Amphitheater continues on some 

 40 miles, meeting a trail along which to the right at the distance of 30 miles Ouray is 

 reached, and the Uncompahgre Agency at the distance of 22 miles, being situated 

 farther down the Uncompahgre River than Ouray. 



The Ute trail. — This passes from the Big Bend to the " Pioneer Mining District," on 

 the Dolores, to San Miguel Lake and beyond, and with its connections has been already 

 mentioned. Both this and the Uncompahgre trail reach the Big Bend from the right. 



The Navajo trail. — This is one of those arriving on the left bank of the river, coming 

 in from the south, leading from Ute Mountain, 15 miles distant, and is so called be- 

 cause it is the line of travel to the country of the Navajo Indians. At the point of 

 Ute Peak it crosses the California trail, passes to the left or east of the mountain, to 

 the San Juan River, about 30 miles, where it forms a junction with the Santa F£ trail, 

 via Parrott City, to Fort Defiance. 



From the Big Bend a trail parallel to the former passes along for 5 miles, and, 

 branching to the right, crosses the head of McElmo Creek, on the right-hand side 

 (north) of Ute Peak, and is merged into the great California trail. 



A trail near the Ute Mountain branches from the Navajo, passing to the left. Skirt- 

 ing under the foot of one of the huge mesa walls, it passes into the canon of the Man- 

 cos, continuing on past the Cliff Houses, 11 miles within the canon, turning up an 

 arroyo, or more properly a side canon on the left", reaching with some difficulty, the 

 top of the mesa. Thence it passes to the La Plata, reaching the river below the mouth 

 of Cherry Creek, distant about 15 miles from the top of the mesa of the Maneos Canon. 

 Passing down the La Plata some 12 miles, the Indian villages of the Weeminuche Utes 

 are reached, and continuing on after crossing the stream 3 times, at a distance of 

 about 10 miles from the vilages, the trail leaves the river turning, southeast, and reach- 

 ing the mouth of the Animas, about 3 miles beyond. The Animas is crossed, and soon 

 after the San Juan itself is forded, and upon the south bank of the latter the trail 

 continues to Canon Largo, 23 miles from the mouth of the Animas. The trail then 

 passes via this well known canon to Abiquin, about 120 miles en route to Santa Fd. 



The Santa Fe and Salt Lake trail. — This is a very important trail leading to the north- 

 west, over a portion of which we have come from the Maneos. From its having been 

 traveled by Captain (now Colonel) Macomb, of the United States Engineers, in his 

 celebrated expedition of 1859, it is in some portions known as "Macomb's trail." 

 It passes out from the Big Bend about 5 miles to the west, and thence to the northwest, 

 reaching, 8 miles distant, the Ojo Vallecito, signifying the "Spring in the little val- 

 ley. 1 ' At perhaps 9 miles to the northwest another spring is found, where the trail 

 forks. The branch going to the left, to the west, reaches the southern point of the 

 mountains called generally the Blue, though to the Indians as the Elk Mountains. 

 Around the Blue Mountains this trail continues to the Colorado River. 



The main trail passes to the north, water being fortunately found at not very dis- 

 tant intervals, in the shape of springs, and continues to the Sierra La Sal. At their 

 southern slope it changes its direction to the northeast to the Rio La Sal, which rises 

 in the mountains from which it derives its name. This stream waters a beautiful 

 valley, so attractive and lovely that it bears the name of the Valley of Sinbad, lying 

 on the slope of the high mountains which trend down toward the Dolores on the east. 

 The trail following down to the river continues down the Dolores about 20 miles to 

 the Grand. Fording the latter it reaches, nearly 5 miles distant, the Salt Lake wagon- 

 road coming from Ouray, the Uncompahgre Agency and the valley of the Gunnison to 

 the east. Passing the road the trail continues on to Gunnison's Crossing of the Green 

 River, a fine and easy passage in a region where the river is within a difficult canon, 

 above and beldw- this point, so named from i\s use by that officer in his explorations 

 in 1853. 



At Sierra La Sal is a cut-off on the former trail. It is the main trail in reality, and 

 is universally used in the fall and winter, but from the high stages of water in the 

 Grand is not available during the spring and part of the summer. At the southwest 

 edge of the Sierra La Sal it turns to the left, and crossing the Grand River passes 

 direct to the Salt Lake wagon-road above. 



The California trail. — This line, already referred to, maybe mentioned more in detail, 

 although the connecting link which we traversed is but a small part of the entire 

 route. It passes from a point on the Maneos, about 20 miles from Parrott City, to the 

 west some 15 miles to the Navajo trail; along this nearly 8 miles; thence 5 miles to the 

 southwestern part of the Ute Mountain: From this point it passes to the west, about 

 50 miles, to Epsom Creek, a northern tributary of the San Juan, in Utah, whose 

 mouth is opposite that of the Rio de Chelle on the south. Descending the creek to 

 the San Juan, and ascending the Rio de Chelle in Arizona, it passes to the southwest. 

 At San Francisco Mountan a branch goes to the south to Prescott, the main trail con- 

 tinuing on to beyond Fort Mojave, on the Colorado River, via Hualpai Springs. 



