224 THE COTTAGE — ECHO CREEK. 



circum-meridian observations of Altair, gave for latitude of the 

 camp 41° 2' 27''.26 ; long. 111° 30' 34^'. 



Tuesday, September 3. — Ther. at sunrise, 31°. The road con- 

 tinues to follow up the valley of Red Fork. In about six miles we 

 came in view of a remarkable little eminence in a bluff of red sand- 

 stone, which almost perfectly resembled a rustic cottage, with a 

 deep-arched doorway and gently sloping roof, covered with scat- 

 tering cedars. The illusion was very strong, and became more and 

 more perfect as we approached, until we almost expected to see 

 some one issuing from the portal to gaze upon the passing train. 

 The valley of Red Fork to this point is very beautiful, beginning 

 to widen considerably, and becoming more level. 



For about a mile from camp, gray sandstone takes the place of 

 the red, after which the latter predominates, but not in such con- 

 tinuous ledges as heretofore. Opposite ^'the Cottage," a broad, 

 level ravine comes in from the S. S. E., which apparently heads 

 somewhere near the sources of Morin's Creek, and, from the trend- 

 ing of the hills, may connect with those of the Weber itself. If 

 this should prove to be the case, the circuitous route by the mouth 

 of Red Fork may be entirely avoided, as well as the descent to the 

 Weber, and the rise from it, both which are unavoidable by the 

 route now pursued. A short distance beyond the Cottage, a 

 broad ravine comes in from the N. N. E., which is, in fact, the 

 main Red Fork — the eastern branch, along which the road passes, 

 being called Echo Creek. 



In, the forks of the two streams, at the foot of a bluff of horizon- 

 tal red and gray sandstone, observed for time and latitude. We 

 called the bluff " Chicken-cock Bluff," from the strong resemblance 

 to that bird of a large cedar on its summit. Ascending this ele- 

 vation, I obtained a view of the valley of Red Fork, of Echo Creek, 

 and also of the ravines coming into the former from the S. S. E. 

 It is highly probable that a pass may be obtained by means of one 

 of these valleys over to some of the head branches of the Weber, 

 or to the river itself, before it enters the Camass Prairie. It is 

 worth a careful examination, as success would insure an almost 

 level and very direct route through the Timpanogas Valley to that 

 of the Great Salt Lake at Utah. 



On the right bank of Red Fork, just above the junction of 

 Echo Creek, in a cliff of horizontal red sandstone, the escarpments 

 were much worn and rounded, as if by the action of water, and 

 wrought into strange and fantastic shapes, many of them resem- 



