﻿CHARACTERISTICS 
  OF 
  THE 
  MOUNTAIN 
  AREA. 
  287 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  coarse* 
  of 
  the 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  which 
  

   enter 
  it 
  in 
  this 
  valley 
  are 
  in 
  heavily-timbered, 
  mountainous 
  country. 
  

  

  The 
  Teton 
  Range 
  I8 
  heavily 
  timbered. 
  

   Below 
  Jackson's 
  Hole 
  the 
  Snake 
  flows 
  through 
  a 
  close 
  canon, 
  passing 
  

  

  through 
  a 
  gieat 
  mass 
  of 
  mountains 
  in 
  seeking 
  an 
  exit 
  to 
  the 
  Snake 
  River 
  

  

  Plains. 
  In 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  its 
  course 
  it 
  receives 
  three 
  large 
  branches 
  from 
  

   the 
  left. 
  The 
  upper 
  of 
  these. 
  Hoback's 
  River, 
  heads 
  in 
  a 
  partially 
  open 
  

   valley 
  just 
  north 
  of 
  the 
  Green 
  River 
  Basin, 
  in 
  the 
  angle 
  between 
  the 
  

   Wyoming 
  and 
  Gros 
  Ventre 
  Ranges. 
  The 
  surface 
  of 
  this 
  valley 
  is 
  con- 
  

   siderably 
  broken. 
  It 
  is 
  well 
  grassed, 
  but 
  on 
  the 
  minor 
  ridges 
  which 
  

   diversify 
  its 
  surface 
  are 
  many 
  groves 
  of 
  aspens 
  and 
  coniferaB. 
  This 
  

   valley 
  can 
  be 
  burned 
  over, 
  but 
  tires 
  would 
  require 
  constant 
  attention 
  to 
  

   prevent 
  them 
  from 
  destroying 
  the 
  timber. 
  Below 
  this 
  valley 
  the 
  stream 
  

   flows 
  in 
  a 
  canon, 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  cuts 
  its 
  way 
  across 
  the 
  Wyoming 
  Bange. 
  

  

  The 
  entire 
  course 
  of 
  John 
  Day's 
  River, 
  the 
  next 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  Snake, 
  

   is 
  in 
  a 
  canon 
  valley 
  between 
  two 
  high 
  timbered 
  ranges, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Wy- 
  

   oming 
  and 
  the 
  Salt 
  River 
  Ranges. 
  It 
  is 
  heavily 
  timbered 
  throughout 
  

   with 
  coniteraB. 
  

  

  Next 
  we 
  pass 
  to 
  Salt 
  River, 
  the 
  third 
  large 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  Snake. 
  

   Heading 
  mainly 
  in 
  the 
  Salt 
  River 
  Range, 
  we 
  find 
  its 
  main 
  stream 
  through 
  

   its 
  whole 
  course 
  in 
  a 
  broad 
  valley, 
  mainly 
  of 
  gravelly 
  soil 
  and 
  covered 
  

   with 
  a 
  sparse 
  growth 
  of 
  sage 
  and 
  grass. 
  It 
  is 
  probably 
  burnable, 
  though 
  

   with 
  some 
  difficulty. 
  

  

  Continuing 
  our 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  country 
  tributary 
  to 
  the 
  Snake 
  on 
  

   the 
  left-hand 
  side, 
  we 
  find 
  the 
  region 
  lying 
  between 
  the 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  

   Salt 
  and 
  Blackfoot 
  Rivers 
  to 
  consist 
  of 
  a 
  mass 
  of 
  hills, 
  rising 
  one 
  above 
  

   another 
  toward 
  the 
  west 
  to 
  a 
  crest, 
  and 
  thence 
  falling 
  somewhat 
  abruptly 
  

   to 
  the 
  Blackfoot. 
  About 
  its 
  crest 
  line 
  these 
  hills 
  are 
  well 
  timbered 
  with 
  

   coniferte 
  and 
  aspens, 
  but 
  the 
  slopes 
  and 
  lower 
  summits 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  

   bunch-grass, 
  varied 
  by 
  occasional 
  small 
  groves 
  of 
  aspens, 
  a 
  country 
  

   easily 
  burned 
  over. 
  

  

  The 
  region 
  drained 
  by 
  the 
  Blackfoot. 
  the 
  next 
  left-hand 
  branch 
  of 
  the 
  

   Snake 
  of 
  note, 
  is 
  characterized 
  by 
  an 
  almost 
  total 
  absence 
  of 
  timber, 
  

   either 
  in 
  the 
  valleys 
  or 
  on 
  the 
  hills. 
  Most 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  portion 
  is 
  over- 
  

   laid 
  by 
  a 
  door 
  of 
  basalt, 
  on 
  which 
  Artemisia 
  grows 
  luxuriantly. 
  The 
  

   hills 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  bunch-grass. 
  That 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  drainage 
  area 
  

   of 
  this 
  stream 
  which 
  lies 
  in 
  and 
  among 
  the 
  hills 
  and 
  low 
  mountains 
  can 
  

   easily 
  be 
  burned 
  over. 
  The 
  country 
  about 
  its 
  lower 
  course, 
  which 
  forms 
  

   a 
  part 
  of 
  tne 
  Great 
  Snake 
  River 
  Plains, 
  is 
  not 
  as 
  combustible, 
  as 
  will 
  be 
  

   shown 
  further 
  on. 
  

  

  Xext 
  we 
  turn 
  to 
  the 
  Portneuf 
  and 
  its 
  tributaries. 
  Like 
  the 
  Bear 
  and 
  

   the 
  Blackfoot, 
  this 
  stream 
  has 
  a 
  very 
  circuitous 
  course 
  through 
  and 
  

   around 
  the 
  lava 
  fields 
  which 
  obstruct 
  it. 
  Starting 
  with 
  a 
  southerly 
  

   course 
  it 
  suddenly 
  turns 
  to 
  the 
  westward, 
  declining 
  the 
  apparently 
  easy 
  

   route 
  southward 
  to 
  the 
  Bear, 
  and 
  cuts 
  its 
  way 
  doggedly 
  through 
  the 
  

   Portneuf 
  Range. 
  Its 
  upper 
  valley 
  is 
  well 
  grassed, 
  as 
  are 
  also 
  the 
  hills 
  

  

  