﻿CHARACTERISTICS 
  OF 
  THE 
  MOUNTAIN 
  AREA. 
  291 
  

  

  South 
  of 
  this 
  valley, 
  separating 
  it 
  from 
  the 
  deserts 
  of 
  the 
  continental 
  

   divide, 
  is 
  a 
  range 
  of 
  low 
  mountains, 
  trending 
  nearly 
  east 
  and 
  west, 
  and 
  

   known 
  as 
  the 
  Sweetwater 
  Mountains. 
  These 
  mountains 
  are 
  timbered 
  

   throughout. 
  

  

  North 
  of 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  classic 
  Sweetwater, 
  extending 
  from 
  the 
  

   Three 
  Crossings 
  eastward 
  to 
  the 
  North 
  Platte, 
  are 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  low 
  

   granite 
  ridges, 
  which 
  are 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  luxuriant 
  growth 
  of 
  bunch-grass. 
  

  

  The 
  group 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Rattlesnake 
  Mountains 
  is 
  timbered. 
  

  

  Turning 
  to 
  Colorado, 
  we 
  find 
  a 
  grand 
  and 
  simple 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  

   mountain 
  ranges 
  on 
  this 
  crown 
  of 
  the 
  continent. 
  In 
  the 
  northern 
  part 
  

   there 
  are 
  two 
  parallel 
  ranges, 
  trending 
  a 
  few 
  degrees 
  east 
  of 
  south 
  — 
  the 
  

   Front 
  and 
  the 
  Colorado 
  Eanges. 
  Between 
  them 
  lie 
  the 
  North 
  and 
  Mid- 
  

   dle 
  Parks. 
  The 
  former, 
  a 
  nearly 
  circular 
  valley 
  having 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  

   about 
  8,000 
  feet, 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  luxuriant 
  growth 
  of 
  grass. 
  The 
  latter 
  

   has 
  a 
  broken 
  surface, 
  being 
  intersected 
  by 
  several 
  short 
  ranges 
  of 
  mount- 
  

   ains. 
  The 
  valleys 
  between 
  them 
  are 
  well 
  grassed, 
  while 
  the 
  mountains 
  

   are 
  covered 
  with 
  forests. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  central 
  belt 
  of 
  Colorado 
  the 
  mountain 
  portion 
  is 
  broader. 
  West 
  

   of 
  the 
  Park 
  Range, 
  beyond 
  the 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Upper 
  Arkansas, 
  is 
  the 
  

   Sawatch, 
  trending 
  parallel 
  to 
  the 
  others, 
  and 
  still 
  further 
  westward 
  the 
  

   groups 
  and 
  short 
  ranges 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Elk 
  Mountains. 
  In 
  this 
  portion 
  

   the 
  interval 
  between 
  the 
  Front 
  and 
  Park 
  Ranges 
  is 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  South 
  

   Park, 
  elliptic 
  in 
  form, 
  and 
  having 
  an 
  elevation 
  of 
  8,000 
  to 
  10,000 
  feet 
  

   above 
  the 
  sea. 
  Timber 
  comes 
  down 
  well 
  to 
  the 
  bases 
  of 
  the 
  surround- 
  

   ing 
  ranges 
  and 
  even 
  trenches 
  on 
  the 
  domain 
  of 
  the 
  valley. 
  The 
  little 
  

   ridges 
  which 
  traverse 
  the 
  valley 
  are 
  also 
  covered 
  with 
  forest. 
  Else- 
  

   where 
  the 
  park 
  is 
  grass-covered. 
  It 
  is 
  nowhere 
  luxuriant, 
  except 
  in 
  a 
  

   few 
  localities 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  natural 
  meadow 
  land, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  northeastern 
  

   part. 
  There 
  is 
  some 
  sage 
  land 
  in 
  the 
  lower 
  portions 
  of 
  the 
  park. 
  

  

  The 
  valley 
  of 
  the 
  Upper 
  Arkansas 
  is 
  comparatively 
  narrow 
  and 
  the 
  

   part 
  about 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  river 
  and 
  the 
  bench 
  land 
  everywhere 
  are 
  

   covered 
  with 
  forests. 
  The 
  open 
  country 
  is 
  mainly 
  sage 
  land, 
  with 
  more 
  

   or 
  less 
  grass. 
  

  

  The 
  region 
  of 
  the 
  Elk 
  Mountains, 
  including 
  the 
  narrow 
  valleys 
  of 
  the 
  

   upper 
  branches 
  of 
  the 
  Grand 
  and 
  Gunnison 
  Rivers, 
  is 
  heavily 
  timbered. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  southern 
  portion 
  of 
  Colorado, 
  the 
  mountain 
  belt 
  attains 
  a 
  still 
  

   greater 
  development. 
  The 
  Front 
  Range, 
  which, 
  from 
  Southern 
  Wyo- 
  

   ming, 
  has 
  formed 
  the 
  shore 
  to 
  the 
  vast 
  sea 
  of 
  the 
  plains, 
  after 
  rising 
  to 
  a 
  

   great 
  height 
  in 
  the 
  Pike's 
  Peak 
  group, 
  suddenly 
  falls, 
  and 
  disappears, 
  

   while 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  range, 
  the 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  Park 
  Range, 
  

   comes 
  to 
  the 
  front 
  and 
  for 
  several 
  degrees 
  of 
  latitude 
  through 
  Southern 
  

   Colorado 
  and 
  most 
  of 
  New 
  Mexico 
  forms 
  the 
  immediate 
  boundary 
  of 
  the 
  

   plains. 
  For 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  canon 
  of 
  the 
  Arkansas, 
  a 
  short 
  

   range, 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  Wet 
  Mountains, 
  standing 
  in 
  front 
  of 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  

   Cristo 
  Range, 
  seems 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  Front 
  Range, 
  the 
  in- 
  

   terval 
  between 
  this 
  and 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  being 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  Wet 
  

  

  