TOYABE RANGE. 629 



In speaking of the granite body on the eastern side of the Park Basin, 

 the same report says : " Directly east of Austin, forming the eastern water- 

 shed of the Park Basin, is a group of conical granite hills, having three 

 principal peaks, rising about 1,800 feet ab.ove the neighboring valley, called 

 the Park Mountains. Their entire mass appears to be of granite, which is 

 in the main a compact, close-grained variety, in which the feldspars pre- 

 dominate ; these are of two varieties, a fresh-colored orthoclase, and a 

 greenish- white, probably oligoclase, besides which the granite contains 

 quartz and magnesian mica, with some small green crystals, probably horn- 

 blende. A narrow dike is observable on the slope toward Park Creek, hav- 

 ing a northwest trend, corresponding to that on the east of Telegraph Pass. 

 The rock of this dike is a white granulite, containing no mica, and the feld- 

 spar partially kaolinized." 



The range, for the first 6 or 8 miles north of the granitic body, forms a 

 comparatively low and irregular mass of hills, which rise gradually toward 

 the north, culminating in the Dome Mountain. 



The Dome is one of the most singular mountains in Central Nevada. 

 It derives its name from the pecular outline of its summits, which form a 

 broad, elevated mass, rising prominently above the surrounding country, 

 with an elevation of over 11,000 feet above sea-level, while through the 

 base it can hardly measure less than 10 miles in an east and west direction. 

 It is characterized by long, easy slopes to the westward, which are so gentle 

 that one can ride to the summit from almost any point. To the eastward, 

 the slopes are much steeper, and in places almost precipitous. The canons 

 are deep, frequently opening out into broad basins or valleys, most of them 

 being furnished with clear, running streams. Timber on the mountain 

 . slopes is both sparse and stunted. 



Throughout the summer months, all the clouds in the region seem to 

 gather over the Dome, apparently attracted there, not only by the eleva- 

 tion of the mountain, for there are others still higher, but by the immense 

 mountain mass. While in this region abundant opportunity was offered 

 for watching these clouds, which collected daily around the Dome, precip- 

 itating considerable quantities of moisture in the neighboring valleys, but 

 leaving the country only a few miles distant in a dry and parched condi- 



