54 



SMITHSONIAN M ISCKLLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 70 



vicinitx'. Chasm Lake lies at the foot of the east face of Long's Peak, 

 which rises above it. a sheer precipice of over 2.000 feet. A beautiful 

 and welLmarked Lateral moraine leads away to the east of the lake. 

 (Jn the mornin;.^- of the second day the ascent of the peak was com- 

 menced and the summit was reached about noon. Fortunately the 

 weather was clear and the whole surrounding country lay in j^lain 

 view for many miles, even I 'ike's Peak being distinguishable, nearly 

 100 miles to the south. 



The timber-hne is at a])proximately 11,000 feet. In this vicinity 

 the trees are stimted h}' the force of the winds and can develop only 



- "L.*.**! 



Fic. 60. — A heavy rock near Cliasm Lake, prdjahly transported by glacial 

 action and left supported liy fmir small ston.es. 



in the lee of rocks and hillocks. It is not uncommon to find a dense 

 growth of pine or spruce reaching up to the level of a protecting 

 ledge, but prevented b\" the force of the wind from extending above 

 this level. 



The forest on the slopes of the moimtain consists mainlv of four 

 species, the aspen, the Englemann spruce, and two kinds of pine. The 

 aspen (Poptilus trciiiuloides) is a decidttous tree with smooth light 

 green or nearly white bark, found u]^ to about 10.000 feet. The 

 Engelmann spruce (Picca cn;^cUnaiini ) , a beautiful conifer with a 

 ta])ering top, is common over all th.e upper stretches of the moim- 

 tains. The lodge])ole i)ine {Piiiiis coiitorta) is the common pine 



