﻿GEOGRAPHY 
  AND 
  TOPOGRAPHY. 
  17 
  

  

  They 
  are 
  topographically 
  and 
  structurally 
  young 
  ranges, 
  except 
  the 
  

   Casmalia 
  Hills, 
  at 
  the 
  extremity 
  of 
  the 
  northern 
  line, 
  which 
  have 
  the 
  

   character 
  of 
  a 
  separate 
  and 
  old 
  range. 
  

  

  SAN 
  RAFAEL 
  MOUNTAINS. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  prominent 
  topographic 
  feature 
  is 
  the 
  great 
  mass 
  of 
  the 
  

   San 
  Rafael 
  Mountains 
  on 
  the 
  northeast 
  and 
  east, 
  25 
  to 
  30 
  miles 
  

   back 
  from 
  the 
  ocean. 
  The 
  structural 
  trend 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  is 
  N. 
  50° 
  W., 
  

   approximately 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  general 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  lines 
  of 
  struc- 
  

   ture 
  in 
  California, 
  although 
  on 
  the 
  whole 
  more 
  westerly. 
  The 
  range 
  

   runs 
  obliquely 
  to 
  the 
  north-south 
  coast 
  line 
  west 
  of 
  it, 
  but 
  farther 
  

   north, 
  where 
  the 
  Santa 
  Lucia 
  Range, 
  its 
  northward 
  continuation, 
  

   approaches 
  the 
  ocean 
  the 
  coast 
  curves 
  to 
  the 
  northwest 
  under 
  the 
  

   control 
  of 
  the 
  mountains. 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  San 
  Rafael 
  Range 
  included 
  within 
  

   the 
  area 
  shown 
  on 
  PL 
  I 
  (pocket) 
  composes 
  a 
  high, 
  rugged 
  maze 
  of 
  

   ridges 
  reaching 
  elevations 
  that 
  range 
  between 
  2,000 
  and 
  4,300 
  feet, 
  

   this 
  portion 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  larger 
  aspect, 
  but 
  subsidary 
  to 
  the 
  main 
  moun- 
  

   tain 
  group 
  farther 
  east, 
  in 
  which 
  altitudes 
  approaching 
  9,000 
  feet 
  

   are 
  attained. 
  The 
  ridges 
  are 
  divided 
  by 
  steep 
  canyons, 
  most 
  of 
  which 
  

   cut 
  transversely 
  across 
  the 
  formations 
  regardless 
  of 
  the 
  folding 
  and 
  

   structural 
  lines. 
  Rounded 
  soil-covered 
  slopes 
  form 
  a 
  considerable 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  this 
  range 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  Lompoc 
  quad- 
  

   rangle, 
  but 
  rough, 
  rocky 
  slopes 
  are 
  likewise 
  abundant. 
  The 
  range 
  

   is 
  traversed 
  centrally 
  by 
  the 
  well-graded 
  canyon 
  of 
  Sisquoc 
  River, 
  

   which 
  divides 
  it 
  into 
  two 
  mountain 
  groups. 
  On 
  the 
  south 
  and 
  north 
  

   the 
  range 
  is 
  bounded 
  by 
  wider 
  graded 
  valleys 
  — 
  those 
  of 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  

   and 
  Cuyama 
  rivers. 
  The 
  Santa 
  Ynez 
  divides 
  two 
  distinct 
  ranges. 
  

   The 
  Cuyama 
  forms 
  a 
  more 
  arbitrary 
  division 
  in 
  the 
  Coast 
  Ranges. 
  

   Near 
  its 
  mouth, 
  at 
  the 
  point 
  where 
  it 
  reaches 
  the 
  area 
  included 
  in 
  

   the 
  accompanying 
  map, 
  it 
  veers 
  to 
  the 
  south 
  and 
  cuts 
  a 
  narrow 
  gorge 
  

   across 
  the 
  San 
  Rafael 
  Mountains 
  without 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  structure. 
  

   The 
  range 
  may 
  be 
  regarded 
  as 
  continuous 
  across 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  

   river. 
  

  

  Within 
  the 
  triangular 
  area 
  mapped 
  the 
  high 
  ridges 
  and 
  mountains 
  

   around 
  Zaca 
  Lake, 
  Bone 
  Mountain, 
  Tepusquet 
  Peak, 
  and 
  Los 
  Coches 
  

   Mountain 
  are 
  boldly 
  defined, 
  with 
  steep 
  side 
  slopes 
  descending 
  into 
  

   narrow 
  canyons, 
  and 
  as 
  a 
  rule 
  rounded 
  summits. 
  The 
  broad 
  ridge 
  

   originating 
  north 
  of 
  Los 
  Coches 
  Mountain 
  and 
  extending 
  southeast- 
  

   ward 
  to 
  North 
  Fork 
  of 
  Labrea 
  Creek, 
  where 
  its 
  character 
  is 
  tem- 
  

   porarily 
  lost 
  until 
  it 
  appears 
  again 
  in 
  Manzanita 
  Mountain, 
  is 
  a 
  

   striking 
  feature 
  with 
  its 
  long 
  southwestern 
  and 
  abrupt 
  northeastern 
  

   slopes. 
  The 
  seaward 
  flanks 
  of 
  the 
  range 
  terminate 
  rather 
  abruptly 
  

   in 
  the 
  terraces 
  bordering 
  the 
  Santa 
  Maria 
  Valley. 
  

  

  