EXCURSION TO GOLDEN. 



441 



EXCURSION TO GOLDEN. 

 By Whitman CROSS. 



Golden lies 10 miles (10 km.) west of Denver, 

 on Clear creek, at the point where it issues 

 from the mountains. The position of Golden 

 corresponds to that of Morrison, except that 

 the elevations separating it from the plains, 

 North and South Table mountains, have an 

 entirely different character from the Dakota 

 ridge of the other locality. The section of the 

 sedimentary rocks exposed at Golden is com- 

 paratively very narrow through the thinning 

 of several formations between the red beds of 

 the Trias and the Laramie. Some of the for- 

 mations, such as the Dakota, entirely disappear 

 from the section at the point where it is crossed 

 by Clear creek.' 11 



The first formation to preserve its normal 

 thickness and position in the section at Golden 

 is the Laramie Cretaceous, which here has a 

 thickness of about 800 feet (244 m.), standing 

 in vertical position. The coal measures are 

 well developed, and are explored by several 

 coal mines. An abundant fossil flora has been 

 found in the sandstones adjoining the coal. 



To the east of Golden, not more than one 

 mile (1*61 km.) from the Archean foothills, are 

 the two Table mountains, separated by a gorge 

 made by Clear creek in cutting- its way to the 

 plains. The Table mountains have a basaltic 

 capping of varying thickness, up to a maxi- 

 mum Of 300 feet (91 in.). Basalt protects the 

 soft friable sandstones of the Denver beds, 

 which contain a very well preserved and abun- 

 dant fossil flora in many horizons. The Denver 

 stiata in Table mountain represent the charac- 

 teristic development of that formation in its 

 lower portion. There are exposures in South 



Table mountain in the neighborhood of Castle 

 Rock and at the northeastern corner of the 

 mountain.* 5 ' 



U/i 



K. 



