PEALE] GEOLOGY OHIO CREEK GUNNISON RIVER. 95 



Ohio Creek and Anthracite Creek. A trail crosses through alow pass 

 from the head of the latter creek and keeps down Ohio Creek and then 

 follows up Cochetopa Creek to the Los Piuos agency. This is one of 

 the main Indian lodge-pole trails, connecting Los Piiios with the White 

 Eiver agency. 



Between East Eiver and Ohio Creek are two mesas, isolated one from 

 the other and underlaid by Cretaceous shales and sandstones. These 

 mesas are composed of trachyte, judging fi^om the debris covering the 

 slopes west of Ohio Creek.« The trachyte is probably of the same char- 

 acter as that on the opposite side of East River noted in last year's re- 

 port,* a light purplish rock. As I have already mentioned, the hills on 

 the west side of Ohio Creek are made up almost entirely of breccia. 

 I will refer to it particularly in a subsequent portion of the report. I 

 think,judging from several outcrops seen on someof the western branches 

 of the creek, that it rests throughout the greater part of its extent upon 

 sandstones. 



The western branches rise in these hills and cut deeply into the brec- 

 cia, which seems to yield readily to the action of water. It appears to 

 be in layers, ard erosion has worn it into fantastic forms. In i^laces, there 

 are castellated masses from wjiich towers and minarets rise ; while in 

 others, huge buttresses stand out prominently against the sky. Station 

 lifo. 31 is situated in the midst of this mass of breccia. (See map D). 



The valley of Ohio Creek is from a mile to two miles in width and 

 has a beautiful grassy bottom, with groves of cottouwoods. The hills 

 on the west are heavily timbered with pines, extending down the ridges 

 between the branches. On the lower slopes near the creek there is sage- 

 brush {Artemisia). 



The valley of the Gunnison above the mouth of Ohio Creek is very 

 wide, extending from a short distance below the mouth of Slate Eiver 

 to Cochetopa Creek, a distance of ten or twelve miles. It is from four to 

 seven miles in width. The river-bottom in places seems to be quite 

 fertile, and at one place we found a garden in which potatoes, beans, 

 turnips, cabbage, and lettuce had been successfully raised daring the 

 season. 



The southeast side of the valley, reaching tow^ard Cochetopa Creek, 

 is rather sterile-looking, there being but little soil. It is very level and 

 covered with pebbles derived from the Elk Mountains. There is a sparse 

 growth of grass and low sage-brush. The Gunnison here is a rapid and 

 very clear stream of a hundred or a hundred and iitty feet width. It 

 keeps close to the bluffs of breccia below the mouth of Ohio Creek. 



This valley is the site of a new town called Gunnison City. There 

 were half a dozen log-cabins, most of them in an unfinished state and 

 "Without inhabitants. The only persons we found living in the valley 

 "were the two men who have charge of the cattle for the Indians of Los 

 Pinos agency. They were at the cattle-camp, a short distance above 

 Cochetopa Creek. Below Cochetopa Creek the valley again expands 

 into a grassy meadow, from which the river enters a canon. Men from 

 the agency were busy cutting grass in this meadow while we were 

 there. The hay made is for the use of the agency and the cattle-camp. 

 The cattle are allowed to run wild among the hills throughout the year 

 and seem to do well. The country is much better adapted to stock-rais- 

 ing than for agricultural purposes. The elevation of the cattle-camp is 

 7,743 feet. 



The lower valley is about four miles long and two miles wide in its 

 greatest width. On the 'northern side the breccia forms the boundary, 



* Page 249, Report 1873. 



