428 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



similar to that of the Uncompahgre. This valley is at the foot of the 

 sloping plateau in which is cut the Grand Gaiion of the Gunnison. This 

 stream enters a low caiion, just above its mouth, in which it enters the 

 Guujiison. 



DISTRIBUTION OF VEGETATION. 



Vegetation, in its character and abundance, is modified by several 

 causes. Elevation above sea-level is, perhaps, the most powerful in 

 determining its character. The nature of the soil, amount of moisture, 

 &c., are, of course, very powerful in influencing it. The general char- 

 acter of the vegetation as influenced by hight is as follows: The stream- 

 bottoms, up to a height of at least 8,000 feet, produce abundantly cot- 

 tonwoods and grass. The soil is deep and rich, and there is abundant 

 moisture. The lower bench-land, up to a height of fully 8,000 feet, 

 produces principally sage and greasewood, piuou pine, yucca, and cac- 

 tus, with more or less bunch-grass. The soil is gravelly, or an alkaline 

 clay, dry and arid. The upper benches and lower mountain slopes are 

 covered with scrub-oak, piiiou i^ne, wild service-berry and other bushes. 

 This kind of vegetation is found at elevations from 7,000 to 10,000 feet 

 above sea-level. The soil is quite dry, though not as dry as the last. 

 From 10,000 to 11,000 or 11,500 feet, i. e., to timber-line, on the mount- 

 ains and plateaus, the characteristic vegetation is pine and spruce, with 

 excellent grass. At these high altitudes the soil is very well watered. 



SETTLEMENTS, TRAILS, ROADS, ETC. 



Settlements west of the Sawatch range are very few and small. The 

 only practicable way of reaching the country with wagons is by a long 

 detour to the south, via the San Luis Valley and Cochetopa Pass, as 

 none of the passes in the Sawatch range are practicable for wagons. 

 Besides the embryo town of Gunnison, mentioned previously in this 

 report, settlement is confined to a few mining camps in the Elk Mount- 

 ains and the valley near the head of the Gunnison. There are small 

 camps on Texas and Batty Creeks and in Union Gulch, near the head 

 of the upper caiion of the Gunnison, working placer-deposits. At the 

 head of Eock Creek, in the south end of Treasury Mountain, there is 

 a camp of miners working quartz-leads. Washington Gulch has been 

 worked, but is now abandoned. A small camp has been located on O- 

 be-joyful Creek during the summer of 1874. 



The whole of the area west of the one hundred and seventh meridian 

 is within the reservation of the Ute Indians. 



The only wagon-trails are from Gunnison up the Gunnison River and 

 East River to the mining camps in Treasury Mountain and the trail 

 made by Captain Gunnison in 1851, referred to above. This trail, 

 though very rough and difficult, is occasionally used now. 



Trails are abundant, leading in every direction, so that it would be an 

 endless work to particularize them. The main trail connecting the Los 

 Pinos and White River Indian agencies passes up Ohio Creek to its head, 

 descends Anthracite Creek, ascends the North Fork, and follows 

 Divide Creek, to its mouth, where it crosses the Grand. A heavy trail 

 follows the Gunnison River from the mouth of Cochetopa Creek to its 

 mouth on the north side. The great plateau is crossed by many trails, 

 and nearly every stream has a trail along it. 



