EHODA] GEOGRAPHY HEAD OF SAN MIGUEL EIVEE. 477 



the low country in its vicinity showed us that the high mountains were 

 nearly at an end. A group of pretty high peaks were to be seen to the 

 southwest, called the La Plata Mountains. They are completely isolated 

 from the main mass of the range by many miles of comparatively low 

 land. 



On our return to camp a sudden and heavy shower of rain came up, 

 but cleared off soon after. The next day found us on our way through 

 the patch of timber already mentioned. The trail passes through tbe 

 center of the group, which is very swampy, and our animals mired 

 many times before we got through. We found relief only at the timber- 

 line, after which we rode on, over grass and fine rock-slopes, up to tho 

 pass, which has an elevation, according to our aneroid barometers, of 

 12,600 feet. It is certainly the highest of all the passes leading out of 

 Baker's Park. A pass which I think will be found much better, crosses 

 the range about six miles to the northeast of this. To go this way you 

 must travel up the l?rgest tributary of Mineral Creek, which comes in 

 from the west, and cross over on to a tributary of the San Miguel. This 

 pass is not less than a thousand feet lower, and, at least to the west, 

 has a much better grade. Passing over from Bear Creek to the head of 

 the San Miguel, after a sudden descent of several hundred feet, we came 

 to a small lake. Further down, the slope was more gradual for some 

 distance, till we came to a steep tZeftm-slide, down which the trail led to 

 the valley below. The fall from the pass to the valley, by way of the 

 trail, is 2,800 feet in two miles. On the east side of the pass the rise 

 from the stream-junction, where we camped, to the pass is 2,000 feet in 

 two miles. 



Station 30 rose up boldly just to the north of us as we rode down the 

 trail. Its side was worn out into beautiful forms, and the delicate 

 blending of the dull red and yellow colors of the rocks, taken together 

 with the long sweeps of the debris-slides, gave this peak a finer ap- 

 pearance than any we had yet seen. Once down in the little valley be- 

 low, we found trees and grass growing very luxuriantly. 



The trail crosses several boggy places, over M^hich our mules passed 

 with difficulty. A few miles down stream from the head of the little 

 valley is San Miguel Lake, a very beautiful sheet of water, filled with 

 fine trout. We stopped to make a compass station on the edge of the 

 lake, and took a reading with the mercurial barometer, which makes 

 the elevation 9,720 feet. Thence we traveled down the San Miguel 

 Eiver, along a very old, disused Indian trail ; in some places, con- 

 siderable trees lying across it showed that it had not been used for 

 many years. For some distance below the lake, the San Miguel, which 

 is here a pretty large creek, flows quite gently ; but further down 

 the slope suddenly increases, and the stream is broken up into falls 

 and cascades. In going down the trail, at this point, we found 

 the slope so steep that we had to dismount and lead our mules, till 

 we reached the bed of a large creek which comes Into the San Miguel 

 from the east. After crossing this the trail ascends the north slope 

 of the canon, which is quite steep. The total fall, from the lake 

 down to the junction of this creek with the main stream, is about 900 

 or 1,000 feet in a distance of two and a half miles. At least 600 feet 

 of this fall takes place in the last mile. At the bottom is a fine fall, which 

 from a distance we judged to be not less than a hundred feet in height. 

 After crossing the caiion of the creek above mentioned we came out on 

 a pretty smooth area, covered with scattering timber and fine grass. 

 One thing very peculiar about this particular part of the country is the 

 deathlike stillness that almost oppresses one in passing through it. 



