GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



115 



road was really constructed in far past geological times, and it was left 

 for man to discover and avail himself of the advantages of the secret 

 workings of nature. The summit of this range presents some scenery 

 which is quite unique and remarkable, differing in many of its features 

 from that at any other point along the road. It would well repay the 

 tourist,' and especially the artist, to spend several days here; the air is 

 delightfully exhilarating and cool, the water pure as crystal, and all 

 parts easily accessible. The little streams are full of iish, especially 

 trout, and game is moderately abundant ; black-tailed deer, red deer, 

 and antelope are yet found, though becoming less abundant every year, 

 and with two or three kinds of grouse and woodcock will reward the 

 sportsman. » 



The rocks which compose the nucleus of this range are granites, or, 

 inasmuch as they present a great variety of texture, I have chosen to call 

 them granitoid. Sometimes the rocks are made of large crystals of feld- 

 spar and quartz, with very little or no mica, forming a coarse feldspathic 

 granite; sometimes the constituents will be quite uniform, and a fine- 

 grained, compact, and most durable rock will be the result. Again, some 

 constituent of iron will prevail, and disintegration is rapidly effected by 

 atmospheric agencies. The surface of this range is literally paved with 

 small fragments of rock, and the natural roads that are made in the 

 mountains are macadamized with feldspar. Building materials are 

 abundant, and as extensive as the mountains themselves. On each 

 side are massive hills of syenite, which look in the distance like the ruins 

 of some gigantic old castle. This is a close, compact, massive granite, ' 

 rather fine-grained and susceptible of polish, much like the Scottish 

 Bvenite. 



Fig. 7. 



Granite Canon, near Syenite Station, Union Pacific Railroad. 



