18 EEPORT UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUEVEY. 



caii on and found that all the animals had escaped without damage. 

 Owing to the treacherous character of the hank, it became a matter of 

 some difficulty to find a ford. Eventually we determined upon crossing 

 in an eddy. At that place the water was deep enough for the smaller 

 mules to swim, hut the current was not very swift. All reached the op- 

 posite side in safety. The ascent was more difficult than the descent. 

 It was necessary to move logs, cut away brush-wood and form a land of 

 road over the large masses of broken rock-bowlders. At some places 

 the grade was very steep, so that the mules could only overcome it by a 

 :run, after which they stood still above the first surmounted obstacle, j)ant- 

 iag, and blocking the way for the next comer. After a couple of hours 

 -of climbing we reached the top of the ridge. Here we found that a sort 

 •of table was formed, from which, some distance beyond, the higher 

 iridges rose. A lake of considerable size gave a very pretty character 

 "to the view before us, and numerous fresh deer and elk tracks showed 

 that game appreciated this locality. We encamped near the lake dur- 

 ing a driving rain-storm which had thoroughly soaked us before we had 

 •a chance to get dry. 



Camp remained stationary the next day, while we examined the high 

 ridges on either side of us. Ascending the steep rocky slope to the west 

 •of the lake we reached timber-line after a climb of about 1,000 feet. 

 Above that we found an abundance of snow. From the summit here 

 we obtained a remarkably fine view of the main chain of the Wind 

 Eiver Eange. With one exception — the Quartzite Mountains in Colo- 

 rado — I have never seen so rugged and precipitous a mass of mountains in 

 America. Enormous vertical faces fronted to the east absolutely cutting 

 off any approach from that side. Immense fields of snow still remained 

 in the deep recesses scarcely ever touched by the rays of the sun. Ava- 

 lanches of snow and rocks had rushed down from the steep slopes for 

 several thousand feet, carrying before them the timber. Now they lay 

 in masses piled up in chaotic confusion. Fissures which had rent the 

 rocks extending, for hundreds of feet and filled with glistening snow, 

 presented a weird, wild scene. Save the rushing of torrents leaping 

 over the rocks no sound there broke the stillness. A small band of 

 mountain sheep making their appearance on the crest of the ridge reminded 

 "us of canip, and one of them soon lay bleeding on the snow. Eeturning 

 •again to camp, the evening was spent in vainly trying to escape the 

 :mosquitoes. 



July 19 we descended the ridge south of us, and, after a march of about 

 "18 miles, encamped on the Big Eopo Agie. In the valley of this river 

 'we crossed a wagon-road leading from the timber districts down to the 

 settlements of Landers. Near our camp we found the stream flowing in 

 a series of rapids over huge bowlders within a narrow canon. A few 

 hours' fishing in some small pools, caused by a partial damming of the 

 water, furnished us with a good mess of trout. From that point upward 

 the Popo Agie has the character of a mountain torrent. Its very con- 

 siderable fall and the character of its beds produce this. About a mile 

 and a half below our camp the stream suddenly sinks, remaining entirely 

 hidden from sight beneath large rocks for some distance. Upon emerg- 

 ing it soon attains the same size as at the place of disappearance. Prob- 

 ably a subsidence of some subterranean cave and the subsequent filling 

 in of loose rocks have produced this effect. Early the next morning we 

 crossed the river near an abandoned log-cabin, and made some stations 

 on the outlying sedimentary Mils. We had now reached the lower 

 country again, but determined to go higher up into the mountains once 

 more, so as to finish our work in the southern end of the range. Travel- 



