142 J. L. Rich — Physiography and Glacial Geology 



almost any other stream in the region, most of which have a 

 unilateral pattern. A perfectly symmetrical dendritic drainage 

 pattern in stratified rocks means to the physiographer that 

 those rocks are horizontal. Inclined rocks, even where the 

 dip is gentle, give the unsym metrical patterns. If the rocks 

 here are horizontal as the drainage pattern indicates,* an 

 obsequent stream would have a much better chance of develop- 

 ment than along other parts of the escarpment where the rocks 

 dip inward. Under these conditions the obsequent Esopus 

 with its short, steep course might very readily work its way 

 back into the escarpment as far as it has done, while other 

 streams less favored accomplished little. 



Detailed Physiographic Features. 



For a comprehensive view of the essential physiographic 

 features of the northwestern Catskills, one could do no better 

 than to climb to the summit of Mt. Utsayantha, at the north- 

 western end of Central Escarpment, near Stamford, where, 

 from the observation tower at an elevation of 3270 feet, an 

 extended view may be secured. A panorama from southwest 

 round through south to east taken from this point (fig. 2) 

 includes most of the essential physiographic elements. To the 

 south, marking the summit of the higher mountains at 3000 to 

 3500 feet, is a remarkably even skyline sloping gradually 

 westward. This terminates abruptly to the northeast (south- 

 east of the observer) in the long, nearly straight line of the 

 Central Escarpment. At the foot of this escarpment, and to 

 the east-southeast from the observer at elevations of 1800 to 

 2000 feet, is the plateau of the upper Schoharie bounded 

 on the east by the northeastern branch of the Catskill 

 Escarpment (figs 3, 4). The view directly to the east is perhaps 

 the most interesting : Immediately beyond the mountain top 

 in the foreground is the steep front slope of the Central 

 Escarpment ; in the middle distance is the gently rolling 

 plateau of Schoharie Valley, deeply trenched in the middle 

 by the youthful gorge-like valley cut during the later cycle 

 by Schoharie Creek ; and on the skyline in the distance, 

 the northern end of the Catskill escarpment sinks down 

 to the north into the plateau. The appearance of this 

 comparatively smooth plateau wrapping round the vanishing 

 end of the escarpment and extending bay-like up the upper 



*It has been necessary to rely mainly upon the drainage pattern and other 

 physiographic evidence in questions involving dip in this part of the Catskills. 

 In various stratigraphic reports dips are recorded, but they are so out of 

 harmony with each other that they seem to have little value for the determi- 

 nation of the general dip of the region. They seem to express only the cross- 

 bedding which is so pronounced in these rocks. 



