: 
3 
‘ 
1880.] Twin Lakes and Teocalli Mountain, Central Colorado, 861 
Both separate again soon into a number of smaller branches, 
‘which end in amphitheaters near the crest. There is not space 
here to dwell in detail on the remarkable features of this region. 
The student will find here the most wonderful examples of ero- 
sion, and an almost unlimited view of varied glacial phenomena; 
the lover of sport can find abundant trout fishing in the lakes and 
various kinds of game in the mountains; the invalid, pure air and 
water, so that at no distant period the region about Twin lakes 
must become a famous resort for’ seekers after health and 
pleasure. 
Teocalli mountain —On the west side of the Main or Wasatch 
range, in a nearly direct line from the Twin lakes, is a mountain 
peak of very singular but interesting appearance. This peak 
forms the subject of our second illustration. The name was given 
this peak by the Survey on account of its resemblance to the 
celebrated: Sacrificial mound of Mexico. The mass of roc 
seems to have been elevated by forces acting in a:vertical manner 
so that the strata are nearly or quite horizontal, yet its summit is 
13,131 feet above sea level. The peculiar form is pyramidal. and 
the strata of various colored sandstone and clays are so arranged 
as to form a series of steps from base to summit. The texture of 
the rocks is quite varied, from a fine sandstone or quartzite to a 
conglomerate interlaid with thin seams of clay, which is weath- _ 
ered out so as to permit the harder beds to project out like.steps. 
There is an enormous thickness of these variegated beds, an 
while a great portion may. be of the age of the Jura-trias, the 
lower portion is bélieved to belong to the era of the Permian, or 
Permo-carboniferous. From this point can be seen distinctly the 
remarkably picturesque forms of Pyramid, Maroon and other 
Mountains, rising to an elevation of over 14,000 feet, yet com- 
posed of nearly horizontal beds of these variegated rocks. The 
prevailing color is a dull red or purple.: Maroon peak, 14,003 
feet above sea level, receives its name from its prevailing color. 
Great numbers of these peaks, which in the aggregate, form the 
celebrated Elk Mountain range of Central Colorado, seem to 
have been originally thrust up through the overlying Cretaceous 
and Tertiary beds with the utmost irregularity, producing a series 
of faults and overturnings of strata, equalled in very few localities 
on this continent. Teocalli mountain. does not. present. the 
appearance of having been eroded since the uplift, and the vast 
