38 
EL SANGRE DE CRISTO PASS. 
grazing can anywhere be found. Two miles and a half from the summit is Turret rock, a pillow¬ 
like cone of stone, divided in the centre from the apex, with one face a plane, against the base of 
which the stream strikes and is deflected a little to the left. Above this, numerous small streams 
join the main one from the southeast, and that from the summit descends at the foot of the grassy 
slopes which extend up to the base of the crowning peaks of the Sierra Blanca. A railroad or 
any judiciously chosen wagon road would cross the summit-level near the base of these peaks, and, 
taking advantage of the winding slopes, pass down the right of the creek to Turret rock, to where 
the park becomes a gorge, and thence be confined to the little valley, from one hundred and 
fifty to three hundred feet in width, where it could be constructed along the foot of the hills with 
great ease, and issue with the stream from the mountains upon a broader valley, and, swinging 
around the base of the hills that set off from the great mountain masses reaching to within a short 
distance of the Huerfano river, pass through the gorge of that stream, and, taking choice of the 
great Plains, to and along the Arkansas and Kansas rivers to the Missouri. The supposed dis¬ 
tance (for it was not measured) from our last, camp, of August 9, on the Huerfano, to the summit 
of the Sangre de CristoPass, by the circuit just indicated, is from twenty-four to twenty-six miles, 
and the ascent to be overcome, two thousand three hundred and fifty-four feet—an average of 
ninety-eight feet and one inch to the mile for twenty-four miles, or of ninety feet six inches per 
mile for the longer distance. On the 13th of August the day was bright and clear, and the mean 
of five hourly barometrical observations gave us an altitude for this pass, above the sea, of nine 
thousand two hundred and nineteen feet, which 1 have used in the estimated elevation to be 
overcome. “ A single grade,” says Captain Gunnison, from whose notes I have derived the 
data for the description of this pass, “ could easily be carried from the summit to the gorge of 
the Huerfano river; but two, one along Gunnison’s creek and one on the river, would probably 
be preferable. Spruce-pine in abundance is at hand on the mountain sides, to supply ties for 
hundreds of miles of railroad, especially if that which the great fire of 1851 swept over and left 
standing, killed and blackened, be not left to decay.” The small stream called El Sangre*de 
Cristo rises near the summit of the pass, and runs in a general southwestern direction to the 
valley of San Luis. The valley of this stream is narrow, the stream being lined with thickets of 
willow bushes* and, winding from side to side, impinges against the base of the hills, forcing us 
frequently to cross it, or, where it was practicable, to pass over the foot of the hills. The labor 
of preparing the road for twelve miles was considerable, employing a large force, of which 
Captain Morris took charge, for four days. We descended from the summit of the pass during 
the first mile and three-fourths, 178 feet, or about 101 feet per mile; and549 feet in the next 5.34 
miles, or nearly 103 feet per mile. Six miles from this point we left the Sangre de Cristo, 
and rose to a plain extending along the base of the mountain spurs, which we followed for 4.57 
miles, encamping on Utah creek, a short distance below Fort Massachusetts, having descended 
during the march of 10.57 miles, one hundred and twenty-seven feet, or about twelve feet per mile. 
By descending from the summit of the pass along the side of the mountains on the right of the 
Sangre de Cristo, a railroad can be constructed throwing a larger proportion of the descent upon 
the lower part, where it should curve around a mass of low hills in a bend of the mountains, to the 
plain just indicated, which subsides gently into the valley of San Luis in the direction of the 
Coochetopa Pass. The entire descent from the summit of Sangre de Cristo Pass to our present 
camp, is 854 feet in a distance of seventeen miles. A meridian altitude of the sun, gave us for 
Fort Massachusetts a latitude of 37° 31' 59". 
After completing the examination of the Sangre de Cristo Pass, Captain Gunnison made an 
examination of the mountains to the south of the Spanish Peaks, by ascending Gold branch 
from its junction with El Sangre de Cristo, to near its head. It is a very crooked stream, coming 
into the Sangre de Cristo from north 55° east for three miles, then east for one mile, thence wind¬ 
ing from the southeast near the mountains beyond Indian and Culebra creeks, and near one of 
the head branches of the Cuchara. Becoming satisfied, after a long ride, of the exaggeration 
