54 
VALLEY OF THE UNCOMPAHGRA. 
two routes followed by Indians and hunters in passing this range, and reached the summit in 
two hours; the scenery becoming more beautiful as we ascended, especially through the gorge 
of Onion creek to the south, where vertical columns of rocks stood out high and clear against 
the sky, being part of the Sierra de la Plata—a range of mountains to the west of the Sahwatch 
and Sierra San Juan—whose sharp summits are broken into a thousand points and angular 
forms, and its sides streaked with banks of snow. Our route far behind us lay clear and distinct 
at our feet to the mountains about the Coochetopa Pass; and the course of Grand river, with 
the Elk mountains to the north extending round to the northwest with a level summit for many 
miles, terminating with a vertical descent of a few hundred feet, and then apparently sub¬ 
siding into a plain. At our feet to the west lay the Uncompahgra river, rising in the Sierra de la 
Plata, and flowing northwest through a valley of considerable widih, beyond which a range of 
high land was overlooked by more distant mountains, among which the Salt and Abajo peaks 
were pointed out to us. The former is directly upon the noted Spanish trail leading from Cali¬ 
fornia to Abiquiu, New Mexico, and is a favorite resort for the Utah and Navajo Indians for trade; 
while the latter is near the junction of Grand and Green rivers, considerably below the fords for 
this trail, or, as Leroux says, below any ford on Grand river known to the New Mexicans, and 
hence its name. But we had little time to enjoy this majestic scenery, and hastened to examine 
the descent to the west, which we found very difficult, and at various places, as on the ascent, 
thickly covered with scrubby oak bushes and aspens. The soil is light, but covered with 
luxuriant grass. We thought it possible to pass this route with wagons; but the other route, 
followed by the Indians from our camp to the Uncompahgra, lay directly below us while 
ascending the mountain, and appeared much preferable to the one we had examined; and a 
small party, sent out to examine it a short distance, reported it passable. 
September 14.—It was 3.80 miles by this route to the top of the steep ascent of the ridge, and 
three hours were occupied in its ascent; our barometers giving a difference of level of fourteen 
hundred feet. The top of the mountain was broad, and near the summit we fortunately found 
a small basin of water, in our circuitous path to avoid ravines, at which our animals were 
watered; but it was too stagnant for the men. From the western slope the valley of the 
Uncompahgra could be seen in the distance; and, striking the dry head of Cedar creek, we 
commenced our descent to it. This creek was too narrow and ravine-like to allow us to descend 
its bed, and we accordingly circled round on the hillsides, sometimes in grass fields, at others in 
dense masses of sage, from which we escaped only to encounter the stiff scrubby branches 
of oak bushes, and at length, through a mass of them, to make a precipitous descent to the 
creek, which was itself lined with them. Just before sundown we reached a point where Leroux 
had, under a rock in a deep thickly-bushed ravine, discovered a little cool and refreshing water, 
with which our animals were watered from buckets, and ourselves supplied for the night, which 
now overtook us, and we encamped a mile below on a very little coarse grass, having travelled 
thirteen miles. Two miles west of this camp our elevation above the sea was 6,962 feet, while 
it was 8,755 feet at the top of the sharp ascent nine miles east of camp. The average ascent 
per mile to this point, for the 3.80 miles from our morning camp, is a few inches over 368 feet, 
and the average descent for the succeeding eleven miles is 163 feet per mile. Some additional 
distance can be gained by a winding path in the ascent of this ridge, but not sufficient to make 
it practicable for a railroad, which, if at all, can only be carried on this part of Grand river 
immediately along its banks. 
September 15. —We were still forced to cross Cedar creek several times, each passage requir¬ 
ing considerable labor in cutting down the banks, before it became wide enough for our wagons 
to pass freely down it, which it did two miles below camp, where we found water in pools. 
To this point the cacti and sage were troublesome, but were scarcely seen again until we 
reached the borders of the Uncompahgra; the hills and valley alike, on each side of our route, 
being a light-colored, friable, and clayey soil, almost destitute of vegetation. The valley of the 
