14 GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF RAMPART REGION. 
mostly bare of timber. On this creek, close to its junction with Beaver Creek, 
near the southern limit of Yukon Flats, some prospecting was being done in the fall 
of 1904. 
Hess Creek is about 60 miles long, flows in a general westerly direction, and enters 
the Yukon about 25 miles above Rampart. Its headwaters are closely associated 
with those of Beaver Creek and the Tolovana. Its northern tributaries penetrate 
far into the narrow belt of ridges between it and Yukon Flats. The southern tribu- 
taries head far back in the main divide opposite those of the Tolovana, and in places 
are most closely associated with those of the latter stream ; westward near the Ram- 
part region they interlock with the tributaries of Minook Creek. This stream, where 
crossed by the Survey party in 1904, was nearly the size of the Chatanika and was 
easily fordable on foot. It flows meanderingly in a fairly flat valley with a maximum 
width of perhaps 2 miles. The main valley is limited on the north generally by 
rather steep slopes. The southern side of the valley has apparently more tributaries 
and has been much dissected by them into numerous long ridges which extend in 
most irregular courses northward from the main divide. The valleys of these southern 
tributaries in the area between the headwaters and Lynx Mountain are often open 
and form large, ill-drained spaces where lakes are common. 
The most important tributary in the vicinity of Rampart is Troublesome Creek. 
It heads in the main divide opposite the headwaters of the Tolovana and flows in a 
general northerly direction a distance of 30 miles or more to Hess Creek. The 
valley is of the canyon type, with a narrow flat at the bottom, over which the stream 
flows in a meandering course. This stream is probably comparable in size with 
Minook Creek. Our knowledge of it is confined mostly to the upper portion of the 
valley, where it is formed by minor tributaries from the east and west, which drain 
the slopes of Lynx and Wolverine mountains and the portion of the divide between 
these prominent points. « They are deeply incised within tfye inclosing ridges and 
their minutest ramifications are to be found in the steep, narrowly V-shaped gulches 
which furrow the northern slopes of the divide and the flanks of the two imposing 
prominences. The heads of the minor valleys are in some cases open park-like spaces 
of small extent, which contrast strongly with the inclosing rock-strewn slopes. 
The two most important tributaries in this upper part of the valley are Gazzam or 
Quartz Creek from the east and Quail Creek from the west. The first is a small creek 
which heads in the main divide near the southwest base of Lynx Mountain and 
flows at first northwest and then west a distance of about 5 miles to Troublesome 
Creek. The upper portion of the valley is open and is formed on the east by the 
beautiful slope at the base of Lynx Mountain; the western side of the valley is steep 
and a few small tributaries are received from V-shaped canyons. The valley narrows 
about 2 miles below the head to a steep-walled canyon deep within the ridges of 
either side. Quail Creek is the most important tributary of the upper valley. It is 
formed by two forks from the south and west, which join about a mile west of the 
Troublesome. The southern fork receives the drainage from the divide and the 
eastern flanks of Wolverine Mountain. The western fork heads opposite Hoosier 
Creek and flows in an easterly direction a distance of about 5 miles to the junction of 
the forks. The eastern part of the valley has a gradual northern slope, while the 
southern side is comparatively abrupt. Toward the headwaters the valley is more 
symmetrical. There are many small tributaries from the northern slopes of Wolverine 
Mountain, and most of these enter through narrow valleys. As on Hess Creek, 
benches are developed in places along the sides of the valley at a height of 400 feet 
or more above it. 
Minook Creek, tributary to the Yukon, is the most western of the important 
streams in the Yukon-Tanana country and shares with Baker Creek, tributary to the 
Tanana, the prominence resulting from the occurrence of gold in the drainage areas 
of these two streams. Minook Creek, which lies about 12 miles west of Troublesome 
