OCR Text |
Show 106 NATIONAL WAGON ROAD GUIDE. and yet constitute a beautiful and picturesque feature of overland scenery. You pass up the creek to its source, through the city of rocks, to RECORD ROCK ................................... 5 Here hundreds of travelers have inscribed or registered their natnes upon a rock that is of itself a curiosity; immensely large, and one portion so overhanging, that it would effectually shelter a host of men, as it now docs a host of names. It is near the south-west verge of this valley of rocks, and near it, is the eastern tenninus of the western section of the National Wagon Road as iocated in 1857, by John Kirk, Esq., U. S. Commissioner. And it is by the courtesy of this gentleman and his Chief Engineer, Mr. F. A. Bishop, that we are enabled, from this point to adopt the located route in this guide, with but a few points of difference. The exceptions being in localities where, for short distances, the road as located, ~ without additional working, is at present impracticable for wagons, In such places we have chosen to give the present traveled road, and its distances. JUNCTION OF SALT LAI\:E AND CALIFORNIA ROADS. . . . . . . . . ............................ . I Some grass here, but no 'vater. Soon you 'vill crossunless the season be very dry-two or three small creeks, and over an elevated country to GRANITE, OR FLINT SPRINGS .. · ................. 9~ IIere too, is a small creek with very fair camping. The Goose Creek mountains are now around you, and you will find a rough country between this and Goose Creek. STEEP HILL CREEK .................... ·. . . . . . . . . 4Ya This is a small branch of Goose Creek. TO GOOSE CREEl{ AND UP TO GOOD CAMPING GROUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 G·oose Creek valley is singularly romantic and beautiful. A number of high table bluffs stand out in the midst of , NATIONAL WAGON ROAD GUIDE. the great valley entirely apart from the surroundinoo-tnountains, their perfectly fiat level tops covered with low, dark evergreens, their sides quite perpendicular for a hundr~d or 1nore feet downward from their tops, and then sloping off gracefully to a level 'vith the valley. You now follow up Goose Creek, without crossing it, Finding excellent camping for many miles, and passing numerous creeks and springs to 107 GOOSE CREEl{ CANON.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . .18 ]for two or three miles before reaching this gorge, the grass which all along the creek· had been good, gets poor, so that before you reach the gorge, you should camp or be prepared to go quite through to Thousand Spring valley; though there is a little good grass in one or two places along the canon. FIRST CROSSING GOOSE CREEK ................. 1~ SECOND do. do. do. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . 1 ~ But a short distance ahead, the more direct wagon road turns off to the left, over high barren ridges, without wa-ter for 12 miles ; but by keeping to your right, a little off the direct route, excellent camping can be found upon the creek ; but upon the more direct road it is to ROCIC SPRING. . . . . . . . ............................ 12 This is a large spring to the right of the road, at the foot of a ledge of rocks ; water a . little warm, but pure. You now enter and follow down a valley with no good water and over a plain but little better than ashes) to THOUSAND SPRING ·vALLEY ..................... 11 But no springs of good water yet; but continue along the valley, touching Alkali creek on your left, which may be nearly dry ho·wever, and poor 'vate1· at best, and over a country no better than a desert, 'vith a dry, alkaline surface, with hills of ashes, and vitrified rocks and stones, intermixed with masses of lava, and where everything around seen1s to bear the marks of powerful volcanic ac- |