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Show 45 mountains by the very difficult pass of Grape Creek Canon, which is about thirty miles in length, we found displayed in miniature all the remarkable features peculiar to the larger and more celebrated passes in that section of the country, and in which was no trail or any, other indication that others had been there before, the party passed down by Wet Mountain Valley through Ula and Colfax and by the Moecas Pass to the San Luis Valley, a single day's march, but a rough one, around the base of the Ceno Blanco, to Fort Garland, where it was joined to the main division August 10. On the 13th, the same party, with the addition of Mr. Aiken, taxidermist, left Fort Garland, and following up Indian Creek, made stations on two peaks near its headwaters. Crossing the divide, we kept down a creek of this same name, and moving south around the bases of the higher mountain, which faces on the north the Spanish Peaks, struck the Cuoharas, and the road on its banks, which we followed some miles, and then the mountains were crossed through a gap and the headwaters reached of one branch of the Trincheras. Thence we moved down the San Luis Valley, through the San Luis and Lower Culebras, alon£ the Culebras River to the Bio Grande, to the junction of the Conejos and San Antonio Rivers, and through the playas which border the river to Guadaloupe, where again was found encamped the main division. Two days later, on the 24th instant, I was left by you in charge of the main division, and marching along the Conejos encamped on that creek almost west of Prospect Peaks, where you on that day proposed to make a station. Until September 6.1 remained in the capacity of executive officer with the main division during its movements up the valley of the Conejos, across to the Alamosas, and up to its headwaters, across the divide to the San Juan and down its valley to Pagosa Springs. On the 8th instant, with a small party, I moved south by the road to Tierra Amarilla, left it where it crosses the Navajo, and kept along that stream to its junction with the San Juan; moving south and east from there, we crossed the Tapiacetas Mountains, struck the old Spanish trail, passed the Lagunas de los Piedras, made a station on one of the Las Gallinas Mountains in that vicinity, and reached Tierra Amarilla ( the Nutri-tas Playas) on the 13th instant. On the next day, we followed the north fork of the Chama to near its headwaters, made a station on Navajo Mountain, and an unsuccessful attempt on the Banded Peak to the eastward, crossed both branches of the Navajo, and striking the wagon- road to Pagosa, near the Blanco, reached camp at that place on the I9th instant. Sending out a small party under Mr. Spiller, to occupy the Banded Peak, I remained at Pagosa Springs until his return. On the 1st day of October, I started with the party, which from that time constituted party No. 1, main division, and was composed as follows: J. C. Spiller, topographer; William Blount, meteorologist and odometer- recorder; D. T. Means, chief packer; Aleck Hurls ton, packer; Caesario Frabijo, packer; George Badger, cook. Moving east, we followed up the first fork of the San Juan to the northward to its headwaters. It was the iutention to occupy the double- capped mountain known as Pagosa Peak. A severe storm of a week's duration detained us at its base, and covered the mountain with several feet of snow. On the sixth day, the top was reached, waiting all night in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of the surrounding country, with animals and men pretty well worn out; we again started west across the upper waters of Los Piedras, up the valley of the Los Pinos to its headwaters, and over the divide to the Rio Grande. Following its waters to their bead, I crossed into Baker's Park by the trail through Cunningham's Gulch, and, passing through Howardville and Silver-ton, moved up Mineral Creek and across the divide to the Lake Fork. The summit of this divide is 12,410 feet in height, and the descent remarkably steep. Near this summit is a very deep, dark- colored lake, about a fourth of a mile in diameter, inclosed by - very precipitous mountains perfectly barren and covered with snow. Nearly 3,000 feet below it, and perhaps five miles away, is Trout Lake, about a mile long by a third wide. Beautifully- wooded foot- hills of mountains far back, sloping gently toward its banks, form a marvelous contrast in warmth of effect to the cold, still, desolate picture above. The descent was most remarkable; a mass of broken stones covered the sides of the mountain, which was loosened by the frosts and melting snow, and in one place animals and men slid and rolled or pitched downward in an indiscriminate mass through a descent of perhaps a thousand feet. From Trout Lake we moved west, and struck the valley of the Dolores, and camped for one day near the foot of the Glacier Peak ( since named Meigs Peak) of the San Miguel range, which the topographer of the party, Mr. Spiller, occupied with partial success. I directed the march so as to strike the Manco near its mouth by passing between the Mesa Verde and La Late range, our animals being nearly worn out. I left orders for most of the party to await my return in three or four days at a camp on Gothic Creek, and started down the canon of the San Juan. For about fifty miles I followed the river through a charming country, though progress was difficult on account of the heavy underbrush and the boggy condition of the soil. Streams of considerable size flow in on both sides at frequent intervals. The mountains on the south are heavily timbered with pine; on the north but sparsely, and principally with Cottonwood. The rock- formation is very peculiar, and lines the northern sides of the |
