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Show 81 proceeded south of the Platte and Arkansas divide and completed the survey of about 260 square miles of the broken and rolling plateau lying in atlas- sheet 615, between Cottonwood and Badger Creeks and south of Poncho Park, bordering the Arkansas Cafion. The road via the Currant Creek Pass was meandered until the old ( 1861) wagon- road from Cafion City to the Puneha Pass was reached, and this road then followed to the Arkansas River at the mouth of the South Arkansas, connecting with our meanders of 1874- 75 at this point. From Punofaa Pass the paok- train was sent to Saguache, and the topographer and myself proceeded to make stations upon Antoro Peak, a high mass south of the headwaters of Poncho Creek, and upon such other peaks along the continental backbone as were necessary to secure the drainage and detailed topography lying between the headwaters of the Tumichi and the northern tributaries of Saguache Creek. We rejoined the main party at Saguache on Jnly 10. On the 15th of Jnly, having received the necessary supplies, we followed the southern fork of the Saguache, the tributaries of which were meandered to their heads, and, in addition, eleven triangu-lations and topographical stations were made by Mr. Spiller upon the high plateau surrounding the neadwaters of Saguache and Lagarita Creeks, and dividing their waters from those of the Rio Grande and those sinking in the San Luis Valley north of Del Norte, after which the party crossed from the valley of the Saguache to the Cochetopa, striking this stream where the new Saguache and Lake City wagon- road crosses it. After meandering this road to the summit of the range, the main portion of the narty was Bent to Lake City, Mr. Dunn meandering the road from the agency to Lake City, while the topographer and myself, with a small party, turned to the southwest, and, attaining the continental water- shed, made two stations on high peaks, standing upon the volcanic plateau which forms the northern rim of the Rio Grande Lonp y then proceeded westward, following the Cannibal Plateau, which forms the dividing ridge between the Lake Fork of the Gunnison and the Cebolla, to its northern terminus, and then, crossing the deep cafion of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison, attained the summit of the ridge culminating in the lofty Unoompahgre Peak on the west side of the Lake Fork, which, after making two stations, we left and went for supplies to the camp at Lake City August 3. On the 5th day of August I left Lake City, and with a portion of the pack- train went to Antelope Park for rations which had been forwarded to that point, leaving the topographer to continue topographical work as directed by me. He made a triangu-lation- station upon the Unoompahgre Peak, re- occupying that station to perfect angles which had not been read a sufficient number of times the preceding season. Upon another peak, five miles farther east, meandered and profiled the road from Lake City to the head of the Lake Fork; made stations upon Red Cloud Peak, the highest of the Lake Fork group; upon Handle's Peak, a lofty mass at the head of the Lake Fork, and then followed the divide between the waters of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison and those of the Rio Grande del Norte, making frequent stations en route as far as to the point where the Lake City and Antelope Park trail crosses the continental divide, and returned to camp at Tellurium Post- Office, at the head of the Lake Fork, on the 15th of August, having made in twelve days three stations over 14,000 feet and six others approaching or exceeding 13,000 feet in altitude] besides the necessary meanders, profiles, and minor stations in an exceedingly rugged and difficult region. On the 16th of August we proceeded via the Forks of the Animas and the incipient town of La Plata, here located, to the head of Hensen Creek, a tributary of the Lake Fork of the Gunnison, in which vicinity the topographer made several stations, to complete the topography of this region ; after which we followed an old Indian trail to the valleys of the Unoompahgre and Una weep, over a very high and rough country, the mountains breaking down very suddenly and the streams all flowing in excessively deep and rocky gorges. The great gorge of the Unoompahgre and that of Ibex Creek will eqnal or surpass in ruggedness of scenery and in depth any similar gorge in the United States. The descent into the valley of the Uncompahgre is very abrupt, rendering it improbable that this trail will be of any value, other than as furnishing horsemen a possible way of avoiding the Uncompahgre Cafion. From the head of Ibex Creek to the rim of the Uncompahgre Park, the trail is almost entirely above timber-line, and in the next three miles descends nearly five thousand feet to the park below. After meandering the Uncompahgre to the northern boundary of atlas- sheet 61o, ( 38° 10/ latitude,) we entered the valley of the Una weep, a tributary of the Unoompahgre. Two topographical stations were made on low hills in the Unaweep Valley, and a triangulation- station upon the most westerly of the range of rugged peaks which divides the headwaters of the Unaweep from those of the San Miguel, to extend onr triangulation to the southwest; and then on August 26 crossed to the drainage- area of the San Miguel River, following the trail around the western extremities of the Unaweep group of peaks. From our camp near the junction of the two forks of the San Miguel, where this river plunges into its deep cafion, Mr. Spiller with a small party crossed the cafion and made stations upon several of the nearly isolated points near the western border of |
