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Show 28 RECONNAISSANCE IN. THE UTE COUNTRY. these gulches flow numerous small snow- streams. This pass, like all summits in this region, is a knife- edge. The descent to the east.- The descent is steeper and far more difficult than the ascent. There was much very deep snow which fortunately bore the auimals and bridged many gorges which would make the pass nearly impracticable without the snow. The timber- line w, as higher than on the Animas side, and we soon began to pass through groves of finer spruce than I have seen on any other slope in this region, and over glades of tall fresh grass, spangled with many wild flowers. The willows, which here, as elsewhere, are the highest vegetation, were just opening their leaf- buds; buttercups were among the highest wild flowers seen. We descended about two miles on snow- bridges and over rugged slopes to a small park- Mountain Park. Looking back toward the heads of the streams which come into the park, the peaks of the Uncompahgre ami of the main range presented singularly wild and grand sky- liues against the perfect June sky. They presented no soft lines or angles, but all terminated in sharp crags, crests, and spurs. In many places their thin edges of snow curled over the crests, through which the sun shone with a soft glow into the chasms below, an effect which I had never before seen and which was strange and weird. We camped by a soft spring at the bottom of the park; wood and water; march about 15 miles. Lake Fork is here about 30 feet wide and 1 to 2 feet deep. Snare Creek and Delusion Park, so named because in coming in sight of them after our tedious and difficult march through fallen timber above the caiion it seemed as if we were about to descend into Paradise, and instead we found a delusion. The Park extends four miles; a bottom thickly grown with willows and brush, and often miry. There are some small glades of fair grass, and considerable pretty good timber, spruce and cottonwood. After leaving the park had frequent views of the great peaks of the main range, 3 to 5 miles to the right. After this saw occasionally the great peaks of the Uncompahgre ( our past topography.) Just before reaching the park, on either hand, are high, bald crags, cliffs, and slides. From the slides they seem to be syenite, granite, porphyry, and trap, the two first in great preponderance and with fine crystals, hard and compact. We cross the stream just as it enters a canon, and our trail runs along the mountain- side from 200 to 600 feet above the river and is exceedingly difficult. There is much fallen timber, and the slope is as steep as it can be and holds a thin soil; of vegetation scant. At the exit of the stream from the canon the latter is 300 or 400 feet deep; at one point seems no more than 20 feet broad, and probably is not more than 50. The width seems less at the bottom than the top. At the crossing the stream is 40 feet wide and 1 foot deep, swift; small bowlders at this point; aspens run up east slope 1,000 feet; spruce 400 feet farther; all small and much windfall. East slope here becomes craggy and furrowed with deep gulches. Mountains slope to stream on each side; on east 500 or 800 feet of very steep grass slope, with a little aspen above on the west; rugged cliffs and slides. After leaving the park a stream enters a narrow box canon 10 to 30 feet deep, where the mountains close in again for half a mile. Below this commences another such valley as above, through the willows and mire of which the trail is difficult. The mountains on the east of Delusion Park, for two- thirds of the distance dowu, are mostly bare excepting the lower mile, where timber appears nearly to the visible crest, which is not the summit. On the west the mouutains are timbered to the summit below Snare Creek, and show rock only occasion- |