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Show 54 RECONNAISSANCE IN THE UTE COUNTRY. on the Arkansas Eiver, up to my arnval at Fort Garland, on the 1st of October. September 25.- Left camp this morning at 6.30 a. m., and ran the line down the south side of the Arkansas River for three miles; then turned off to the south, leaving the river and crossing a ridge or mesa covered with pinon pine. and cedar; thence down to the South Arkansas and across that stream at the mouth of the Puncha Greek; then up that creek, about two miles, when the wind, which had been very annoying since noon, began to blow so hard that it was almost impossible to work with the instrument. So the line was stopped, and the party proceeded to camp. About five miles farther on, near the summit of Puncha Pass, ran about nine miles of line, stopping at 2 o'clock p. m. The character of the country was much the same as that which we had been passing over for some days previous, except the Puncha Creek, which was a narrow canon, with rocky hills and a scrubby growth of timber on each side of the creek. September 20.- Camp was not moved to day ; the Hue was run up to and two and a half miles beyond camp, about two miles beyond the summit of the pass. A splendid view of the San Luis Valley and of Sierra Blanco Mountains was obtained from a hill a little beyond the summit to the left of the road. September 27.- Moved camp, and ran the line on down into the valley a mile beyond Kerber Creek on the San Luis Creek, making from our last camps about fifteen miles; the wind blowing so as to make it very annoying throughout the day. Got into camp about 3 o'clock p. in. Homans Park is a myth as a park per fte. When at the summit of Puncha Pass, we were in the San Luis Valley. The descent on the south side was much less than the ascent on the north side of the pass. For further information would refer to the notes of the topographer, and to a barometric section from the South Arkansas to the level of the upper end of the San Luis Valley near Alder Creek, a small stream coming down from the hills to the west, and emptying into San Luis Creek. There is an excellent wagon- road over this pass, which road extends on into the South Park and thence to Denver, and over which there is a very considerable amount of travel and freighting. From the fact of the country being townshiped and sectionized from this point on the San Luis Creek, on down the valley, and on account of the intensity of the wind in the valley and the sandy road over which we should travel in going to Fort Gariaud by the east side of the valley, I determined to stop the line at this point. September 28.- Continued our march to Fort Garland by the east side of the valley, crossing San Luis Creek about five miles below our camp, and keeping along parallel with and two or three miles from the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. There are numerous creeks running down from these mountains and sinking in the sand at distances from the mountaius varying with the season. The first of these which we crossed after leaving San Luis Creek was Cotton Creek, about two miles from the crossing of the former. The next, about nine miles farther on, was Rita Alto, where we camped. September 29.- Continued our march, crossing San Isabel Creek five miles out, and three miles farther the Cristina, both dry at the crossing of the road, but nearer the mountain contained plenty of water, as also there was farther out in the valley, where it appeared to rise again. |
