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Show RECONNAISSANCE IN THE UTE COUNTRY. 13 valley is much very good pine timber and bunch- grass of excellent quality. Our trail crossed the South Fork about three- quartfirs of a mile above Camp Loma, and the Kio Grande one mile farther. The South Fork is a stream about seventy- five feet wide, three to four feet maximum depth, and a current of four or five miles an hour. The ford is no way difficult. The main river, at the ford, is about one hundred and twenty- five feet wide, four feet greatest deptb, current of four or five miles an hour, and rocky bottom, but with care the ford offers no difficulties to animals or wagons. Above this ford the trail continues along the north side of the river, and as the stream winds from side to side of the narrow valley, impinging, now against the northern foot- hills and then against those of the south, one, to avoid crossing, must often keep on the slope high above the river. As this slope is steep and usually of rock debris, the trail across these points is often difficult, and sometimes dangerous for animals too heavily laden or carelessly handled. At different points several of our animals rolled from the trail into the river below, and were only saved with some difficulty and the loss of valuable property. But it seemed still more dangerous to attempt to ford the river. In this vicinity, from twenty to thirty miles from Del Norte, the valley is quite insignificant, never more than 2,000 feet wide, and seldom so much. On the north side the foot- hills rise from the river to heights of from 300 to 1,000 feet, and beyond these, from one- half mile to a mile away, rise the mountains in sheer cliffs, columnar in appearance, rising from 50 to 500 feet to a broad terrace $ from this terrace rise other cliffs to greater heights, crowned by a second terrace with cliffs above. These cliffs are apparently of reddish granite. The terraces bear some small pine. South of the valley the mountains have earth-slopes and undulating sky- lines. They are densely timbered to the summit with pine. Wagon- Wheel Gap- About thirty miles from Del Norte the river passes through Wagon- Wheel Gap, a short, narrow canon, with just room for the river and a dangerous trail. This gap is rather a picturesque place. On the north side is a sheer cliff, perhaps four hundred feet high, of partially metamorphic sandstone serrated with green shale. On the south side* the hills rise very steep for, perhaps, one thousand feet. Above this gap the hills break away rapidly, giving a valley of an average width of about three- fourths of a mile. Just here the mountains have mostly lost the crags and cliffs seen below, and appear as gently-rounded, timbered hills, with an occasional sharp peak. As its course hitherto, the river crosses and recrosses the narrow valley, washing first the northern and then the southern foot- hills. About one mile above Wagon- Wheel Gap a spur from the northern hills runs out into the valley and ends abruptly at the river in a peculiar cliff about one hundred and fifty feet high, of fused limestone and shale, the strata curving upward sharply toward the west, giving the cliff, as seen from the south, the appearance of the beak of an immense iron- clad. From this vicinity on up the river the foot- hills gradually become less marked, and the mountains rise more abruptly from the valley. On either side they are seen to be from two thousand to three thousand feet above the river; on the south they usually present slopes rounded and gradual rather than otherwise, are heavily timbered to the visible summit, and without snow. On the north side the mountains are nearly timberless, precipitous, cut by yawning chasms, and often snow- crowned at this season. From Camp 18, about forty- two miles from Del Norte, in the hills north |