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Show 38 RECONNAISSANCE IN THE ITE COUNTRY. useless and irreparable loss, for which the officer furnishing the transportation was alone responsible. Return to Fort Garland.- On July 21 we reached Fort Garland, thus closing our first line and completing the original schedule. Upon reaching Fort Garland I found orders to continue in* the field, and make an examination of the various passes and approaches to the Ute country, from the Arkansas Eiver as high up as the Twin Lakes or Red Mountain Pass. Here an unfortunate " delay occurred. Tbe unskillfulness of soldiers in the handling of pack- mules had resulted iu the almost entire uselessness of our train. Application for a new train resulted in much correspondence and delay, and was only filled by breaking up some of tbe post- teams. The time was partially utilized by sending a party to examine the Musca Pass as to its suitability for a wagon- route, and Mr. Bassel's report of this is appended. We finally got off on August 23, under orders to proceed to the bead of the northern waters of the Grand Kiver, passing to the Arkansas at the most favorable point. We retraced our old route as far as Camp 53, making this the initial point of our new instrumental line. Ko additional remarks are called for by the first part of this road, except that a cut- off was made from Fisch's ranch to the Carnero, over the waterless bleak desert, until the Garcia was crossed about two miles from the Carnero. From Camp 53 we passed to the north fork of the Saguache. We crossed the Saguache, following the old wagon- road of Gunnison's Pass up a small tributary, through a small canon crossing to the north fork, and Camp No. 7 was made on a small tributary. This portion of the route is in a shallow canon. Here the canon has become a shallow narrow valley, through hills of gentle slopes, their skylines being about 500 feet above the creek. Some yellow pine is found, of no great size, and occasionally spruce and aspen. Bunch- grass is excellent up this valley on all visible hill- sides. Xo bottom, or bottom-grass, worth mentioning. This region will afford admirable summer stock runs. From Camp 7 we continued up the Little Creek Valley, which is well grassed, and pine and spruce increase in size and quantity. On either side are low, rolling hills timbered and grassed. Two aud a quarter miles above Camp 7 the road enters an aspen thicket, large and growing close, which continue for a distance of about a mile to the western slope. To this point the wa, gon- road is excellent, in fact continues so all the way to the agency. There is for a short distance* on either side of the summit a pretty steep grade, but not impassable even for heavy loads. On the west, as on the east, the approach to the pass is through a country of low rolling hills. Little timber but pine; grass and plenty of water. Gamp 8.- Camp 8 was on Pass Creek. Thence leaving the valley of Los Pinos and Pass Creek, the road asceuds by a steep, rocky liill about 200 feet on a rolling mesa country covered with sage, and cut by gulches running westerly into the Tumitchie. Here and there are little clumps of pinon and a few yellow pines, spruces, and aspens in the gulches. On the right, distant a mile to 1 J, are wooded hills 800 to 1,000 feet high, evidently the main divide. Along the stream is a little bottom with a dense growth of willows, brush, and few cottonwoods and good grass. All the gulches are well grassed in the narrow bottoms and carry very small, but clear, cold streams. They afford little other wood than sage. The country continues much the same as on the preceding march, but takes the form of foot- hills rather than mesa. These hills |
