Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/104

consisting of three parallel ranges running nearly N. N. W. The E. one, called the Front or Colorado range, as seen from Denver, appears to rise abruptly from the plain, stretching with snow-capped summits from Pike's peak on the south to a group 20 m. N. of Long's peak, a distance of 120 m. Six of its peaks are from 14,000 to 14,200 ft. above the sea, viz.: Long's peak, Mt. Torrey, Gray's peak, Mt. Rosa, Mt. Evans, and Pike's peak. W. of this range lie the parks, separated from each other by comparatively low or broken cross ridges; and parallel with it and about 40 m. further W. is the Park range, forming the W. boundary of North, Middle, and South parks. Its highest points are in the Mt. Lincoln group, near the dividing ridge between South and Middle parks; 20 peaks exceed 13,000 ft. in height, and Mt. Lincoln and Quandary peak rise above 14,000 ft. The Blue River group lies 20 m. N., having many peaks of 13,000 ft., and the culminating points reaching 13,300 ft. The northernmost and highest summit is Mt. Powell, beyond which there are no high peaks to North park; opposite this an altitude of 12,000 ft. and over is attained. W. of the S. part of the Park range is the Arkansas valley, and beyond this is the National range, also called the Sawatch range or Sierra Madre, dividing through nearly its whole extent the waters of the Atlantic from those of the Pacific. It is parallel with and about 16 m. W. of the Park range, terminating some 40 m. N. W. of Mt. Lincoln in the mount of the Holy Cross, about 13,400 ft. high. The highest part of this range commences in Grand mountain, about 14,200 ft. above the sea, 20 m. S. of the Holy Cross, whence for 50 m. further S. the whole range is 13,000 ft. high, with 10 peaks rising at intervals of from 5 to 8 m. to a height of from 14,000 to 14,400 ft. The principal summits are Mts. Elbert, La Plata, Harvard, and Yale. W. of the National range and connected with it are the Elk mountains, lying between the Grand river on the north and the Gunnison on the south. The most elevated peaks form a ridge about 30 m. long, nearly parallel with the National range and 35 m. W. of it. At the N. end of this ridge, in lat. 39° 15', is Mt. Sopris, 13,000 ft. high, S. of which are the Capitol (14,100 ft.), the White House (14,050 ft.), and Maroon mountain and Castle peak, each 14,000 ft. high. W. of this group there are no high mountains, the ridges changing within 20 m. to plateaus, which fall off to the Colorado river. The "timber line" of the ranges, the highest point at which timber grows, is determined by the lying snow, and varies from 11,000 to 12,000 ft. On the E. side of the mountains and parallel thereto, extending from the Black hills on the north to the Wet mountains on the south, are the foot hills, having an average elevation of 8,000 ft. The Wet mountains branch out from the main range S. of Pike's peak, and extend in a S. E. direction to the Huerfano river. Between the Huerfano and Purgatory rivers are the Spanish peaks, an independent series of mountain cones. The Raton mountains, running in an E. direction from the main range, form the S. base of Colorado. W. of the main range, in the S. portion of the territory, the Sierra San Juan extends nearly N. and S., forming the W. wall of San Luis park. The Rio Grande forms the N. and E. limit of this range. The Sierra la Plata, also S. of the Rio Grande, extends W. from the San Juan range to the S. W. boundary. The S. W. portion of Colorado is traversed by the Uncompahgre mountains, extending W. from the Sawatch range, and forming the divide between the Rio Grande and the principal southern tributaries of the Colorado. The Sierra San Miguel forms the extreme S. W. portion of the series of ranges extending W. from the main range in southern Colorado. The Roan or Book mountains are near the W. limits of the N. portion of the territory, between the White and Grand rivers. The N. W. corner is occupied by the Sierra Escalante. The "plains" constitute the geographical division of Colorado E. of the mountain belt, and embrace more than one third of the entire territory. The surface of this section is not one continuous level, but a series of valleys separated by ridges and traversed by innumerable watercourses. The average elevation above tide water is about 6,000 ft. The most prominent feature of this vast plateau is the "divide,"an elevation reaching a height of 7,500 ft. above the sea level, which separates the waters of the South Platte and Arkansas, and supplies many of their affluents. It branches out from the foot hills N. of Pike's peak, and gradually slopes N., S., and E. into the general level of the plains. The numerous swift streams, having their sources in elevated regions and flowing in various directions, render irrigation practicable, except in the E. central portion of the plains, where the streams are too remote.—The most remarkable physical characteristic of Colorado is its park system. The parks consist of extensive irregular plateaus or basins shut in on all sides by lofty mountain ranges. The surface of these plateaus is diversified by numerous hills or ridges and valleys, containing streams which form the head waters of all the great rivers that rise in Colorado. These valleys are clothed with luxuriant grasses and flowering plants of various species, and possess an extremely fertile soil. The hills are covered with dense forests of pine, abounding in game, such as the bear, elk, and deer. The beds of the streams furnish many varieties of minerals and fossils, and afford a remarkable field for geological investigations. Mineral springs, with waters possessing rare medicinal properties, are numerous, while salt and coal beds seem to underlie the entire surface. The four principal parks are in the central portion of the territory, and constitute the greatest part of a belt running N. and S. between lon. 105°