|
Buy the
DVD
| |
from D&RGW Guidebook
c. 1936
Moffat Tunnel Route
Denver to Ogden 606.9 miles
Route of the Exposition Flyer, thru train between Chicago and San Francisco. All regularly
assigned cars air-conditioned coaches, diners, Pullmans, lounge-observation cars.
Route of the Prospector, Diesel-power, streamline train, overnight, every night, between
Denver and Salt Lake City.
Scenic Shortcut Thru the Rockies, the Moffat Tunnel Route is the only direct
transcontinental railroad serving Denver.
PLAINVIEW, COLO.-D.-M. 24.5 mi.; elev. 6,782. Jefferson County. As
the name indicates, it is from here that the magnificent view of far sweeping plains on
the east includes almost one-fourth the total area of Colorado.
TOLLAND, COLO.-D.-M. 46.9 mi.; elev. 8,886. Boulder County. From
Tolland, beautifully situated in verdant Boulder Park, the wellknown Mammoth Gulch, there
is a remarkable view of the "Giant's Ladder," marking the old course of the
Denver & Salt Lake Railway to the summit of Corona Pass, 11,666 ft in altitude. This
difficult and costly operation was abandoned upon completion of the Moffat Tunnel.
EAST PORTAL, COLO.-D.-M. 49.6 mi.; elev. 9,197 ft. Gilpin County.
THE MOFFAT TUNNEL
One of America's great engineering feats, the Moffat Tunnel extends 6.2 miles under the
Continental Divide.
The bore is 4,021 feet under the summit of James Peak. which rears its lofty crest 13,260
feet above sea level.
The eastern portal is on the south fork of Boulder Creek, waters from which make their way
to the Atlantic Ocean. The western portal is on the upper reaches of the Fraser river,
waters from which flow to the Pacific through the Colorado river and Boulder Dam's Lake
Mead. Both streams follow glacial channels, the erosive work of the vast ice sheet that
drifted down the sides of the Continental Divide.
The apex, in the center of the tunnel, is the highest point on the Moffat Tunnel Route,
9,239 feet above sea level. The railroad tunnel, 16 feet wide by 24 feet high to the
intrados of its semi-circular roof, is the maximum for American railroads. The water
tunnel, driven as a pioneer bore for the railroad tunnel, has been enlarged and lined for
carrying water to a diameter of 10 feet 6 inches. With an annual capacity of 100,000 acre
feet this tunnel brings Denver a transmountain water supply from the Fraser river on the
Pacific slope. The two tunnels are 75 feet apart.
The permanent tunnel lining is reinforced concrete of varying thickness. The railroad
through the tunnel is laid with continuous jointless welded 112 pound rail, providing
unusually smooth riding qualities. An elaborate ventilating system, together with
air-conditioning of passenger cars, entirely eliminates smoke.
Total net cost of the tunnel construction was approximately $18,000,000. Work started in
August, 1923. Completed in February, 1928, it was then the longest railroad tunnel in the
western hemisphere.
WINTER PARK, COLO.-D.-M. 56.9 mi.; elev. 9,076. Grand County.
Here, at the west portal of Moffat Tunnel, ideal snow conditions, six trails and a large
open slope converging at shelter, a tow and snow tractor, and lodge facilities combine to
make Winter Park a favorite with ardent skiers.
GRANBY, COLO.-D.-M. 75.5 mi.; pop. 251; elev. 7,937. Grand County.
Granby is the gateway to beautiful Grand Lake, 16 miles distant, the highest yacht
anchorage in the world. Annual regattas attract sportsmen from all over the world, vying
for the Sir Thomas Lipton trophy. The Trail Ridge Road between Grand Lake and Estes Park
is one of the most spectacular mountain highways in the world, attaining an elevation of
12,185 feet. Fraser river at Granby joins the Colorado river, which rises in the Grand
Lake region. High altitude vegetables flourish in this section, a notable livestock center
in the vast Middle Park of Colorado.
HOT SULPHUR SPRINGS, COLO.-D.-M. 86.1 mi.; pop. 235;
elev. 7,662. County seat Grand County. Taking its name from the hot springs which have
been famous for more than a century with red man and white man alike, this little town is
the thriving center of Middle Park a ranch area noted for its hay crops, cattle herds,
lush meadows and high grazing land.
Indian, cowboy, stage-coach driver and cattle baroneach has played his part in writing the
history of the Middle Park region. The hot springs section was purchased by Win. N. Byers
of Denver from the Utes in 1864, but they continued to use the water for whatever ailment
distressed them. The celebrated Indian chieftain, Ouray, was brought to these springs ill
from inflammatory rheumatism in the fall of 1866. He was carried in a litter, swung
between two poles and dragged by mustang ponies. Completely cured, he wrote in charcoal on
the door of Byers' cabin: "Hep good, Ura."
Byers Canyon, bordering Hot Sulphur Springs on the west, is just three miles in length,
but is nevertheless a canyon of entrancing beauty. The Colorado River, at this point a
sparkling mountain stream, rushes in whitecapped haste thru a deep-cut channel, while
sheer granite walls once again emphasize the might of the Rocky Mountains.
KREMMLING, COLO.-D.-M. 103.3 mi.; pop. 567; elev. 7,322. Grand
County. Another thriving town delightfully situated on the Colorado River, close to its
junction with the Blue River, Kremmling marks the eastern entrance to impressive Gore
Canyon. Stockraising is the principal industry; hay and grain the principal crops.
GORE CANYON
Its massive walls indelibly recording the intensely interesting geological history of the
making of the Rocky Mountains, Gore Canyon has been described as the strait through which
ocean waters entered thousands of years ago to form an inland sea, covering Middle Park.
There is ample evidence of the various geological periods; the effects of glacial action
are plainly seen in rounded and smooth rocks on the mountain slopes of Gore Range.
Gore Canyon and Gore Range are named for Sir George Gore, a rich Irish sportsman who
camped in Middle Park in 1855, and for more than two years hunted, with Jim Bridger as
companion and guide and interpreter to the Indians. Gore brought an expedition of fifty
persons, secretaries, stewards, cooks, dog tenders, hunters and servants. He had a train
of thirty wagons besides numerous saddle horses. Grizzly bears, elk, deer, antelope and
2,500 buffalo were killed.
Possessing a distinctive primeval beauty, Gore Canyon is longer, more broken, and deeper
than most western canyons. Lights and shadows, constantly shifting, enhance its wild
majesty. Rugged Upper Gore Canyon extends for about five miles west of Kremmling, opening
into a small park at Azure. The Colorado River roars thru a narrow channel in Lower Gore
Canyon, a chasm two miles in length where the rim reaches a height of more than 1,500 feet
above the railroad.
As a final scenic delight in this spectacular section Red Gorge presents an entrancing
mile of highly colored canyon walls.
BOND (Orestod), COLO.-D.-M. 129.3 mi.; pop. 200; elev. 6,710. Eagle
County. Bond, Rio Grande station adjoining Orestod, junction of the Rio Grande and Moffat
railroads, came into existence with completion of the 38-mile Dotsero Cutoff in 1934.
Major scenic attraction of the Dotsero Cutoff is Red Canyon of the Colorado river, a
brilliantly colored passage which is destined to become another scenic favorite with
American travelers. The Pagodas, chiseled by the elements in the likeness of Buddhist
temples, are a strange, many-hued rock formation which have withstood the onslaught of
time to bring vivid beauty to Red Canyon.
BURNS, COLO.-D.-M. 144.6 mi.; elev. 6,502. Center of a large
stockraising region, Burns is midway across the Dotsero Cutoff between Bond and Dotsero.
Royal Gorge and Moffat
Tunnel Routes
GLENWOOD CANYON OF THE COLORADO RIVER
From junction of the Royal Gorge and Moffat Tunnel routes at Dotsero, Rio Grande trains
all pass through the colorful Glenwood Canyon of the Colorado river, which extends
practically the entire distance of 18 miles between Dotsero and Glenwood Springs. Its red
walls brightened by countless evergreens, Glenwood Canyon possesses rare and distinctive
beauty. The Colorado river, first wide and smooth, becomes an uneasy stream, gathering
power to rush and boil over jagged boulders. Shoshone Dam, in the heart of the canyon,
furnishes light and power for many Colorado cities, and gives a hint of the gigantic task
imposed upon the Colorado river miles further down this turgid stream, where its waters
are trapped by the towering manmade walls of Boulder Dam.
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLO.-D.-R. 360.1 mi.; D.-M. 185 mi.;
pop. 2,253 (seasonal, 5,000); elev. 5,758. County seat Garfield County. Nestled in the
very heart of the Rockies despite its relatively low elevation, and surrounded by towering
snow-crested peaks, this picturesque city is renowned as a pleasure and health resort. The
climate is remarkably salubrious, the sunshine exhilarating. Here the far-famed Yampah Hot
Springs, first discovered by the Indians, pours health-giving mineral waters into the
world's largest warm water, open air pool, where swimming is enjoyed the year around. Here
Nature excavated her own eaves, supplying vapor baths and almost 50 hot springs with rare
medicinal qualities. Bath houses offer many kinds of curative treatments.
Beautiful hotels and inviting cottage camps provide delightful accommodations for
tourists.
Vacationers find many delightful "things to do" in Glenwood Springs and
vicinity. There are splendid golf courses and tennis courts. More than 30 one-day trips
may be taken to different scenic spots-by auto, horseback or hiking. Roaring Fork, Frying
Pan and Crystal Rivers are well stocked with trout. Birds, big game and small game, all
plentiful, make it the mecca for hunters the year around.
Ski experts from Switzerland have selected the Glenwood Springs region as America's best
possibility for winter sports development. Altitude, sunshine, temperature, powder snow
and vast slopes of infinite varietyevery condition is ideal for the greatest winter
playground of the nation. Highland Bavarian Lodge, 49 miles from Glenwood, the first unit
of development, is already attracting winter sports enthusiasts from the world over. Ski
in the morning at Aspen, swim in the afternoon at Glenwood Springs-this unusual
combination of outdoor sports is found nowhere else in the west.
Principal industries of the region are farming and stock raising. Potatoes, sugar beets,
small grains and hay are important crops. Natural resources include coal, oil shale and
mineral hot springs. Over 100,000 tons of bituminous coal are produced annually in the
Glenwood region.
ASPEN BRANCH
Glenwood Springs to Aspen 41.2 miles
CARBONDALE, COLO.-D.-R. 373 mi.; D.-M. 197.9 mi.; pop. 437; elev.
6,181. Garfield County. Originally a stage station, Carbondale was organized in 1885 and
has become famous for the high-quality potatoes raised in nearby valleys. One thousand
carloads of potatoes, 500 carloads of livestock and 100 cars each of hay and grain are
shipped yearly. Holy Cross National Forest lies south and east. Roaring Fork, Frying Pan
and Crystal Rivers, and Thompson Creek supply many miles of excellent trout fishing.
High-altitude mountain lakes are also well stocked with fish. Skiing and skating are
popular winter sports.
ASPEN, COLO.-D.-R. 401.3 mi.; D.-M. 226.2 mi.; pop. 777; elev. 7,844.
County seat Pitkin County. Formerly one of the west's most prosperous mining towns, Aspen
is on its way to new fame as the center of the greatest winter playground in the country.
In 1887 the first Denver & Rio Grande train pulled into the booming mining camp of
Aspen, then boasting a population of about 15,000. For years Aspen was a ranking
silver-producing camp, with an alltime record of $103,313,181. Beautiful homes were built
amid the aspen trees for which the town was named. The panic of 1893 demonetized silver
and Aspen's fortunes declined.
In 1936 European ski experts and international sportsmen conducted an exploring trip to
find a winter playground comparable to the best in the Old World. Six miles from Aspen,
they found ideal sites for ski courses, bobsled runs, toboggan slides and the perfect
powder snow for skiing. Here, surrounded by 14 peaks over 14,000 feet and 31 peaks over
13,000 feet, America's finest winter sports center is in the making. The atmosphere is
clear and dry. Winter days are sunny. The Highland Bavarian Lodge, six miles south of
Aspen, is the first unit in development of the playground. A Swiss village at the ghost
mining camp of Ashcroft, is planned to encompass all the facilities of an Alpine resort.
Aspen is one of the few places in the world ideal for both winter and summer sports. The
Roaring Fork and its tributaries are the native haunt of gamey trout. Myriad trails invite
the horseback rider or hiker into pine forests or along rocky ridges. The big game hunter
finds the "promised land" in this country.
The mining of silver, lead, zinc and copper is the leading industry. High-altitude farming
is being developed.
Redstone, Colo.-Pitkin County. Just 28 miles south of Glenwood Springs, in the valley of
the Crystal river, Redstone is located in a setting of incomparable beauty. Originally
built as a private estate at a cost of almost $2,000,000, Redstone bids fair to become a
ranking favorite among western guest ranches. Redstone Inn, patterned after a famous
Holland inn, is unique in that it combines all the activities of a resort hotel with the
charming informal atmosphere of a country estate. A hundred pleasantly appointed cottages
are delightfully located near the inn. Splendid fishing, both lake and stream, tempt the
angler. Deer, elk, bear, mountain lion and grouse abound in the nearby mountains,
promising thrills galore for ardent sportsmen. Safe, quiet saddle horses await those who
want to ride into a high country of unsurpassed scenic beauty.
Marble, Colo.-Gunnison County. Location of the famous Colorado Yule Marble quarry, Marble
is just 12 miles
from Redstone. The Lincoln Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, beloved shrines
at the national capital, were constructed of pure white Colorado Yule marble. Extensively
used, not only at Washington, D. C., but for distinctive public buildings throughout the
nation, "America's most beautiful marble" is nationally renowned.
(Finis Aspen branch and Glenwood region; back to Royal Gorge and Moffat Tunnel Routes).
RIFLE, COLO.-D.-R. 386.6 mi.; D.-M. 211.5 mi.; pop. 1,373; elev.
5,310. Garfield County. Rifle is an important shipping center for cattle, sheep, and hogs
raised in a farflung livestock empire. Agricultural products include sugar beets,
potatoes, hay and grain. Fruits are raised successfully on the irrigated lands adjacent.
Rifle is the gateway to Meeker, county seat of Rio Blanco County, and principal trade
center of the productive White River region, notable Colorado livestock area. Sportsmen
find the White River country a paradise, with unexcelled trout fishing and big game
hunting. Deer and elk are unusually numerous.
GRAND VALLEY, COLO.-D.-R. 404 mi.; D.-M. 228.9 mi.; pop. 230;
elev. 5,104. Garfield County. Situated in an agricultural area, with good grazing land
nearby, Grand Valley is largely supported by farming and stockraising. With climatic
conditions right, poultry raising is gaining impetus. Grand Mesa National Forest is
adjacent.
DE BEQUE, COLO.-D.-R. 416.6 mi.; D.-M. 241.5 mi.; pop. 280; elev.
4,945. Mesa County. Scientists persistently strive to find profitable means of retorting
oil from mountains of oil shale surrounding De Beque. Principal industries are
stockraising and farming. The numerous lakes of nearby Grand Mesa afford splendid trout
fishing. The town, founded in 1879 by Dr. W. A. E. De Beque, is land-marked by an old
stone fort once used for protection against the Indians.
CAMEO, COLO.-D.-R. 432.6 mi.; D.-M. 257.5 mi.; pop. 100; elev. 4,774. Mesa County. At this
coal mining camp the walls of Palisade Canyon attain a maximum height of 1,500 feet to
form gigantic pyramids of alternating layers of red sandstone with soft shale filling,
giving the appearance of mortar in a great red wall. Here is the Cameo coal bed with a
thickness of 10'11", of which 918" is pure coal.
PALISADE, COLO.-D.-R. 437.2 mi.; D.-M. 261.9 mi.; pop. 855
(seasonal 3,500); elev. 4,739. Mesa County. Between Palisade and Grand Junction Rio Grande
trains pass through a 13-mile lane of peach orchards. Palisade is the center of this rich
fruit belt, containing 500 000 bearing peach trees which annually yield 1,000,000 bushels
of peaches. During the average 30-day picking season, when Palisade's population is more
than trebled, Rio Grande fast freights carry more than 2,000 cars of peaches from the
Palisade area. Peaches head the list of orchard products. Pinto beans, tomatoes and sugar
beets are also ranking crops. Palisade, which gets its name from the natural palisades
bordering the town, is in a region where coal is commercially mined. Palisade is one of
several important gateways to Grand Mesa. From a tent village of 25 people in 1900,
Palisade has become a thriving modern town.
CLIFTON, COLO.-D.-R. 442.7 mi.; D.-M. 267.4 mi.; pop. (prec.) 1,712;
elev. 4,713. Mesa County. In the heart of the Grand Junction orchard region, Clifton is
the shipping point for an important agricultural section. In addition to peaches and
pears, Clifton is the center of a cantaloupe district, rapidly attaining prominence.
GRAND JUNCTION, COLO.-D.-R. 449.6 mi.; D.-M. 274.5 mi.; D.
via Marshall Pass 424.2 mi.; pop. 12,479; elev. 4,583. County seat Mesa County. Division
point and central terminal of the Rio Grande system. Grand Junction, located at the
confluence of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers, is the trading center and shipping point
for a wealthy agricultural empire, is the largest city on the vast Western Slope of
Colorado, and is the rail gateway to Mesa Verde National Park (see page 70), Colorado
National Monument, and Grand Mesa.
Fruit production is led by peaches, but cherries, apricots, pears and apples are abundant.
Pinto beans and tomatoes, cattle, sheep and wool come next in order on the agricultural
and livestock list. Industrially important are canneries, a beet sugar factory and a plant
manufacturing insecticides. Production of vanadium, uranium and carnotite tops the mineral
list. There are more than 180 jobbers in Grant Junction, doing an annual business in
excess of $28,000,000. A splendid elementary school system is supplemented by the Grand
Junction Junior College.
Records show that Escalante and Dominquez explored the region in 1776, and that Marcus
Whitman forded Grand River (now the Colorado) in December, 1840, on his historic trip to
Washington, D. C., to arouse the government to the folly of ceding the Pacific Northwest
to Great Britain. After the Meeker Massacre in 1879, when Meeker and his men were killed
at their post, the women and children, held as hostages, were kept in safety in Plateau
Valley, through friendly intervention of Chief Ouray and his squaw Chipeta. The Indians
finally signed a treaty relinquishing all claim to land in this section and were removed
to the Uintah reservation in Utah. Grand Valley was opened to settlers in September, 1881,
and Grand Junction was incorporated in 1882. Gunnison County was divided in 1883, creating
Mesa, Delta and Montrose Counties from territory which formerly was Ute Indian
reservation.
COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
Embracing 18,188 acres, Colorado National Monument, created in 1911, with completion of an
excellent federal highway, has become extremely popular with vacationists. Located between
Grand Junction and Fruita, with an average elevation of 6,000 feet, the Monument is
traversed by a road 20 miles in length along the rim of Monument Canyon, presenting a new
breath-taking scenic thrill at every turn. Highly colored are the magnificent examples of
erosion to be seen in the slowly retreating canyon walls, and in the odd-shaped isolated
monoliths carved out of the sandstone cliffs during a period of millions of years. The
marvelous vista of verdant Colorado River valley, with Grand Mesa and the Book Cliffs
(only east-west range in Colorado) in the background, enhances the scenic beauty of
Colorado National Monument. A large herd of buffaloes is enclosed in Monument canyon,
while deer and elk are native in the region. A great dinosaur bed near Fruita has been
uncovered, and record of the prehistoric reptiles is being graphically perpetuated on the
massive hill sides.
GRAND MESA
Grand Mesa, highest flat top mountain in the world embraces 34,200 acres, or an area of
about 53 square miles. At an altitude of 10,500 feet, it stands like a great sentinel
guarding the entire area between Grand Junction and De Beque in the Colorado River valley;
between Grand Junction and Delta in the Gunnison River valley. According to geologists,
Grand Mesa has retained its flat contour because it is protected by a hard cap of basalt,
or hardened lava. A vast wooded table land, Grand Mesa has more than 200 lakes, nearly all
utilized as storage reservoirs for irrigation purposes. Easily accessible by road or trail
are 166 miles of stream and 57 lakes well stocked with native, rainbow and brook trout.
From Alexander Lake, 33 miles from Delta, it is 11 miles across Grand Mesa to Mesa Lake at
Skyway, 48 miles from Grand Junction. The road twists and turns between quiveringleafed,
silver-trunked aspens on to shaded lanes of spruce and alpine fir. The Land's End Road,
reached via Whitewater, is a rim drive of remarkable scenic beauty, and has opened up a
winter sports area of great promise.
MONTROSE MAIN LINE
Denver to Montrose via Moffat Tunnel Route 347.2 miles
Route of the air-conditioned Mountaineer
DELTA, COLO.-D.-M. 325.9 mi.; D. via Marshall Pass
372.8 mi.; pop. 3,717; elev. 4980. County seat Delta
County. So named because it stands on the delta formed
where Uncompahgre river enters Gunnison river, Delta
is the center of an important agricultural area. Cattle and
sheep produce greatest revenue. Sugar beets, onions, ap
ples, peaches, alfalfa and small grains rank in order
named. Industries include a beet sugar factory, creamer
ies, cheese factories, flour mills and canneries. Grand
Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests are adjacent, with consequent excellent
outdoor recreational opportunities.
NORTH FORK BRANCH
Delta to Somerset, 42.5 miles
Daily Bus Service Provided by Rio Grande Motor Way, unit of National Trailways System.
HOTCHKISS, COLO.-D.-M. 350.8 mi.; D. via Marshall Pass 397.8 mi.;
pop. 653; elev. 5,369 ft. Delta County. Hotchkiss is a thriving trade center in an
agricultural and livestock district.
PAONIA, COLO.-D.-M. 359 mi.; D. via Marshall Pass 405.9 mi.; pop.
1,117; elev. 5,694. Delta County. Pleasantly situated on the North Fork of the Gunnison
river, with Mt. Gunnison, 12,688 ft., dominating an impressive skyline, Paonia is best
known for its orchards, which cover approximately 11,000 acres immediately adjacent to the
town. Agricultural products and livestock, in order of importance, are apples, peaches,
cherries, apricots, other tree, bush and vine fruits, cattle, sheep, hogs and bees. Paonia
is the principal trade center for an extensive coalproducing area immediately adjacent to
the northeast. Mines at Bowie, Somerset and Oliver annually produce an average of 180,000
tons of high grade bituminous coal.
Gunnison and Grand Mesa National Forests are contiguous, with Black Canyon National
Monument only 30 miles away. Nearly 300 miles of trout fishing streams are found in the
surrounding mountain area, where deer, elk, bear, grouse and sagehens abound.
OLATHE, COLO.-D.-M. 336.5 mi.; D. via Marshall Pass 362.2 mi.; pop.
750; elev. 5,365. Montrose County. The far-reaching effects of a great reclamation project
are graphically portrayed here, where a barren expanse of dry, adobe soil has been
transformed into a rich agricul
tural community through the magic of water supplied by the Gunnison Tunnel, placed in
service years ago as the first unit of the Uncompahgre Reclamation Project, now assured of
a perpetually adequate water supply through completion of the Taylor Park Dam and
Reservoir, high in the mountains above Gunnison. (see page 73). Olathe is notable for the
excellence of its onions and potatoes.
MONTROSE, COLO.-D.-M. 347.2 mi.; D. via Marshall Pass 351.5 mi.;
pop. 4,764; elev. 5,811. County seat of Montrose County. Farming and stockraising are
principal industries, although uranium, vanadium, carnotite, and radium in commercial
quantities are important mineral resources. Famous Western Slope potatoes take top rank,
followed by alfalfa, sheep and cattle, sugar beets, small grains and fruit. Uncompahgre
National Forest lies close by, and within 30 miles are several of Colorado's most famous
mountain peaks, including Sneffels, 14,143; Uncompahgre, 14,306; and Wilson, 14,026.
Montrose offers much to sportsmen. There are 150 miles of nearby trout fishing streams,
with deer, bear, grouse, sage hens, ducks and pheasants to entice hunters.
Prior to 1881 the Ute Indians held undisputed possession of the Uncompahgre valley. Head
of all their tribes was Chief Ouray, who for many years ruled with such equity that he was
known as the "White Man's Friend." Born in Taos, N. M., in 1833, he took a
Tabeguache maiden, Chipeta, as his wife in 1859. The $10,000 home of the famous chief was
erected by the government near Montrose in 1878, just a few years before the Utes were
moved to Uintah Reservation in Utah. Ouray died in 1881; a monument in Montrose Memorial
Park honors his memory. Chipeta's remains are buried near a spring where the Indians
camped along the Uncompahgre just a few miles south of Montrose. The spring is covered by
an artistic concrete tepee erected in memory of the famous Indian couple.
BLACK CANYON NATIONAL MONUMENT
Major scenic attraction of the region is Black Canyon National Monument, created in 1923.
Black Canyon, through which the turbulent Gunnison River flows, is 55 miles in length, but
only ten miles of the more spectacular part is included in the Monument, which embraces an
area of 11,157 acres, ranging in width from one to three miles. Depth of Black Canyon
varies from 1,500 to 2,800 feet; width at the rim varies from 1,075 to 2,000 feet, at the
bottom from 28 to 300 feet. At one spot in the canyon geologists have discovered a
puzzling phenomenon. The basic rock, a hard volcanic formation, was formed during the
Archeozoic period, while directly above it is a softer, sedimentary rock laid down during
the Cretaceous period. Between the two periods scientists say there is a lapse of
455,000,000 years. What happened during the time between rock deposits will probably
forever remain a mystery. Animal life in Black Canyon National Monument includes all the
well known small mountain animals, together with deer, bear, mountain sheep, a few elk,
and coyotes. There are 48 varieties of birds.
(Finis Montrose Main Line)
|
