[III-9] At or near the place now called Howbert, on the N. bank of the S. Platte. This great river has its uttermost source in that section of the Continental Divide which bounds South Park on the N. W., above the sources of the Arkansaw, and in the southward continuation of the same mountains. The latter, bounding South Park on the W., and known as the Park range, are not the Continental Divide, because the Arkansaw r. here intervenes, and the Divide separates the Arkansan water-shed from that of Gunnison r. Having gathered its numerous tributaries from these mountains, the South Platte sweeps southeastward across South Park, and then turns abruptly northeastward to leave the Park by the Eleven Mile Cañon already mentioned, finds its way through the Front range south of Denver, and runs in the prairie till it joins the North Platte in Lincoln Co., Nebraska. The Col. Mid. R. R. now runs from Colorado Springs, past Florissant, through Eleven Mile cañon, and skirts the South Platte across South Park, on its way to the already notable mining camp Leadville, which no doubt has a future as well as a past; the Denv., S. P., and Pac. R. R. traverses South Park from N. to S.; and each of these roads leaves the park on the S. through Trout Creek Pass, where Pike did also when he struck over for the Arkansaw. These points will appear more clearly as we proceed to trail the Expedition through South Park.
[III-10] Further up the N. bank of the S. Platte, to vicinity of the C. M. R. R. station, Sulphur Springs.
[III-11] Which could never be struck on any such course as this. To go hence S. W. would take the Expedition over the Park range to the Arkansaw, thence over the Continental Divide to the headwaters of the Gunnison, and so on.
[III-12] Hartsell's or Hartzell's ranch was located in the crotch of the forks Pike passed, and the town or railroad station by this name is now 2 m. above, on the N. bank of the S. fork, or Little Platte r. The two forks are of approximately equal size; but the N. or right-hand fork is the main one. The other, left-hand one, which Pike goes up a very short distance, and finds it does not suit him, is formed by the confluence of various creeks, among which may be named High, Herring's (Agate cr. of Hayden), Buffalo, and Long Gulch. Camp is set about 2 m. west of Hartsell's, near where High cr. falls into this branch of the S. Platte.
[III-13] Pike has actually got on the old San Juan road, which he follows more or less nearly out of South Park, as does also a branch of the Col. Midl. R. R. He enters those outliers of the Park range called the Trout Creek Pass hills, gets over the range itself by this pass, supposed to be 9,800 feet high, and goes down Trout cr. Some named places near or on his route are Salt Works, Mill Top, Higgins', and McGee's. Camp on Trout cr., in the vicinity of the last named place.
[III-14] Merely shifting camp a little distance down Trout cr. from the gorge to the open country, about the mouth of the creek, through which the Arkansaw here flows. It is a very well known place. The D. and R. G., the Col. Midl., and the D., S. P., and P. R. R. come together here; in the immediate vicinity are places called Charcoal (about where, I suppose, camp was set), Midway, and Schwanders; a little below is Nathrop, where the D., S. P. and P. R. R. starts over the Continental Divide for Gunnison; and a little above is Buena Vista, seat of Chaffee Co., which Pike entered when he made the Trout Creek Pass. The Arkansaw is here flowing about S. S. E. The Continental Divide is directly W., 15 to 20 m.; the mountains that make it are the Sawatch range, some of whose peaks along here are: Mt. Princeton, 14,190 feet, nearest Pike's camp; Mt. Antero, 14,245; Mt. Shavano, 14,230; Mt. Keyes, 13,700. Arnold's cr. falls in a little below Trout cr., on the same side; while from the Sawatch mts. come Chalk and Cottonwood creeks, respectively below and above camp. Pike is going to descend the Arkansaw from this station to Cañon City; but he first starts his people in that direction, while with two men he makes a little reconnaissance up river, in the narrow valley between the Sawatch and Park ranges.
[III-15] Pike stepped off the ties of the Col. Midl. R. R., if he went up the N. side of the river, and those of the Denver and Rio Grande, if he passed on the other side. His camp was between the station Fisher of the former railroad, and Riverside of the latter, below the mouth of Pine cr., which comes down from Mt. Harvard. To reach this point, he passed Buena Vista and the stations Dornick and Americus; also, the place where one Leonard had his ranch, and there used to be a toll-gate—for an old mail route passed by here. Two streams he passed were Cottonwood cr., on the left, coming down from between Mts. Princeton and Yale, latter 14,187 feet; and next Seven Mile or Sweetwater cr., on the right, down a branch of which came the old California road. He is under the shadow of Mt. Harvard, of the Sawatch range, 14,375 feet high, and Marmot Peak in the Park range.
[III-16] The highest point on the Arkansaw ever reached by the Expedition, and that only by three of its members. This is the nearest Pike ever came to Pacific waters; and it is close enough to have easily started the erroneous tradition. This has been given currency in General A. W. Greely's sketch, and very lately also supported by Governor Alva Adams, in his address, July 12th, 1894, p. 13, where we read: "He wandered west over routes we cannot identify until he must have found the Tomichi, a tributary of the Gunnison, and the only time Pike touched Pacific waters." But let us see about this. Assuming the substantial accuracy of Pike's mileages for the 21st and 22d, or at any rate, that they were not understated, and taking the Trout Creek camp to have been 6 m. below Buena Vista, his uttermost point may be fixed within a mile or two of Twin Lakes station on the D. and R. G. R. R. This place takes name from the two beautiful lakes which lie from 2 to 5 m. westward. This determination would be more particularly acceptable, as the point indicated falls almost exactly on the boundary between Chaffee and Lake cos. I think, very probably, that the "large point of the mountain," on turning which Pike viewed the further course of the Arkansaw, was that sharp spur which projects to the river on the left, 3 m. above Granite station and Cache cr., and at the foot of which falls in the discharge stream from the lakes. Pike could have seen up river a good way from any elevation in this vicinity, though by no means "at least 35 miles." I doubt that the course of any river in these parts is continuously visible for this distance; besides, there is no 35 m. of the Arkansaw above Twin Lakes. The Arkansaw is composed from three branches which unite west of Leadville—the middle, Tennessee fork, heading in the Continental Divide, in and near Tennessee Pass, in relation with heads of Eagle r., a tributary of the Grand; the east fork, heading about Frémont Pass with Ten Mile cr., a tributary of Blue r. and so of the Grand; which two, having joined, are joined by the west or Lake fork. There is little to choose between the middle and east forks, as to which is the ultimate "source" of the Arkansaw. Both are now meandered by the D. and R. G. R. R., the east one also by the Denver, Leadville and Gunnison division of the U. P.; while the Col. Midl. goes along the west fork. Below the junction of this fork the Arkansaw receives various small tributaries, chiefly from the Park range on the east, as those from the gulches known as Iowa, Thompson, Empire, Union, Weston, and Granite; the corresponding streams on the other side, from the Sawatch range, mostly fall into the west fork, as Half Moon cr. and others; but one which gathers from Mt. Elbert falls into the main river 2 m. above the discharge of Twin Lakes. The lesser of these two is fed by Lake and other small streams, and discharges into the greater one, which in turn discharges into the Arkansaw. The lakes are about 1½ and 2½ m. in their respective diameters. Between the two is a place called Interlaken, reminding one of the fact that Colorado is often styled the Switzerland of America.
[III-17] We must guess as well as we can where this was. Pike, Miller, and Mountjoy started early from their camp below Pine cr., about Riverside station, and made a forced march well into the night. We may credit them with 25 m., and suppose them to be below Nathrop (which is on Chalk cr.), and somewhere in the vicinity of Brown's cr., which falls in from the left.
[III-18] It is specially desirable to fix this Christmas camp, if not for the sentiment of the thing, then because it is our initial point for the whole journey hence down the Arkansaw to Cañon City. From anything that has preceded we do not know where it was, within 10 m. But on the 26th Pike notes a "large stream" from the south, at 7½ m. This is the South Arkansaw, which falls in very near the well-known town of Salida. Salida is 7 m. by rail below a station called Brown Cañon, which latter is a little above Squaw cr. Between Salida and Brown Cañon the country is open and park-like among the mountains—just the sort of a place where buffalo would herd in the winter. The seasonable supply of eight beeves was got in consequence, and I have no doubt that Christmas was spent in the immediate vicinity of Brown Cañon. The mountain fastnesses about the headwaters of the Arkansaw long continued to be wintering-grounds for the buffalo. Thus we find one of the most experienced officers of our army making the following remark: "Although generally regarded as migratory in their habits, yet the buffalo often winter in the snows of a high northern latitude. Early in the spring of 1858 I found them in the Rocky mountains, at the head of the Arkansas and South Platte rivers, and there was every indication that this was a permanent abiding place for them," says Marcy, Pra. Trav. 1859, p. 234, half a century after Pike's fortunate find. The herd now preserved in Yellowstone Park has no trouble with the deepest snows and coldest weather of that region.