inches, but the lapse of a few hours served to disclose the bare vegetation of the valleys, and denuded spots upon the mountain sides.
Again en route, we continued up a large stream from the south and struck into a broad trail, which led through large openings and forests of aspen across the main mountain chain, to the waters of Grand river, into a beautiful valley known as the Old Park, where we remained encamped the two days subsequent.
Our nearest route to Fort Lancaster would have been by Câche a la Poudre, or Long's Peak; but, accumulating snows admonished us to abandon the Atlantic side of the mountains for a more southern latitude.
The country in the vicinity of the Old Park is highly interesting. It embraces a large tract of fertile territory, well watered and timbered, but more or less undulating, and is hemmed in by high mountains, which are clothed with lateral forests of pine, cedar, and aspen.
This valley ranges from east to west; and, heading at the base of Long's Peak, finds its opposite extremity at the cañon by which Grand river merges through the opposing barriers of mountain spurs.
The Old Park also, like the New, receives its appellation from the great abundance of game for which it is celebrated.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
From Grand river to Bayou Salâde. Observations by the way. Description of the Bayou. Voracity of magpies. Journey to Cherry creek. Country en route. Crystal creek. Abundance of game. Antelope hunting. Remarkable sagacity of wolves. Snow storms and amusement. Ravens. Move camp. — Comfortable winter quarters. Animal food conducive to general health and longevity. A laughable instance of sound sleeping. Astonishing wolfine rapacity. Beaver lodges and all about beaver. Hunting excursion. Vasques' creek, its valleys, table lands, mountains, and prairies. Camp. Left alone. Sensations, and care to avoid danger. A nocturnal visitor. Thrilling adventure and narrow escape. A lofty specimen of "gettin down stairs." Geological statistics.
WHILE camped at the Old Park, I improved the opportunity for ranging among the adjacent mountains, whose stern recesses disclosed many smiling beauty-spots. The weather continued pleasant, though somewhat colder then usual; and, notwithstanding the snow in places lay quite deep, it had acquired great solidity and compactness.
On the 10th of December we were again under way.
Crossing Grand river and continuing up a southern tributary, through a narrow defile of mountains, to a large valley formed at the junction of three principal branches, known us La Bonte's hole, and choosing the middle one, we proceeded to its head, —thence, passing the dividing ridge by a well-beaten buffalo trail, to the right of Long's Peak, on the 16th we
