University of California Berkeley 
 
in (morado 
 
 PICKET / 
 
 626 MARKET/S7 
 
 TftfCAffSOH - fiA ffffff CO. NS 
 
L. 
 
With Nature in 
 Colorado 
 
 A brief resume of 
 the grandeur of the 
 IVocky Mountain Region 
 
 PUBLISHED BY 
 THE PASSENGER DEPT. 
 
 OF TNI 
 
 DENVER &RIOGRANDER.R 
 
 E. T. JEFFERY 
 
 PRESIDENT 
 
 A. S. HUGHES S. K. HOOPER 
 
 TRAFFIC MANAGER GEN'C PASS. AOCNT 
 
 DENVER, COLORADO 
 
 Royal 
 Gorge 
 
 J. G. METCALFE 
 
O him who in the love of nature holds 
 
 Communion with her visible forms, she speaks 
 Jl various language. 
 
 Thanalopsis 
 
 
 Mount of the 
 Holy Cross 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Curecanti 
 Needle 
 
 COPYRIGHTED 1901 
 
 BY S. K. HOOPER, GEN-L PASSENGER AGENT 
 DENVER & Rio GRANDE RAILROAD 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Crest of the 
 Range 
 
 A Land of Infinite Variety 
 
 /TURE has been most generous in her gifts 
 to Colorado, and, with more than the magic of 
 the ancient alchemist, has wrought wonders in 
 behalf of her favorite child. There is nothing 
 hackneyed, nothing common-place in the 
 experiences of a visitor to Colorado. In spring 
 and summer the traveler sees the dry and 
 gravel-covered plains bloom out with luxuriant 
 verdure, a miracle as wonderful in seeming as the 
 budding of Tannhauser's pilgrim-staff, and the cause of 
 this phenomenon of the plains irrigation is itself novel 
 and interesting. 
 
 And while the plains are decked with the verdure 
 of spring or the blossoms of summer, the higher peaks of 
 the mountains are covered with eternal snow and a cool 
 breeze sweeps down from those celestial summits as 
 grateful to the traveler as a draught of snow-cooled 
 sherbet in a desert land. 
 
 But the fall and winter are not less delightful. The 
 climate of Colorado is of that sub-acid character which 
 appeals to the jaded spirits and serves as a tonic to the 
 weary nerves. There is nothing gloomy about the weather. 
 There are no skies of lead, few days that are dark and 
 
 Nature's 
 gifts to 
 Colorado 
 
 Delightful 
 climate 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 dreary, and when occasionally such a day does come, 
 
 it is so rare as to excite wondering comment, and is 
 
 gone before it has had a chance to get onto one's nerves. 
 
 Sunshiny As a matter of statistics it may be well to say that out of 
 
 days tne 265 days in a year Colorado has 340 days of sunshine, 
 
 wholly or in part. And there seldom exists any 
 
 cause for a tourist to complain that his view has been 
 
 cut off by darkling skies or his trip made unpleasant 
 
 by unpropitious weather. The sunshine of Colorado 
 
 Wagon 
 
 Wheel 
 
 Gap 
 
 Enjoyment carries with it a cheerfulness of spirit that is splendidly 
 and health conducive to hearty enjoyment and, in addition to that, 
 bears in its bright embrace that health-giving elixir 
 which heals otherwise irremediable ills. 
 
 Trite has become the advice that one should "go 
 to Colorado for health, wealth and pleasure," and, assuredly, 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Wealth in 
 the moan* 
 tains and 
 plains 
 
 Eagle 
 River 
 
 it is more than half true, for one cannot fail to secure 
 health and pleasure from a sojourn in this favored region, 
 and, as for wealth, there is plenty of it locked up in 
 the hills or within the soil of the fertile plains. As 
 to securing this wealth, that all depends on the indi- 
 vidual, just as it does everywhere. 
 
 But to the one who seeks health and pleasure in 
 Colorado the result cannot fail to be gratifying. Espec- 
 ially healing is the climate to those who suffer from 
 diseased lungs. Years of observation on the part of 
 medical scientists have established the fact that there 
 is no climate in the world better adapted to the absolute 
 cure of consumption than that of this sun-bathed plateau. ,, , fi 
 The climate is an absolute specific and no case that is co'nsumptio 
 taken in time will fail 
 to yield to the health- 
 restoring influences of 
 this oxygenated air and 
 these bright and bracing 
 days. 
 
 New surroundings 
 keep the mind pleas- 
 antly excited, novel 
 experiences divert from 
 too much introspection, 
 high altitude sets the 
 blood to coursing freely, 
 and the invalid who, 
 quite despondent 
 and almost despairing, 
 seeking for health will 
 find it with Nature in 
 Colorado. 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 In Perry 
 Park 
 
 Suggestions of Scenic Delights 
 
 RRIVING at Denver, the capital of Colorado 
 and the largest city in the State, the traveler 
 in search of the beautiful, the picturesque and 
 the novel, although in the midst of metro- 
 politan surroundings, with all the luxuries and 
 the artificialities of the highest modern civili- 
 zation, finds himself also in the immediate 
 presence of Nature. Art may environ the 
 visitor on every side. Architecture may pile its many- 
 storied edifices to right and left, but Nature cannot thus 
 ^ e mas ked and hidden. One glance upward and westward 
 Nature brings to the enraptured vision that mighty procession 
 of giant peaks, marching from north to south as far as 
 the eye can reach, which forms the Front Range of the 
 Rocky Mountains. 
 
 This grand parade of mountains, thus revealed from 
 such a point of view, can never fail to make a most 
 profound and most lasting impression. It is, indeed, 
 unparalleled in unique beauty, and, like the thrilling 
 
 M\dst h of 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 prelude to sonic immortal aria compose d In the world's 
 greatest musician, forms a fitting introduction, a splendid The 
 suggestion of the delights, the grandeurs and the glories 
 which await one who sojourns, though but lor a brief 
 s< .i-on, with Nature in Colorado. 
 
 
 Pike's Peak 
 from 
 Colorado 
 Springs 
 
 Fortunately for the traveler whose anticipations of 
 enjoyment have been so aroused, the opportunities for 
 beholding the indescribable wonders of the mountains 
 have been so improved that what formerly required 
 months can now be accomplished in days, and thus the 
 horizon of pleasure has been enlarged and the hardships scenery 
 of a tour among the mountains eliminated and all the 
 luxuries and conveniences of modern travel substituted. 
 
 The Denver \ Rio Grande Railroad, which from its 
 enterprise and push has been aptly termed the " Pioneer 
 Line," and which has now earned for itself the broader 
 characterization of "The Scenic Line of the World," 
 has scaled the clitfs, penetrated the canons, climbed the 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 mountains, leaped the rivers and traversed the valleys 
 of Colorado so completely that there is scarcely any 
 scene of grandeur so hidden by Nature that it has 
 not been brought plainly and easily into view. 
 
 Thus the traveler, with no fear of hardships, but 
 Better than with every assurance of speed, safety, comfort and luxury, 
 
 the scenery finds himself in Denver at the threshold of experiences 
 
 of the Old i i r i j i 
 
 World which promise more of novelty, more of grandeur and 
 
 more of really valuable knowledge than could be secured 
 by a journey across the sea preparatory to an invasion of 
 the trite, tame and time-worn tracts of tourist travel 
 offered by the Old World. 
 
 Ouray 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Collegiate 
 Range 
 
 A Mighty Maze, but Not Without 
 a Plan" 
 
 TH a map of "The Scenic Line" spread out 
 before him, the traveler, ready to commence 
 his journey from Denver, glances eagerly 
 along the widely radiating lines of red and 
 black which mark the courses of this marvel- 
 ous railroad and reads the names of world- 
 famed scenic wonders so lavishly distributed 
 to north and south and west that the embar- 
 rassment of riches becomes a burden and the question 
 "where to go first?" grows into formidable proportions. 
 In such a case the easiest way is the best, and the 
 easiest way is to consult some one of the courteous agents 
 of the railroad company, who will soon make it 
 apparent that, although the map appears to be "a mighty 
 maze," 'tis "not without a plan." 
 
 Consult t/n 
 map as to 
 where to gt 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 For example : if one desires to visit Colorado Springs 
 and Manitou > the San Luis Valley, via La Veta Pass, 
 behold Toltec Gorge, pass through Durango, penetrate 
 Las Animas Canon, enter Baker's Park, cross the mountains 
 
 Manitou 
 
 from Silverton to Ouray over the famous Toll Road, or 
 
 through the beautiful San Juan via the Rio Grande South- 
 
 Th wUltell ern ' tnrou g n weird Lost Canon, the wonderful Ophir Loop 
 
 you about it under the shadow of the majestic Mt. Sneffles, and gaze 
 
 upon the marvels of the Black Canon, Curecanti Needle, 
 
 Marshall Pass and Royal Gorge, if such a trip is desired, 
 
 it is expressed by the agent in a single phrase, "Take the 
 
 Trip Around the Circle." 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 '3 
 
 In a general way one may consider the southwestern 
 part of Colorado as forming the famous "San Juan," 
 
 a great expanse of mountains, hills, valleys, upland The silver 
 i i r TT 11-1 i San Juan 
 
 meadows and forests. Here gold, silver, coal, copper 
 
 and iron mines abound, some of them the richest and 
 most productive in the world. Agriculture flourishes 
 in the valleys, the hills are populous with game, the 
 streams are alive with trout, and the forests furnish timber 
 of excellent quality and inexhaustible quantity. 
 
 Nowhere else in the old or new world can there be 
 found grander or more varied scenery. The canons, 
 passes, vales and parks afford endless combinations of 
 beauty and magnificence, appealing to every emotion 
 of the soul and sweeping the entire diapason of human 
 thought. 
 
 From Durango, which is the metropolis of the San 
 Juan, the Rio Grande Southern Railroad extends to the 
 westward into the hitherto almost inaccessible region of Rio Grande 
 the Cliff Dwellers and then circling to the northward con- Southern 
 nects with the Denver & Rio Grande line at Ridgway. 
 This comparatively recent extension of this marvelous 
 railroad has added largely to the list of attractions in 
 
 Chipeta 
 Falls 
 
14 WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 the way of scenic and historic interest, to say nothing 
 Wonder of its commercial value. 
 
 Among these wonder places may be briefly mentioned 
 the Cliff Dwellings, already referred to ; Lost Canon 
 
 Marshall 
 Pass 
 
 and Dolores Canon, both possessing points of interest 
 
 peculiarly their own; Trout Lake, a beautiful expanse 
 
 of water filled with trout, and a great resort for sportsmen; 
 
 Ophir Loop, a marvel of railroad engineering; and many 
 
 Jl marvel of other interesting features, each worthy of extended descrip- 
 
 engineering t [ on anc j a j| f orm i n g a constellation of star attractions which 
 
 cannot fail to appeal strongly to the mind and impress 
 
 deeply the memory of the one who is fortunate enough 
 
 to behold them. 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 In like manner is simplified the intricacies of a 
 journey westward over the continental range to Leadville, 
 Glenwood Springs, Grand Junction, which includes such 
 splendid scenery as that afforded by the Royal Gorge, Points of 
 Mt. Massive, Eagle River Canon, the Canon of the Grand ' 
 River, and return to the place of starting, through the Black 
 Canon of" the Gunnison, Marshall Pass and the Grand 
 Canon of the Arkansas, which the agent would tersely 
 describe as the " Short Circle." 
 
 It would require an expert accountant to so balance 
 the credits to be entered in favor of each of these journeys 
 as to decide which one possessed the greater sum of inter- 
 est. The better way to do would be to take both journeys The better 
 and thus lay up such a store of delightful memories that a " 
 long life of retrospection 
 could never stale their 
 infinite variety. But 
 these two grand tours do 
 not byany means 
 exhaust the resources of 
 novelty and knowledge 
 commanded by the mar- 
 velous railroad which 
 makes them accessible. 
 There are many mat- 
 ters yet to be considered; 
 among them a visit to 
 the famous gold mines 
 of Cripple Creek, where 
 millions of dollars in pre- 
 cious ore are taken every 
 month from the sur- 
 rounding hills and where 
 
 Tolt 
 Gorj 
 
i6 
 
 WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Cliff 
 Dwellings 
 
 extinct romances of sudden riches are the every-day topics of dis- 
 race cussion. Then down in the southern extreme of Colorado, 
 beyond Durango, a radiating line penetrates the mysterious 
 region of the Cliff Dwellers, where the ruins of their highly 
 advanced but hopelessly lost civilization may be seen in 
 the canon-hollows of the Mesa Verde. 
 
 And, again, there is more of meritorious moment 
 to be considered, for, reached by still another radiating 
 route, are to be seen the characteristic homes of the 
 The Pueblo Indians, the makers of wonderful pottery and 
 t ^ ie heirs to a m y ster i us religion handed down from 
 a remote and unknown ancestry. 
 
 And down in this southern land, remote from the 
 whirl and worry of the workaday world, the remnants 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 of the red aborigines, who once held savage sway The red 
 over all this territory, now dwell in the ancient tribal aborigines 
 manner upon a reservation granted them by the general 
 government. 
 
 From this brief glance upon the map and from a 
 short conversation with some obliging agent of " The 
 Scenic Line " the traveler, pausing for a temporary The 
 period of rest in Denver, gathers some idea of what vast "fflcenic 
 scope and vague, what scenic magnificence, what historic magnificence 
 interests, what tremendous contrasts, what heights, what 
 depths, what vision-taxing expanses of mountain, plain 
 and valley are awaiting the attention of him who would 
 commune with Nature in Colorado. 
 
iS 
 
 WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 La Veta 
 Mountain 
 
 Health and 
 
 pleasure 
 
 resorts 
 
 Indian 
 Pueblo 
 
 Colorado "Fountains of Youth" 
 
 IS itinerary arranged, the traveler leaves Denver 
 southward-bound, comfortably ensconced in a 
 Pullman or a chair car, as choice or regard of 
 expense may dictate, and a season of unalloyed 
 pleasure is assured. It is no exaggeration to 
 say that every mile of progress brings some- 
 thing novel, interesting or transcendently beau- 
 tiful into view, and that his journey is a 
 crescendo of delightful experiences. 
 Should health be a desideratum, it can be found 
 
 at the delightful resorts near Colorado Springs, in the 
 
 mineral waters of Manitou or the 
 
 hot springs of Glenwood. Around 
 
 these springs are clustered hotels 
 
 unsurpassed in elegancies and 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Ig 
 
 comforts, and, in the 
 season, the hostelries 
 are gay with merry 
 companies of pleas- 
 ure-seekers enjoying 
 to the utmost the 
 charm of their delight- 
 ful surroundings and 
 gathering strength and vigor with each day. 
 
 Manitou has been the chief health resort of Colorado Manitou 
 for a quarter of a century, and, before that, was famed 
 among the Indians as "Great Medicine Waters." That 
 this fame rested upon assured experience has been demon- 
 strated by results not only marvelous in character but 
 frequently and continuously repeated. 
 
 While the mineral springs of Manitou undoubtedly 
 pour forth waters of magic medicinal properties, the 
 air of Manitou and the adjacent beautiful city of 
 Colorado Springs, is exhilarating and health-giving and 
 the scenery surrounding these charming places is varied Charming 
 and novel. Thus there is a combination of qualities p 
 which render them among the most attractive of health 
 resorts. 
 
 Closely adjacent are scenic beauties of world-wide 
 celebrity. Among these are the famous Garden of the 
 Gods, Pike's Peak with its interesting cog-wheel rail- The 
 road to the summit, Cave of the Winds, Rainbow Falls, c r oad 
 Grand Caverns, Balanced Rock, and Cheyenne Canon 
 with its remarkable Seven Falls. This mention is an 
 injustice because it is inadequate to describe, but the 
 glories of the Garden of the Gods alone would require 
 more space than is allotted for this book. 
 
 Hotel 
 Colorado 
 Glenwood 
 Springs 
 
zo WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 The mind should be employed in the work of health- 
 
 Health building as well as the body, and the mind is kept con- 
 
 building s tantly alert and is supplied with ever-varying and always 
 
 pleasing themes of thought by the grand, the novel, the 
 
 Trout Lake 
 
 graceful and the grotesque forms of Nature's handiwork 
 which abound in and around the Pike's Peak region. 
 
 In another way, unique and original, Glenwood Springs 
 can claim quite as much admiration and attention. Shut 
 in by Alpine hills, margined by a river of wonderful pic- 
 Glenwood turesqueness, and supplied with hot springs of established 
 Springs healing properties, Glenwood has received the attention 
 of capitalists and possesses one of the largest bathing pools 
 in the world, a bath-house of splendid and luxurious equip- 
 ment, and a hotel unrivaled in excellence of service and 
 perfection of architecture. 
 
 Those who love Nature will find themselves in 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 closest companionship with her in the mountainous 
 environment of Glenwood. "The forests primeval, 
 the murmuring pines and the hemlocks" darkle along Mountain 
 the broad expanses of the encroaching hills, but their J 
 somber stateliness is lightened by the bright vivacity 
 and vigorous verdure of the aspens stirred into hilari- 
 ous dancing by the gentlest of zephyrs and rippling 
 into a foam of foliage when the white surfaces of the 
 leaves are turned upward into view by strong breezes. 
 For the angler, the trout sport in the ripples of the 
 river, and for the hunter big game roam among the 
 valleys and the foothills. Flowers of graceful forms, U)Ud flowers 
 brilliant colors and delicate perfume are to be found in 
 lavish abundance, and the visitor to Glenwood Springs can 
 earnestly say with Cy. Warman, one of Colorado's poets : 
 
 "God was good to make the mountains, 
 
 The valleys a^d the hills, 
 Put the rose upon the cactus 
 And the ripple in the rills." 
 
 At Glenwood Springs 
 one can combine health- 
 seeking and the fullest 
 enjoyment of Nature's 
 charms. Delicate invalids 
 can take the hot baths under 
 direction of competent 
 physicians in the palatial 
 bath house, and those of 
 more ro- 
 bust con- 
 d i t i o n 
 can enjoy 
 
 Canon 
 of the 
 Grand 
 River 
 
 Nature's 
 charms 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 a plunge in the swimming pool at any season of the year, 
 the waters being maintained at a maximum temperature 
 of 90 degrees. 
 
 Many Colorado Springs, Manitou and Glenwood are the 
 l springs best known health resorts of Colorado, because of their 
 being easy of access and situated on the main line of the 
 Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, but there are many other 
 thermal springs on this line which have gained renown 
 for their curative properties. Those at Wagon Wheel 
 Gap are especially noted, being situated amidst scenery 
 of unsurpassed beauty and in close contiguity to one 
 of the best trout streams of the State. Pagosa Springs, 
 which have long been noted for their wonderful curative 
 properties are destined to rank with those at Glenwood 
 and Manitou. As the Denver and Rio Grande completed 
 its line of railroad into that point last fall and it 
 is now so easily accessible capitalists have become 
 interested. Other improvements in the shape of modern 
 hotels and bath-houses are being planned. No longer 
 
 Pagosa dependent upon the stage coach, Pagosa now takes its 
 Springs . r -111-11," /-' t- - o 
 
 place as it should with the first resorts of the State. 
 
 It would be an injustice to pass without mention the 
 many other health resorts; although space forbids extended 
 descriptions here, the same will be .found in other pub- 
 
 Lake 
 
 San Cristoval 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 lications of the Rio Grande Road. Among these are 
 Canon City, with hot springs and excellent hotels; Valley 
 View Hot Springs, near Villa Grove; Ojo Caliente, near 
 Barranca; Trimble Springs, near Durango; Cebolla Hot More 
 Springs; Waunita Hot Springs; Poncha Springs, near ' 
 Salida; Buena Vista Hot Springs; Mt. Princeton Hot 
 Springs; Soda Springs, near Leadville; and Steamboat 
 
 Mount Abrams 
 
 and 
 
 Toll Road 
 
 Springs, distant from Wol- 
 cott, on the main line 
 miles by stage, but the most 
 extensive group of hot 
 springs in the world, num- 
 bering one hundred and 
 fifty and varying in tem- 
 perature from almost freez- 
 ing cold to i 50 degrees Fahrenheit. 
 
 Ponce de Leon never reached Colorado in his search The f ounta in 
 for the fabled " Fountain of Youth," but certainly this of youth 
 favorite of Nature comes nearer possessing such a boon 
 than any other place in the world. 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Loop 
 Ophir 
 
 Scenes too 
 grand 
 
 for language 
 to describe 
 
 Masterpieces in Nature's Picture 
 
 Gallery. 
 
 IKE a necklace of golden beads, with here and 
 there a diamond of purest ray and most daz- 
 zling splendor, the scenic beauties of Colorado 
 lie upon her breast. The royal ermine of 
 imperial and eternal snow rests on the shoul- 
 ders of her mountains. These comparisons 
 may sound exaggerated to those unfamiliar 
 with the facts and may appear an unwarranted 
 employment of poetic license, but such is not the case. 
 There are some emotions too profound for adequate 
 
 expression in 
 words, and there 
 are some scenes 
 too grand for lan- 
 guage to describe. 
 The traveler in 
 Colorado cannot 
 fail to experience 
 some emotions, 
 excited by be- 
 holding the trans- 
 cendent grandeur 
 of such scenes. 
 Even the artist 
 whose work ap- 
 peals directly to 
 the eye, can never 
 hope to convey to 
 one unfamiliar 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 with the scene a tithe of the sublimity, the glory and the The artist 
 
 grandeur of one of Colorado's least famous canons, to say f aiis to . 
 
 i 1-1 r i T- i convey the 
 
 nothing about an attempt to depict those of the Royal idea 
 Gorge, Black Canon of the Gunnison, the Rio de Las 
 Animas or the Canon of the Grand River. 
 
 Sultan 
 Mountain 
 
 But the memory of one who has beheld these trans- 
 cendently beautiful scenes becomes a picture gallery whose Mature's 
 walls are decorated with views from nature which surpass picture gallery 
 the most finished product of artistic skill and genius. 
 These pictures would be almost infinite in number and of 
 such variety that interest would never flag in recalling 
 them to view, just as interest never flagged when they 
 were first beheld. 
 
26 
 
 WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 The Canon Among them would be the Canon of the Grand River, 
 Grand River through which one passes on the main line of the Denver & 
 Rio Grande road just before reaching Glenwood Springs. 
 For a distance of sixteen miles the towering walls of the 
 canon rise on each side, confining the river and the track 
 within narrow limits and rising at times to the stupendous 
 height of nearly half a mile of perpendicular ascent. The 
 stratification of the walls is plainly marked, a characteristic 
 not present in many of the famous canons of Colorado, 
 and, in addition to the wonderful variety of shape assumed 
 by the rock formations, their colors are quite as wonder- 
 fully varied. Brilliant tints of red and yellow, of maroon, 
 lavender, pink and amber make the walls a constant study 
 and lend a delightful variety to the scene. The over- 
 whelming grandeur of this gigantic specimen of Nature's 
 
 Nature's architecture is softened and beautified by these chromatic 
 Architecture . , , ~ , J , , r , 
 
 ornamentations, and the effect upon the mind of the spec- 
 tator is that of mingled delight and awe. 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Turning from this picture, a sharp and strong contrast 
 is found in that of the Black Canon of the Gunnison. Black Canon 
 This tremendous chasm through the mountains is the 
 passage way of the Gunnison River and is followed for 
 
 New Line 
 over 
 
 La Veta 
 Pass 
 
 fourteen miles by that line of the Denver & Rio Grande 
 
 road which connects Salida with Grand Junction and 
 
 traverses the central part of Colorado from its eastern to 
 
 its western border. Here the lack of brilliant color gives 
 
 a gloomy grandeur to the scene, while the presence of that 
 
 majestic sky-piercing pinnacle known as Curecanti Needle 
 
 and of the lovely Chipeta Falls adds an element of varied 
 
 interest which banishes all monotony. As in the Canon 
 
 of the Grand River, the rock walls rise to a tremendous The Rocks 
 
 height, the skyline being frequently more than two thou- tremendous 
 
 sand feet above the eyes of the observer. It is difficult height 
 
 to grasp understandingly the vast proportions thus 
 
 briefly noted, but some idea of them may be gathered 
 
 when it is suggested that this rocky wall towers upward 
 
 to a distance equal to that of the street frontage of four 
 
 city blocks. 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Saltair 
 Beach 
 
 Take a bath 
 
 in the Great 
 
 Salt Lake 
 
 The 
 Royal Gorge 
 
 And still another picture of abysmal heights and 
 depths is held in memory. It is that of the Canon of 
 the Animas. En route from Durango to Silverton the 
 traveler beholds this marvelous chasm, which has been 
 made the water-course of what the Spaniards called the 
 "Rio de las Animas Perdidas," or "River of Lost Souls." 
 
 But grandest of all the masterpieces of Nature whose 
 pictures ornament the walls of memory's art gallery is 
 that of the Grand Canon of the Arkansas and its crown- 
 ing glory, the Royal Gorge. Easiest of access among 
 all the canons of Colorado, being situated on the main 
 line of the Denver & Rio Grande between Canon City 
 and Salida in the Front Range of the Rockies, it is the 
 most spectacular, awe-inspiring and magnificent. Down 
 this mighty cleft in the heart of the granite rock-barrier 
 rush the raging waters of the Arkansas River, lashed into- 
 foaming fury and dashed into spuming spray by its swift 
 descent through the tortuous defile. So narrow is the 
 passage at one point that there was no room for both 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 road and river, and therefore a curiously constructed 
 bridge of steel had to be thrown lengthwise of the 
 
 stream, suspended from iron supports mortised into the J he 
 
 11 1-1 1-1 i i r i famous 
 
 canon walls on each side to the right and left. And hanging 
 
 right here can be seen the climax of all the great canon's bridge 
 grandeur, that which has been aptly called " The Royal 
 Gorge." For two thousand six hundred feet the solid 
 monoliths soar upward, five times as lofty as the 
 Washington monument, the highest permanent structure 
 reared by the hand of man. No words can adequately 
 describe the magnificence of the scene. Only those 
 who have beheld its glories can appreciate them. 
 
 There are many more wonders which have not been 
 mentioned, and there are numerous canons which have 
 not been referred to ; enough has been said, however, for 
 all description is inadequate and only those who see can 
 know. 
 
 The Denver & Rio Grande being a part of a great 
 through trans-continental line, the journey continues 
 on via the Rio Grande Western to Salt Lake City and 
 Ogden and thence to the Pacific coast. 
 
 Temple and 
 Tabernacle 
 
 You can 
 stop over at 
 Salt Lake 
 City 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 Indian 
 Tepees 
 
 Big Game in Nature's Preserves 
 
 N the preceding pages we have endeavored 
 to epitomize the attractions which Nature 
 presents to the traveler in Colorado, so far as 
 scenery, climate and health advantages are 
 concerned, and having suggested the matters 
 of interest to be found there by the students 
 of geology, history and anthropology, there 
 remains a word to say concerning the remarka- 
 ble natural game preserves in the northwestern part of 
 the State. 
 
 Routt County, of which the town of Steamboat 
 
 Springs is the county-seat, and Garfield and Rio Blanca 
 
 counties within a radius of fifty miles from Meeker, has 
 
 The been termed "The Sportsman's Paradise". Here big game 
 
 Sportsman's abounds and here the huntsman can find at the minimum 
 Paradise r . r , , r 
 
 expense of time and money the most attractive field for 
 
 the employment of the gun and rod on the continent. 
 If the excitement of the chase is desired, it can be 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 found on the trail of the black, cinnamon and silver-tip 
 bear, or the stately elk can be stalked, the agile deer 
 pursued, the fleet antelope followed. Should a spice of 
 danger prove attractive, it can be found when the hunter 
 faces a big mountain lion. 
 
 As for wild fowl, they are found in abundance, 
 including ducks, geese, grouse, ptarmigan and sage 
 chickens ; and the fisherman will discover that the moun- 
 tain brooks swarm with the largest and most gamy trout. 
 
 To reach this really remarkable region, only seventy- 
 five miles of staging are required from Wolcott 
 station, or thirty to fifty miles from DeBeque or Rifle on 
 the main line of the Denver & Rio Grande road. There 
 are mountains and valleys to be explored, and each 
 abounds with the game, large and small, which naturally 
 seeks such favorable environment. This region has not 
 been hunted out, and, as Colorado protects game with 
 stringent and strongly enforced laws, it is safe to say it 
 will not be exhausted for many seasons yet to 
 come. 
 
 It is no more than justice to say 
 that no subject mentioned in the 
 preceding pages has been given any- 
 thing like an exhaustive treatment. 
 As to the climate, statistics which 
 would fill a volume have been gath- 
 ered by scientists showing the advan- 
 tages possessed 
 by Colorado in 
 this regard, but 
 space has preven- 
 ted more than a 
 
 Elk and deer 
 abound 
 
 reach it 
 
 Upper Twin 
 Lake 
 
WITH NATURE IN COLORADO 
 
 passing mention here. And with reference to the scenery, 
 hundreds of marvels have been passed over in silence, 
 and the same may be said concerning the health-giving 
 springs and resorts for invalids. 
 
 In what has been said, a 
 desire to suggest some of 
 the enjoyments and benefits 
 which can be secured by a 
 sojourn with Nature in 
 Colorado has prompt- 
 ed the saying, and 
 with the hope that 
 the suggestion has 
 been successful 
 
 Ute Indian 
 
 in exciting 
 
 interest this 
 
 incomplete 
 
 record 
 
 ends. 
 
 THE DENVER 4 RIO GRANDE OPERATES A 
 MOST SUPERB DINING CAR SERVICE ON 
 ALL THROUGH TRAINS. MEALS A LA CARTE. 
 
310