Field Notes of Junius Henderson/Notebook 3
Front pages[edit]
Junius Henderson
Field Notebook
No. 3
1909 - Sept. 6, 1909 Junius Henderson
Boulder, Colo
Field Note Book
No. 3
1909 - Sept. 6, 1909
Trips to the West[edit]
- Journey further West to California, Winter-Summer 1909
Boulder, Colo., Jany 26, 1909
Bright, windy morning, 40¡ at 7 a. m. Went to University for receipt book, etc. Then took 11:30 train for Ft. Collins, reaching there at 1:15. Went to Northern Hotel, got lunch ordered team for tomorrow at Tate's and spent balance of day reading and writing. Retired at 8:45.
Ft. Collins, Jany 27, 1909
Arose at 5:45. Left hotel at 7 a.m. with team and driver from Tate's. Cloudy and cold, east wind, clearing and warming toward noon. Took Rocky Ridge road. Saw big flock blackbirds, numerous horned larks, several hawks and magpies and one meadowlark. Reached mouth of Box Elder at 10 a.m.
N of creek, Niobrara and Dakota dip 66deg, strike N 55deg E. Benton measures 143 yds horizontally across and Dakota about 100 yards. S of creek Niobrara dips 82¡ strike N 45¡ E carries it directly into outcrops on N side. N end of S side outcrop swings to N for last few feet. 75 horizontal yards across Benton and 75 across Dakota.
Found no yellow ss in Jurassic at mouth of canyon, but the l.s. containing the fossils (of which we have had slides made) and one foot (or more) concretionary zone is present. In isolated hill inside mouth of canyon the deep red Lykins passes above into pinkish roundly massive s.s., which abruptly changes to whitish, in turn abruptly but apparently conformably into angular yellow s.s. Probably that in which Hayden found Pentacrinus and Ostrea. Above this is the fossiliferous l.s. At one point there is a marked unconformity near base of Jura for 50 ft thus ((drawing in field book)).
Worked back S of Niobrara ridge, found no fossils in Benton and only Inoceramus and Ostrea fragments in the Dakota. Saw white tailed jack rabbit.
Then came back to Ft. Collins by road which passes the mouth of Owl Canyon drainage. Started back at 2:30 reaching hotel at 5:20. has been warm walking this afternoon, and bright, but a cool breeze which made overcoat comfortable when driving.
Ft. Collins, Jan 28, 1909
Cloudy, a strong, cold north wind. Arose at 7 a.m., left for Boulder at 8 a.m.
Boulder, Feby 13, 1909
Cloudy, east wind. W. W. Robbins and I started for Green Mt. Via Skunk Canyon at 9:30 a.m. Saw only usual number of magpies and long crested jays, one buzzard, a few chickadees one canyon or winter wren and one pine squirrel. Robbins shot the squirrel. Not a junco, tree sparrow or any other species. At noon it began snowing and continued till we reached home at 2 p.m. and balance of day.
Tuesday, Mch 2, 1909
Started for Ft. Collins with G. W. Bartholomew of the Portland Cement Co. on 7:50 p.m. train. Windy. Reached Ft. Collins on time and went to Northern Hotel.
Wednesday Mch 3, 1909
Started with Bartholomew and team from Daly and Nelson's at 7:30 a.m., for Owl Canyon. Saw numerous shore larks and red winged blackbirds. Examined gypsum, found section thus in the Lykins: Limestone capping escarpment Red clay 75 ft Gypsum 25 ft Covered 10 ft. Crossbedded sandstone.
Reached Collins at 3:10 p.m. Gypsum at Owl canyon is crossed by west line of sec 6, tp 9 N R 69 W. Returned to Boulder in Evening, reaching here at 6 p.m. Bartholomew paid me $20.00 for the trip and all expenses.
Boulder, Colo., March 23, 1909
Delightful morning, but hazy clouds. I started alone up Gregory Canyon at 7:30 a.m. Six meadowlarks before reaching mouth of canyon. Saw Junco sp. at mouth of Gregory Canyon. Further up saw nuthatches and took a chipmunk and chickadee. Saw a Clarke nutcracker. Passed over the divide into bear Canyon, where nutcrackers were plentiful, as well as chickadees and nuthatches. Shot another chickadee and nuthatch.
Then worked down Bear canyon and over into Skunk Canyon where I shot a chickadee of the other species. Just south of town heard 3 more meadowlarks and saw 2 bluebirds and one robin. Long crested jays all along the route but magpies only in Skunk Canyon. Juncos only at mouth of Gregory and mouth of Skunk Canyon. Shot a nutcracker for his skeleton. Began to sprinkle just before reaching my room at the Y.M.C.A. at 6 p.m. Still raining hard when I went to bed after a dip in the swimming pool.
Boulder, Colo.
Sunday, June 6, 1909
Went to church in forenoon. Dined with rev. Pulliam, then hurried to University and marched in the academic procession to the Presbyterian Church and heard the Baccalaureate Sermon.
Monday, June 7, 1909
Very rainy day. Finished my work at museum for the semester. Saw 2 nighthawks.
Tuesday June 8, 1909
Clouds low in morning, but soon lifted. Got meals at the Boulderado. Took representative Chas. Hayden, a member of the advisory board, to dinner with me. In evening I went to the campus illumination etc.
Wednesday, June 9, 1909
Clear early in morning. Soon clouded. Academic procession started at 10 a.m. Took cars to Chatauqua. Terrific rain and hail just as we reached the grounds, continuing for some time , then with milder force nearly all through commencement exercises. Dined at Home Lunch Counter at 2 p.m., Packed trunk and left for Denver on 4:40 train, sprinkling again as I left. The foregoing 4 days record written on train just after leaving. Too busy to write it in large diary this week. The fields and prairies are beautifully green.
Birds seen: {taxon|Zenaida macroura|Doves}}, meadowlarks, redwings, lark buntings, kingbirds. Barn swallows, Boulder Creek, Clear Creek and Platte Riverhigh. Hailed as we reached Denver, got wet going to U.P. ticket office and found it locked. Returned to depot and found my sleeper ticket there. Felger (?) came into car and we had a brief talk. Left Denver for Los Angeles at 7:05 p.m., got dinner in diner. Went to bed early. Reached Cheyenne at 10:40.
Cheyenne, Wyo., Thursday June 10, 1909
Still at Cheyenne, held up on account of floods. Cold and partly cloudy. Cheyenne paper reports 64 as maximum temperature, 45 minimum. Clear part of day. Left Cheyenne at 2 p.m., crossed Trias and Carboniferous at 2:45 and entered granite. Formations very irregular in strike and dip but mostly strike E-W and dip possibly northerly. Passed through long tunnel at 3:30 and 7 minutes later cut red sandstones again. On Laramie plains at 3:45, broad and flat, stratified rocks (Carboniferous?) to north, plain buried beneath debris mantle and rising abruptly from plains to south are mountains apparently of granite. Reached Laramie at 4 p.m.
Ogden, Utah. June 11, 1909
Woke up at Ogden, Utah at 5 a.m., bright, but cool, soon warming up. Mts. Bordering valley with much snow, especially at Salt Lake. Went into diner just after leaving Salt Lake. . Immediately after breakfast the engine broke down , causing another delay. At Tintic there are many mines ? most important camp in Utah. Beyond great scrub cedar forests. SW of Lynn sagebrush desert, with no grass.
Barstow, Cali., June 12, 1909
Awoke at 5:30 here, bright and quite warm. Tree yuccas here, but soon left behind, as also large "soapweed". Reached Los Angeles at 11 a.m. 15 hours behind. Nellie, Henry, Alice, Ina and Cousin Mamie met me at depot and Nellie Ina and I went to the house for lunch. Spent afternoon at house. At 7 p.m. The Kittle's (sic) called for a few moments. At 8 p.m. we all went to Henry's and spent the evening with music.
Los Angeles, Cali., June 13, 1909
Kittle called with the auto and took Nellie, Frank and I for a ride to Hollywood. At 4:30 Nellie and I took the "Salt Lake" train for Long beach, where uncle George and Dr. A. L. Bryant met us at the train. After lunch we all Cloudy forenoon, sunny afternoon.
Long Beach, Cali., June 14, 1909
Cloudy morning. I spent most of the forenoon packing 1800 shells and sea urchins Nellie had collected . In the afternoon Nellie and I walked west up the beach beyond Seaside where we collected some 700 shells, mostly of Cerithiidae ? They were in the sand which had been dumped out by the dredger and which formed the dyke along the channel.
Long Beach, Cali., {dated|1909-06-15|June 15, 1909}}
Cloudy morning. Arose at 6:30 and packed the shells collected yesterday. Left Long Beach on Salt Lake car with cousin Fannie Coad and husband at 9:34 for Catalina, fare $5.00. Very calm, warm, only partly cloudy. Put up at Delmar, got a very poor dinner at the Klondike Restaurant, then went to Seal Rocks in the glass bottomed boat Hermosa. In the evening walked to a bay north of Avalon. Supped at Arlington Caf?. Very good.
Avalon Cali., June 16, 1909
Clear, calm and hot. I arose at 6:30 breakfasted and started SE along beach. Found rocks covered with limpets of several species, Littorina and Chlorostoma. In an hour or so Nellie and Fannie joined me. We walked to Pebble Beach (the town dump) and found there a few cone shells etc. on the shingle. Have seen no sandy beaches on the island yet and few pebbly ones. Sea cliff usually precipitous, porphyry and other igneous or intrusive rocks. Near Seal Rocks it looked like a coarse conglomerate in places as seen from the boat. Returned to Avalon at 2:45 and left on the Hermosa at 3:15, reaching Long Beach at 6:15. Spent evening cleaning snails and spreading their opercula to dry. Collected 497 specimens of limpet spp., Littorina sp., Chlorostoma sp., and other mollusca, but only two land snails. Island very dry.
Long Beach, Cali. June 17/09
Spent forenoon finishing the preparation of the snails. In afternoon Nellie and I were on the beach most of the time. I left for Los Angeles at 4:50p.m. In evening, Lu, Allie, Ina and I called on Henry and Louise and told her goodbye, as she leaves for the east tomorrow. Frank went to Long Beach, so I have missed him. He returned on late car.
Los Angeles, Cali.
June 18, 1909
Kittle and I went to Glendale in the auto. Called on Dr. Al. Bryant and Mrs. Goss, Goss being away. I left Los Angeles for Long Beach on 2:30 p.m. car. Rained last night, cloudy this forenoon, clear this afternoon. In afternoon Nellie and I walked a long ways east on Long Beach and collected about 150 or 200 specimens of shells.
Long Beach, Cali.
June 19, 1909
Bright, clear and warm. At 10:30 I started for Los Angeles on electric car. Went to City Hall and found Frank, where Kittle and Melvin joined us. Frank went to the City Club dinner, and the rest of us to a cafeteria, then at 1:30 we all started for Portuguese Bend, above Point Firman in Kittle's auto. Left auto on bluffs and went down to beach, collected crabs, limpets etc. Then got supper and made our beds, turning in at 9 p.m.
Portuguese Bend, Cali. June 20, 1909
I arose at 5:30 and started for the beach, where the others joined me at 8:30. Got some fine material. Found Keyhole Limpets (volcano) and large chitons, and black abalones by turning rocks, other species (snails and bivalves) on upper surfaces of rocks. Collected a few fish also and a lizard. Fleas were very bad last night and prevented sleep. We found they were swarming along the bluffs where sheep or goats had been grazing, so we packed up and came back to Los Angeles, starting about 11:30. Has been bright and warm all day. Frank and I spent the evening at Henry's, then returned to his house. Collected over 500 specimens yesterday and today. Keyhole limpets (volcano) only found under rocks, others under and over. Black abalones under and in crevices.
Los Angeles, Cali., June 21, 1909
Dense fog at 6 a.m., but cleared early. I left for Long beach at 10:40 but did not arrive until 11 a.m. on account of trouble with the motor. Stayed in house most of afternoon. Developed negatives in evening.
Long Beach, Cali., June 22/09
Cloudy forenoon and moist. Saw several large slugs on sidewalk. Walked beyond Seaside and collected a lot of shells etc., 67 specimens. In afternoon Nellie and I went to east San Pedro and collected 869 shells on the SW end of Terminal Island, possibly the residuum of erosion of Pleistocene beds, though the perfect condition of the most fragile Pectens and Crucibulum are against that idea. Clear afternoon. Total collections to date 4583.
Long Beach, Cali., June 23, 1909
Cloudy morning, nearly clear by noon. Stayed in house most of forenoon. Nellie and I went to theater and saw "Winchester" in the afternoon.
Long Beach, Cali., June 24/09
Cloudy, misty morning. Nellie and I took the Seaside car at 9:50, then walked to East San Pedro, returning on 5:45 "Salt Lake" train. Clear afternoon. Collected 1607 specimens, making a total of 5650 to date.
Long Beach, Cali., June 25, 1909
Moist, cloudy morning. We packed yesterday's collections and swept the house in the forenoon. Clear at noon as usual.
Long Beach, Cali., June 26, 1909
Cloudy morning, cleared before noon. I went to Los Angeles on 10:10 a.m. car. Went to City hall and met Frank. We went to City Club and from there to Pacific Electric Station, where we started on City Club San Pedro excursion at 1:10, about 250 men in five cars. At San Pedro the conductor announced that he could not get the power to run to Point Firman, which of course the company knew before the excursion started. So we boarded six boats and ran first through the outer harbor, then through the inner harbor to the Craig shipyards at Seaside, where we went through the plant. The channels of the inner harbor reminded me of the tide flats about La Conner on Puget Sound, at high tide. At Seaside we boarded electric cars and went to Long Beach, where we dined at the Virginia then listened to talks on San Pedro harbor by Capt. Freis, the engineer in charge of the government, and others. The ran to Los Angeles which we reached at 11 p.m. I went home with Henry for the night. My fleabites were badly inflamed so I bathed them in a saturated solution of baking soda, which allayed the itching.
Long Beach, June 27, 1909
Clear morning and warm. Henry and I went to Frank's for breakfast, then I went to Kittles, where Nellie arrived last night. We all went in the auto to a cafeteria for dinner, then rode to Eastlake Park and on to Huntington road, then Nellie and I came back to Long Beach, on 4 oclock car.
Long Beach, June 28, 1909
Cloudy morning, cleared soon and hot afternoon. Nellie and I went down to Naples Bay, where we found some fine Bulla gouldiana, abundant Cerithidea and Melampus? Took car to and from Mira Mar, just above head of Naples canal. Got 195 specimens (including 38 Bulla) besides 15 specimens I got this morning. Total collections to date 5860.
Long Beach, Cali., June 29/09
Bright, hot day. Surf very high. In afternoon I went through the reclaimed tidelands north of Seaside. Cerithidea in enormous numbers as far as the tides reach. Melampus olivaceus snails nearer coast Mud pumped out by dredger contained many Tagelus, Chione, Ostrea etc. and a few pectens. In evening Nellie and I attended Bide a wyle theater ? performance very poor.
Long Beach, Cali., June 30/09
Hot and bright. I rode to Mira Mar on the Naples car and took photos E and W along the coast from the point. Then took 14th st. car and went to salt marsh N of Seaside where I took 2 photos of Cerithidea and collected 2 tern eggs. Collected a few shells.
Long Beach Cali., July 1, 1909
A hot morning, cloudy and cooler in afternoon. I went to Los Cerritos and collected 610 Pleistocene fossils, returning at 3 p.m. At 4 p.m. Nellie and I went to Los Angeles , met Francis at the Santa Fe train. Dined at Boos Cafeteria opposite Pacific Electric Station. Then Nellie and Francis went to Long Beach and I went to Franks, where I found Zo? Dobson and her children and Gertrude Thompson.
Los Angeles,Los Angeles, Cali.
Bright, hot morning. I called on Ralph Arnold at H. W. Hellman Bldg. Got dinner at Boos cafeteria, met Nellie at Pacific Electric Station and at 1:45 we left for Santa Barbara on Southern Pacific R.R., where Kittle met us with the auto. It has been a terribly hot day, but cool at Santa Barbara. In evening we went to band concert.
Santa Barbara, Cali.
July 3, 1909
Harl, Carl, Melonie and I went into Mission Canyon before breakfast. Then we went to the beach. In afternoon went to the beach again and collected limpets, etc. Bright and hot in the sun where sheltered from the wind, but wind cool. Found three species of limpets, alive, and Littorina, one turban shell and one chiton and one coffee bean shell. Many dead specimens of Conus, Olivella, Chama and mussels. Small mussels alive, also the peculiar non sessile barnacle like animal which we first found at Portuguese Bend. Total collections to date 6485 + 80 = 6565.
Santa Barbara, Cali. July 5, 1909
Bright morning but cool breeze. Harl took the women and small children in the auto and Carl Strock, Melvin and I walked the beach a mile or so SE of the lighthouse, returning at 6:30 p.m. Collected about 130 shells. Total collections to date 6695
Santa Barbara, Cali.July 6, 1909
Bright, warm morning. Harl and I explored the bluffs at the bath house and collected about 400 small Pleistocene fossils, mostly gastropods and fragments of Bryozoa. The formation dips westerly or southwesterly. On top of the next point west we found kitchen middens containing clam and mussel shells. I afternoon collected about 300 Pliocene at S end and on E face of Packard Hill. The S end is a mass of small Bryozoa stems, with a few small pectens and other shells. Then Harl and wife and Nellie and I went in to the swimming pool. In evening we dined at Stocks, then they came to Kittle's and spent evening. I swam more than I have for years. Total collections to date 7395.
Santa Barbara, Cali., dated|1909-07-07|July 7, 1909}}
Bright, warm morning. We left Santa Barbara, on the S. P. Ry. At 10:30 a.m., reached Los Angeles 2:30 p.m. Went out to Frank's house, then took 5:20 electric car
for Long Beach. Wrote a lot of letters in evening.
Long Beach, Cali., July 8/09
Foggy morning, clearing up by 10:30. Nellie and I took 9:30 train to East San Pedro on Salt Lake Road. There we rented a boat from Paul La Marr's boathouse and rowed to Deadman's Island. Collected limpets, marine snails of several species, one Bulla etc. on beach then collected fossils on east end of island. West end shows Miocene? conglomerate at base. Found no fossils. Above is a sandstone, probably lower San Pedro Pleistocene, with few fossils, of which we collected none. Above this is the upper San Pedro with several horizons filled with fine fossils. We collected several thousand. They were weathered out so that we could obtain fine specimens with but little work, especially under on((e)) ledge. at the top of the bluffs is black, soil about 2 feet in depth, containing kitchen middens, chiefly Pecten aequicoststa. Returned to Long Beach on the 5:45 train.
Long Beach, Cali., June 9,1909
Cloudy morning. Arose at 5:30 and Nellie, Dr. Carter and I left on 7:05 a.m. train for Pomona (Salt Lake Route). Reached Los Angeles at 8 a.m., left there at 8:35. reached Pomonaat 9:35 and were met at depot by John A Kennedy and taken to his home at 720 N Garey St. In Afternoon we all went out in a neighborhood auto.
Pomona, Cali., July 10, 1909
Cloudy morning, soon clearing. Nellie, Dr. carter and I went for a drive with Mr. Kennedy. Went through packing house and saw them packing oranges, and through the Cannery and saw them canning and drying apricots. Then Dr. carter went to Mr. Hall's. At 1:18 we took Southern Pacific train for Ontario, Lu and Frank being on board. Harry Jones met us there and drove us to Maud Harris' home 18 mi. E of Ontario, and 7 mi. N of Corona.
Ranch W of Ontario, Cali., July 11, 1909
Very dense fog at 6 a.m., nearly clear at 9 a.m. Collected Planorbis trivalvis, P. parvus, Physa sp. Lymnaea bulimnoides ? and Pisidium in pond at artesian well. The Lymnaea was found mostly in the mud outside the little streamlet which runs through the slough. Harris and Maud brought Frank, Nellie, Laton and I to Ontario for the 5:40 train and Nellie and I reached Long Beach at 9 p.m., going out on the electric from Los Angeles.
Long Beach, Cali., July 12, 1909
Foggy morning, clearing early. Spent the day in packing 5 boxes of recent and fossil shells.
Long Beach, Cali., July 13/09
Foggy morning. Most common birds at Long Beach, are mocking bird and Brewer blackbird. Least ? tern common in mud flats. In harbor are ring billed gulls and an occasional pelican. At Portuguese bend saw California quail and road runners and burrowing owl and saw former at Santa Barbara. In Ontario the following:
Western mockingbird abundant Ark. flycatcher abundant Cassin flycatcher few Burrowing owl abundant California shrike common Brewer blackbird abundant Black phoebe one House finch common Buzzard common Killdeer common Dove Common Meadowlark abundant Cliff swallow abundant
Collected 3443 specimens at Deadman Isl. And Ontario. Total to date 10, 838
Shipped six boxes early in afternoon to Boulder, by Salt lake and Union Pacific, paying $7.50 freight. Later in afternoon Nellie and I went east on beach and collected 470 fossils from base of cliff and also from half way to top. The Tagelus all came from upper horizon, also collected 10 recent shells. Total collections to date 11,318.
Long Beach, Cali., July 14, 1909
Cloudy morning, as usual, Clear before noon. Packed my trunk in forenoon. Went to beach to see Elk national Convention crowd in afternoon.
Long Beach, Cali., July 15, 1909
Cloudy morning. Nellie and I came to Los Angeles on the 10:30 a.m. electric, sending my trunk on the Salt Lake. At L.A.we stood on a box and saw part of the Elk's parade, got lunch at small restaurant opposite Pacific Electric Station, then I went to Salt Lake Station and from there to Frank's house. In evening, we all went to Frank's office in City Hall and saw electric parade of floats on street car tracks. Hot afternoon, cool evening.
Los Angeles, Cali., July 16, 1909
I stayed at Franks house until late afternoon, then Frank and I went to Redondo and tried new bath house, returning at 7 p.m.Nellie went with Ina to see parade, and Maud Harris and husband and her mother came back with them. Cloudy morning and evening, bright afternoon.
Los Angeles, Cali., July 17, 1909
Cloudy morning, clear but hazy at 8 a.m. I called on Louise Thompson Lampshire at here (sic) store on Pico St., then went with her to her home to see her daughter margaret. Afterwards visited Chamber of Commerce builing. Reached house at 12:15. In evening, Nellie, Lucy and I went to Henry's.
Los Angeles, Cali., July 18, 1909
Very bright, warm morning, but cool breeze soon sprang up. Frank, Henry, Lucy, Nellie and I went to Glendale on the 10:30 car, dined at Dr. A. L. Bryant's and I spent afternoon looking over R. D. Goss' shell collection. Henry and Frank returned early the rest of us leaving there about 6:30 p.m.
Boulder to Colorado Mountain Towns[edit]
- Boulder to Mountain Towns (Tolland (now a Ghost Town), Newcastle, Meeker, Rifle, etc)
Los Angeles, Cali., July 17, 1909
Cloudy morning, clear but hazy at 8 a.m. I called on Louise Thompson Lampshire at here (sic) store on Pico St., then went with her to her home to see her daughter margaret. Afterwards visited Chamber of Commerce builing. Reached house at 12:15. In evening, Nellie, Lucy and I went to Henry's.
Los Angeles, Cali., July 18, 1909
Very bright, warm morning, but cool breeze soon sprang up. Frank, Henry, Lucy, Nellie and I went to Glendale on the 10:30 car, dined at Dr. A. L. Bryant's and I spent afternoon looking over R. D. Goss' shell collection. Henry and Frank returned early the rest of us leaving there about 6:30 p.m.
Los Angeles, Cali., Monday {{dated}1909-07-19|July 19, 1909}}
Usual fog this morning. Left Los Angeles, on Salt Lake Road at 10 a.m., still hazy. Not as warm as I expected in forenoon, but afternoon very bright and hot on desert. T 96+ at 6 p.m.
July 20, 1909
Bright morning. For the first time I shaved while train was in motion and with not trouble or cuts. Cool breeze all day. Fine stream and marshes for mollusks etc. , just east of Evans. Does not look good for fossils. Red predominates in rocks from Salt Lake to Evans. and further. The tunnel 50 minutes from Evans. (east) occupied 4 1/2 minutes at fair speed. Bluffs, probably Tertiary, appeared on both sides before reaching Granger, bounding (sic) the broad shallow valley of a stream. At Green River the lower part of bluffs very light colored, darker above and nearly red at top.
Cheyenne, Wyo. Wednesday July 21, 1909
Bright morning. Left Cheyenneat 8;35 a.m. Quite warm at noon. Reached Denver at 11:35. Felger (?) met me at Depot and we talked over our coming trip as we visited D and R. G. offices. I left for Boulder on 12:30 train. Had Yates take me and my baggage to the museum, where I unpacked my trunk and examine my mail. Then went to Boulderado Hotel, took a bath and dined. Fine rain at 6 p.m. Everything here is green and beautiful. I am told that rain has been abundant.
Boulder, Colo, July 22, 1909
Quite warm today. I have written a large number of letters, finished packing and shipping our goods to Newcastle, Colo., for our trip. Terry Duce called in evening to talk over trip.
Boulder, Colo., July 23, 1909
Cooler. At 1 p.m. there was a terrific thunderstorm. Two or three people drowned and others injured in flood in Two Mile canyon. Terry Duce called in evening for final instructions.
Boulder, Colo., July 24, 1909
Hot morning, partly cloudy, remaining so through the day. Finished reading Enos a Mills' "Wild Life on the Rockies" Went to Denver on 6;30 p.m. interurban, riding in seat with henry Drumm. Went to Albany Hotel and got a room and retired early.
Denver, Colo., July 25, 1909
Arose at 6 a.m. Found W. W. Robbins and mother on 17th St. and took them to breakfast at home dairy. Then went to Union Depot and arranged for transfer of Mrs. Robbins baggage, walked to Moffat Depot and took 8 a.m. train, which was crowded. Bright but comfortable morning. Reached Tolland at 10:15. Dr. Ramaley and I went down gulch a short distance from the mountain laboratory. Tolland is 8889 ft. above sea level in a fine mountain valley, modified by glacial action. Moraine consists chiefly of granite and gneiss, and have been cut through by South Boulder Creek. Down creek in forenoon we saw white crowned sparrows, Lincoln sparrows and Brewer blackbirds, besides a small bird which looked much like a chipping sparrow. In afternoon, Robbins, Prosser and I went up stream and collected several species of snails under aspens. In evening I identified and labelled the birds collected by Robbins.
Tolland, Col.,July 26, 1909
Bright, hot morning, cooler and partly cloudy toward 10 a.m. Arose at 6 a.m. and went down gulch to Rollinsville with Ramaley, eating fruit and crackers along the way. The moraines end where the gulch narrows below Tolland. White crowned sparrows, hummingbirds and magpies common. A few chickadees. One grayheaded junco at Rollinsville Station. A few barn swallows and numbers of Brewer blackbirds. At 2 p.m. I lectured at the mountain laboratory on "birds and their relation to man" and at 7 p.m. on "the large mammals of the United States". In latter part of afternoon I helped Rollins pack the collections. Rained hard from 3 to 4 p.m.
Tolland, Colo., July 27, 1909
Bright, cool, windy morning, heavy bank of clouds to the west over the range, soon breaking up. Spent most of forenoon packing up, but collected leeches, Crustacea and water beetles for half an hour in the lake north of the laboratory. At 2 p.m. lectured at laboratory on birds, including a general account of Colorado birds. At 4:30 Robbins and I went down valley a short distance. At 5:30 there were 15 night hawks hovering over the meadow. At 6 p.m. saw none. Barn swallows abundant, violet green less so. At 7 p.m. I lectured at the laboratory on "Glaciers of Colorado, existing and extinct".
Tolland, Colo., July 28, 1909
Bright, fresh, breezy morning. Started for Jenny Lake at 10:15. Robbins and I and Mr. And Mrs. Pennoc and Miss Wollman. Came down gulch on foot. In pond at 10,500 ft collected Pisidia and water beetles. On way back saw 3 hermit thrushes, one young. At Newcomb, 9300 ft., saw 2 red shafted flicker and a western robin. At railroad bridge saw a night hawk at 4:30 flying very high. The country traversed today is heavily glaciated. The Forest lake and the two above it and many others occur in a valley heading in a glacial cirque. Some are rock basins, others morainal. There are rock ridges cutting across the gulch, as at North Boulder and Camp Albion gulches. That gulch leads into another, which in twin leads into South Boulder Creek (see map in paper by Ramaley or Robbins). Glaciation extends down South Boulder to a mile or so below Tolland. Below that we saw no plain evidence of it. Up creek a gulch coming in from the south looks even more heavily glaciated. Perhaps this is because the topography is not so much affected by post-glacial erosion. The bird fauna as I have noticed it of this region is as follows:
Red shafted flicker
Brewer blackbird
Red naped sapsucker
Barn swallow
Violet green swallow
Night hawk
Red wing blackbird
White crown sparrow
Killdeer (Robbins)
Golden crowned kinglet
Pine grosbeak (higher up)
Audubon hermit thrush (higher up)
Chipping sparrow ?
Broadwing hummingbird
Gray headed junco- Rollinsville to timberline
Chickadee
Magpie
Dipper
Mt. Bluebird
Red headed woodpecker (one specimen)
Western meadowlark
Long crested jay
Clarke crow (Robbins)
Rocky Mt. Jay (specimen thrown away)
Yellow warbler (Robbins)
Robin to timberline
The robins I have seen are the western but a specimen taken by Robbins has the white tips of outer tail feather very distinct.
In catching the large (1/2 inch long) water beetles today I noticed that I could not catch them at all by grabbing at them as they rested on the surface of the water, but never failed when I dipped my hand quickly but quietly beneath them and scooped them up. Very few clouds through the day, rather warm , sprinkled a little in evening.
Tolland, Colo., July 29, 1909
Warm morning, but partly cloudy. Rained hard during night. At 8:45 Robbins and I started west on the partly completed state road to apex, which climbs the south side of South Boulder canyon. Fine view of Boulder Park. The park is a partly filled and partly drained morainal lake, the moraine being just east of the railroad station a few hundred rods, the remnant of the lake being north of the station. A strip of considerable width through the park has been reworked by South Boulder Creek since the glacier retreated. The terrace is sharply outlined on each side of the present course of the stream, and numerous small lagoons mark the cut-off oxbow loops. The present stream shows a beautiful system of meanders. Along the road a short distance from the village are several deposits of slide rock separated from the main ridge by a shallow depression. . They lie on a steep slope and are apparently the result of rock sliding over a post glacial snow and ice bank for years and stopping at the foot of the ice or snow. The moraine here extends up the slopes several hundred feet. There appears to be a roche moutonee within South Boulder canyon. At mouth of Mammoth Gulch the moraine is very deep, perhaps 200 or 300 ft. On each side there is a hummocky lateral moraine. Two long, parallel, narrow ridges extend up gulch for a mile. Between them flows the creek. E of the E ridge is a wet valley in which but little water now flows. To the W of the W ridge is the Teller Lake and its valley. Perhaps the two stream valleys were subglacial stream beds and continued to flow from the end of the retreating glacier. Certainly there must have been considerable post glacial erosion, as the grade of the gulch is steep and the present stream is swift. The whole wide valley is a beautiful example of glacial topography. The glacier headed on E side of James Peak. Teller Lake is morainal, and is very near the mouth of the gulch. At present South Boulder is the main stream and Mammoth is a tributary. Came down E valley on way back, and followed railroad through cuts which expose gneiss ridges extending out diagonally into the South Boulder valley, apparently the result of fluting by the glacier as in the upper North Boulder canyon. A rough diagram is as follows: ((Drawing in field book)). Rained hard at 1 p.m. and continued fitfully through afternoon.
Tolland, Colo., July 30, 1909
Fine, bright morning, cold at first but soon warming. Had early breakfast. Miss Kirkton left on 7:05 train for her home in Canyon (sic) City. After breakfast we finished packing everything which is to be shipped from the laboratory and got outfit to the train by 11:30. Very tired. Miss Bruderlin, Robbins and mother, Miss McKenzie and I left Tolland on 3:56 train for Denver. Reached Denver at 6 p.m. Felger met us at Moffat depot and helped with baggage to Union depot where we checked it. The others went to Boulder and I went with Felger to spend the night at his home. Page:Field Notes of Junius Henderson, Notebook 3.pdf/53
Denver, Colo., July 31, 1909
Bright, warm morning. Felger and I left Denver on D & R.G. at 8 a.m. Cloudy with cool breeze most of day. Reached Newcastle at 11:30 p.m. and went to Albany Hotel.
Newcastle, Colo., Aug 1, 1909
Bright, warm morning. Up at 6:30 and found Terry Duce at hotel. ((J. Terry Duce later became a famous oil geologist. He was sent to all parts of the world and while there often collected specimens for us. We have many butterflies from South America that he collected and sent here.)) After breakfast, Felger, Terry and I walked up Elk Creek half a mile to the camp of the U. S. Geol. Survey party which is engaged in coal land work under Albert E. Beekley. At W edge of town the end of the Great Hogback has strata dipping about S by W. After noon we circled the big hill north of town, Felger soon turning back. Terry and I going across the valley to the lower Mancos lying along the bluffs. We found dead Oreohelix haydeni gobbiana sprinkling the slopes wherever we went, following up to the top of the mesa we found them alive under mountain mahogany, but not elsewhere. The strata dip approximately S and the angle is 35¡ or 40¡. At top of mesa is a conglomerate composed of boulders up to 18 inches diameter of red sandstone well cemented. Then we followed along the limestone and calcareous shales resembling the Niobrara of Owl Canyon region, and found Inoceramus deformis and Ostrea congesta. Proceeding up to the pond on Elk Creek above the U. S. G. S. camp and collected Crustacea, beetles, etc. and then found Oreohelix cooperi ? under Populus logs and Pyramidula cockerelli. Then visited camp and met Beekley. He said the sandstone forming S face of hill N of town and NE face of hill W of town is base of Mesa Verde formation. ((Two drawings in note book, one a sketch map of the Newcastle area and one a cross section)) Mancos = Benton, Niobrara and lower Pierre Mesa Verde = upper Pierre and Fox Hills
The lower Mancos shows black shales overlaid by limestone like Benton and Niobrara, the limestone containing Inoceramus deformis and Ostrea congesta. Went to M. E. church in evening. W. W. Robbins arrived on the 11:15 train. Sprinkled most of afternoon and until midnight.
Newcastle, Colo., Aug 2, 1909
Bright, hot morning. Robbins and I arose at 6 a.m., got breakfast, got our freight and baggage to liver stable and I unpacked it while Robbins went collecting plants. In afternoon Felger, Robbins, Terry and I followed S side of Grand River down to first gulch - Alkali Gulch - Robbins for plants, Felger for birds, Terry and I for fossils. The Mesa Verde formation is mostly sandstone, partly massive with some shales or very fine, rather friable sandstones. In Alkali Gulch, just above a coal vein on the east side, we found many leaves like the Laramie material, in sandstone. This coal vein seems to continue westward to the Keystone Coal Mine. It has been worked on W side of Alkali Gulchand again on SE side of river opposite Keystone Mine. Up Alkali Gulch we found a stratum of sandstone strongly impregnated with iron oxide, containing many leaves, and collected a bag full, including fragments of palm leaves. Returned at 4:30. It has been very hot. Nelson from the U.S.G.S camp says magnetic declination here is 15¡35' E.
Newcastle, Colo., Aug 3, 1909
Bright, cool morning. Had a splendid night's sleep. Got a 3-inch covered wagon and team from Hugh Miller and spent forenoon packing and loading the wagon. Left Newcastle at 1;30 p.m. Drove up Elk Creek to the forks, then a short distance up main fork (west fork) and photographed the conglomerate unconformably overlying upturned edges of Mancos, looking south, and the lower Mancos (= Niobrara l.s.) looking west. The N side of gulch has Niobrara l.s. and Benton shale on basal slope of gulch wall, backed by what resembles Dakota sandstone. Back of this are variegated shales, with probable l.s. like Morrison, all underlaid by red beds as east of the range. Far north is a different formation. Niobrara where we photographed it has 70¡ dip SW, strike NW, overlaid by "paper" shales as at Six Mile N of Boulder. The conglomerate over the edges of these formations contains granite, gneiss and red and white s.s. boulders up to 18 inch diameter, quite hard. Mancos shales extend up on slope of south wall, capped by Mesa Verde. At top of Benton in one place I found a shaly sandstone containing plant stems as north of Boulder. Where Elk Creek breaks through the "Dakota" we left it and kept on west by north. Here the Dakota extends to base of slope of canyon wall. On south wall of canyon, in Mesa Verde formation, coal is burning or has burnt for (sic) Newcastle at least four miles up Elk Creek. We camped a short distance NE of Rifle Gap, at 7:30 p.m., got to bed a little after ten.
Rifle Gap, Aug 4, 1909
Arose at 6:30. After breakfast Terry and I started down into the Gap on the SE side of creek. Between the first well defined sandstone ledge and the second we found Cardium speciosum, Mactra, Ostrea, Anchura, Lunatia and other gastropods in float rock. Immediately above the second ledge we found a fossiliferous stratum 2 or 3 ft. in thickness, dipping S angle 73¡, containing Anomia raeti- formis [?], Corbicula, Ostrea, and with no Cardium or gastropods. The first s.s. does not make a ridge on the W side of the gap. Above the next s.s. is a coal vein which has been worked somewhat on both sides of gap. This is overlaid by clay shales, then sandy shales. About 100 ft. above this is a series of burned s.s. and clays which I estimated to be 200 ft. thick, probably metamorphosed by burning of coal veins. This is overlaid by a massive s.s. like the Laramie, which in turn is overlaid by alternating s.s. etc. as below. I notice two more coal openings above this on W side of gap, the uppermost but little below the upper ridge making sandstone ledge. All along the sandy slope we found dead Oreohelix cooperi, but saw no live ones, though, for that matter, I did not look for them. Took one picture looking at the W side of the gap, down stream, another of the lower Mesa Verde on the W side from the E side. Another of the upper fossil outcrop on E side. Reached camp at 1:30 p.m.. Very hot forenoon. Afternoon I cleaned the Oreohelix from Newcastle and found both species to contain young. Then at 4 p.m. Terry and I visited the very steep slope showing upper Mancos shales and lower Mesa Verde sandstones. I the lower Mesa Verde we found a thick stratum (about 8 inches) filled with fossils, including Baculites, Bryozoa, Serpula markmani, Anchura, et al., but no Cardium, Mactra, Callista or Ostrea. The three faunas we have found here are very distinct. In this last horizon we also found 2 specimens of Halymenites major and many plant stems, probably marine. Reached camp at 6:30, retired at 9:30 Rifle Gap, Aug 5, 1909
Hot bright morning. Up at 6:30, broke camp and started for Pieance (sic) Creek at 8:30. Put on the odometer after travelling one mile by mile post. Saw meadowlarks, mourning doves, many pinon jays, long crested jays, Arkansas flycatchers, one Louisiana tanager, rock wren. As we passed out of the gap we found sandstones etc, dipping to the S or SW about 10°. These I take for Wasatch. Between these and the Mesa Verde sandstones are varicolored marls which surely are Wasatch. I believe that the entire series from the upper Mesa Verde sandstones to the top of the Book Cliffs is probably referable to Wasatch. At one point on Government Creek there appeared to be an unconformity, sandstones resting apparently unconformably on the varicolored. However it seems to be in the axis of a fold and may be faulted. The Gov. Cr. Gulch, instead of approximately following the Mesa Verde - Wasatch contact, slowly passes into the latter. We reached Rio Blanco Stage Station, 3/4 mil from Rio Blanco P.O. ((on)) Piceance Creek, 20 miles N of Rifle, in Rio Blanco Co. at 5:15 p.m. and camped, having stopped for an hour shortly after noon to feed the horses., where there was little water for them. Water at Rifle Gap was very poor, creek water being used from the creek by the ranchers and being affected by irrigation. At Piceance Creek it was a little better but alkaline.
Rio Blanco, Colo., Aug 6, 1909
It began raining before daylight and still continues. About 10 a.m., after carrying a lot of wood half a mile for camp use, Terry and I started up creek through the gap on Piceance Creek, circa 1/2 mile E of Rio Blanco P.O. At its mouth is a coarse conglomerate which is likely the base of the Tertiary. Below it lies the usual series of Mesa Verde sandstones, clays and coal. The walking through wet weeds and mud was hard, so we did not do much climbing and found no fossils except one Halymenites major, which Terry found at the base of the Mesa Verde. Dips vary somewhat, owing to folds, but in general are westerly, from Rifle Gap northward. ((This is the west side of the "Grand Hogback", one of the major physiographic features of NW Colorado)) In the gap here above Rio Blanco is a small reservoir, where we collected one leech, a lot of small Physa and water bugs. Under logs we got Zonitoides ? and Euconulus trochiformis. Dead Oreohelix cooperi were somewhat common about the scrub oaks. I found two live ones clinging to the upper surface of rocks beneath oaks. Red wing blackbirds and bluebirds are common here. Also a large ground squirrel. We returned to camp about 1:30, wet and tired. At 4 p.m. I started up creek again, rain having ceased. Found Oreohelix cooperi very abundant under aspens, etc, crawling about in the moist atmosphere. Under one small alder I picked up 25 live ones. In the same place under aspen sticks I found Pyramidula, Zonitoides, Vallonia, Vitrina, Euconulus, Thysanophora, Pupilla, Vertigo and perhaps others and an Agriolimax further up. In creek I found one dead Lymnaea bulimnoides (perhaps variety) and a few dead valves of Pisidium which could not be saved. In the reservoir a mile up creek I got Physa sp. The Oreohelix were on slopes of Mesa Verde sandstone, as well as the other land snails. Rained again while I was out. This noon the wind was east. Now it is south and it looks more threatening than ever, so we have ditched about the tent.
Rio Blanco, Colo. Aug 7, 1909
Rained more toward morning. Broke camp at 8:30 and started north through Rio Blanco, P.O. to Meeker, still cloudy. About 5 miles from camp we saw ravens and three eagles. It rained soon after noon. Reached Meeker, at about 5 p.m., and camped in a vacant lot in east part of town. We may get put off by the owner, but hope not. Clear and warm the latter part of afternoon. Bluebirds common here. Saw a few Say phoebes. On road Brewer sparrows and lark sparrows were abundant Doves numerous here, not so on the road. Saw two more eagles just as we reached the White River. This river is very muddy, and about 40 to 100 ft. wide now. Good water in town waterworks but somewhat alkaline. We passed back from the Wasatch formation to the Mesa Verde long before reaching White River.
Meeker, Colo., Aug 8, 1909
Rained hard during night. Bright, warm morning. Robbins and I started out at 9 a.m., going up to Flag Creek road to cross river to south side. The valley here occupies the upper Mancos formation, with Mesa Verde forming strong bluffs on North side. Dip approximately 15° NW. The Mesa Verde, as usual, is composed mainly of sandstones, with some shales. Several coal veins crop out along the bluffs, at least one of which is being worked. Where we reached the south side of the river a low bluff is composed of shaley sandstone like portions of the Pierre north of Boulder. The south boundary of the valley is not at all abrupt. Proceeding up valley we noted two distinct terraces on each side thus: ((drawing in field book)). Did not visit the higher one, but the lower is covered with a cap of boulders, as at Boulder. About 2 miles up the valley on south side the dip in the Mancos shales is a little east of south. There we found in abundance an Ostrea and numerous fragments of a large species of an Inoceramus which I cannot recognize. At that point the north slope was strewn with small Oreohelix (dead shells) and under Amelanchier alnifolia and Cercocarpus parvifolius (mt. mahogany) [ed. not C. parvifolius] we found numbers of live ones, mostly under the former, only two or three under the latter. Collected a lot of them, thinking they may be new. Also found under a plank near a ditch a Succinea and several Agriolimax (small specimens). In the ditches and small overflow sloughs of the river Lymnaea palustris and a large Physa are abundant. Collected a few crustaceans in an irrigating ditch. Returned to camp at noon. It has been very hot walking. Had fried chicken and lemonade for dinner. In late afternoon I turned over a few logs in a pasture near camp and collected a few Euconulus, Pyramidula, Zonitoides and one Agriolimax. Vallonia not found abundantly on this trip yet, as in eastern foothills of Colorado. At 8 p.m. we had another hard rain, with strong east wind. A storm worked eastward to the south of us earlier in the evening and another worked toward us from the southwest. I believe this latter is the one that struck us but I am not sure.
Meeker, Colo., Aug. 9, 1909
Cloudy morning, and rather sultry. Robbins started out at 8 a.m. to collect plants. Terry went with him to look for fossils in the Mesa Verde sandstone bluffs north of town and I stayed in camp to wash dishes etc., as Felger wished to collect birds and mammals. About 9 a.m. W. A. Kyser (sic), who lives across the street from camp and teaches some nearby school, and J. L. Riland, editor of one of the Meeker papers and superintendent of schools, called and spent an hour. They are very pleasant gentlemen and the latter offered to supply me with specimens of vanadium, uranium etc from this region. Later Mr. Burnham, who lives 3 miles out of town, called and told us of a fossil locality on east slope of Cedar Ridge, about 4 miles east of town. After dinner Mr. Keyser hitched up his horse and took terry and me up there. The ridge is a dome fold ((Meeker Dome)), bringing the Dakota up and exposing it by the denudation of the overlying Mancos. In one place a gulch exposes Jurassic strata. To the east and west are Mancos shales. The basal Mancos on the east is composed of hard black shales, with a sandstone above containing numerous plant stems. In it I found several poorly preserved Inoceramus dissimilis and some unrecognizable Ostrea. Returned at 5:13 p.m. At about 2 p.m. it rained in camp, and sprinkled where we were, the rain coming from the southwest. Mr. Pratt, a guide, called at camp in late afternoon. Up the river I saw in addition to the usual birds, one Say phoebe, and 16 ravens in one flock. In camp, later, saw six nighthawks. Felger took a Lewis woodpecker. White tailed prairie dog common from the divide south of Piceance Creek