Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-11-14
SCENIC HIGHWAY
ONE Of GRANDEUR
Survey I hroughN
tional Forest
Completed
WILL Be 80 MILES LONG
Mountain Scenery Along the
Route Unsurpassed Even
by That Of Alps.

map OF the proposed wagon road
through the Pecos River National For
est together with an estimate OF the
probable cost of construction Is being
prepared by W. r. Smythe, a member
OF the local firm Of civil engineers OF
Corbett and Smythe. Mr.. Smythe has
just finished the survey of the route
running through the forest reserve
which will complete the scenic high.
way btWeen Santa Fe and Las Vegas.
The total distance via this wagon road
between the two cities Is roughly est.
mated at between eighty-fve md
ninety miles.
When the scenic highway is complet.
ed 1t will undoubtedly become one of
the most picturesque wagon roads in
the United States. and for scenic gran.
deur will be rivaled only by the fam.
GUS mountain routes in Switzerland.
At no point will the maximum grade
be more than five per cent which will
permit of easy travelling by horse
drawn vehicles or automobiles 1t will
wind around some of the highest
mountains in the territory and take
the traveller through the pretty valley
near the headwaters of the Pecos riv-
er. The road through the national for
est proper will be fifty-two miles in
length according to the survey one
mile of which will be where the sun
| fails to penetrate
Scenery Along Route Magnificent.
"The scenery is simply magnificent
all along the line" Mr.. Smythe said
this morning, in discussing the pro-
posed route. "The new road will be-
gin at the divide between Macho and
Dalton creeks, where the old Macho
creek trail leads from the scenic high
way. | found 1t necessary to abandon
one and one-half miles of the road
which have already been constructed.
The new road swings to the north
from there and keeps on the sunny
side of the hill, thence down Indian
creek hill at the foot of which 1t
crosses Indian creek.
when in sight of the Pecos river.
200 feet above the point where Indian
creek empties into it, 1t gradually
drops down into the valley. From there
| It practically follows the present road
until Gilmore's bridge at the mouth of
Holy Ghost creek. There it crosses
the Pecos river and thence goes up
stream to Davis creek which is direct
ly opposite Holy Ghost canon. Thence
lit ascends the divide between Davis
and Willow creek, passing back to An
lthony Dockweiler's ranch, crossing
Willow creek three quarters OF mile
above the Pecos Copper Companys
mines.
Road to Be Winding One.
From there the road proceeds up
the sunny side Of Willow creek follow
ing the south branch after passing the
forks, ascending the side of the divide
between the head of Willow creek and
Cow creek and passing over the divide
into Cow creek valley. 1t then goes a.
most due east across Elk mountain d.
vide, 100 yards north to the present
trail which is about mile north Of
Elk peak. After crossing this divide
it drops down the sunny side Of the
ridge or the divide between the north
and south branches of the Gallinas riv-
er, passing about one quarter Of a
mile west Of Harvey's upper ranch,and
leaving Schunemaker's ranch about
half a mile to the east strikes the
Harvey trail on the hill. Here, by
means of switch backs 1t descends un-
til it reaches the valley Of the south
branch of the Gallinas just above the
Harvey carriage house. From there the
route taken follows the south branch
Of the stream until It reaches the east
ern boundary Of the reserve where 1t
will connect, with the road now being
built by convict labor
Mr.. Smythe carried camera with
him on his surveying trip and secured
a large number of fine photographs Of
the scenery along the route. Most Of
these pictures will be Incorporated In
his report to the Bureau OF Forestry
by whom he was engaged to make the
preliminary surveys.