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<br />3
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<br />dear mountain streams, nnd pI:'lcill lukes. The lower elevations
<br />feature a ch:mging pn,t.t.ern of foresterl ~lope... viewpd from precipitous
<br />canyons or shnrp villley~ which wind through sections of spectnculnr
<br />rock outcrop:-; a.nel s(~rpne parks of grtlS~, ~hrlIb:,;, lllld mount-nin flowers.
<br />The Needle ~Iountnins hnve tlie most rugg(>cl peaks ill the nfcn.
<br />)[t. AoIeus, Slmlight nnd \VindolJl PPllks :.lre over 14,000 feet in
<br />f'len~ti()n. There are JlllllU'I'Oll.. other peak" OVf'f 13.000 feet in elevation.
<br />The Rio G-randf' Pynunill. J~.8:W (pet, J'e,,{'mbliug the pyramids of
<br />Egypt, illlcl the \Vindow through a Shf'(,f, ,,{'rHenl WIllI, :Ire landmnrks
<br />t.hllt. eRn he seen for great di..tnnces.
<br />EIJlf'r:lid Luke, the !'('cond Inrgest flat-uml lake in Colorndo in A.
<br />primitive ell\dronnwnt, WI\..... formed hv H mas"..ivc landslide. Over
<br />fort.y OtlWT nnmed lakes lInd seores of ~lInnnmed I>>.ke:-; rue di~persed
<br />through the area, Hendwntf'I'S of the 1.0:-; Pino5 Hiver, Piedra River,
<br />'Vest. Fork Snl1 .TlIt\n Hiv(>r :llltl trihllta,ri{.s of the Animus find Rio
<br />Grnnde Hivers ur'(-' included within the propnsctl houndary.
<br />1'11(' ~font.tme, Suhalpine, nnd .Alpine vegetative life zones ure
<br />included \llithin the. nrea,
<br />Summer tempemturf's r:lrely exceed 11 maximum of SO degrees.
<br />'VilltRr minimums muy reach 30 to 40 degrt'cs below 7.ero. Summer
<br />tempprntllres prevail only from late .June to enrly September. The
<br />growing sea~on it.\'crnges I~ than GO days and there are prllctically
<br />no extNldl'd fro~t...fr('e period:-, in mnch of the higher conn try.
<br />Averag(~ I1nnlll1l prt.("ipit:llioll i...; l)('tw('('02;') :tnd50 inehes awl occurs
<br />ehif.fly in the form of snow. High-int(>lIsity ruin showprs ot":cur in
<br />J(){'1tlizf'd art'l\S during the SlIllIflWf. Ilail 111111 :'\Ipf't urc common at
<br />hitdu'r l'/t'vntiolls during the:'.t. storms.
<br />'Soils runge from ~hltilow to dl'ep. Those OIl f:ollllviHI foot!'lopes arc
<br />dnrk. d('('p, llnd (('rlil...: Whl'l'f"ll", t hosf' 011 5tPf'P lJlollntltin SIOpf~S :lr('i
<br />Iight...(.olort>d. shllllow. nod rllll~t' (rom ~oils of low ft'rtility rlf'rivNI from
<br />:'ih~ll{.s and !'Iltnd~tones 10 moderutdy fl'rtilf' soil:-; d(>vt'lopl'd from Iime-
<br />:-;totlt's. All o( th(>:-;(~ :-loils :IT"l' "i~hly s\l~e"ptihle to erosion wht'n the
<br />\"t'!!I'tati\'e eOn'f is (Iistllrbpd.
<br />~\bOVf~ tirnht.rlint' urt' nwn.\" hllrl'PIl, roeky.. mOlllltaill p'f"nk~. On the
<br />smoother lire>>:;, rock-studded, shullow lllplllC turf SOIls llnd df'ep,
<br />pOllrly--drninf'd alpine nwudow soils tle,'dnpNl from rhyoliu>:-" nnrlf':-,itf's,
<br />:lIld 111tl'ritt,s {)('('ur. Thl'<.:e :-,oil:-; I\rf' w('1I :-lnppli('d with phmt nutrients
<br />hut (J( low prodllf"tivity Ill'cause of u short, (~old growing ~l'il:'40n.
<br />ConiC,,'r forf'st:;; ('OVl'r llpproxilTllltf'ly 50 J>1'1'('eltf. of tllf' are.l, t,he
<br />J"(>II1l\ind(>f of thu lirt'H i.; t'ov('rf'd /lTNlmninllntly by gr!1.-;s llnd wIHer,
<br />with :-1. ~mull peft'f'utU.g-f' of tlw hUH undl>r othf'r Ir('(' and hrtl:-,h species.
<br />TIH' propnsf'd urML ,yould bt) nlltlwd :Iftpr the 'VClllilluche Indians, l\
<br />:"'lIb-trihC' of Illf' Ut.f' Indi:t.Il:-'. Thl' \\TemitHH'he lndiun WllS thl' t':lflif'st
<br />I"f>(:onl('d yi~itor (,0 t.his n'1!ioIl. lli;;;tori(',nl ff'l'urds ~how thut the nam",
<br />lIlay :11:'40 he eorrcl'lly ~pt,ilpd us "\riminu('lw," but dill' to the loclllly
<br />/lC('('ptt..! ,.;,p,.lIing- of mltny ~eogrllphi('tll Cel1.tUl.f'S in th(> tlff'll tilt' name
<br />\Yt'lllinuche is used.
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<br />B. ACREAGE AND IXHOLDIXGS
<br />
<br />The wilderness llS proposed by S. lSG:J, tiS amendeJ, ('unluins -t3:J,-
<br />7-1,") aeres, This i~ llPproximntt'ly 86.912 neTes more thull the Forest
<br />S(ln'i(~{' propo.;lll for H \Veminllche \\"iltlern6" (see section 1\" HAd_
<br />mini:..;truti\'u IHld Ll"gislntive History").
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