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1956 Map of Spicer Peak

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Spicer Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

High-altitude ranching and the complex management of mountain waters define this mid-century landscape along the Continental Divide. Family-run operations like the Van Valkenburg Ranch, F P Murphy Ranch, and Bailey Ranch are tied together by a sophisticated network of gravity-fed irrigation channels, including the Mexican Ditch, Arapaho Ditch, and Eureka Ditch. These systems divert flow from alpine sources like Grizzly Creek and Martin Creek into high-basin storage sites such as the Hecla Reservoir and West Arapaho Reservoir.

The terrain transitions from the open valley surrounding the settlement of Spicer toward the dramatic peaks of the Rabbit Ears Range. Notable landmarks such as Ironclad Mountain, Dennis Hump, and Spicer Peak overlook the boundary between the Routt National Forest and Arapaho National Forest. This survey captures the infrastructure of the high-country West, where water rights and ranch boundaries like the Chas Murphy Ranch dictate the human footprint in the wilderness.