The given clues form the set of down clues for a diagramless 15x15 crossword puzzle with the usual symmetry (but, as noted below, with some unchecked letters). The structure of the grid and the answers to the clues can be determined in such a way that the numbering is correct and all of the across entries are actual words.
Seven of the across entries are names of ranges in the Rocky Mountains. These entries all intersect the center column, where each has an unchecked letter. Reading these unchecked letters in order gives the answer, WASATCH, which means "mountain pass" in Ute (and which is the name of another Rocky Mountain range).