﻿GEOGRAPHICAL 
  REPORT 
  ON 
  THE 
  MIDDLE 
  AND 
  SOUTH 
  

   PARKS, 
  COLORADO, 
  AND 
  ADJACENT 
  COUNTRY. 
  

  

  INTEODUCTION. 
  

  

  Daring 
  the 
  years 
  1873, 
  '74, 
  and 
  '75, 
  it 
  has 
  fallen 
  to 
  my 
  lot 
  to 
  survey 
  

   the 
  area 
  bounded 
  b^^the 
  Arkansas, 
  Eagle 
  Eiver, 
  and 
  Park 
  Eange 
  on 
  

   the 
  west, 
  and 
  the 
  Foot 
  Hills 
  on 
  the 
  east, 
  and 
  extending 
  from 
  parallel 
  

   38^ 
  45' 
  0" 
  north 
  to 
  40° 
  30' 
  0", 
  the 
  whole 
  area 
  comprising 
  8,500 
  square 
  

   miles 
  ; 
  but 
  not 
  until 
  the 
  present 
  time 
  have 
  I 
  been 
  able 
  to 
  write 
  such, 
  

   description 
  of 
  its 
  features 
  as 
  I 
  could 
  have 
  wished. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  paper 
  I 
  have 
  concluded 
  the 
  whole 
  area 
  of 
  the 
  three 
  seasons' 
  

   work, 
  and 
  connected 
  its 
  study, 
  as 
  its 
  topographical 
  features 
  are 
  con- 
  

   nected, 
  in 
  one 
  united 
  system. 
  

  

  A 
  complete 
  orographic 
  description 
  has 
  never 
  been 
  given 
  of 
  that 
  part 
  

   of 
  the 
  Eocky 
  Mountains 
  which 
  constitutes 
  the 
  mountain 
  system 
  from 
  the 
  

   southern 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  Wyoming 
  down 
  to 
  the 
  Pike's 
  Peak 
  group, 
  forming, 
  

   as 
  it 
  does, 
  some 
  of 
  our 
  most 
  impressive 
  mountain 
  portions 
  of 
  Colorado, 
  

   full 
  of 
  scenic 
  effect, 
  particularly 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  its 
  numerous 
  canons 
  and 
  

   caQon-shaped 
  valleys. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  understand 
  them 
  fully, 
  it 
  becomes 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  describe 
  their 
  forms 
  in 
  their 
  manifold 
  shapes 
  and 
  configura- 
  

   tions, 
  state 
  by 
  figures 
  their 
  height, 
  depth, 
  and 
  breadth, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  geo- 
  

   logical 
  formation, 
  including 
  an 
  estimate 
  of 
  mountain 
  slopes 
  in 
  their 
  

   respective 
  localities, 
  and 
  also 
  the 
  system 
  of 
  drainage 
  ; 
  and 
  to 
  note 
  fur- 
  

   thermore, 
  the 
  departure 
  of 
  subridges 
  from 
  the 
  main 
  or 
  central 
  range, 
  

   and 
  to 
  give, 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  possible, 
  a 
  detailed 
  description 
  of 
  subordinate 
  

   spurs 
  both 
  of 
  the 
  central 
  and 
  subranges. 
  

  

  The 
  nomenclature 
  for 
  topographical 
  objects 
  in 
  our 
  Eocky 
  Mountain 
  

   territory 
  is 
  very 
  inadequate, 
  as 
  we 
  lack 
  names 
  for 
  hundreds 
  of 
  remark- 
  

   able 
  peaks, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  for 
  large 
  streams, 
  high 
  sub-ridges, 
  saddles, 
  spurs, 
  

   and 
  topographical 
  objects 
  in 
  general. 
  

  

  Tlie 
  difficulty 
  for 
  an 
  orographic 
  description 
  of 
  that 
  zone 
  is 
  therefore 
  

   increased. 
  Over 
  a 
  large 
  mountain 
  area, 
  with 
  the 
  crest 
  or 
  the 
  main 
  

   water-shed 
  of 
  200 
  miles 
  in 
  length 
  dotted 
  with' 
  hundreds 
  of 
  peaks, 
  we 
  

   have 
  only 
  a 
  very 
  few 
  names 
  for 
  landmarks 
  or 
  points 
  of 
  recognition, 
  

   which 
  have 
  become 
  familiar 
  with 
  everybody. 
  These 
  few 
  are 
  principally 
  

   Long's 
  Peak, 
  Pike's 
  Peak, 
  Gray's 
  Peak, 
  Mount 
  Lincoln, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  

   Mount 
  Evans. 
  

  

  The 
  introduction 
  of 
  names 
  like 
  Audubon, 
  James, 
  Guyot, 
  Silverheels, 
  

   Yale, 
  Harvard, 
  &c., 
  is 
  comparatively 
  of 
  recent 
  date, 
  and 
  the 
  people 
  

   have 
  not 
  yet 
  become 
  familiar 
  with 
  their 
  location. 
  This 
  applies, 
  and 
  

   with 
  greater 
  force, 
  to 
  the 
  comparatively 
  few 
  names 
  which 
  the 
  Geological 
  

   and 
  Geographical 
  Survey 
  has 
  seen 
  fit 
  to 
  introduce 
  during 
  their 
  four 
  

   years 
  of 
  exploration 
  in 
  Colorado. 
  Names 
  like 
  Park 
  View, 
  Vasquez, 
  By- 
  

   ers, 
  Arapahoe, 
  Whale, 
  White 
  Face, 
  Corral, 
  Williams, 
  Blue 
  Eiver 
  Peaks, 
  

  

  371 
  

  

  