Field Work of the Hayden Survey of the Territories 
in Northern Colorado, 1875 * 
W. H. Holmes, Artist to the Survey . 
In the spring of 1873 the report on the work of the 
Survey of the Territories for 1872 was duly completed in Wash¬ 
ington and late in May the party set out for Colorado, the 
outfitting camp being established on the Davis ranch outside the 
city of Denver•* On May 30, several parties,properly outfitted, 
were off for the mountains. 
During the previous year, I served as artist for the 
Survey of the Yellowstone country and made so much headway in 
* 
the study of the geological formations that I now took an active 
part not only in sketching the ranges, and making drawings of 
all kinds of geological and other subjects, but in observing 
\ 
and recording the diversified geological phenomina. It was a 
great season of exploration and adventure during which I climbed 
eleven mountain peaks, most of which were between 13,000 and 
14,000 feet in height. Among these were La Plata, Elbert, 
Torry, Lincoln, Powell, Evans, Gray, White Rock, Long's, Pike's 
and Snow Mass. 
Among the most noteworthy examples of the season's 
adventures was the discovery and asceiit of the Mountain of the 
Holy Cross, and the ascent and naming of Mount Powell. Accounts 
of these episodes are included herewith. My field notebooks 
were too voluminous to be preserved and with the exception of a 
few pages appended hereto all were destroyed. 
This year the Survey office was in the Second Rational Bank 
Building, Seventh Street. 
