Exploring the Front Range

Abstract THE EXPEDITION REMAINED CAMPED AT THE mouth of the canyon of the South Platte for two days. Seymour took occasion to make a watercolor painting, View of the Chasm Through which the Platte Issues from the Rocky Mountains. It was reproduced, in black and white, in the final report of the expedition. The mouth of the canyon is today included in Waterton Canyon Recreation Area, a mecca for picnickers, hikers, and fishermen. Although the area is much transformed, it is possible to look up the canyon and enjoy a view very much like that shown in Seymour’s painting. The cottonwoods noted by Bell still provide abundant shade, and some of the trees and bushes noted by James are still much in evidence: box elders, oaks, junipers, and poison ivy.