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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Daniel Kalal on March 29, 2019, 12:28:23 PM

Title: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Daniel Kalal on March 29, 2019, 12:28:23 PM
Virtually nobody lives there, the state tourism office hardly acknowledges it and many people see it as only a drudge to get across on the way to all the good things.  But, the high prairie is fully half the state, and worth visiting for its own sake.

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Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: oldbike54 on March 29, 2019, 12:30:27 PM
 One of the best nights of my life was spent in Limon .

 Dusty
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Roebling3 on March 29, 2019, 01:24:02 PM
Hmmm. I could likely learn something from Dusty.  Just sayin'.  R3~ 
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: oldbike54 on March 29, 2019, 01:36:31 PM
Hmmm. I could likely learn something from Dusty.  Just sayin'.  R3~

 Nothing useful .

 Dusty
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Don G on March 29, 2019, 01:38:13 PM
Kinda reminds me of Southern Saskatchewan. DonG
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Guzzistajohn on March 29, 2019, 01:47:41 PM
There is Bent's old fort and Rocky Ford where all the cantelopes are from. Exciting stuff. Actually the fort is pretty cool. Interesting history.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: rocker59 on March 29, 2019, 01:52:18 PM
One of the best nights of my life was spent in Limon .

 Dusty

There's a country song somewhere, in that story.   :boozing:
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: rocker59 on March 29, 2019, 01:53:34 PM
There is Bent's old fort and Rocky Ford where all the cantelopes are from. Exciting stuff. Actually the fort is pretty cool. Interesting history.

I loved visiting Bent's Old Fort in 2015, when on the way to Cripple Creek for the Western Adventure.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: oldbike54 on March 29, 2019, 02:09:38 PM
There's a country song somewhere, in that story.   :boozing:

 In my mind it has always been more of a Delta Blues song , maybe tinged with a bit of Toy Caldwell  :grin:

 Dusty
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: PJPR01 on March 29, 2019, 02:15:32 PM
One of the best nights of my life was spent in Limon .

 Dusty

Are you sure it wasn't Winslow, Arizona?  :)
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Guzzistajohn on March 29, 2019, 02:36:46 PM
I loved visiting Bent's Old Fort in 2015, when on the way to Cripple Creek for the Western Adventure.

Been there done that 2X, and I'll go again. Met the SWEETEST little Indian girl tour guide there my 1st visit.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Daniel Kalal on March 29, 2019, 02:58:55 PM
Kinda reminds me of Southern Saskatchewan. DonG
Yes; the Central Great Plains is pretty much all one continuum.

Southern Saskatchewan
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Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Aaron D. on March 29, 2019, 03:54:57 PM
I've spent a night in Limon. Main employer seemed to be the prison...

I really enjoy eastern Colorado. South or east of La Junta is beautiful.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: yogidozer on March 29, 2019, 04:48:01 PM
Longer hikes, I take my water filter, just In case I run out for myself or my dogs. Looking at those pictures, it wouldn't do much good because there's nothing I can see to draw from.
Some of the pictures show green grass, others look like you'd be in trouble.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: twowings on March 29, 2019, 04:51:48 PM
There was this girl in Las Animas...she probably doesn't remember... :grin:
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: T4halo on March 29, 2019, 05:38:00 PM
One of the best nights of my life was spent in Limon .

 Dusty

My night in Limon was spent trying to sleep in the back seat of a Dodge truck. So tired I couldn’t make it to northern Colorado Springs.

T4
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: LowRyter on March 29, 2019, 08:11:32 PM
hell .... are you telling me east Colorado is flatter than Kansas and drier than the Texas Panhandle?

Who knew?
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: oldbike54 on March 29, 2019, 08:26:14 PM
hell .... are you telling me east Colorado is flatter than Kansas and drier than the Texas Panhandle?

Who knew?

 Florida is flatter than Kansas , and Eastern Colorado is windier than Kansas .

 Dusty
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Gliderjohn on March 29, 2019, 08:43:06 PM
Riding between Trinidad and Johnson City on a mid 80s degree day with a nice double stack tank bag to lay one's head on to take a nice little nap. Damn near did that and about ran off the road. Not much out that way. Makes most of western KS seems like a metropolis.
GliderJohn
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: wavedog on March 29, 2019, 11:22:34 PM
While riding thru eastern Colorado one year, and after hour after hour of looking at the plains , I started laughing in my helmet and thought " that John Denver is full of it."
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: yogidozer on March 30, 2019, 06:01:25 AM
While riding thru eastern Colorado one year, and after hour after hour of looking at the plains , I started laughing in my helmet and thought " that John Denver is full of it."
John Denver loved nature, ever part of it. He did a lot to bring awareness to preserving it.
Awesome singer and songwriter as well.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: blackbuell on March 30, 2019, 06:03:16 AM
I spent parts of a few summers doing research near Lamar along the Arkansas River; actually pretty interesting habitat. Despite a few near misses with tornadoes, the weather wasn't too bad, either.

Jon
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: yogidozer on March 30, 2019, 06:10:37 AM
I spent parts of a few summers doing research near Lamar along the Arkansas River; actually pretty interesting habitat. Despite a few near misses with tornadoes, the weather wasn't too bad, either.

Jon
Well, no need to worry about widow makers (falling tree limbs)  :wink:
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: egschade on March 30, 2019, 06:45:28 AM
Can't imagine what it was like to ride across that in a covered wagon at 3 mph.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Zoom Zoom on March 30, 2019, 06:48:55 AM
Kinda reminds me of Southern Saskatchewan. DonG

Is this near Dog River? :wink:

John Henry
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: yogidozer on March 30, 2019, 06:49:22 AM
Can't imagine what it was like to ride across that in a covered wagon at 3 mph.
Yes, many didn't make it. They were some tough, determined people.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Daniel Kalal on March 30, 2019, 08:46:17 AM
Is this near Dog River? :wink: John Henry
Canadian humour…

It's actually between the villages of Big Creek and Big Muddy; possibly a small tributary into Big Creek (no name given on the map)
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: jcctx on March 30, 2019, 10:47:12 AM
Brings back memories of a return from Sturgis one year~ rode north to south along the eastern border. As always, thanks for the pics!!!
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Jim Rich on April 01, 2019, 06:09:22 PM
Flat ground accentuates the sky.  Looks like a good place to go tornado hunting.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Tkelly on April 03, 2019, 12:14:49 PM
Deb and I experienced our first haistorm going across .We had raingear and full face helmets but the hail was painful on the hands so we pulled over and hunkered down on the south side of the stelvio as the hail was coming from the north,no shelter in sight.When it stopped it was  a couple inches deep.Deb took off like ashot for the next town and motel.I was too scared to keep up.When I finally caught her and complmented her hail riding skills she told me she couldn't see the road.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: PeteS on April 03, 2019, 01:04:05 PM
Deb and I experienced our first haistorm going across .We had raingear and full face helmets but the hail was painful on the hands so we pulled over and hunkered down on the south side of the stelvio as the hail was coming from the north,no shelter in sight.When it stopped it was  a couple inches deep.Deb took off like ashot for the next town and motel.I was too scared to keep up.When I finally caught her and complmented her hail riding skills she told me she couldn't see the road.

The scariest 45 minutes on a motorcycle we were on US85 in South Dakota in the mother of all thunderstorms. Visibility about 8 feet and no where to get off the road. Scenery identical to Daniels' pics. Not a tree, bridge or driveway. I was behind a guy pulling a boat believe or not with all kinds of flashing lights moving about 10 mph until we both stopped. An hour later we pulled in Belle Fourche looking for a room. At the motel there were a dozen cars with glass broken out and big dents from a hail storm the day before. Thankfully no hail for us but still pretty terrifying.
As for Colorado we crossed on 160 and remember thinking this would be no place to break down. Nothing out there and the few towns were like ghost towns. Most all businesses abandoned including gas stations.

Pete
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Daniel Kalal on April 03, 2019, 01:09:51 PM
my front yard was covered with these things.  I sliced this one in half to see what was in it.  If you find yourself riding in the plains states and you see something like this hitting the pavement in front of you, I wouldn't try to ride it out.  Stop.

(http://www.dankalal.net/wildguzzi/hail.jpg)
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Don G on April 03, 2019, 02:18:02 PM

Is this near Dog River? :wink:

John Henry
Dog River is a little bit further north and a bit to the right!  :grin: DonG
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Fontain25 on April 05, 2019, 05:28:12 AM
Oh yeah!
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Muzz on April 05, 2019, 04:50:28 PM
my front yard was covered with these things.  I sliced this one in half to see what was in it.  If you find yourself riding in the plains states and you see something like this hitting the pavement in front of you, I wouldn't try to ride it out.  Stop.

(http://www.dankalal.net/wildguzzi/hail.jpg)

 :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:

Even small hail hurts at 60mph (open face helmet). :cry: :cry:
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: Daniel Kalal on April 05, 2019, 05:14:27 PM
Even small hail hurts at 60mph (open face helmet). :cry: :cry:

That's for sure; and even with a full helmet, that hail I'm holding will go right through any face shield.  I keep my car in the garage, but on the day this thing fell to earth, my neighbors--those who had their cars out in their driveway--had fairly well dimpled cars afterwards.
Title: Re: Colorado's other half [only photographs]
Post by: NewBoots on April 06, 2019, 10:12:12 AM
Most people think that is Kansas. Colorado doesn't start until you see the mountains.
Bucky