...focus on Eastern Colorado [mostly photographs]

[Daniel Kalal]

 
When the boundaries of what would become the state of Kansas were being decided, it was considered that the western border of the state might be set as far as the Rocky Mountains.  But, there was really no advantage in that--there were few people out there and the cost of administrating that extra territory would have been prohibitive.
 
So, the western border was established as 25 degrees west of Washington, which we now know better as 102° 03' 02” from the Greenwich Prime Meridian.
 
This is the point where Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado meet.  It's a hilly area (these things being relative), and as it has never been farmed, gives you a good idea what the land west of here once looked like.
 
 
 
A couple hundred miles due south is the point where Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado meet. 
 
   
 
This nearby land is flat, and has been plowed and planted with only indifferent success (the region is the heart of the dust bowl).
 

 
Riding to the west, the ground slowly climbs in elevation, but you’d hardly notice the difference from one mile to the next.  But, in time, you only have to look see those mountains, and that makes all the difference.
 

 
The agricultural history is one of dry farming and then irrigation-by-canal and then center-pivot irrigation where a seeming endless supply of water is available.  Where once sheep could hardly survive, you can see vast corn fields.
 

 
People have always lived here, of course. 
 
Sand Creek
 
In 1864 six-hundred-fifty cavalrymen (Colorado Volunteers) attacked a camp of Cheyenne and Arapaho who had been assured that they were in a safe spot and were flying the American flag.  Of the two hundred killed, two-thirds were women and children.  In most cases, these many conflicts with the Plains Indians were called “battles”; but, that was never the case with Sand Creek; this was always known to be different.
 
The location is now national historic site.
 

 
To ride in Eastern Colorado is to experience solitude and quiet.   There are just a few roads that take virtually all the cross-state traffic, and then there are all the rest.
 

 
Over time, the important transcontinental lines have shifted north or south towards easier crossings of the Rocky Mountains.  Some rails are still here, and Amtrak still runs the old La Junta-to-Trinidad line even  though that line is sometimes mentioned for abandonment.
 

 
Look at the towns...
 
Almost all reflect the optimism of the late 1880s through the end of the first world war.  The large brick buildings were not built to meet the current need, they were built because people foresaw that they would be necessary in the future.
 
Agate, Colorado
 

 
Amherst, Colorado
 

 
Arapahoe, Colorado
 

 
Brandon, Colorado
 

 
Bristol, Colorado
 

 
Campo, Colorado
 

 
Cheraw, Colorado
 

 
Cheyenne Wells, Colorado
 

 
Eads, Colorado
 

 
Galatea, Colorado
 

 
Haswell, Colorado
 

 
Haxtun, Colorado
 

 
Holly, Colorado
 

 
Holyoke, Colorado
 

 
Julesburg, Colorado.
 

 
Kim, Colorado
 

 
Kit Carson, Colorado
 

 
La Junta, Colorado
 

 
Limon, Colorado
 

 
New Raymer, Colorado
 

 
Pritchett, Colorado
 

 
Seibert, Colorado
 

 
Springfield, Colorado
 

 
Stoneham, Colorado
 

 
Towner, Colorado
 

 
Two Buttes, Colorado
 

 
Vona, Colorado
 

 
Walsh, Colorado
 

 
Wild Horse, Colorado
 

 
Wiley, Colorado
 

 
Roads are straight and follow section lines--those theoretical lines on a map that have no reference to the land.  It isn't everywhere that a road can be created based on a theoretical line on a sheet of paper.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
If you only sit on your motorcycle and drone down the road, you'll likely find Eastern Colorado to be a miserable place.  Miserable.  You need to get off the larger roads, turn off the engine, walk around one of the towns.  Pay attention; you don't hear anything.
 
There's a strip of land about two-hundred miles wide that runs up the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.  There are very few cities, and most towns that are still there are not prosperous.  But, it's a part of America that is little changed from what it always has been. 
 
You won't wear out the edges of your tires, but if you take the time to look around, you'll find an appreciation for what it is.

[oldbike54]

Thanks Deke , that part of Colorado is familiar , the culture is more like Kansas or Nebraska , no fancy restaurants of B&B's , just tough decent people .

 Dusty

[Aaron D.]

Eastern Colorado gave me the only range anxiety I've had on a motorcycle. Great photos!

[Solojoe]

Thanks for posting the photo journal. Nice shots of these almost abandon towns & lonely roads.

[Bonafide Bob]

Great photos, Thank for sharing them with us.
 You certainly have a talent with photography.
Bob

[Dean Rose]

Daniel, How many trips/rides/time did it take to make this.


Dean

[wavedog]

Great photos. Thanks for posting. Your photos really give a great feel for the land. I rode thru that area a couple of years ago. As I was riding north thru eastern Colorado I looked around at all the flatness, started laughing to myself as the thought occurred to me - that John Denver was full of it.

[Daniel Kalal]

Daniel, How many trips/rides/time did it take to make this.


Dean

Forty years and many rides--I've never lived in Colorado.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Thanks for the history lesson, Daniel.. good stuff as usual.

[oldbike54]

 Two of us coasted into Kim CO on fumes , not a great place to be a pedestrian , but given how nice most residents of the High Plains are , the first passerby would have stopped . Of course , that might have taken a couple of hours 

 Dusty

[O]

Thanks Daniel.  Interesting history, and the pics of those seemingly endless straightaways are mesmerizing.

[lucydad]

Eastern CO has always represented a no-man's land for me except for two of my dad's business partners, post-WWII.  Three of them teamed up to risk-share in start up Rexall Pharmacies.  Two were in eastern CO, and my dad's was in Durango, over on the pretty side.  I hired a young geophysicist from Eads years ago, he fit into Midland, TX just fine. 

Thanks, it has been maybe 45 years since I was anywhere in eastern CO.

[rocker59]

Crossing The Plains on a motorcycle is a ritual experience for me.  It's 650 miles from The Ozarks where I live, to the front range of The Rockies.  I usually always choose the 2-lanes.  Makes it much more interesting, and fun.

Lots of things to see there, if only you take the time to look.

[PJPR01]

Those pictures are a story indeed, and reflect a lot of patience.  I didn't see the town mentioned, but I'd imagine you've been thru Hugo as well?  Had a long time family friend from there out in California, she used to tell us tales of the wide open plains and endlessly straight roads...the pictures certainly confirm that!

Very nice pictorial!

[Lcarlson]

My mother was born and grew up in Lamar, where she had a good childhood.   But once she got out, she never wanted to go back. I'd like to ride it, though.

[LowRyter]

To avoid that starkness, I've driven the F&M roads West of Dumas in the Tx Panhandle.  More fun than you might think.

[rocker59]

My mother was born and grew up in Lamar, where she had a good childhood.   But once she got out, she never wanted to go back. I'd like to ride it, though.

I see an epic ride on US Route 50 in your future.

Turn right at Winchester Virginia and just enjoy things as they come.

In a few days, you'll find yourself in Lamar.  And, only part of a day's ride from The Rockies!

[Lcarlson]

I see an epic ride on US Route 50 in your future.

Turn right at Winchester Virginia and just enjoy things as they come.

In a few days, you'll find yourself in Lamar.  And, only part of a day's ride from The Rockies!

Sounds like a plan. Since I lived just off route 50 in northern Virginia for about a decade, I could visit some old haunts there, too --

[Rough Edge racing]

 I was stationed at Ft Carson near Colorado Springs in 67-68. I had a car and drove around when there was time and money for gas...The photos bring back memories... I really liked the west for some some reason came back east...

[pebra]

Thanks, Daniel!
Very interesting, informative.

[Guzzistajohn]

Nice stuff Daniel, think of the wind out there now, Brrrrrrrrrrrr. About as bas as...........WICHIT A, Ks.

[K250]

Daniel, would you mind telling us how you put together your web page?  Your web site looks great and clearly works good to link photos also.   Do you host it yourself?

[Guzzistajohn]

Crossing The Plains on a motorcycle is a ritual experience for me.  It's 650 miles from The Ozarks where I live, to the front range of The Rockies.  I usually always choose the 2-lanes.  Makes it much more interesting, and fun.

Lots of things to see there, if only you take the time to look.

YES, Bent's old fort is a great place to visit! Well worth the time.

[Toystoretom]

Very nice post. Thank you! This fuels my wanderlust and appreciation of adventure. Ha, too bad I be a working man.....

[Daleroso]

If the time is available a cross country dawdle on Rte 50 fm D.C. to San Francisco, or the reverse, offers a great cross section of Amarica in various ways! Great pics! Thank you!

[Xlratr]

Thanks Daniel. I really enjoyed that as it was a glimpse into a place and way of life I'll probably never see. Great pictures, although I must say that a couple of them almost made me feel a little uneasy. Compared to where I live there's just so much ... space! And it really does look quiet! I can't imagine what it must feel like being there.

What can you do there, other than work? And I don't mean that disrespectfully, I'd really like to know.

John

[oldbike54]

Thanks Daniel. I really enjoyed that as it was a glimpse into a place and way of life I'll probably never see. Great pictures, although I must say that a couple of them almost made me feel a little uneasy. Compared to where I live there's just so much ... space! And it really does look quiet! I can't imagine what it must feel like being there.

What can you do there, other than work? And I don't mean that disrespectfully, I'd really like to know.

John

 John , the residents of our Great Plains farm , ranch , raise their children , participate in community events , go to dances and movies , and surf the net . Pretty much like folks anywhere do .

 Dusty

[Aaron D.]

Yeah , it's just that "nearby" means about 50 miles.

[jcctx]

Thanks again for sharing; rode thru the area returning from Sturgis a couple times. Like you, I like the plains !!!

[Bill N]

Thanks Daniel. I really enjoyed that as it was a glimpse into a place and way of life I'll probably never see. Great pictures, although I must say that a couple of them almost made me feel a little uneasy. Compared to where I live there's just so much ... space! And it really does look quiet! I can't imagine what it must feel like being there.

What can you do there, other than work? And I don't mean that disrespectfully, I'd really like to know.

John

I think I know. For most that remain in these almost ghost towns, it's family, tradition, religion, and work. They love the quiet, the peacefulness, that makes for an uncomplicated life. Not an easy life but one devoid of the stresses in a big city. Many of these towns are dying. One reason is the newer generations want more and the economics are poor with few opportunities. Just my thoughts.
Bill