October was spent in or more accurately ON the Front Range in Colorado. Driving into the state from Kansas, I marveled at the prairie and the breeze that blew there. After traveling across the prairie, I fully understood the things I had read and the expressions used, that I just had not reference to. I dry camped in a rest area just about 150 miles from the border of Colorado and headed out real early due to truck noise. As I drove along a very flat highway, with no traffic around me and nothing, and I mean nothing on the horizon but black out to the horizon and a billion stars above, I came to understand why they called the Canastota Wagons Prairie Schooners. The breeze was enough you could rig a sail to assist you across the grasslands. That breeze was enough to knock my mileage down almost 20% bucking it headed west! When I finally began to see lights and signs of civilization over the border into Colorado, I was reminded of sailing across the Long island Sound on the Port Jeff Ferry at night, and watching the lights of the shoreline come into view. That was the feeling I had making my first town in Colorado from the grasslands of Kansas. Funny thing too, but East Colorado is more like what we think of Kansas as, flat and dry plans, then west Kansas was. There were actually hills to be climbed in Kansas.
Pike Peak stood out on the horizon from about 100 maybe 125 miles, the snow covered top clearly visible in the still morning air. I can see why it left such an impression on the early settlers. Statehood in Colorado is just barely 100 years old. There are still people alive out there that wee born before statehood. They have two license plates in Colorado that took me a bit by surprise. One is Native and it does NOT mean your are Indian or Native American, but rather born in Colorado. That plate sits out there about as well as the Columbus Day Parade in Denver (this year attended by more cops and National Guard Troops than either Protesters or people watching it, so it seemed. Only good thing was first year in a while no injuries and few arrests) The other is Settler, and for that you have to be able to trace your ancestry, usually all of one generation to a homesteader. Well it is easier than tracing back to Plymouth or the Mayflower, what with only having to do one generation.
My first glimpse of the Rockies as the sun rose is Eastern Colorado
I stayed in Dakota Park RV Resort, and thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 weeks there. 70 to 75 during the day 50 to 55 at night. I made full use of the Hot Tub and heated pool. There were a few new signs here though, that made me sit up and take notice. Just Like the Public Tornado Shelter signs in Kansas, these signs got my attention! Or when the sirens started to blow that morning driving hru in Kansa and I did not know what they were. Fortunately, a local waved me down and told me and pointed me to a Public Shelter. This time, they were just rain clouds with no twist!
But most of the time, I felt very safe and secure in my RV. This park had made arrangements with the local community to supply Watch Rabbits to look over you at night and while you were away. There were no less than 30 of them on the grounds at any one time.
And then the snows came. Now mind you, I left New England because I was tired of snow and cold. We are supposed to be having something called global warming going on. Well, Colorado had the coldest and snowiest September and October ON RECORD. (Global warming my ass. Another thing Al Gore got wrong, just like his claim of inventing the InterNet) The sky slopes opened earlier than ever before, in some cases a whole month early. I - 70 thru the pass was closed for more hours in October than ever before I am told. Usually, the first snow falls on the Front Range - Metro Denver area on Halloween. Apparently this is a Denver norm, or so the natives tell me. The only comment I had about the snows, was at least they were civilized snows. Came, visited and left. Good snow, the locals tells me, stays in the Mountains.
By the next day
What I want to know is how I got out the door to take this photo, without disturbing the snow on the stairs!
3 P.M. the next day
Learning to deal with frozen water pipes and a few other things I had not planned on. After all the things we added to the list of things to bring, a snow shovel was not one of them!
Some friends took me on several long drives thru the mountains and over the passes.
For more photos on those trips, click here
As October ended, I said good by to Colorado with a stop in Grand Junction. This is the first town that has caught my eye and made me want to come back and stay here for a while, when I start getting tired of living in a vehicle that rocks in the wind. There are enough trees here to satisfy a former New Englander, with the Rockies right THERE. Note the image of the last pass on I -70 in the mirror as I drop down into Grand Junction, and unintended shot, next time I will look for more of the mirror when the opportunity presents itself
On to 4 Corners!