Pawnee Buttes II
The area is fairly rugged. This is looking Northwest.
To the Southwest the terrain eases. There was a lot of moisture in the air. Usually from here you can see 100+ miles and the Colorado Front Range from Longs Peak to Pikes Peak.
Air Force veterans will recognize these installations scattered throughout the area. May they never be used.
The area was once populated by homesteaders eeking out a meager living. Dry land farming isn't for the weak or faint of heart. The Great Depression and Dust Bowl era put an end to that. The government took over the abandoned homestead, destroyed any structures, and created the Pawnee Grasslands by letting everything go back to nature. The program was controversial.
http://www.fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/c5/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gjAwhwtDDw9_AI8zPwhQoY6IeDdGCqCPOBqwDLG-AAjgb6fh75ua
A large number of the homesteaders were Germans from Russia. The descendants still strive to keep the culture alive. While I find them just a trifle full of themselves, their festivals do have some damn good grub.
http://www.weldcounty150.org/PeopleofWeldCounty/GermansFromRussiaInColorado.html
A few of the homesteads survived. You can spot them by the surviving trees. In many cases, newer, more modern buildings have been built around the originals.
This is the end of the tour. Thank you for your interest and I hope you enjoyed it.
12 comments:
Missile silo, one each.
Armageddon on demand. Scares any rational person to think on that.
Again, thanks for the pics. Awesome country out there.
It's NOT an area for the faint of heart... Just sayin...
Indeed. On a more mundane day to day basis, the opportunity to meet insufferable APs.
Makes you wonder what where the circumstances these people left, that for them, was a better life.
It's a lonely place. Sad that even there, someone has to do graffiti.
Missle silos, brings back memories. Duck and cover! We grew up worried about tomorrow. Today's kids worry about America's Got Talent or who's on Dancing with the stars. There are no longer any adults.
About four hours in a buckboard from the nearest town. You are right about the graffiti.
That silo is still operational.
Very cool. I love virtual tours like that and when I am there in person, it is surreal. Makes me miss home.
I'm more at home in the mountains but the plains have their charms as does Wyoming (except Wamsutter).
Yes and Baggs and some of Rawlins
Baggs is just "small" with a good honky tonk. Once had a hot lady friend there.
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