Work took me to a remote address in the heart of Elbert County Saturday. While I’ve many times driven the main roads passing through this was my first time in the “interior”, so to say.
Between Castle Rock and Colorado Springs is what is known as the Palmer Divide. From the Rocky Mountain foothills, it extends ESE for about 75 miles. Starting about 1,500’ higher than the terrain North and South, the vegetation is primarily Ponderosa Pine on the ridges and short grass prairie in the draws. Around Colorado Springs the area is called the Black Forest.
The area isn’t poor with many prairie “mansions”, fancy gates blocking driveways, etc. Symbols of people with money to spend and don’t mind flaunting it.
The county seat, Kiowa, looks prosperous unlike most of High Plains Colorado.
It was a semi-passable way to spend a Saturday. Mercenary I was getting paid. Is it a sin to enjoy some of the work time?
5 comments:
The Palmer Divide is something I learned about from learning the weather here. It's the division between the South Platte and Arkansas Rivers.
Been through the area when we drove down to Pikes Peak on our first visit here. One of my DirecTV buddies spent several years getting the DirecTV Broadcast Center in Castle Rock set up and operational.
No sin in my mind. A beautiful part of Colorado. It has been years since I have been through there. The first time back in the early 70s when it was a bit of a drive between the AF Academy and Colorado Springs and the last time in the early 2000s when it seemed like the town ran all the way to the Academy gates. Can't imagine how much more it has grown in the last 20 years
DrJim
Back in the day I picked up a few bucks towing gliders at the Black Forest Glider port. I've flow gliders (sailplanes, excuse me) a couple of times. Didn't appeal to me.
Ed C
Growth everywhere. My first question always is where is the water coming from? Second question, where is the s**t flowing? Third question, who plows the roads? Around 2004 many of the small towns went on annexation sprees. Tax dollars dancing in their minds. First winter, the county quit plowing roads within the city limits. Oops!
I'm no judge but I'd say you deserve all the enjoyment you can get out of the job. And we get it here too, these fancy show-off gates, which look especially stupid in the countryside, imo.
Another thing, there you are, driving along and looking out at the fields and there's this out of place faux mansion. They look bad in the suburbs and worse in the country. What's wrong with building a trad ranch house?
Looks way better, works better and can't be that much more expensive (maybe).
LSP
My sister,never at a loss for a pertinent observation, refers to the entrances as, "Glory Gates".
On the plus side, the locals become adept at separating the fools from their money.
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