We packed and hit the road last week. Beautiful day, 75*, nice breeze......in Fort Collins.
By the time we got to the monument it was ~50*, and 25~35 MPH winds. And we were at 8250 feet, with nothing for miles any way you looked. Yes, windchill is a real thing.
The monument was built to honor Oliver and Oakes Ames, and sits at the highest elevation the First Transcontinental Railroad. Built between 1880 and 1882. The Ames Brothers were implicated with the massive fraud that went on during the building of the railroad.
Don't know which one this is, but the birds don't appear to like him.
SLW ducking around a corner to get out of the wind. Yep....not much up there.
Interesting to see the tool marks from when the rocks were quarried and worked.
It was a fun little trip, and the drive North on Rt 287 is enjoyable.
AND Hermosa Road was freshly graded, so we didn't rattle our teeth loose once we got off 287.
I'll have to look up the monument. Had not heard about it before - interesting.
ReplyDeleteWe have had rain the last couple of days - badly needed. The precipitation should clear for the Holiday next week.
And Second spring in Arizona is now over and we're back in our cooler weather warmer garb.
Thanks for the post on the interesting monument.
It was fun to go see it, and a very scenic drive.
DeleteWe are having the longest period without snow since records have been kept.
ReplyDeleteWas your truck the only vehicle in the parking lot?
Yep, we were the only ones there. I looked at the remains of the Sherman turntable, but we missed the old cemetery. We'll most likely go back again next year, and also to the Pawnee National Grasslands.
DeletePawnee Buttes was a favorite destination back when I was fit. The hike from the parking lot to the buttes isn't difficult. Access is restricted in the Spring so as not to disturb nesting birds. Nearby is the nearly ghost town of Keota which is interesting and the restaurant/saloon in New Raymer has decent food. The Northeast Weld County Fair and Rodeo is held there every July.
ReplyDeleteThe "Wide Open Spaces" here are very invigorating after living in L.A. for 35 years!
DeleteThanks for sharing that!
ReplyDeleteIt was a fun little trip. I want to go back and see the remnants of the turntable, and SLW enjoys exploring old graveyards, so we'll visit the Old Sherman Cemetery, which was just on the other side of the road.
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