01-08-2011, 03:25 PM
My wife and I started out yesterday by going to into Canon City for breakfast, and on a whim, decided to drive to Guffy to visit her brother. Since he wasn't home, the whim ended up taking us north to Hartsel, then easterly to Buena Vista and finally north again up to Leadville at almost 11,000 feet, following the old UP rail;s along the Arkansas River the whole way.
The day was beautiful, sunny, clear and bright with temp of 61 degrees - despite global warming being a "myth" - and along the way up we passed a herd of perhaps fifty or more antelope, then two herds of deer and a seven point buck grazing by the roadside and totally indifferent to our presence no more than twenty yards away.
In Leadville, we visited a terrific antique store occupying the former hardware store, still complete with the solid wood trim, rolling ladders and a ton of bins and drawers, and ten rooms upstairs also full of antiques! Picked up a few goodies for the collection, ate a wonderful Mexican meal, and headed home. On the way back, we passed a herd of buffalo and saw a young bald eagle perched atop an old telephone pole, watching for his dinner. If you beleive in omens, we had them that day!
Along the way we paralleled the old Denver and Central (?) rail grade all the way from Hartsel to Buena Vista, still in great shape despite a century of neglect, wind, rain, weather and snow and ice. In BV we say old rolling stock from D&C displayed in the local park, but the oddest and most rewarding site was on the long haul to Leadville. I caught a glimpse of an old railroad water tower on private property well below the highway, but couldn;t see it properly heading noerth. On the way back, I was able to see the old right-of-way, the water tower, an old railroad planked bridge and...of all things...a short stretch of narrow gauge track with a caboose and freight car, freshly painted, sitting against the embankment on private property. No signs for a tourist attraction - just sitting there. out of sight and out of mind, and looked tyo be in decent shape at that.
hock: I plan to go back with a camera and get some photos!
All in all, a "day of days".
The day was beautiful, sunny, clear and bright with temp of 61 degrees - despite global warming being a "myth" - and along the way up we passed a herd of perhaps fifty or more antelope, then two herds of deer and a seven point buck grazing by the roadside and totally indifferent to our presence no more than twenty yards away.
In Leadville, we visited a terrific antique store occupying the former hardware store, still complete with the solid wood trim, rolling ladders and a ton of bins and drawers, and ten rooms upstairs also full of antiques! Picked up a few goodies for the collection, ate a wonderful Mexican meal, and headed home. On the way back, we passed a herd of buffalo and saw a young bald eagle perched atop an old telephone pole, watching for his dinner. If you beleive in omens, we had them that day!
Along the way we paralleled the old Denver and Central (?) rail grade all the way from Hartsel to Buena Vista, still in great shape despite a century of neglect, wind, rain, weather and snow and ice. In BV we say old rolling stock from D&C displayed in the local park, but the oddest and most rewarding site was on the long haul to Leadville. I caught a glimpse of an old railroad water tower on private property well below the highway, but couldn;t see it properly heading noerth. On the way back, I was able to see the old right-of-way, the water tower, an old railroad planked bridge and...of all things...a short stretch of narrow gauge track with a caboose and freight car, freshly painted, sitting against the embankment on private property. No signs for a tourist attraction - just sitting there. out of sight and out of mind, and looked tyo be in decent shape at that.
hock: I plan to go back with a camera and get some photos!All in all, a "day of days".