[surly357]

saw a 'day trip' to the buttes on advrider a while back and it made me realize that while i spend a fair amount of time out on the pawnee grassland i hadn't been to pawnee buttes on the tw200 yet....





a good spot to unload with the skyline of the bustling metropolis of keota, colorado in the distance....

i hadn't been through keota in a few years either, here's what it looked like when i took my dad (who had visited family in the area as a child) back there in 2007. hasn't noticeably changed in the last 3 years....

here's what keota looked like waaay back in the day, before the depression. note the fellow carefully unloading the ups boxcar.....

a glimpse of ranch life at that time....

 

[surly357]

pawnee buttes II......



not all work, there was time for a little recreation when company came...

anyway, back to the tw..........headed through keota and out onto the county roads toward the buttes

 

[surly357]

pawnee buttes III......





you often read in colorado guidebooks how difficult it is not to get lost in "a maze of roads, blah, blah, blah...." out here- but actually weld county is laid out in a gridwork with even numbered roads going east and west, odd numbered roads go north and south, and of course the colorado rockies to the west....not to mention numerous signs like these...

cresting a hill you finally see the buttes....

this is the view from the overlook near the hiking trailhead....

rode around the area for a while- the riding is mostly gravel roads with a couple two tracks and some dirt near the buttes overlook...

didn't take this road!!

 

[surly357]

pawnee buttes IV....





a little more exploring and then time to head back to the big city and home....

Thanks for ridin' along!

 

[Gerry]

Nice pictures, interesting how things have changed.. I wonder if we are as sophisticated now as compared to back 'then'. Lots of wide open spaces, and I suspect, lots of wind. Thanks for the photos. Gerry

 

[bikerjosh]

Nice shots. I was wondering when I'd finally se some Buttes. Hoping the state of california get's some reserves to finally open sutter buttes park. Love the no trespassers sign.

Josh

 

[Gerry]

Josh you can (or could) arrange to hike Sutter Buttes with a group. I did it some years ago for about $20. Great place and well worth the $$$. The hike was very low key and lasted most of the day. The leader/contact person was out of Chico and at the time, seemed associated with the Butte Environmental Council. Like me, I suspect the fellow is in his 60's and may not be envolved any longer. Perhaps someone at Mt. Sports in Chico (back packing store) would know of a contact person. Gerry

 

[admiral]

Being somewhat familar with wide open spaces and interested in history, I sure did enjoy your ride. On the Ghosttowns website it mentioned that the Novelist James Michener, who I'm not familar with (I like history not novels:huh, it mentioned he called the Pawnee Buttes "Rattle Snake Buttes". With the picture of the two women, one appears to be holding a snake, and I'm guessing it was probably a Rattler.



And for some unknown reason, windmills alway attrack my attention. I always thought windmills were located near the farm or ranch to pump up water for folks and barnyard animals, but the more I travel, I see many windmills were in remote locations to pump up water into water troughs for livestock out on the range as depicted in one of your photo's. And like around the country, the modern windmills are cropping up. On my recent wagon ride, we also noticed some water pumping windmills for live stock are being replaced by solar panels to run them. I prefer the old fashion windmills.



Thanks for sharing your adventure.

Oh, and by the way, the Ghosttown site mentioned the last residents of Keota were going to leave in 1999. Anyone still live there?

 

[surly357]

yeah, there are still a couple houses and a few mobile homes in town. of course a lot of ranches in the area also. i think they lost their separate mailing designation before the 1990 census. they're probably in with briggsdale now. i believe that also cost them their 'smallest town in colorado' title as well- i think they had an official population of 4 then. if i remember correctly bonanza city was next at 8 (?). i don't know how it stands now.....



you might know michener's work from the adaptation of 'centennial' into a tv miniseries in the late 70's (early 80's?).



luckily i've not seen a rattlesnake out there, but it would have to be good habitat. we're always on the lookout just in case! my dad said when they visited in '38 they were required to take a garden hoe with them whenever they left the house! i was chatting with a resident, he operates the maintainer on the county roads- his guineas were strolling through town- he called it the 'rattlesnake patrol'. told me they will actually attack and kill rattlesnakes! i did not know that.

 

[Sly Fox]

Stunning photographs and great anecdotes.

Inspiring scenery, makes me want to ride it all!!!