Why I like the Eastern Plains MORE than the mountains. (Fort Morgan: high school, college)

[Gunluvver2]

I grew up in Eastern Colorado but left after High School to go to College in Nebraska. I still have friends and family in Colorado, Western Kansas and Nebraska so I make the trip back "home" fairly often. When I was a kid we usually went to the mountains for a two week vacation. I always enjoyed those vacations but by the end of two weeks I was tired of mountains and anxious to get back to the flatlands of Yuma County. I agree the mountains of the front range are beautiful; on the days you can see them. However you are seeing the same view day after day, year after year with just a few details like snow or greenery to give it variety.

Go just a hundred miles East of the front range and you have some of the most fantastic scenery on the planet. PLUS it changes from moment to moment and is NEVER the same. I am talking about the cloud formations that are created by the passage of the atmosphere over the high Rockies. The turbulence created by those high mountains creates some of the most beautiful clouds anywhere on Earth. When I was a kid I would spend hours watching the clouds. Big fluffy balls of cotton that would soar up to 40,000 feet over the flat lands of the Eastern Plains. Sunrises and sunsets in this part of the country can take your breath away.

GL2

[dynimagelv]

Gotta vote with you 100% Gun....altho I do like winters in the desert better. [hands don't even fit a snow shovel anymore]

[zenkonami]

Total mountain fan myself, but I do have a real soft spot for plains and desert...There really is more "there" there than most people realize! Excellent call on the clouds.

[DOUBLE H]

Myself as well. I lived in the Fort Morgan/Brush area when the Pawnee Plant was built from 1977 to 1980. I really liked it there, would have no qualms about relocating back there.

[CosmicWizard]

I've spent no time in eastern Colorado, but I did spend a ( summer ) month in Saskatchewan many years ago. The sunrises and sunsets I experienced there were the most colorful I've ever seen. The cloud formations were quite amazing too. Not sure I'd want to be there in the winter however, when the cold wintery winds come whipping thru. The grain fields offer just minimal resistance to the wind. Not much else to slow it down.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

I've spent no time in eastern Colorado, but I did spend a ( summer ) month in Saskatchewan many years ago. The sunrises and sunsets I experienced there were the most colorful I've ever seen. The cloud formations were quite amazing too. Not sure I'd want to be there in the winter however, when the cold wintery winds come whipping thru. The grain fields offer just minimal resistance to the wind. Not much else to slow it down.

I've a pal in Bruno, Sask and he tells me that winter temps are often -40F degrees and totally dangerous. Ouch.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

While I love the Canyons and sand hills in summer I don't exactly like it during the winter. I go back in the winter just often enough to get a fill of it.

I do miss hunting ducks and fishing for brown trout on the republican or bass at stalker lake!

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

While I love the Canyons and sand hills in summer I don't exactly like it during the winter. I go back in the winter just often enough to get a fill of it.

I do miss hunting ducks and fishing for brown trout on the republican or bass at stalker lake!

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1AngryTaxpayer,
It sounds like you have spent a lot of time in the Wray area. Did you go to school there? I graduated from WHS in 1964. Stalker Lake was one of my favorite places to go to on the nice spring days when I played hooky from school. I haven't fished there since the dam broke in the late 60's or early 70's so I am sure it has changed.

My favorite spot was on the West end just a few yards past the inlet of (Chief Creek?). There was a big old Cottonwood tree there and I would sit under it with a good book, a bottle of Coke and just enjoy the day. On one trip to that spot I threw a silver spoon towards some of the over hanging thickets that bordered the inlet. My line wrapped around one of the branches and left my silver spoon dangling about two feet above the water. I broke the line off and resumed fishing. Several minutes later a large Rainbow trout (maybe 2-1/2 pounds) jumped up and got hooked on the spoon. The water was too darned cold for me to go after it. Several weeks later the skeleton of that trout was still there. It finally dropped off but that spoon stayed there most of the summer. I always wonder who it was that finally retrieved it. Your post brought back a lot of fond memories.
Thanks for that,
GL2

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by Gunluvver2

**********************************************
1AngryTaxpayer,
It sounds like you have spent a lot of time in the Wray area. Did you go to school there? I graduated from WHS in 1964. Stalker Lake was one of my favorite places to go to on the nice spring days when I played hooky from school. I haven't fished there since the dam broke in the late 60's or early 70's so I am sure it has changed.

My favorite spot was on the West end just a few yards past the inlet of (Chief Creek?). There was a big old Cottonwood tree there and I would sit under it with a good book, a bottle of Coke and just enjoy the day. On one trip to that spot I threw a silver spoon towards some of the over hanging thickets that bordered the inlet. My line wrapped around one of the branches and left my silver spoon dangling about two feet above the water. I broke the line off and resumed fishing. Several minutes later a large Rainbow trout (maybe 2-1/2 pounds) jumped up and got hooked on the spoon. The water was too darned cold for me to go after it. Several weeks later the skeleton of that trout was still there. It finally dropped off but that spoon stayed there most of the summer. I always wonder who it was that finally retrieved it. Your post brought back a lot of fond memories.
Thanks for that,
GL2

Ya I lived there from 77-81 and still have family all over that area. I just couldn't take the cold and skeeters anymore

I have a million stories of hunting and fishing those areas. I'm glad I brought some memories back.

[froggin4colorado]

Wonderful post OP! Its great to hear from another perspective, especially from the plains! Thanks for the thread!