F.E. Warren Air Force Base

We are camped at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, WY. This is an interesting destination in itself. The base includes the former Army Fort D.A. Russell which was established in 1864 to protect the crews building the railroad, from the Native Americans. Many of the buildings, including a number of the housing units, date from Army Fort days with the first permanent houses being built in 1885 and the latest of the historic homes being completed in 1909. The base has a peaceful and historic feel that belies its very deadly purpose. Even the newer buildings are in the old style. The base has a large heard of antelope that wander where they please. They can be seen virtually everywhere.

The Air base was the first of the cold war Missile bases with nuclear war heads. Today, the base maintains its readiness and has missiles poised to launch at anytime with a range of 12,500 miles. It is definitely camping in the center of a bull’s-eye.

The grounds include Wyoming grasslands as far as the eye can see. We are camped near a creek that excavations show was used by Native Americans for thousands of years before the white man arrived.


http://www.warren.af.mil/

Moving in

We returned to Colorado Springs for four days to help Katie as she closed on her house and received her household goods. The trip back from Gunnison was uneventful, except for the fact that our temporary guest-Cosmo-Katie’s cat really flipped out. The way up was not bad, but this time she really lost it. We enjoyed some of her antics, but had to watch her all the time. One of her more interesting quirks was that anytime you left a cabinet door open, she would jump in. If she turned up missing, every door had to be opened to see if she was trapped in that space.

After a prolonged closing, we rushed to the house to await the movers. I had really thought that after many moves, I was finished with government movers, but here I was again. They arrived with two trucks and five guys. I found myself again with a clipboard checking off boxes and other stuff as it came out of the trucks while the ladies gave them directions on which room each item went too.

It went quickly with no big problems and then the real fun began- Unpacking boxes and putting stuff together. I am definitely feeling my advancing years as I spent hours on my hands and knees with hand tools.

The two dogs and the cat were reunited, but with no apparent joy. The dogs enjoyed the new yard, but did manage to get under foot and almost became part of the moving experience.

After three days, things came together pretty well and we were ready to hit the road again. This time we head to Cheyenne, WY.

Happy 4th of July

The road to Tincup

Today’s trip started out as a short drive to a small town in the mountains northeast of Gunnison-just to have a look. With threatening skies we headed up the road and found Pitkin, CO at around 9000 feet, but did not find it all that interesting. We saw a sign for Tincup, CO, which we had read about, and headed farther up into the mountains-just to see how the road was. We soon found ourselves on a steep dirt and rock road heading over Cumberland Pass, which is at over 12000 feet. The views were spectacular and the car was taking only minor abuse, so ahead we went.

As we headed down the other side the road continued to get a bit rougher and most of the other vehicles we saw were ATV’s. We passed thru more beautiful country and stopped every few miles to take in the sights.

After several hours of slow going we arrived at Tincup, CO. The town got its name from the fact that the first gold found in the area was carried out in a tin cup. This was one of the roughest gold strike towns in Colorado with gold being found in the mid 1800’s. The town was reportedly run by criminals. The cemetery is said to be the final resting place of any and all honest folks who tried to clean up the town. Gunfights and murder were regular events here. Eventually the mines closed and the town slowly fell into disrepair. Currently all the old homes and property have been purchased and many of the cabins are used as rentals or summer homes. The town has a general/gift store and a café and is a regular ATV destination. It is also hard to imagine that it was one of the commerce centers of the area over 150 years ago.

The roads are only useable during the summer season. According to the cafe staff, 4 people live here in the winter and they can only get in and out by snowmobile. They use them to get their supplies, some ten miles down the mountain.

From Tincup, we continued to Taylor Lake via a much smoother dirt road. This lake is reported to be one of the best fly fishing places in the west.

Even though not a planned trip, it was exceptional and we will not likely forget it.

Crested Butte

Crested Butte is another mountain town founded on mining and cattle. Due to its high elevation and beautiful surroundings, it has successfully transitioned to a tourist town with winter and summer sports. It has retained its quaint style and seems genuinely friendly. We walked the streets and talked to those who I think can best give you a feel for a place- the clerks in the various stores. We enjoyed a good lunch and then headed even higher up the mountain slopes to explore some hiking areas. The small old mining town of Gothic is on a dirt road above 10000 feet and has been taken over by college biological studies.

Still farther up the slopes, we found some trails designed for heavy duty 4 wheeler activities and the hardy hikers. We enjoyed the views of the national forest and waterfalls. We headed up one of the trails and I do mean UP! We stuck it out until we reached an area where there was serious concern of repeating the injuries incurred in Big Bend National Park, where we reversed course and returned to the car and headed home.

This area is well healed and even a very old and small home in the historic downtown runs around half a million and the houses up on the slopes go as high as 4.5 million. Nice place to visit but that is a lot of money for a place where the nearest decent grocery store or medical help is 25 miles away.

http://www.visitcrestedbutte.com/