Across The Park

In grade 5, I spent most of my rainy day free time in the library.  The NATO base at Laon, France had a decent Sci-Fi section and I devoured it.  Out of Sci-Fi, I moved on to the Western section.  Some writers were okay but most were unrealistic.  Greatly disappointed.  Well, now I had a problem, I was interested in Art but was banned from Art by my father ... what now to read?????

I turned to history and thus began a love affair ever after.  But, not normal history, no - this library had copies of diaries, hundreds of them!  Lewis and Clark were the first I read.  The best was a guy whom traveled the American West in the 1930's.  Christopher "Kit" Carson fired the imagination!  And then I moved on to Zebulon Pike.

Pike, as in Pike's Peak.
Pike, as in the mapper of the Louisiana Purchase.
Pike, spy against the Spanish in the American Southwest.
Pike, one interesting guy!

Were it not for the War of 1812, he would have probably led an amazing life!
As it was, he did what few survived: he traversed The Great Park.

Today known as the San Luis Valley of Colorado, it is an immensely rich agricultural area. 
And I followed Pikes 1809 footsteps across the park, down the park and ending at his fort.
Almost no one today even knows he had a fort.
But it was outside of Sanford, Colorado by a few miles north and east.
He was lost and wandering.
He had lost about half of his men, scattered across the park by snow storms.
Finally, he realized he had to sit out the winter and wait.

The fort was not much.
Enough to hold off the Utes whom were dogging his footsteps.
Unfortunately, the fort was too close to one of Spanish Treasure Roads, but he could not have known this - too much snow!

Needless to say, they were captured and marched to Sana Fe, and many of the men on to Chihuahua for several years.

But, for Pike, remember that half of his troop lost in the snow?  The capture and burning of the fort was visible for miles!  Pike was freed in New Mexico, recaptured, held, escaped, busted out - "what time is it?"  "oh, best go look for Pike again!"

He went on to return to Washington DC, raised in rank in time for the British to invade, kick their collective butts in Yorktown and died from his wounds in 1814.

Today, the valley is largely deserted with large potato farms everywhere.

The valley boasts many forts from the Spanish occupation age through the past century.
Few medium sized cities, many very small towns, many very interesting museums.
However more about this area as the week continues ...