Welcome to the Wild West - Pt #1: Move Over Cowboys

Colorado is much more than mountains and rugged land, which is all I knew it to be before I went there. But if I thought Vieques was the 'wild west' so to speak, I'm really in for it moving to Colorado! This is true Wild West territory; it was the last frontier for American exploration and settlement (of the contiguous states, that is). Wild animals with precious fur and mountains rich in minerals is why hardy men entered this unforbidding territoy to begin with, but I'm sure it is the beauty of the mountains and the serenity of this landscape that has kept people coming ever since.

"The Old West, often referred to as the Wild West, encompasses the period after the Civil War, the rest of the 1800's, and the early part of the 20th century. During this time, thousands of pioneers pushed their way westward in search of land, better lives, gold and silver, and sometimes, to escape the law. Geographically, the "Old West" applies to those states west of the Mississippi River." [1]

Colorado's history is a heady mix of mountain men, cowboys, Indians, gunslingers and miners, and despite the metropolitan 21st century cities of Denver and Colorado Springs, much of the state still retains a good deal of its old west charm. The buildings and abandoned mines and mills stand as mementos to this era and the vast railroad network that crisscrosses this land is a legacy of the hardships and progress these men (and women) made.

This is conveniently all coming alive for me in the new TV show here in the States on AMC (I think it's playing in Australia too but perhaps on cable) called Hell on Wheels. It centres on the settlement of a camp adjacent to the construction of the first transcontinental railroad in 1865 (specifically, the Union Pacific Railroad). It showcases the company men, surveyors, support workers, labourers, prostitutes, mercenaries and others who populate such settlements and the dramas that arise in a lawless, hostile society such as that. The tensions between the former black slaves and the white men, and also with local Indian population play a major role. From what I've been reading of Colorado's history, it's a great to be able to visualise and personalise the stories, even though this particular railroad never went through Colorado.

I've gotten to know a little about Colorado from the stories and people I've met who currently live here. It's a great outdoors state; much of the countryside remains undeveloped and as it was centuries ago. This breeds a conscious society. Many people go hiking, farmers are environmentally conscious and recycling has long been fashionable. A slogan I've seen about captures these ideals: "cows not condos." But this is all dubiously misleading. On the outset, one would think the state is predominantly liberal, and maybe it's turning that way with the newer generations and the new arrivals that flock here for this reason, but underneath, this place maintains its country roots. For one, hunting is a huge past-time.

But with the lawless days of the Wild West a fond memory, the state is emerging as an interesting mix of hash-cooking hippies and hard-core Republicans, and this clash of ideals is clearly evident in the current political climate of Coloradoans and its emergence as a swing state [2].

A Wide, Wild Landscape:

But let's start with Colorado's geography, because it does play a large role in defining the state and its people. Colorado is considered part of the Western United States and creates the division between east and west with the Continental Divide that runs north to south along the Rocky Mountains which stretch from Canada down to the state of New Mexico. It is the highest state in the US, with an average altitude of 6,800 ft. The State itself contains three distinct landscapes: The Great Plains, The Rocky Mountains, and The Colorado Plateau.

Colorado is best known for its Rocky Mountains but over one third of the state is very flat. East of the Rockies the High Plains (part of the Great Plains) unfold flush to Kansas and beyond. 

If you thought Australia was flat, well this is flat - pancake flat; and predominantly bare, as a result of the semi-arid climate. We drove through this countryside in 2008 towards Denver on Interstate 70, a very uninteresting drive; the only deviation in the monotonous scenery were the oil derricks scattered here and there and a wind farm, all the way across Kansas! But though it appears flat to the naked eye, the landscape rises subtly from approximately 3,500 feet at the eastern border of Colorado to 6,000 feet east of the Denver Basin.

Continuing west across the plains, the slopes of the Rocky Mountains rise magnificently behind Denver, the capital, as if from nowhere. Coming from Kansas you start to see them as little ridges on the horizon and slowly and surreally they form as you continue closer, and then suddenly there they are, in all their glory.

Driving across the High plains towards Denver, the Rockies beginning to rise in the distance

The Rocky Mountains of are a magnificent mountain range and the Colorado Rockies contain approximately 54 peaks14,000 feet (4,267 m) or higher in elevation above sea level (known as fourteeners). These are 'mountains' in the pure sense of the word; mountains that stay snow-covered all year round and who's peaks are bald and jagged like their namesake (tree-line stops at about 12,140 feet (3,700 m) in southern Colorado and about 10,500 feet (3,200 m) in the north). 

The Rockies form the backbone of the continent. Over 30 million years old, their peaks have been carved by glacial ice into "cirques", "hanging valleys" and knife-edged "arêtes." [Insight Guides: Colorado]



The Switzerland of America: Maroon Bells near Aspen. Source

The Canadian Rockies get all the attention in Australia, but although I haven't seen the Canadian Rockies, I can't imagine they are any better than what I have seen of the Colorado Rockies, especially since the 30 highest major summits of the range all lie within the state. However:

"The Canadian Rockies are more jagged than the American Rockies, because the Canadian Rockies have been very heavily glaciated, resulting in sharply pointed mountains separated by wide, U-shaped valleys gouged by glaciers, whereas the American Rockies are more rounded, with river-carved V-shaped valleys between them. The Canadian Rockies are cooler and wetter, giving them moister soil, bigger rivers, and more glaciers [and] the tree line is much lower in the Canadian Rockies than in the American Rockies." [4]

West of the Rocky Mountains is the Colorado Plateau which flows into Utah, New Mexico and Arizona. It is largely dessert with scattered forest characterised by valleys, deep canyons and mesas (this is where the Grand Canyon of Arizona, and the other wonderful formations in Utah, such as Bryce Canyon and Zion, are found). This north to south area west of the Rockies in Colorado is commonly known as the Western Slope. It is sparsely populated with only 2 major centres, Grand Junction and Durango, though there are many ski towns along this region, such as Telluride, Vail and Aspen. To the southeast of Grand Junction is the Grand Mesa, said to be the world's largest flat-topped mountain.