Zebulon Montgomery Pike Trail to Red River, Arkansas Journey 1806 — 1807

Day 24: September 7th, 2004 Lamar — Pueblo

When waking up, I have a little bit of headaches. Either this is due to the beer from yesterday evening, not enough sleep, the weather change or all of them combined. I have breakfast again at the Hickory House. Also breakfast is good and plenty. Just beside the restaurant is also a gas station. Around half past nine I am back on the road again.

First I take Highway 287 North. Because it is not possible to drive there at the Santa Fe Trail shown in my map, I take Highway 287 West.

Finally I am able to be on backroads again. Just before I reach Highway 50 I see a small entrance road, which looks like a perfect place to relieve myself. But when I leave my car I am immediately attacked by a bunch of mosquitoes. While I try to relieve, I am busy to keep them away from me. It looks like I have killed almost 10 mosquitoes during this short amount of time…

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Historical Marker, Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Then I drive a short distance on Highway 50 before I enter Highway 194, which I follow to Bent’s Old Fort. At the visitor center I receive a brief information and brochure about this fort. Then I walk over to the fort. This fort was not an army fort but a trading post. Therefore everything here is set up for trading goods.

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Two horses and one mule are grazing near the entrance. Also a peacock is hiding from the sun under the covered wagon. When I enter the fort, a traditionally dressed guy welcomes me. He currently works on this wooden part, that is usually attached to the oxen, when they pull the wagons. He agrees to video tape him and gives me a brief introduction to the fort.

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

He also shows me, how the fur press is working. It was used to be able to carry more furs. After this interesting introduction I visit the whole fort. The first thing I realize is, that everything is completely open. Nothing is hidden behind any glass. When I ask another guide at the end of my visit (the other one is currently busy showing a tourist group around), he explains me, that this fort was originally planned as working fort, where people should play the traditional life. Everything you see here, was also built here. Only the tools have been bought. But everything else was made by hand at the carpentry or the black smith in this fort! Unfortunately they do not have enough people, to keep this fort as a working fort. So they only have some people as working people in the fort.

Trade Room, Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Trade Room, Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Kitchen, Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Carpentry, Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Hunters Quarters, Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Susan Magaffins Quarters, Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Quarters, Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

Bent’s Old Fort NHS, CO

All in all this fort leaves a very positive impression and receives my full recommendation. I walk back to the Visitor Center and chat a while with the employee. She is also excited when I tell her, that I am following the Zebulon Montgomery Pike Trail. She also mentions, that I don’t have to worry about snow at Medano Pass now. Whereas I am more worried about the water level…

Canal Rd, Arkansas River, CO

Around 2pm I am back on the road again. On Highway 194 I follow again the Arkansas River. At La Junta I start my next try to get off pavement. I can follow along the river for quite a while, until I reach once again a dam. But this one I am able to cross, even when it looks already a bit rotten.

Canal Rd, CO

On the other side is also no chance to proceed further. Therefore I have to return to the highway on the other side of the river. Once again, private property has stopped me. But it doesn’t take long, until I find a possibility to be back on my originally planned route.

After taking a couple of detours I reach Highway 266. Unfortunately the next exit is also blocked and I am forced to drive on to Rocky Ford. There I miss the exit to Highway 50 and suddenly arrive at a remote park. So I must turn around and drive back, until I reach Highway 50.

I drive to the northwest until I reach Highway 71 and from there north to my next try to exit the bigger highways. But there is also no chance to leave pavement because of private property. Therefore I must turn to the west a couple of miles to the north from the river. Also my next try to exit this gravel road to be closer to the river ends at a dead end and I must drive two miles back.

Then I can follow my planned route for a short distance to Highway 207. But again I am blocked by private property and I am forced to drive to the north until I can turn to the west again. Also my next exit from this gravel road ends at private property (slowly it is getting annoying) and I have to drive a couple of detours before I am at my planned way point at Highway 96.

Highway 96, CO

The rest of the day is now traveling on paved roads. On Highway 96 I reach Highway 50. The Rocky Mountains are getting higher and higher at the horizon and I am wondering which one of these huge mountains will be Pikes Peak…

On Highway 50 I reach Pueblo. This highway is built like an Interstate. That’s why I arrive now pretty fast in Pueblo. On I–25 I drive north to reach my Motel 6. At a quarter past five I check in. Then I put my stuff in my room and drive over to Wal–Mart.

But I end up at a Sam’s Club by accident, which reminds me at the superstores in Germany. Promptly I leave this store and finally discover the Wal–Mart. There I buy some water and fresh apples. At a quarter past six I drive back to my motel. After my arrival, I check the video taping of today.

When I was searching for Wal–Mart, I also discovered an Applebee’s, where I will have dinner tonight. My server apologizes, that it took a little bit longer with my dinner. This astonishes me and I tell him, that it was way faster here than in other Applebee’s!

This really makes him happy! Also the dinner is again excellent. When he starts to clean up my table he asks me, what I am doing around here. I tell him about my trail, which really excites him. He tells me, that most of the people who are passing this city, just have a stop over on their way to Denver. Eventually he found now someone who really came to Pueblo by intention…

Just past eight I pay and drive back to my motel. There I feed my GPS again with new coordinates. Then I hurry up to go to bed. All in all I have to catch up with a lot of sleep…