AUGUST '06 - - - There’s a slowpoke in front of you.

After a restful night in Woodland Park, you hop in your car and start driving west on U.S. 24, zipping up the four-lane highway towards Divide just barely aware of the splendid view of Pikes Peak on your left. At Divide beyond the summit of Ute Pass, the highway narrows to two lanes and that’s where the slowdown begins. Up in the distance is a 30-year old, rusted out pickup truck towing a popup camper trailer. He’s doing about 40 miles per hour (the normal speed limit is 60) and is seemingly in no hurry. As a result, the nine cars ahead of you, and you, aren’t hurrying either.

Scenes like this are a common sight during summer “season” in Colorado. Lines of cars can be seen on just about every major two-lane highway in the Rockies, all proceeding at the mercy of the speed of the vehicle leading the pack. That doesn’t make you feel any better. You’re on vacation, and you only have a few days left. There are places you want to be and things you want to see. And this slowpoke is holding you up!

As the road leads down into Cougar Canyon, you notice the entrance to a wolf sanctuary on your right. Over in the swampy wetlands along Twin Creek a beaver swims a tree branch across a catch pool and you take that in, as well. Swinging around the Signal Rock area you can’t help but appreciate the other unique rock formations on both sides of the road, and before long you are in Florissant. The line of cars is still a line.

The pasture land beyond the fire station in Florissant benefits from the watering of the creek and wildlife can often be seen. Off in the distance you spy a small herd of tan, spotted antelope tensely feeding in the grass, ready to scamper off at the slightest provocation – their horns reaching to the sky and their white tails flickering. You wonder if you might have missed that sight had you been going 60 with the wind in your hair. There aren’t any antelope where you live. A yellow coyote lopes across the tundra on the right as you pass from Teller into Park County. You’re seeing things you’ve heard about but never saw for yourself, and now the slow line of cars up ahead doesn’t bother you half as much.

Coming through Lake George the South Platte River valley opens up on your right, the river curving like a snake. You wish it was you standing out in the middle of the river, fly rod in hand, taunting the trout with your lures. Farther west, the highway weaves back and forth and around this curve and that, past the Round Mountain Camp ground, past the Tarryall State Wildlife Area and up the rise through the Pike National Forest towards Wilkerson Pass. And you’re still wondering just how good the fishing is in the South Platte.

At the crest of the pass you discover that you are now right behind the rusty old pickup that slowed you down. All the other cars in the line have managed to go around him. Somehow, you’re in no hurry to do the same. You have other things on your mind. As you drive past the rest area and ranger station at the summit of Wilkerson Pass and around the curve, a whole new vista meets you in the morning sun. The highway descends nearly 500 feet and extends across a thirty-mile expanse that is South Park valley. You see the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in the distance; its snow-capped peaks sparkling clearly like a postcard. Off to the right, the Sawatch and Mosquito mountain ranges are also visible. Eleven-mile reservoir lays to your left and the Spinney mountains dot the valley floor. The whole scene spreads out before you like a bowl, and it seems like the whole world has opened up and flattened out.

Spread out like a wonderful old quilt are wide ranges of ranchland pasture, criss-crossed by the South Platte River and numerous creeks. At first you think this scene looks open and barren, without a past worth mentioning. But in fact you know this region is steeped in the history of centuries. Not so very long ago, less than 200 years, Nomadic Ute and Arapaho natives did great battle over what were once incredibly rich summer hunting grounds. And famed frontiersmen Zebulon Pike, Kit Carson and John Fremont crossed the Park in their explorations of Colorado. Wildlife viewing in the valley is a nonstop attraction with bison herds growing in size in the Hartsel area. Antelope are abundant, and the sharp-eyed visitor can often spy mule deer, elk, an occasional coyote, black bear and even mountain lion. You can’t wait to drive down into this marvelous country.

And suddenly that slow poky pickup in front of you no longer matters. You no longer fret over the delay you perceived back in Divide at the back of a ten-car line. In fact, you have also forgotten about the stress of work back home and the frantic rush-hour traffic. Instead you marvel at the wonder of the landscape before you; the incredible views and astounding alpine mountains surrounding the valley like protective guards. It’s hard to drive a straight line, there’s so much to see and think about. And you realize what a great gift you’ve been given by that rusty old truck doing 40 miles an hour. You are seeing things you want to see; and you are exactly in the place you want to be. You’re on vacation….in Colorado and for a brief expanse of time, the world is yours.  

In fall there is magic and color

SEPTEMBER '06 - - - Around the third week in September a dramatic change comes over the landscape in the Pikes Peak region. For a short time, patches of the forest foliage turn yellow. It’s the signal of fall and the cause of the change is the most prevalent deciduous tree at altitude, the Aspen.

The trembling or quaking Aspen is a member of the Willow Family. It grows in Colorado in Ponderosa pine and spruce-fir forests in a narrow elevational belt of 6,900 to 11,000 feet. It typically appears as a slender tree with white or yellow bark growing in groups to heights of 80 feet or less (averaging around 40 feet tall). The leaves are bright green, half dollar size, shiny and roundish with saw toothed edges. The Quaking Aspen gets its name from the fact that every little breeze causes the slender, flattened leaf stalks to tremble.

The Aspen tree is a unique species. There are many varieties but they all have some common characteristics. Quaking Aspen typically bloom in the spring, before leaves form, and produce tiny inconspicuous flowers, called catkins, followed by cottony seeds on female trees (flowers appear on both male and female trees). A common root system allows the tree to reproduce either by seed-fall in the spring or by suckering at other times.

Because Aspen stands are so different from conifer stands they are very important for landscape diversity and wildlife habitat. Although their stems and snags do not stand long, the wood is soft, often decayed, and therefore useful to cavity-dependent species. Young sprouts and their leaves are heavily browsed by elk and deer and the wood is a favorite of beavers

Aspen grow in distinct clones, which can be distinguished in early summer when the trees are leafing out or during the fall when clones change different shades of yellow or orange. Aspen stands are usually moist and not readily combustible, but the tree has thin bark and is easily killed by a light fire. However, after a fire Aspen can readily re-sprout or sucker from shallow lateral roots which were unaffected by the blaze. This is an important advantage over competing conifers which may have to reseed. In the aftermath of the Hayman Fire in 2002, grassy plants, weeds and Aspen were the first to re-sprout on the 138,000 acres of scared landscape.  

But the prime reason for celebrating the Aspen comes at the end of its season. Every fall when the Aspen leaves turn a brilliant yellow, or yellow-orange, the forest comes alive with color and magic. The blending of dark greens from the conifers mixed with the russets and purples of the land and mountain…and the yellows of the Aspen…produce a  recipe of fall colors that is unique to the region.

For example, in September along Highway 67 leading south to Cripple Creek around the western slope of Pike Peak, the Aspen groves are especially inspiring. Often, as the bright sun shines through a canopy of yellow leaves, the light appears to be intensified into a surrounding glow of color. The rustle of leaves trembling in the fall breeze adds to the mystique. In other places groves of Aspen stand out like large yellow stains on an otherwise green-treed landscape. Sightseers gather in the pull-outs along the road and the camera shutters start clicking.

Unfortunately, the leaves of the Aspen turn brown and drop off fairly quickly. A yellow fall in Colorado may only last a few weeks. But during that time, the mountains dress up in their finest array and have one last hurrah before the snow caps form.  You ought to see it. 

But in fall in the high country, bears can become the wildlife to watch out for. As early as late summer the black bear of Colorado begin to forage for food in preparation for winter’s hibernation, usually in October and November. Their natural curiosity and hunger will cause them to come out of the woods in search of food. Leave your garbage out overnight and you might find it scattered all over your yard in the morning.

Just northwest of the City of Woodland Park is a small mountain named Gold Hill. It’s the local promontory where all the wireless/cell phone antennas are located. Each Christmas, a large star is lit on top of the mountain, and it shines down on a city arrayed in lights and bustling with holiday activity – not unlike any other American town at Christmastime. I’ve looked up at that star many times, silhouetted against the dark night sky like the scriptural star over Bethlehem so long ago, and wondered whether more than three wise men (people) lived here.  

The uniqueness of Woodland Park and the Pikes Peak region draws folks from all over the country, including those from Texas and California. The natural wonders of a high country community, the abundant wildlife, the Peak and the crystal clear blue skies are all features unmatched in the minds of our visitors. And yet, for those living here, life goes on just about the same way it does in every other small town across the country. 

The layers of culture that exist here are common to any locale – the business community, church community, the ranching/farm community, charity groups, a host of civic organizations - and the list goes on. In addition, we have a few other layers, like the conservation community, the art community and the small “I was born here” community. But basically, the population falls into three general groups – those that favor progress, those that favor the ‘status quo,’ and a large majority in the middle (sound familiar). 

I’ve described this not-so-surprising town character because the City of Woodland Park is poised for growth and progress. But not everyone agrees with the process. I’m not saying that diversity is a bad thing, or that honest, even animated, discussions of the changes of the issues aren’t healthy. They are. It’s just interesting how they all play out. 

Herodotus, the 5^th century B.C. Greek historian, said that the only constant in any age is “change” – which kind-a means that change is gonna happen whether we want it or not. And yet, there are those who prefer to ignore that fact, complain about it or create obstacles to delay it as long as possible as if they could stop it.  Some of that is happening here.

So what are the changes?  Well, next fall we’re going to have our first-ever regional hospital – an eight year development and fund-raising project that finally has walls. The City is also building a new recreational facility that will be managed by the YMCA. And the Downtown Development Authority (“DDA’) has, after several revisions, announced their plan for a destination mall and entertainment center on the grounds where the Saddle Club used to host their annual rodeo. The DDA recently announced five general contractors who will oversee the construction project. Some pretty amazing stuff, huh?

That’s not all. A new WalMart is being constructed along U.S. Highway 24 just south of town - opening sometime in 2007 (there have been delays).  The WalMart brings the promise of freedom to once captive shoppers whose choices have been to buy here from merchants with limited commodities (i.e., I can’t buy underwear in Woodland Park) or to drive down to the Springs – or so the proponents say. As you might suspect, some of the local merchants have a different reaction.

Imagine the varied responses to all these changes from the citizenry. Those who favor and promote community progress are ecstatic, almost orgasmic. But those favoring the ‘status quo’ are stressed, wondering where their beloved, pristine mountain paradise is sliding to. And those in the middle vacillate from one extreme pole to the other, and will probably vote with their pocketbook when the time comes. Again, not too much different from any other community faced with the same issues.

So here is my Christmas wish: If you are in California or Texas, or even another state in the Union, and you long one day to move away from earthquake land or escape the summer heat, do not be distracted by the ‘goings-on’ of our fair community. It’s just life happening. Instead, I suggest you concentrate of the basic reasons why you may want to come here – the clean air, blue skies, the wildlife, the mountains, the splendor and wonder of alpine vistas, local history, the beauty, the low crime, our friendly-gracious people and the peace and quiet – and feel confident that all those things will still be here when you finally commit to migrate.  We may have just effected a few improvements while you’re deciding, that’s all.  

Merry Christmas and Happy 2007!

Teller County, Colorado

DECEMBER '06 - - - The 559 square miles that is Teller County begins twenty miles west of Colorado Springs and is almost directly in the center of the State of Colorado. Accessed via U.S. Highway 24 through Ute Pass, its elevations range from 8,500 feet in Woodland Park to over 14,000 feet on the slope of Pikes Peak. The county was named after one of Colorado’s first U.S. Senators, Henry Teller. It was formed in 1899 from the western portion of El Paso and the northern portion of Fremont Counties. 

Prior to 1890, much of present-day Teller County was uninhabited accept for the Ute Indians. Mostly, it was an area people traveled through on their way down to the plains or up through the Front Range to high country grazing meadows or for exploring. The Indians followed the buffalo; explorers and prospectors followed the Indians; and cowboys and their cattle followed the explorers and prospectors.  

The first permanent settlement in Teller County was founded in 1870 in what is now Divide, near the summit of Ute Pass. After many names, ‘Divide' stuck because the Arkansas and South Platte watersheds divide in this area. When the Colorado Midland Railroad came to Divide in 1887, saloons, boarding houses and restaurants sprang up to meet the demands of “progress.” Later, Divide became an important supply town and center for lumber distribution for the gold fields in Cripple Creek and Victor. High quality lettuce and disease-free potatoes were grown there, and it was where the railroad tracks merged to bring gold ore down to Colorado Springs for smeltering. Today, Divide is still an unincorporated community.

Seven miles down the pass, Woodland Park was laid out along the Colorado Midland Railroad tracks in 1890. The town became a popular spot for pleasure seekers, as well as tuberculosis patients looking for a place to recover. Later, the town had five saw mills producing millions of feet of lumber and over 200,000 railroad ties each year to support the mining adventures in the nearby Cripple Creek Mining District. In 1890, Woodland Park had about 120 residents. Today, it is Teller County’s largest city with a population of roughly 8,000. U.S. Highway 24 elbows around Pikes Peak as it runs through the town to points west.  At an elevation of 8,500 feet, Woodland Park is the "City Above The Clouds." 

It was in 1890, when the new Harvey House opened in Woodland Park to greet train passengers, that a cowboy and part-time prospector named Bob Womack changed the character of Teller County forever. Bob owned a cattle ranch bisected by a small stream known as Cripple Creek. It was here that Bob discovered a rich vein of gold. At the time, fewer than two dozen people were living in the 24 square mile area that would become the Cripple Creek Mining District.  But by 1900, approximately 50,000 people were living in and around the towns of Cripple Creek, Victor, Goldfield and several other communities. The total value of gold that was subsequently mined in Cripple Creek and Teller County exceeded the combined production of all other gold mining operations ever conducted in the United States.

Today, Teller County and its cities are home to nearly 21,000 residents. Its primary communities include Crystola, Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, Victor, Divide and Florissant. The area continues to draw people and tourism as it has done for over 100 years. By 2020, tourism, retirees and population migration may once again change the character of the region and bring the county within range of the tremendous population it experienced in 1900.