Colorado Eastern Plains: A Snapshot Of The High Plains
September 11th, 2011
One misconception about driving into Colorado from the flat Smoky Hills of Kansas is that you will leave the flat lands behind and embark on a magical, mountain adventure. This may be true after a few miles, but there is very little change from the Kansas line until you get well into the high plains of Colorado.
It can be beneficial to forgo the Interstate highway and veer off onto one of the many State highways that crisscross the countryside. This is enjoying the country as many did in the recent past. Slowing down and admiring the multitude of pronghorn deer along the way and the rolling hills of sage and cactus is the best way to enjoy and remember the trip. Wide open ranches, cattle dotting the hillsides, horses running for the sheer exuberance of it are all sights you will not see speeding along at 75 miles per hour.
As you come to the city of Limon, you will begin to notice that the low-lying clouds you see off to the west begin to take on the definition of snow-covered peaks and dark green valleys of the Rocky Mountain Range. One can’t help but imagine the fortitude of the early settlers as they gazed upon this most impressive barrier to their journey west.
Cactus, prairie dogs, antelope, and rolling hills are what make up the high plains of eastern Colorado. A beautiful and barren country that appears imposing as the sun sets over the craggy Rockies.