ColoradoSeen 4/2011

Colorado Seen

ZebPike’sColoradoJourney

04/2011

Also n JRoTC BAll

From the EditorIt’s a 575-mile round trip from my Denver

doorway to the point where the Arkansas River crosses the Colorado-Kansas border near Holly.

A really long day, especially when stopping to take pictures along the route.

Retracing all of Zeb Pike’s explorations in Colorado, in trips to South Park, the Wet Moun-tain Valley, and the Great Sand Dunes, took about 1500 road miles in total.

On the other hand, it took Zeb Pike about four months to cover similar mileage back in 1806 — wearing summer clothes in the depths of winter, and without any wheeled transport at all.

So while I am proud of the efforts I made to pursue this story, I realize my labors pale in com-parison to the achievement of Pike and his team.

I’m glad to be reminded of the wonders of modern transportation —even at $3.59 per gallon for gas. We still have it lucky, and shouldn’t take our luck for granted.

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On ThE cOvEr:Hikers approach the ramparts of the Great Sand Dunes in Colorado’s San Luis Valley — one of Zebulon Pike’s discoveries during his exploration of the state in 1806-07.

PhotographersColoradoSeen is always looking for compelling photoessays about Colorado.

Pitch your idea at www.coloradoseen.com

HAVING A BALL!High School Soldiers: Third in a series

TEXT & PHOTOS by Andy PIPEr

Out came the Class A uniforms, the braid, the bow ties and the medals — and also the gowns and corsages — as Montbello’s JROTC cadets joined with 500 students from Denver’s other nine battalions for the annual Military Ball held at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center on March 4, 2011.

“It’s a great part of the education process — how to present yourself in public, learning the social skills — and also to meet and interact with cadets from other schools, off the fields of competition,” says Montbello program director Lt. Col. Wayne Meeusen. “It’s just another way for cadets to take what they’ve learned outside the classroom.” n

cadet 2nd Lt. richard villa escorts his sister, Montbello

cadet Lt. col. Jacqueline villa, as she waits nervously to make an entrance as a candidate for

Queen of the 2011 citywide JrOTc Military ball.

Montbello cadet staff officer Kaitlyn rickabaugh hits the dance floor with a fellow cadet from denver’s East high School.

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class “A” uniforms, right

and below, with braid, bow ties and medals are

de rigueur for the Military ball.

Above, Montbello instructors Lt. col.

Wayne Meeusen and command Sgt. Maj. Patrick roddy talk

with brandy beckel, a former student now

attending another school.

right, cadet Lt. colonel villa talks to

a friend while dancing with her Executive

Officer, cadet Major harley roe.

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cadets pose for formal portraits in the glittering hotel lobby outside the ballroom.

Left, Senior cadet Mo Jallow receives an award as Outstanding Montbello cadet from Lt. col. John Toth, Senior instructor at the rOTc unit of the University of colorado boulder.

As the ball winds down to a close, Montbello cadet rebecca doane, left, and guest Melissa Orozco talk by the glow of a cell phone.

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Today’s Arkansas river flows through

the town of holly, six miles west

of the Kansas-colorado border.

On Nov. 11, 1806, U.S. Army Lieuten-ant Zebulon Pike, age 27, leading an expedition of 16 men to explore the southern borders of the Louisiana Purchase, crossed into what is today Colorado.

For the next three months, he made his way west up the Arkansas River and then south to the Rio Grande — unintentionally (or perhaps not) wandering into Mexican territory and being led out of Colorado under guard on the ‘invitation’ of the Spanish governor in Santa Fe.

This is the story of that journey, in Pike’s own words from his report to the Army, and in pictures showing the scenes of his discoveries and travails.

nov. 11th. Marched at the usual hour. Passed two old camps, and one of last summer, which had belonged to the savages, and we supposed Tetaus [Comanches]. Passed a Spanish camp where it appeared they remained some days, as we conjectured to lay up meat, previously to entering the Tetau country, as the buffalo evidently began to grow much less numerous.

Finding the impossibility of performing the voyage in the time proposed, I determined to spare no pains to accomplish every object, even should it oblige me to spend another winter in the desert. Killed one buffalo, one brelaw [badger]. Distance 24 miles.

PHOTOS by Andy PIPEr

TEXT EXCERPTED FROM THE JOURNALS OF ZEbULOn PIKE

Following in Pike’s footsteps

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Zebulon Pike was a 27-year-old Army lieutenant when he began his exploration of the Arkansas in 1806.

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“At two o’clock in the afternoon I thought I could distinguish a mountain to our right, which appeared as a small blue cloud. . .”nov. 15, 1806

The foothills of the rockies appear on

the horizon, with the Arkansas river in the

foreground, from near La Junta, colorado.

nov. 13th. We marched at the usual hour. The riverbanks began to be entirely covered with woods on both sides but no other species than cotton-wood. Discov-ered very fresh signs of Indians, and one of our hunters informed me he saw a man on horseback, as-cending a ravine on our left. Discov-ered sign of war parties ascending the river. Wounded several buffalo. Killed one turkey, the first we have seen since we left the Pawnees.

nov. 15th. Marched early. Passed two deep creeks and many high points of rocks.

At two o’clock in the afternoon I thought I could distinguish a moun-tain to our right, which appeared like a small blue cloud; viewed it with the spy glass, and was still more confirmed in my conjecture, yet only communicated it to Dr.

Robinson, who was in front with me; but in half an hour they ap-peared in full view before us. When our small party arrived on the hill they with one accord gave three cheers to the Mexican mountains.

Before evening we discovered a fork on the south side bearing S. 25° W. (the Purgatory River).

nov. 18th. As we discovered fresh signs of the savages, we con-cluded it best to stop and kill some meat, for fear we should get into a country where we could not kill game. Sent out the hunters; walked myself to an eminence whence I took the courses to the different mountains, and a small sketch of their appearance. In the evening, found the hunters had killed with-out mercy, having slain 17 buffalo and wounded at least 20 more.

nov. 19th. Had a general

Wildfire sweeps across the wetlands and past the cotton-woods lining the forks of the Arkansas and Purgatory rivers near today’s Fort Lyons, colorado.

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Rio Grande

Great Sand Dunes

Sangre de Cris to M

ountains

Wet M

ountains

Saw

atch Ran

ge

Pike’s Peak14,115 ft.

Blanca Peak14,345 ft.

Pike’s travels in Colorado

Medano Pass

Royal Gorge

Trout Creek Pass F

ountainCreek

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iver

S A N L U I S VA L L E Y

S O U T HPA R K

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Colorado Springs

Pueblo

Cañon City

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3 Arkansas River

Creek

Purgato

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iver

Colorado Springs

Pueblo

Bent’s Old Fort

1. Lt. Zebulon Pike and his expedition enter today’s Colorado on Nov. 11, 1806.

2. Pike first sights the Rocky Mountains on Nov. 15 while near the forks of the Arkansas and Purgatory rivers.

3. Pike establishes a camp at the forks of the Arkansas and Fountain Creek on Nov. 23, and sets off to climb the “blue mountain” that will later bear his name.

4. Pike and three companions, not equipped for technical climbing or winter tempera-tures, turn back on Nov. 27.

5. Pike takes a measurement Dec. 3, and esti-mates his ‘Grand Peak’ to be 18,581 ft. high.

6. Pike turns north from the Arkansas River on Dec. 11 and climbs a tributary canyon 3,500 ft into the valley of South Park.

7. Dec. 13. The expedition encounters a river in South Park which they correctly identify as the South Platte.

8. The expedition descends Trout Creek pass Dec. 18 from South Park into the upper

valley of the Arkansas, which they mistake for the Red River.

9. Christmas Day, 1806, The expedition camps just north of the present-day city of Salida.

10. Jan. 9, 1807. The party finds themselves back at their Dec. 10 camp, and realizes they have been following the Arkansas, not the Red River. They set out to the southwest, still in search of the Red River, on Jan. 14.

11. Blocked by the wall of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Pike and his men suffer frostbite and near-starvation in Wet Moun-tain Valley winter storms Jan. 15-26.

12. Finally escaping the Wet Mountain Valley via Medano Pass on Jan. 27, Pike discovers the Great Sand Dunes and the Rio Grande, which he mistakes for the Red River. He also unwittingly crosses into Spanish territory.

13. Pike calls the vistas of the San Luis Valley “one of the most sublime and beautiful pros-pects ever presented to the eyes of man.”

14. On Feb. 26., Spanish troops ‘invite’ Pike’s expedition out of Colorado south to Santa Fe and eventually Chihuahua in New Spain.

|______________________________|5 0 M I L E S

Headwaters of the Red River approx. 100 miles southi

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bent’s Old Fort, a civilian trading post on the Santa Fe Trail, was established in 1833, 27 years after Pike passed this point of the Arkansas river on nov. 17, 1806. A small swivel cannon targets the reeds and cottonwoods lining the river.

feast of marrow-bones, 136 of them furnishing the repast.

nov. 21st. Marched at our usual hour; passed two Spanish camps, within three miles of each other. The river was certainly as navi-gable here, and I think much more so, than some hundred miles below. Distance 21 miles.

Sunday, nov. 23rd. Marched at ten o’clock; at one o’clock came to the third fork, on the south side, and encamped at night in the point of the grand forks.

As the river appeared to be divid-ing itself into many small branches, and of course must be near its extreme source, I concluded to put the party in a defensible position, and ascend the north fork to the high point of the blue mountain, which we

conceived would be one day’s march, in order to be enabled, from its pini-cal to lay down the various branches and positions of the country. Dis-tance 19 miles.

nov. 24th. We marched at one o’clock with an idea of arriv-ing at the foot of the mountain; but found ourselves obliged to take up our night’s lodging under a single cedar which we found on the prairie, without water and extremely cold. Our party besides myself consisted of Dr. Robinson, and Privates Miller and Brown.

nov. 25th. Marched early, with an expectation of ascending the mountain, but was only able to encamp at its base. Took a meridi-onal observation, and the altitude of the mountain.

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Fountain creek, right, flows south from Pike’s Peak — the ‘blue mountain’ on the horizon — to meet the Arkansas river and form Pike’s ‘grand forks’ in today’s city of Pueblo.

“Encamped at night at the point of the grand forks. I concluded to put the party in a defensible position, and

ascend the north fork to the high point of the blue mountain. . .”

nov. 23, 1806

So NeAr ANd yet So fArnov. 27th. Arose hungry, dry and extremely sore, from the inequality of the rocks on which we had lain all night. Commenced our march up the mountain, and in about one hour arrived at the sum-mit of this chain.

The summit of the Grand Peak, which was entirely bare of vegetation and covered with snow, now appeared at the distance of 15 or 16 miles from us. It was as high again as what we had ascended, and it would have taken a whole day’s march to arrive at its base, when I believe no human being could have ascended to its pinical.

This, with the condition of my soldiers, who had only light overalls on, no stock-ings, and were in every way ill provided to endure the inclemency of the region . . . determined us to return. It began to snow, and we sought shelter under the side of a projecting rock, where we all four made a meal of one partridge and a piece of deer’s ribs the ravens had left us, being the first we had eaten in that 48 hours.

From the western slope of cheyenne Mountain, the southern ridge of Pike’s Peak looms in the distance.

various peaks have been suggested as the point where Pike turned back from his attempt to reach the top of the ‘Grand Peak’ which now bears his name.

cheyenne Mountain Peter’s dome Mt. rosa Pike’s Peak

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nov. 26th. Expecting to return to our camp the same evening, we left all our blankets and provisions at the foot of the mountain. We commenced ascending; found it very difficult, being obliged to climb up rocks, sometimes almost perpendicular; and after marching all day we encamped in a cave, without blankets, victuals, or water.

nov. 27th — see So near and yet So Far at left.

nov. 29th. Arrived at our camp (at the grand forks) before nightfall; found all well.

The next day, Pike resumes his original course up the Arkansas from the grand forks.

Sunday, nov. 30th. Marched at eleven o’clock; it snowed very fast but my impatience to be moving would not permit me lying still at that camp. This day came to the first cedar and pine. Killed two deer. Distance 15 miles.

Monday, dec. 1st. The storm still con-tinuing with violence, we remained encamped. The snow by night was one foot deep. Our horses were obliged to scrape it away to obtain their miserable pittance. . . .

dec. 2nd. It cleared off in the night, and in the morning the thermometer stood at 17° below zero (Reaumur) [- 6°F/- 21°C], being three times as cold as any morning we had yet experienced. The country became very rugged and hilly. One of our horses took a freak in his head and turned back, which occasioned three of our rear-guard to lie out

all night; I was very apprehensive they might perish on the prairie. Distance 13 miles.

dec. 3d. The weather moderating to 3° below zero, our absentees joined, one with his feet frozen, but were not able to bring up the horse. The hardships of the last voyage had now begun; and had the climate only been as severe as the climate was then, some of the men must have perished, for they had no winter clothing. I wore myself cotton overalls, for I had not calculated on being out in that inclement season of the year.

Dr. Robinson and myself, with assistants, went out and took the altitude of the north mountain on the base of a mile.

The perpendicular height of the mountain from the level of the prairie was 10,581, feet, and admitting that the prairie was 8,000 feet from the level of the sea [actually, about 5,000 feet], it would make the elevation of this peak 18,581 feet. . . . In our wandering in the moun-tains it was never out of sight, except when in a valley, from the 14th of November to the 27th of January.

dec. 5th. Encamped on the main branch of the river near the entrance of the South mountain. In the evening walked up to the mountains.

At this point, Pike leaves the Arkansas River and strikes north up a side valley in the direction of South Park, following the tracks of what he believes is a party of Spanish soldiers.

dec. 11th. Marched at ten o’clock, and in one mile struck a branch of the Arkansaw

various peaks have been suggested as the point where Pike turned back from his attempt to reach the top of the ‘Grand Peak’ which now bears his name.

cheyenne Mountain Peter’s dome Mt. rosa Pike’s Peak

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“Went out and took the altitude of the north mountain on the base of a mile. . . The

perpendicular height from the level of the prairie was 10,581 feet. . . .” dec. 3, 1806

on which the supposed Spaniards had encamped, where there was both water and grass. Kept up this branch but was frequently embarassed as to the trace.

dec. 12th. Marched at nine o’clock. Continued up the same branch as yesterday. the ridges on our right and left appear to grow lower, but mountains appeared on our flanks, through the intervals, covered with snow. Distance 12 miles.

dec. 13th. Marched at the usual hour; passed large springs and the sup-posed Spanish camp; crossed at twelve o’clock a dividing ridge [into South Park], and immediately fell on a small branch running N. 20° W.. . . I took my gun and went out to see what discovery I could make. After marching about two

miles north, fell on a river 40 yards wide, frozen over; which after some investiga-tion, I found ran northeast. . . Query: Must it not be the headwaters of the river Platte?

dec. 16th. From a high ridge we reconnoitered the adjacent country, and concluded, putting the Spanish trace out of the question, to bear our course southwest, for the head of Red river.

Pike is now seeking the headwaters of the Red River, which forms a signifi-

Pike’s Peak from the Arkansas valley between Pueblo and cañon city

From the distant blue valley of the Arkansas, Pike climbed a tributary canyon — most likely Fourmile creek, pictured — north to the valley of the South Platte river in South Park.

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“After marching two miles north, fell on a river 40 yards wide. . . Query: Must it not be the headwaters of the River Platte?”Pike’s journals, dec. 13, 1806

distant snow-capped peaks define the western edge of South Park as seen from the point where Pike encountered the South Platte river, now dammed to form Elevenmile reservoir.

cant lower boundary to the Louisiana Purchase. Unfortunately, the Red River is now over one hundred miles to the southeast of his location, where it will eventually form the border between Oklahoma and Texas, and he is heading always in the wrong direction.

dec. 18th. On entering a gap in the next mountain, came past an excellent spring, which formed a fine [Trout] creek. This we followed through narrows in the mountains for about six miles. The doctor and myself went on to make discoveries, as was our usual custom, and in about four miles’ march we struck what we supposed to be Red river.

dec. 22d. Marched up 13 miles to a large point on the moun-tain, whence we had a view at least

35 miles to where the [Arkansas] entered the mountains; it being at that place not more than 10 or 15 feet wide and properly speaking, only a brook.

dec. 25th. I concluded to lie by this day. . . . We spent the day as agreeably as could be expected from men in our situation.

Pike now follows the Arkansas southeast and east through a rugged canyon that eventually culminates in the 1,000-ft.-deep Royal Gorge.

dec. 27th. Marched over an extremely rough road; our horses received frequent falls, and cut them-selves considerably on the rocks.

dec. 29th. Marched; but owing to the extreme ruggedness of the

Above, the South Platte meanders across the floor of South Park along Pike’s route. Pike descended from South Park to the Arkansas river (which he took to be the red river) through Trout creek Pass, right, backed by the 14,204-ft-wall of Mt. Princeton in the Sawatch range.

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road, made but five miles. Finding the impos-sibility of getting along with the horses, made one sled which, with the men of three horses, carries their load.

dec. 31st. Horses falling down, we were obliged to pull them over on the ice. The river turned so much to the north as almost induced us to believe it was the Arkansaw.

Jan. 5th. About ten o’clock rose the highest summit of the mountain, when the unbounded spaces of the prairie again pre-sented themselves to my view; and from some distant peaks I immediately recognized it to be the outlet of the Arkansaw, which we had left

nearly one month since.This was a great mortification; but at the

same time I consoled myself with the knowl-edge I had acquired the sources of La Platte and Arkansaw rivers.

Jan. 9th. I now felt at considerable loss how to proceed. . . After many plans formed and rejected, and the most mature delibera-tion, I determined to . . . cross the mountains on foot, find the Red river, and then send back a party to conduct the horses. . . .

On January 14, Pike leaves two men to care for the injured horses, and strikes southwest into

The wide upper Arkansas valley, edged by the Sawatch mountains on the west, eventually narrows to form the rugged entrance to the royal Gorge, above right.

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the Wet Mountains. Thus begins the most difficult twelve days of his journey, as he is following a route directly into the 14,000-ft barricade of the Sangre de Cristo range, which will trap his party on the 8,000-ft-high floor of the Wet Mountain valley — in the heart of winter.

Jan. 17th. Marched about four miles, when the great White mountain [the Sangre de Cristos] presented itself before us. . . As there was no wood or water where we were, and the woods of the mountains appeared to be at no great distance, I though proper to march for it. The night commenced extremely

cold. . . we discovered that the feet of nine of our men were frozen. This night we had no provision.

Jan. 21st. I went up to the foot of the mountain to see what prospect there was of being able to cross it, but had not more than fairly arrived at its base when I found the snow four or five feet deep.

Jan. 24th. As I found all the buffalo had quit the plains, I determined to attempt the tra-verse of the mountain, in which we persevered until the snow became so deep that it was impossible to proceed; when I again turned my face to the plain, and for the first time in

The wide upper Arkansas valley, edged by the Sawatch mountains on the west, eventually narrows to form the rugged entrance to the royal Gorge, above right.

“I determined to attempt the traverse of the mountain, in which we persevered until the snow became so deep that it was impossible to proceed. . . I again turned my face to the plain, and for the first time in the voyage found myself discouraged.” Jan. 24, 1807

The Sangre de cristo Mountains, towering above the Wet Mountain valley floor with nine peaks over 14,000 feet, blocked Pike’s path and trapped him in the valley for a dozen cold and hungry January days.

“I determined to attempt the traverse of the mountain, in which we persevered until the snow became so deep that it was impossible to proceed. . . I again turned my face to the plain, and for the first time in the voyage found myself discouraged.” Jan. 24, 1807

A lone buffalo walks rangeland on Wolf Springs ranch in the Wet valley, as the snowy peaks of the Sangre de cristos loom in the background.

“We went in pursuit of the buffalo, which were on the move. The doctor, who was

then less reduced than myself. . . shot one down, which stopped the remainder.”

Jan. 24, 1807

Pike eventually escaped from the Wet valley through Medano Pass (low point in the skyline, center) and descended into the valley of

the rio Grande at the point where westerly winds funneling through

the pass drop dust and sand to form the Great Sand dunes.

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the voyage found myself discouraged.We dragged our weary and emaciated

limbs along until about ten o’clock . . . the doctor and myself discovered some buffalo on the plain . . . The doctor, who was then less reduced than myself. . . shot one down, which stopped the remainder. . . we arrived at the camp, to the great joy of our brave lads, who immediately feasted sumptuously.

Finally, working south along the mountains, Pike finds a low point, Medano Pass, where he can cross out of the dreadful valley. As he descends, he sights both a river and an array of sandy hills in the valley before him.

Jan. 28th. We marched on the outlet of the mountains, left the sandy desert to our right and kept down between it and the moun-tain. When we encamped, I ascended one of the largest hills of sand. . .The sand-hills extended up and down the foot of the White mountains about 15 miles, and appeared to be about five miles in width. Their appearance was exactly that of the sea in a storm, except as to color, not the least sign of vegetation existing thereon.

Jan. 30th. We marched hard, and ar-rived in the evening on the banks of the Rio del Norte [Rio Grande], then supposed to be the Red river.

Pike spends nearly a month exploring the the San Luis valley, building a stockade for defence, and sending back men for those left behind with the horses on the Arkansas. The spare beauty of the San Luis Valley draws his attention:

Feb. 5th. After chasing deer for several

hours, we ascended a high hill which lay south of our camp, whence we had a view of all the prairies and rivers to the north of us. It was at the same time one of the most sublime and beautiful inland prospects ever presented to the eyes of man.

Unfortunately, this sublime prospect was not, as Pike supposed, part of the United States. In passing through the Sangre de Cristos, Pike had entered Spanish territory. After several encoun-ters with small groups of Spanish soldiers, he is

39

visited on Feb. 26th by two Spanish lieutenants with 50 infantry and 50 mounted troops.

Feb. 26th. . . . After breakfast, the com-manding officer addressed me as follows: “Sir, the governor of New Mexico, being informed you have missed your route, ordered me. . .to conduct you to the head of Red river; as from Santa Fe to where it is sometimes navigable is eight days’ journey.”

“What,” said I, interrupting him, “is not

this the Red river?’“No, sir! The Rio del Norte.”I immediately ordered my flag to be taken

down and rolled up, feeling how sensibly I had committed myself in entering their territory, and conscious that they must have positive orders to take me in.

They did indeed. Pike and his men spent the next four months as ‘guests’ of the Spanish, being returned to U.S. soil near Natchitoches in Louisiana on July 1, 1807. n

“I ascended one of the largest hills of sand. Their appearance was exactly that of a sea

in storm, except as to color, not the least sign of vegetation appearing thereon.”

Jan. 28, 1807

hikers walk into the southern edge of the Great Sand dunes, which rise to 1,000 feet

above the San Luis valley floor.

“It was at the same time one of the most sublime and beautiful prospects ever presented to the eyes of man.”

horses drink from the rio Grande near the location of Pike’s stockade.

blanca Peak, 14,345 feet, sweeps down to the floor of the San Luis valley.

“It was at the same time one of the most sublime and beautiful prospects ever presented to the eyes of man.”Feb. 5, 1807 n

On April 20, 1999, 12 students, a teacher, and two student gunmen all died at suburban denver’s columbine high School in what remains America’s worst high school mass murder. Within hours, impromptu memorials began appearing in neighboring clement Park.

Out of our past: April 20, 1999

Out of our past: April 20, 1999

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visitors and memorials line a clement Park hill overlooking

columbine high School. On the hilltop, a mother comforts her son as

they view the memorials, below.

The muddy valley beside

the hill became the

site of the permanent

memorial to the columbine

shootings.

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At left, two visitors read a banner filled with hand-written condolences sent from students of San Jose, california’s public schools.

The weekend after the shooting, visitors still come to the hilltop, now a sea of dried mud, to view the school and the few remaining memorial arrangements. n