THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN STATES OF COLORADO, WYOMING, MONTANA, AND UTAH ARE A PLACE FOR LOSING ONESELF AND FINDING ONESELF, AND A GREAT ESCAPE INTO THE BEST OF WHAT THE AMERICAN WEST IS ALL ABOUT.

No doubt about it, you can step back in time anywhere in Rocky Mountain country by taking a ride on a steam train in Utah, visiting a copper baron’s mansion in Montana, touring a railroad magnate’s castle in Colorado, or soaking up the wide open country and rodeo events that give Wyoming its nickname as the Cowboy State.

COLORADO
PEAK TO PEAK:
GOLD COUNTRY

Remnants of a Colorado mining operation west of Colorado Springs.

Zebulon Pike headed the first American party to explore the Colorado Rockies, coming to the region in 1806 by following the Arkansas River. He attempted to ascend the peak that later took his name, but failed due to inadequate clothing and the onset of winter weather. In 1819 Stephen H. Long led the Yellowstone Expedition west from the Missouri River, entering Colorado along the South Platte River, and noting a tall mountain in the range to the west that he believed was Pike's Peak, but it was a more northerly massif that would eventually be named for Long himself. Between these two peaks named for Pike and Long is a region that in 1859 became a magnet for gold seekers. Among the earliest strikes were those made by George A. Jackson who, while hunting for deer, found gold in Chicago Creek, as it entered Clear Creek at Idaho Springs. John G. Gregory located a claim near Gregory Gulch, and six men struck gold at the mouth of Boulder Canyon at the foot of Gold Hill. Those three finds were the three great locations-Idaho Springs, Black Hawk, and Gold Hill, all located west of present Denver. By June 1, 1859, Gregory Gulch "was crowded with canvas tents, log shanties, and bough houses, as thick as they could stand. The more recent arrivals began to murmur about the first comers-none of them had been here a month yet-monopolizing everything, and contended for a re-distribution of claims. cutting them down to 25 feet each," Ovando J. Hollister wrote in 1867. Horace Greeley, one of the first journalists to reach the area after the gold discovery, wrote in the New York Tribune, "As yet the entire population of the valley sleeps in tents or under booths of pine boughs, cooking and eating in the open air. I doubt that there is as yet a table or chair in these diggings, eating being done around a cloth spread on the ground, while each one sits or reclines on mother earth." The gold in the 1850s came from streams and diggings in the vicinity of Pike's Peak, and the Rockies north to near Longs Peak. Today, you can find your own kind of riches by visiting this area. Since the gold rush really started in the south, we'll begin there, too, at Colorado Springs, which now encompasses the earliest town in that area, Colorado City, the first territorial capital of Colorado.

You won't find gold, but you will definitely see "riches" if you explore Cave of the Winds with its stalagmites and stalactites, all glittering and gleaming like crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling or growing from the floor. Ride the cog railway to the top of Pikes Peak, or drive the mountain road in your own vehicle for a view from the top that encompasses the Rockies and the Plains. The recognized "father" of Colorado Springs is Gen. William Jackson Palmer, a Civil War General from Pennsylvania, who came to the area in 1870. The following year he founded both the city and the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad that would ultimately have an impact on most of western Colorado. Palmer's home was a 67-room castle known as Glen Eyrie, and it is now a Christian conference center, where you can spend a night, take a tour of the castle, or enjoy tea.

From its beginning, Colorado Springs was promoted as a resort destination and a place of healing. Situated at the foot of Pike's Peak and therefore near the gold mining district at Cripple Creek, it soon became known as the "city of millionaires" because one-third of the millionaires created by Cripple Creek gold mining activities made their homes in Colorado Springs.

Black Lake, Rocky Mountain National Park

While Gen. Palmer created Colorado Springs, Spencer Penrose certainly helped guide it to prominence. After making millions in gold and silver mining ventures, Penrose provided support for the construction of the Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain highways. He gave land for various community uses, built the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Will Rogers Shrine, and the fabulous Broadmoor Hotel, another highly recommended place to stay, dine, or simply visit with its beautiful gardens. Equally appealing, and pricey, is the Cliff House in Manitou Springs, which attracted trappers and hunters and became a stagecoach stop on the route between Colorado Springs and Leadville.

In its earliest form, the Cliff House was a 20-room boarding house known as "The Inn." Today it has elegant and spacious rooms, inviting parlors, and rambling porches. From Colorado Springs and Manitou Springs, travel north on I-25 toward Denver. This metropolis could keep you busy and exploring for days, but if you have limited time, I can make a few suggestions.

Travel west to Morrison for a meal at The Fort, a replica of Bent's Fort where you'll find mountain man-sized steaks and drinks to satisfy any craving. How about whiskey spiced with chili pepper and gunpowder? Spend some time in Golden, with its unique downtown shopping district, or drive west on I-70 to Idaho Springs for shopping. If you want to stay in Denver, head downtown. There are many hotels, including the incomparable Brown Palace, that put you within walking distance of the Colorado State Capitol, the 16th Street Mall, and the Colorado History Museum, where you can view a new exhibit, "Tribal Paths: Colorado's American Indians 1500 to today," which just opened in January, and the earlier exhibit, "Ancient Voices: Stories of Colorado's Distant Past," which explores the role of the state's ancient Indian people. Continuing north on I-25, the Rocky Mountains will be to your west providing a dramatic backdrop for the communities that make up Colorado's Front Range.

Meander your way northwest from the interstate by taking U.S. 36 through Boulder and on to Estes Park, which lies at the base of the mountains. Near Longs Peak, Estes is also a gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park. For a romantic getaway stay at Antlers Pointe or for a more rustic spot in the mountains try Aspen Lodge, off Colorado Highway 7, where you can ride horses year around, listen to a Native American storyteller, or hear music by local performers.

WYOMING
RIDING THE STEAMBOAT TRAIL

Bison still roam at Terry Bison Ranch near Cheyenne

In 1896 a black colt hit the ground on the Foss Range, and when he was three the Swan Land and Cattle Company’s Two Bar Ranch bought him. When those Two Bar cowboys took him down for a gelding, he hit his head, broke a bone in his nose, and ever after when he expended great energy he snorted and whistled like a steamboat. So that’s what Jimmy Danks, the first Two Bar cowboy who tried to ride him, called him: Steamboat. With work the horse might have become a good cow pony, but with his Percheron blood from his sire and the hot blood of his dam, he instead churned the ground and pitched cowboys over his head, first on the ranch and later in the rodeo arena. Eventually he became the star of the Irwin Brothers Wild West Show and went on the road. But Southeast Wyoming was Steamboat's home turf so let me take you on the Steamboat Trail.

We'll begin and end where he made his reputation: at the "Daddy of 'em All," Cheyenne's Frontier Days. The local newspapers from 1902 to 1908 gave almost as much ink to this black horse as they did to the cowboys who tried to ride him: Clayton Danks, Guy Holt, Thad Sowder, Frank Irwin, and more. You can still get a taste of that good, old rodeo action during the annual event in Cheyenne the last full week in July, and learn more about the cowboys and their history at the nearby CFD Old West Museum. While in Cheyenne find a room at one of the historic properties in town such as the Nagle-Warren Mansion, once a cattle baron's home, or the Plains Hotel that anchors downtown.

Then visit the Wyoming State Museum, spend some time at the Terry Bison Ranch, or see some real Western history at the privately operated Nelson Museum of the West. The range Steamboat used extended north and west, so we'll follow his trail west first to Laramie. Although you can take the quick route via Interstate 80, to get a better sense of the country (because you won't be driving so quickly), use Wyoming Highway 210, known locally as Happy Jack. In Laramie visit the University of Wyoming campus where a statue recognizing Steamboat stands just north of the War Memorial Stadium. Fanning a Twister was created by Peter M. Fillerup, an artist originally from Cody, Wyo. It recognizes the horse, which became a symbol of the university in the 1920s when the football team adopted a cowboy and bucking horse silhouette for use on helmets. That image was based on a photograph taken in 1903 of Guy Holt riding Steamboat, but Fillerup and Allen True, the artist who designed the cowboy image that is on Wyoming's license plate, both created their designs as composite characters not representing a particular rider.

Also in Laramie, tour the Laramie Plains Museum, spend some time downtown, where you will find a selection of restaurants and shops housed in historic buildings (I particularly like The Overland Fine Eatery), then tour the Wyoming Territorial Park. From Laramie travel through Steamboat country by heading west on U.S. 30 (the Lincoln Highway) to Wyoming Highway 34 and take it east toward Wheatland. This road winds through Sybille Canyon, an area that is used as a wildlife research center by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Here you will see elk, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and other Wyoming wildlife. The highway passes the old Two Bar Ranch, where Steamboat spent his early years on the range, before connecting with Interstate 25 just south of Wheatland.

The West is a spacious place, and with the way its clean, dry air extends visibility, faraway points seem even closer

Travel south once you've reached the interstate through the small town of Chugwater-the home of Chugwater Chili-and continue on to Cheyenne. In making this Steamboat circle, you will pass through the country where the horse was raised, and you'll also be in the same country where range detective Tom Horn spent most of his days in Wyoming. In fact, these two had several connections. At one time John Coble owned the Two Bar Ranch and Steamboat; he employed Tom Horn and provided funds for Horn's legal defense when he was charged with the murder of 14- year-old Willie Nickell, a homesteader's son, in July of 1901. At Horn's hanging, in November of 1903 in Cheyenne, Frank and Charlie Irwin sang a final song for the condemned man. Charlie Irwin later owned Steamboat and the brothers made the horse a star in their Irwin Brothers Wild West Show.

There hasn't been a Steamboat to stir the dirt in Cheyenne for decades now, but the tradition he helped build at the Cheyenne Frontier Days continues and this year will again feature the best cowboys in the world-just as it did during his era. This tenday event has much more to offer than rodeo, including an Indian village, free pancake breakfasts, four parades with dozens of horse-drawn vehicles, and night shows by such stars as Big and Rich with Cowboy Troy, Reba McIntire, LeAnn Rimes, Neal McCoy, Trisha Yearwood, and Gretchen Wilson.

	Lewis and Clark explored the rugged canyons along the Missouri River

MONTANA
CHARLIE RUSSEL TO
COPPER KINGS

Dip your hand in the world’s shortest river, ride a boat to Gates of the Mountains, or explore one of the West’s indomitable mining towns as you travel from Great Falls through Helena to Butte. Charlie Russell captured the stunningly beautiful countryside of the Judith Valley and north central Montana in his paintings, and you can step “into his studio” at the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls, Falls, housed in a log building and filled with memorabilia and artifacts. Established in 1953, this museum has the most complete collection of Charles Russell art and personal objects in the world, with more than 12,000 art works and objects, including letters written and illustrated by Montana's most famous painter.

Not everything that is Russell-related is in the log house; instead, much of the collection is on display in a modern museum that also shows work by O.C. Seltzer, J.H. Sharp, E.E. Heikka, E.I. Couse, Winold Reiss, and Olaf Wieghorst. Lewis and Clark of course passed through what is now Great Falls, and their journey is commemorated in the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Those explorers not only portaged around the Great Falls, but also they saw the unique Giant Springs, one of the largest freshwater springs in the world. It feeds the Roe River, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the shortest in the world. It ranges from 58 to 200 feet, depending on output of the spring. While the river it spawns may be short, the spring itself has significant flow-338 million gallons a day coming out of the ground at the constant temperature of 54 degrees.

The Montana State Capitol in Helena

If you take I-15 southwest from Great Falls, you'll pass through Montana's State Capital, Helena, where you should spend some time at the Montana Historical Society, which has its own collection of Russell artwork. A trolley tour will take you past stately mansions while you hear stories about the early residents of this mining town.

Detour 20 miles from Helena to Gates of the Mountains, for a boat ride on the Missouri River that provides access to the Gates themselves and views of land that remains almost as pristine as they were when Lewis and Clark passed through the region 200 years ago. Like Helena, Butte began as a mining town and it has never really shaken off that image. Pick and pan carrying gold miners came here in 1864 to dig ore that was rich, but not easily obtained. The early boom fizzled and Butte's population went with it, but when Marcus Daly purchased the Alice Silver Mine in 1876 there was a breath of new life for the town. By 1880 he had become a partner in the Anaconda, a claim that developed into one of the richest copper mines in the world. When the 20th century began, Butte Hill and its huge copper deposits were known as "the richest hill on earth" and that spawned construction of mansions for the copper kings, plus much smaller homes for the miners themselves, who came primarily from Ireland, Cornwall, and Wales, giving the city a melting pot atmosphere.

Butte's colorful history is preserved in the Victorian business district and the city's stately mansions, including Copper King Mansion, a designated National Historic Place. You'll find more about the heritage of the area at Hell Roarin' Gulch, which has both indoor and outdoor displays that reflect the area's heritage. To see other sides of Butte visit The Mai Wah, in the heart of Butte's old Chinatown, with displays relating to the story of Chinese miners, and the Dumas Victorian Brothel Museum, which has guided tours.

UTAH
HEBER VALLEY

Belinda Gail will perform at Heber City's Poetry Gathering in November.

Less than an hour from Salt Lake City, Heber Valley is one of those somewhat isolated areas you’ll find throughout the region. It has all the amenities of a city without the traffic, noise, and crowds (except during Swiss Days when thousands find their way to Midway). You can enter this valley, which hosted cross-country ski events for the Utah Olympics, Olympics, from the busy I-15 corridor (take U.S. Highway 189 northeast from Provo or Orem on the Scenic Byway through Provo Canyon), or from the almost-as-busy I-80 to the north (turn onto U.S. 40 at Park City and travel south). Far fewer visitors come in from the southeast on U.S. 40, and yet that is one of the most scenic routes. From Vernal the highway cuts through farmland and bypasses Strawberry Reservoir before climbing into the Uinta National Forest to Daniels Summit and then dropping down into Heber Valley. The Summit is not just a watershed divide; it is also a good place to headquarter and spend some time exploring. Daniels Summit Lodge has guided horseback rides and jeep rentals during spring, summer, and fall, and is a popular snowmobile and cross-country ski destination during winter.

The lodge itself, lovingly built by the owners, is exactly what you expect a mountain lodge to be: massive, homey, and quiet. There are sitting areas where you can read, a day spa and indoor pool and aquatic center to take out the kinks after a day outdoors, and a restaurant where you'll find savory dishes. Heber Valley is really known for two big events: The Swiss Festival in Midway over Labor Day weekend, which this year celebrates its 60th Anniversary with Swiss music, food, crafts, and other events, and of probably greater interest to American Cowboy readers, the Cowboy Poetry Gathering and Buckaroo Fair every November.

This year's gathering, November 6-11, marks a couple of important milestones. The Gathering itself is a "baker's dozen" years old and headline performers Riders in the Sky will be celebrating 30 years in the business. Plus there will be a tribute to John Wayne for the 100th anniversary of his birthday.

Enjoy hiking or horseback riding in the Uinta National Forest.

But the Riders are only one of the great groups you will be able to enjoy in an event that causes the local high school to literally bulge at the seams. Also on the stage you'll find Ramblin' Jack Elliott, Baxter Black, Sons of the San Joaquin, Kip Calahan, Belinda Gail and Curly Musgrave, Michael Martin Murphey, Dave Stamey, and the Gathering host, Waddie Mitchell. On three other stages even more poets and musicians will be sharing their cowboy roots, mountain men will have a camp outside the school, and you can buy buckaroo and cowboy gear galore. Plus there will be a cowboy dance, jam sessions, colt starting clinics, a horse extravaganza, and cowboy church. During the Cowboy Gathering, there is a special Heber Valley Railroad train where you will be entertained by some of the top performers on this year's roster, but the railroad with its signature steam engine runs year-round. Special excursions include "Vittles and Fiddles," which includes a hoedown at the Soldier Hollow Platform, "Ol' West Casino Train," where you can do a bit of "legal" gambling, "Moonlight and Fire," with a dutch oven cookout, and "Bells and Whistles," where you take rides on the train and on a horsedrawn sleigh. These special excursions are offered periodically through the year, but most days all year long, you can take the "Provo Canyon Limited," a three-hour ride that gives you a chance to view wildflowers, autumn leaves, or winter snow.

Candy Moulton is the author of Roadside History of Colorado, Roadside History of Wyoming, and Steamboat: Legendary Bucking Horse. She writes regularly for American Cowboy.

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