CHAPTER 12: ON TO THE PLAINS Canon City to Holly; Days 139-153 (3 rest); Distance = 198 Miles; People Met

= 86 From Canon City we finally turned east for our long trek over the plains. People joke about the tedious drive for hours across the vast plains; what about walking across those same plains for months? That was a question in the back of our minds, though for the short term hiking across the plains would be new and interesting. The American Discovery Trail pieces together many existing trails with connector routes scouted out by the founders. The Santa Fe Trail is the longest of these existing trails, which we would follow halfway through the plains. From Pueblo on into Kansas the Santa Fe Trail paralleled the Arkansas River. We first crossed the Arkansas River near the headwaters just above Leadville; the small creek cascaded through a culvert under the road across Fremont Pass. In Pueblo the river was broad and calm, perhaps holding its greatest volume of water at this point. The prairie vegetation was mainly crops or ranch land. Sagebrush and cactus were present at this western edge of the plains as well. In fact southeastern Colorado, unlike all the areas we hiked previously, experienced drought before we got there. We encountered only a couple days of precipitation over the two weeks from Canon City to the border, but that was an improvement for them given the dry conditions of the summer. Wherever we were we could detect the Arkansas River from a distance because of the taller cottonwoods surrounding the banks. They were still mostly green at this point but starting to turn towards their autumn gold. Two other features were usually in sight as well. One was Pikes Peak, looming 14,000 feet tall above the prairie until we were well beyond Pueblo. The other was the railroad. We did not see much of either as we crossed the Great Basin and the Continental Divide, but outside of that the two most common features for our entire journey would be rivers and railroads. We could not help but to cultivate an appreciation for the cultural and historical beauty of following the American Discovery Trail at this point. The Santa Fe Trail often featured interpretive signs

along the way, and occasional structures such as Bents Old Fort. This was a key stop along the Santa Fe Trail, providing protection along this key pioneering and trade route. We also went by Camp Amache, the Japanese internment camp during World War II, not one of the prouder moments of our history. Yet one needs to acknowledge both the good with the bad when you truly love something, such as with a family member. This historical leg of the American Discovery Trail was helping to nurture a love for country even with its sobering moments such as the internment camp. We still encountered beautiful landscapes on this stretch across the plains. In particular we skirted John Martin Reservoir, a prime bird-watching area, and camped in the state park at the eastern end of the reservoir. As we were there late in the season there was no one to charge us, yet the campground amenities were still available, namely the restrooms. We were treated as well to a colorful sunset filtering through the colorful autumn leaves that filled the park.

Ky supported us for most of this stretch, though for the last five days before the border she flew back east for a family reunion. Olney Springs became the base camp for her, mainly because Ed and Lorell Anderson were our hosts while I gave a talk at the Lions Club there. Lorell worked for the prison at Olney Springs, while Ed did a little bit of everything throughout his whole life. One of Ed's vocations was as a Santa Claus, and in fact the Anderson's decked our their home with 10.000 lights at Christmas. Ed shared with us a touching story from when he lived in Illinois. He was contacted by a doctor to visit a home as Santa Claus, a home that recently lost everything in a flood. The doctor provided presents for Ed to bring, and he spent a couple hundred dollars himself on presents for the family. The Andersons were that type of people, which was a blessing for Ky. Not only did she need a home base, but she needed some assistance with her minivan that was in an accident the day before she had to leave. A couple other events spiced up this stretch. As we neared Avondale we were hailed by the owners of a rodeo. The metal Quonset hut close to where they hailed us was being prepared for the grand

opening of a cowboy church. They invited us to attend, which we were able to do with Ky driving us back from our home base with the Andersons in Olney Springs. So what is a cowboy church like? This one had bleachers and a platform set up along opposite sides of the Quonset hut, with another platform set up at one end for the country western/Christian band; on the other end were tables for the potluck pig roast that was held after the service. Cowboy art also surrounded the area with the tables. Some self-deprecating cowboy humor led up to a self-deprecating cowboy sermon, delivered by a lay pastor wearing his cowboy hat and boots. To top it all off they held a rodeo after the pig roast potluck. We thought attending the grand opening of a cowboy church was something really special, but then we came to La Junta! There was once again an Anderson connection to this. The Anderson's daughter Charlie used to live in La Junta, a couple towns further along the American Discovery Trail from Olney Springs. She worked it out for us to be taken hostage when we came into town. Being taken hostage in La Junta is part of a tradition to foster tourism. At first the La Junta police would note an out-of-state license plate and stop the car and hold the traveler(s) hostage at a local hotel. A city councilman met the travelers at the hotel and took them out to dinner at a local restaurant. The next morning they would attend a local event called Wake Up, La Junta! that started at 6:00 a.m. This monthly event celebrated the good people and goings on of La Junta. The hostages joined in a buffet breakfast and sat at a table of honor near a stage. Police no longer could stop motorists for this tradition; usually they just asked some guests at a hotel if they wished to extend their stay. In our case La Junta was forewarned of our coming by Charlie and, being on foot, we were quite easy to take hostage and quite happy to oblige. Mike Moreno met us at the Holiday Inn Express and took us to the nearby Felisha's for supper. The next morning we sat at the table of honor near the stage where two MCs wearing red flannel pajamas alternated between roasting and honoring all things La Junta. We also were given a goody bag of local products, most notably different types of coffee and sauces.

One of the MCs was Ron, head of the Economic Development Committee in charge of both the Wake Up, La Junta! event and the hostage program. In addition to being a very funny guy he generously extended our stay at the hotel an extra night. Not everyone can say they've been taken hostage and thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

We knew that the plains would bring us into greater contact with people and communities. After all, that was the point of us hiking the American Discovery Trail rather than another wilderness trail that kept us in our beloved mountains. Yet we still were astonished by the increase in contact and friendship that occurred. Here is a quick run down of the incidental contact that occurred from Pueblo to the border. In Pueblo we stopped at a Valero for a restroom break. The manager Glenna treated us to soft drinks. Later that day we did some food shopping where we met Jan, a retired nurse originally from West Virginia. She was an advocate of the downtrodden and a supporter of the OCCUPY movements that were beginning to gain notoriety at this time. She was enthused about what we were doing and tried to donate to our cause. I say tried to donate because I responded by giving her a copy of my book. As we left Pueblo we stopped at a convenience store for a restroom break and sat outside the store eating lunch near our full packs. A teenage girl drove up and bought a couple six-packs of Mountain Dew, which was in keeping with her Goth attire. What departed from her Goth image was when she got out of her car again to give us money, thinking we were homeless. We declined the money, explained our situation and commended her for her kindness. Later that day, during a rest stop near a ranch, a twenty year old named Zach asked us what we were doing. A little while later, after we had resumed hiking, Zach drives up to us to give us directions for a better route. We stayed on our route but thanked him for his kindness. Towards the end of that same day we were taking a short break just outside Avondale as the sun was setting. Tammy was a lonely widow on her way to Pueblo to celebrate her birthday. She turned around her pick-up and instead invited us to come to her trailer in Avondale to celebrate her birthday with

her there that evening. The next day we stopped at a hardware store in Boone. The proprietor Joanie comes to the aid of people needing shelter. Boone is a small town and, like many small towns are feeling the pinch from the consolidation of everything in our country from schools to department stores. She did not know how much longer her little community store could stay in business in the face of big box competition elsewhere. Even if the big box was located in Boone, managers of corporate stores are not as likely to be as communally inclined to barter as proprietors. One extra possibility for needed shelter in Boone will disappear along with the hardware store should that time come. A few miles outside of Boone, Steve stopped his car to talk to us. He was another supporter of the OCCUPY movements and suspected that two people hiking along a road with full packs would be of like mind. He would have bought a copy of my book if I had one on me, but I told him about the talk I was about to give at the Olney Springs Lions Club instead. The day that we left La Junta we were nearing our destination of Las Animas late in the day when truck driver Rob stopped to see if we needed any assistance. We told him we were fine but in truth we had difficulty finding a place to camp as we neared Las Animas. We ended up approaching the proprietor at Bents Fort Inn, where I already had given a luncheon talk to the Las Animas Lions Club during our rest day in La Junta. The proprietor Hye allowed us to camp on the Bents Fort Inn grounds. She was concerned about the cold and actually offered us a place in a heated shed. We declined that offer but took her up on both the supper and breakfast she provided on the house. On our way into Lamar, Jimmy the window repair man from Arkansas stopped to offer us a ride. On our way out of Lamar, Lee the Navajo construction worker did the same. As we neared Holly an elderly couple, Lindsey and Ellen, became the first Kansans to offer us a ride, while we were still in Colorado. All these kind contacts happened in the space of less than two weeks across the Colorado plains, but they don't reveal half the story. There were also the people whose homes we stayed in.

Our first hosts on the plains were Don and Laura Craven of West Pueblo, who were friends of friends of Ky. We sat around the dining table with them each evening as if we were family. We stayed there three nights while slackpacking from Canon City to Pueblo. Laura invited me to speak to her church group that was exploring outreach and service options. This became our first United Methodist Church contact. This led me to drop in on a United Methodist Church in Pueblo as we walked nearby. They invited us to stay for their Wednesday dinner where I announced what we were doing, and we spent the night there as well. The next morning I chatted with Pastor Rick Calhoun who happened to be the ViceDistrict Governor for Lions Clubs in that area as well. He put in a good word for us for Lions Clubs and Methodist churches along our route. We already had made contact with the Olney Springs Lions Club. The club President Patsy Osborn had a Sinclair heritage, while our hosts the Andersons were active Lions as well. The Lions Club went all out hosting a potluck supper as a venue for my talk. The club voted to donate $100 to help us along our way and the grand patriarch of the club, a very successful rancher named Orville, donated $60 more. Attending the potluck were Pat and Henry Cowell from both the La Junta and Cheraw Lions Club. They arranged for us to give a little dinner talk at the Cheraw Club just a few days later, though that happened to be where Ky's minivan was rear-ended and needed repairs while she went back east for her family reunion. In addition to Las Animas this made three presentations I gave to Lions Clubs across the Colorado Plains. I spoke to three Methodist churches as well. Pastor Rick's influence helped to land us another talk at the UMC in Lamar. We arrived on a Saturday and Pastor Ramon put us up in a motel at his own personal expense. We shared a nice spaghetti dinner with members of the congregation on Saturday evening; the following Sunday morning I spoke at their Bible Study.

I could tell I was connecting with them, they were engaged in comments and asking questions. Towards the end a few whispers were passed, along with a basket that collected donations for our cause. This turned out to be another sizable donation. Up until this stretch I grew increasingly worried that we would not be able to afford to keep Ky on for support. We brought along some items for sale, but I had a tendency to give away more than we were selling. At first I thought our financial shortfall would be a relief to her as she did not enjoy the desert very much. Yet once she made it clear she wanted to be in for the long haul I was left wondering how that would happen. The donations we received on the Colorado plains continued for the rest of the journey and my stress level adjusted accordingly. We first met one of the UMC members at the Lamar Visitor Center where she worked. Jean made a call ahead along our route to Pat Palmer for the next place to stay. When we arrived Pat had other guests there as well for dinner; his social direct Shirley, good friends Norm and Kay, and their grandson Ethan. Pat kept both regular and miniature horses on his small ranch and he gave us a tour when we first arrived. Pat, Shirley and Norm attended wheelwright school together; Pat's origins from Pennsylvania Dutch Country led to his interest in this trade. He also was a Santa Fe Trail buff that fueled a hobby with chuck wagons and dutch cookers. You can feel the goodness is some people just by being near them. That was the case with Pat, and his other guests were quick to confirm that about him. Stories were shared about Pat coming to the rescue of others, while Pat did his best to diffuse this by sharing a touching story about Norm. Pat has a small oil company; Norm is a judge. From his line of work Norm knew of someone really down on her luck and he asked Pat to deliver fuel for her while he footed the bill anonymously. Pat had a friend in Holly that joined him in building chuck wagons and competing in dutch cookers competition. He gave Ken and Elaine Anderson a call and our final rest stop in the very long state of Colorado was secured.

In 2007 a tornado severely damaged Holly. The Andersons shared with us about how the community pulled together to recover from the catastrophe. The next day the surrounding farmers came into town with their tractors to start the clean-up. Then groups such as Mennonites and students from Otero College in La Junta trickled in to help with the rebuilding. Grocery stores in Lamar sent food over for groups such as Cowboys on Harley to cook and feed the townsfolk. By the time OSHA came in the bulk of the work had been done.

In what proved to be an amazing stretch for kindness, presentations and meeting people the most informative stop at all was at the Cooperative Care Center in Pueblo. During our stay at the United Methodist Church we were connected to the Executive Director Marci Reynolds-Bain. Marci informed us that the Center now provided food assistance to 25,000 people and the numbers were steadily growing. Just as disturbing as the overall numbers were the new demographics of people needing food assistance. Single Moms always have been prone to needing food assistance; now there are growing numbers of single Dads as well. Sometimes neither Mom nor Dad are taking care of the kids, instead the responsibility has fallen to the grandparents and they have become a second growing demographic. The third expanding demographic needing food assistance was Baby Boomers losing jobs to a younger work force by corporate America. The same reason why they lose their jobs inhibits them from finding new ones as well. Marci elaborated that this demographic is the most reluctant to seek food assistance, because of the stigma that they ought to be making enough to support their family, even though the reality of our economic system prevents this. Marci was quick to point out a theme that would be echoed throughout the journey. The success of the Cooperative Care Center mainly depended on the good people, businesses and organizations of Pueblo and not state or federal government agencies. They gave us one of their food assistance bags, though we asserted we did not really need one. The bag was loaded with great stuff for two people hiking a bunch of miles every day, though I suspect a nutritionist might find fault with some of the

contents. This was not Kevin McGruther's farmers market turned food pantry. Sweets and chips replaced tomatoes and arugula. Of course, Pueblo is many times the size of Crested Butte and the volume that a corporate food supplier can supply trumps the limited produce provided by a farmer. Our visit to the Cooperative Care Center of Pueblo opened our eyes to just how complicated our country's food situation has become. Podcast: Cooperative Care Center of Pueblo Podcast: 4 S Cowboy Church Podcast: La Junta's Sunshine Award Winner Podcast: Pat Palmer Podcast: Holly Tornado