A Ten Mile, 106 Year Ride

[sfarson]

A ride I never placed here.

Maybe it's more years on life's odometer. Maybe a look back helps me face forward. Maybe it's just kinda nice taking ride down alongside a scenic, lonely, and wild river, one a train used to take visitors to over 100 years ago.

Perhaps old images can be found, and we stand near where the photographer stood. Explore some. Find the spot. Frame the image. Examine change. Be whimsical then live with gusto.

A ten mile, 106 year ride report. Images loading below, showing then and now.

A brief 2:30sec ride video here: The 106 Year Ride -Streaming Video with a two minute Doobie Brothers instrumental "Flying Cloud" accompanying. But the images below are the tale.

Once made a video (Mary Chapin Carpenter - "10,000 miles") coming the other way...
Along a River - Streaming Video

Map of the journey, SW of Denver...


First stop is at the town Pine, historical name is Pine Grove. In 1900 it was a popular narrow gauge train stop with travelers from Denver enjoying a day or days in the mountains...


And today. More trees is one change. Local residents not cutting them down to build structures... and heat them...


Continuing to the small town of Buffalo Creek, a nice road to get there...


And turning around, the old train bridge crossing the river. Can see the grade...


First of two old 1900 images of Buffalo Creek...


And today (Interesting cloud)...

[sfarson]

This is where we will be heading towards, the rocks and river in the distance...


The same structures remaining today, including a Catholic church, the old Buffalo Creek train depot, and a home...


Had to do a little 700lb dirt biking to get to the place above...


OK, this is where the onboard video above starts, at the old Buffalo Creek train depot. Used to be a town around this place, but a fire in one structure quickly spread to all the other tightly packed structures and the town literally went up in smoke. With wood heat in the winter, wood structures, adjoining walls... this is how many small towns met their fate. Wonder how many business and home owners felt like reaching for the Colt 45 when their neighbor let loose a fire...


First stop in the river canyon is the resort cabin community of Ferndale. A half dozen cabins for rent in the trees on the hillside on the right. This is before cars. Yesterday it was the train...


Today it is this horse...


One would have to cross the walk/swinging bridge to get across the river in 1900...


Same is true today, but the bridge you see here was rebuilt ten years ago when a flash flood blasted the previous one away...

[sfarson]

Let's turn back the clock and visit the cabins and people of 1900...






Gather your friends and family for a picture...


In front of one of the cabins...


And today. Difficult to see, but this is where the photographer stood 106 years ago. Same cabin...


Leaving Ferndale in 1900...


Leaving Ferndale in 2006...

[sfarson]

Continuing down the river canyon on the old train tracks bed, with the Cathedral Spires the backdrop...


Today...


Then...


Now...


Pausing for a glamour shot. The rushing water here is the location at beginning of the ride video above...


Got to love the name of this rock coined back in 1900... Peterhead Rock. Admired then...


Some things never change...


Approaching the conclusion of this ten mile, 106 year old ride. The town of Foxton on the river in 1900...


Today...


Handwritten on the back of the image here..."In Platte Canon below Foxton, Sept. 1, 1901. Coupling broke between engine and tender and locomotive ran ahead of train. Tender jumped track and whole train derailed."

[sfarson]

OK, could only find a 1971 image of what was at the time, the Foxton Post Office...


Not much of a going concern today, but the electrical wire looks unchanged in 35 years!


Unlike anything else, collecting memories on the two wheels.

[scol]

Wow nice trip and pics were did you get the history off the cards?

[sfarson]

scol... Where did I get the history off the cards? Not sure I follow but was able to find the images at the library.

[ironhead bobber]

nice report, I would love to own that old post office and fix'er back up.
I love old B&W pics.

[DiamondLil]

Steve, a post like this to start the morning is breakfast for the soul. Thank you so very much!

[TAS]

That was very nice! Thanks for sharing this trip. It's amazing to see the "then and now" shots. I've got to get to Co. and do some riding!