Fruita, Colorado

As we hit the road headed for Fruita we encountered a road striping crew.  Their signs indicated they were painting the white "Fog Line" on the right.  As we approached, the paint truck pulled over and we passed on the left.  Upon arriving at the RV park we found yellow paint all over the Motorhome and Jeep.

The road over Douglas Pass felt narrower than two lanes.

Have you heard about Fruita’s “headless chicken”?  

Mike is a chicken who lived for 18 months without a head after escaping the fate of becoming dinner.  It all started with the Olsen family, who were farmers living in Fruita, Colorado in September of 1945.  During the 40’s many farmers supplemented their rations with selling eggs, milk, chicken, and preserving food.  The Olsens were no different and were preparing a batch of 40-50 chickens for market.  Lloyd would cut heads and Clara would pluck and clean the chickens.  It is not uncommon for a chicken to flop or stagger for a few minutes after beheading, but one young rooster was still alive after processing of chickens was done for the day.  When Lloyd realized that one of the chickens was still alive the next morning, he decided to see if he could keep it alive.  Before long, word spread around the neighborhood and local folks were coming by to see the headless chicken at the Olsen farm.  

A promoter heard about the famous chicken and came by to see it.  He convinced the 

Olsens to take the chicken over to the University of Utah in Salt Lake to see if scientists could document that there truly was a “headless chicken” living in Fruita, Colorado.  Scientists determined that part of one ear, the jugular vein, and the base of the brain that controls motor functions were left intact allowing Mike to continue to live on.  Local papers in Salt Lake were spreading the news that a chicken was alive without a head and in their town for a visit.  Folks wanted to see the famous fowl and a small side show was set up in Salt Lake.  Before long, Life magazine came out to Salt Lake to take photos that would be featured in the magazine in October 22, 1945. Only a month and a half after Mike’s beheading, he was featured in one of the country’s most prominent magazines! 

Mike’s next stop was a sideshow attraction on the boardwalk in Long Beach, California.  The boardwalk was a popular attraction with wartime troops and Mike was well received.  As Lloyd Olsen put it “When the big ships would come in those sailors would flock to see Mike.”.  A ticket to see Mike at the sideshow was $0.25 and there are estimates that at his peak, Mike was drawing in up to 600 people a day.  In his life, Mike not only graced the sideshow of Long Beach but also went to Phoenix, Arizona and the Southeast USA.  

Mike continued to grow as a normal chicken would and spent time on the farm with the rest of the flock.  Mike would come back to the Fruita farm between attractions for periods of up to a month or two.  The story of Mike brought many letters to the small town of Fruita, Colorado.  The Olsens and the mayor of Fruita often had full mailboxes with the varied opinions of citizens interested in Mike.  The country was fascinated with Mike and he continued to impress audiences via magazine, newspaper, and at side shows until his untimely demise.

Setting out to hike Rattlesnake Canyon. We had wanted to do this hike last year when we were here, but the weather didn't cooperate.

Along this trail you see seven arches

 

Cedar Tree Arch

This is where we were supposed to turn around and hike back.  Someone got the big idea we should climb up into the arch for a short cut back to the Jeep.

Well, it was pretty steep.

It was pretty slow going.  We probably could have walked back around in the time it took us to climb the rock face.

Celebrating our victory!

Dinner at The Feisty Pint

This was the best dish we have had in a restaurant for quite sometime

Last Farmers Market for the season

Rangely, Colorado

General George Crook was a career United States Army officer noted for his distinguished service during the Civil War and Indian Wars.  According to local historian, this panel was created by a Ute scout who had worked for General Crook.  Crook was known to have hired Ute and Shoshone scouts during this time.  Legend links the panel to a traditional Ute story of two young men who were able to sneak into Crook's Wyoming camp and steal a number of horses, including one bearing Crook's brand.

Now riddled with bullet marks, this is a Pacomio Chacon original.  Chacon was a Hispanic sheepherder who created a series of pin-up style petroglyphs in the mid 1970's in this area and whose aspen carvings can be found throughout Colorado.

"We are here because we aint in hell but we are on our way"  

reads this panel believed to be etched sometime in the 1800's by a passing cowboy.

The Carrot Men

Notice three figures on the far right which have been lost due to thousands of years of the elements.

These pictographs are painted in a blue pigment, possibly azurite, that is extremely rare in this area.

Where the colors are believed to come from

Easter Sunrise Services have been held at this site since 1950

Historic Chew Ranch

In 1910, Jack Chew was searching for a good home for both his family and his cattle.  He found it here, in the area known as Pool Creek.

Pool Creek Petroglyphs

These petroglyphs feature dot-pattern designs and are high above the creek along the rock face.

Steamboat Rock

Echo Park is located in the heart of Dinosaur's canyon country. Here, the Yampa River flows into the Green River, which winds around the massive feature known as Steamboat Rock. The meeting of the two rivers along with nearby geologic faults created some of the monument's most dramatic scenery.

Cryptobiotic Soil Crusts

These crusts are composed primarily of very small organisms that cannot be seen with the naked eye. Well-developed cryptobiotic soil crust is often much darker than the soil it is on top of, and has a sponge-like look, with bumps and small pinnacles.

Canyon Pintado (Spanish for "Painted Canyon") received its name in 1776 when Fathers Dominguez and Escalante noted numerous examples of ancient Native American rock art as they traveled through the Douglas Creek Valley. 

Look Out Point

This name may not accurately describe the activity that took place here over a thousand years ago.

It took a fair amount of physical labor to carefully align and drill a number of holes in the solid rock here on this elevated point.  Why did they do it?  The Fremont people who built this site appear to have designed a very effective calendar here.  For people who were trying to grow crops such as corn, beans or squash, having an idea of the frost free seasons might be important.  Also, in some cultures the religious cycle is intimately linked to the seasons or the annual lunar cycle.