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GC27DA8
THIS is Colorado! Sante Fe TrailType: Traditional | Size: Small 
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| Terrain:  By: Grizzly Mills @ | Hide Date: 04/24/2010 | Status: Available Country: United States | State: Colorado Coordinates: N37° 49.475 W103° 46.470 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0 
 THIS is Colorado Cache Series interesting places in this beautiful state of ours, as well as some classic Colorado destinations. If you know of a unique Colorado location, please email me and I will do my best to get it listed in the series.  The Sante Fe Trail The history of the Santa Fe Trail reads like a saga of the old west. Native Americans once roamed this land in pursuit of the plentiful wildlife. Trappers of French and American descent took beaver from the many streams in the area. Pioneers like Buffalo Bill Cody and Jedediah Smith traveled extensively throughout the Trail finding adventure at every turn. See the wagon ruts, those beautiful ruts, throughout the byway from bygone trappers, traders and settlers. Trace the route of the historic Santa Fe Trail as you comb the region for arrowheads and prairie wildflowers. "The Commerce of the Prairies" developed from a trickle of traders with pack mules to dozens upon dozens of wagon trains, hundreds of prairie schooners, laden with trade goods pulled by groaning oxen, in an ever increasing stream between Missouri and Santa Fe. It started in a small way - a few caravans of mules from Santa Fe, heavily laden with hides and tallow. In the very year of the Adams-Onis Treaty and the Independence of Mexico, 1821, Missouri Indian trader William Becknell heard that Santa Fe was open to trade from the U.S. He hurried West to be the first to reach that fabled (and trade-hungry) Royal City. After realizing a neat little 5000% profit, he hastened back to Missouri so he could be the first out the following Spring. He wasn't. At least one and possibly two wagon trains of trade goods set out before him. But the race was on. While it is true that much -- probably a majority -- of the traffic over the Santa Fe Trail went via the so-called Cimarron Cutoff through what is now the panhandle of Oklahoma and across the northeast New Mexico plains, the Mountain Branch of the trail along the Arkansas, across the plains of Colorado, to the Purgatoire, and over Raton Pass, remained the favorite of many of the traders. It offered more reliable water supplies, had better forage for livestock, and was generally more secure from Indian raiders. The Centaurs of the Plains, the Comanche, learned what rich rewards could be had by plundering the travelers along the Cimarron Cut off. Much more of the Santa Fe Trail traffic came this way after 1866 when "Uncle Dick" Wootton opened his famous Raton Pass Toll Road, a much improved trail. That meant the Raton Mountains could be crossed in only two or three days, with maybe not more than two or three broken axles. **Note** Be watchful of prairie rattler's as this area is known for them. This area also gets very hot during the summer months so be sure to bring water and sign the trail logbook. Enjoy the short walk to the cache area and enjoy all of the informative trail markers along the trail. Cache is small, roughly 3"x2"x3", room for small trading items. Please hide cache exactly if not better than you found it.
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trail marker base
GC3HKTA Matthew Kinkead (90.49 kms NW) GC3HKT4 Teresita Suaso (90.69 kms NW) GC3HKRP Jacob Fowler (91.13 kms NW) GC3HKRG Zebulon Pike (91.60 kms NW) GC3HVX5 Where are the Bees? (102.96 kms E) |
Driving Directions
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