Adventure in the Hills II

This is the southwestern corner of South Park. The road from the hills comes down to the strange little village of Badger Creek which seems to consist of old trailer houses and many defunct vehicles. I'd never gone over the hills into this part of South Park before, so this was new. It was rolling country, somewhat stark and yet beautiful in the afternoon light.

Being there felt like exploring exotic terrain on the other side of the world. Say, the wilds of Mongolia. But it was less than 30 miles from home. The area felt strangely isolated, as though I were in a world that did not include anything else. No Denver, Los Angeles, or New York City. Even nearby Buena Vista., Colorado, didn't seem to exist anymore.

The hills continued, though I'd expected flat country. South Park is generally a high, relatively level basin that's about 9000 feet high, surrounded by mountains. But this corner was a little different. The road out (Park County 53) was about 20 miles long and quite magical in the afternoon sun. My feeling of exploration did not go away.

I finally reached the pavement of Highway 9 about a mile southeast of Harsel. Ah, familiar territory once again. I drove over Trout Creek Pass and down to the car wash in Buena Vista. Then to the Mexican restaurant. I noted the contrast of these in comparison to what had just seemed so strange and wild.