Welcome to Colorado

My first trip to the West, my first visit to Colorado, my first look at the Rocky Mountians…all on the same road trip in July of 1977. And if I’ve seen these photos before, it was probably more than 40 years ago; I discovered them more recently during last year’s project to sort and scan our old family slides. This particular batch contained plenty of pictures showcasing the mountain scenery, as well as several shots of me as a surly 14-year-old.

This trip was all about camping and riding our dirt bikes on trails near and along the Continental Divide. There were multiple father and son pairings, and multiple vehicles pulling the bikes on trailers. We were held up for day in Goodland, Kansas when the drive shaft fell off of our van on I-70; I recall spending several hours in Goodland’s High Plains Museum while the repairs were in progress.

By the way, my father’s Stetson hat, which you’ve seen in many of my photos over the years, was purchased on this trip at a hat shop in Vail. I remember being impressed by the signed picture of President Gerald Ford that was hanging on their wall.

Kodak Kodachrome 35mm film