by Casey Case

Created on: July 03, 2007   Last Updated: November 24, 2009

Spending Time in Purgatoire

It is fair to say that when most people think of Colorado, they envision the snow-capped peaks in the Rocky Mountains. Without a doubt, they are Colorado's most outstanding feature. Dozens of "fourteeners" stand watch over hundreds of "thirteeners" and smaller peaks, some of which are encrusted with a mantle of snow most of the year. This is the image that Colorado evokes. But Colorado offers much more than that; the often overlooked plains in the eastern half of the state have wonders all their own. One such wonder is the Purgatoire River Valley in Southeastern Colorado.

The Purgatoire River gets its name from the Spanish who were still exploring the area in the late 1500s searching for Coronado's fabled lost city of gold. We don't know how many people were in the expedition, but we do know that they began to fight amongst themselves whereupon their leader was killed. The clergy and perhaps others in the group fled to Santa Fe. The remaining few were attacked and killed in their sleep by Indians who set fire to the grasses around them. Thus the Spanish named the river, El Rio de Las Animas Perdidas en Purgatorio, or the "River of Lost Souls in Purgatory." French trappers later shortened the name to Purgatoire. It is currently referred to as the Picket Wire Canyon, a corrupted modern version of the French name. With so many names, it's no surprise that even Coloradoans have a hard time finding it. But in spite of its remoteness, the canyon has embraced the cycle of life for 150 million years.

The canyon lands are located in Southeastern Colorado approximately thirty-five miles south of LaJunta, Colorado and are open year-round. The area around LaJunta is a broad, flat high plain covered in farms and ranches. The town of LaJunta struggles along in the 21st century having lost the revenues of the once booming Santa Fe Railroad operation. It remains dependant on agriculture which has been suffering from one of the worst droughts in years. Far from the mountains, LaJunta does not enjoy many tourist dollars.
My friend, Donald, and I are both native to Southern Colorado; yet, we have never explored this area of the state before. Packed with current maps, hydro packs, food bars, and mountain bikes, we headed east out of Pueblo with our gear bouncing along in my old Ford pickup. Our friends and relatives had their reservations about the whole odyssey as neither one of us is in the best of shape. Donald is a "portly" gentleman in his mid-forties

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