16. Eagle to Collbran, Colorado to Wendover, Utah
It was a depressing prospect to think about leaving the spectacular canyons and tunnels along the Colorado River headed for the desert part of Utah. We decided to make one last stop in Colorado to see where Barbara's dad, Ged, had his first teaching job and where her brother, Bill, was born: Collbran, Colorado. We wanted to take pictures of the school and the town and to get a feel for the countryside.
Collbran is almost at the end of the road on Highway 330. Set in a colorful canyon, you can see Horse Mountain (9,289 ft.) in the distance. Because of a harsh winter there and the prospect of a better job, Ged, Ruth, and Bill moved to Alamosa, Colorado after one year teaching there. I found a picture of a snowbound cabin that matched some of the freezing weather stories. We stopped at the local school district office where the superintendent informed us that the old school had been torn down. We took pictures of the high school class of '42 that Ged may have taught. The superintendent shared how he also drove the school bus in addition to his other duties just as Ged had done years ago. As we pulled out of town, we took pictures of the remodeled hospital where Bill may have been born.
From Collbran we followed the Colorado River on I-70 to Green River where we headed northwest on Highway 6 towards the late afternoon traffic of Provo and Salt Lake City. The mountains gave way to colorful desert canyons and wide open vistas of tall mesas and occasional river valleys. Leaving views of the mountains framing Provo and Salt Lake City behind us, we headed due west on I-80 past the Great Salt Lake and through the salt flats towards the Nevada border. By nightfall we had reached Wendover, Utah, near the Nevada border.
Next: Day 17: Wendover to Sacramento, California
Back to: North Carolina and Back