Eastern Colorado Plains

If there is anything apparently emptier than the Kansas plains, it would be the high plains of eastern Colorado.

As I was processing some pictures I realized there should be more than I was seeing. A few from the last several trips I’ve made showed up after a search. These pictures I took on the last trip I made to Colorado.

The first two pictures are a result of having been in the area before and seeing where the antelope seem to hang out. I was driving north from Ordway to Punkin Center on Colorado 71 and was approaching an area where I had seen several groups as I took that road south on a previous drive. I decided it might be prudent to have a camera in hand, and I had been shooting earlier so it was on the seat beside me. I had no sooner picked up the camera than I saw a small group of antelope almost next to the highway. Fortunately the highway is usually about as empty as the surrounding area, so being on my own with plenty of visibility I slowed as quickly as I could and rolled down the window. Oddly enough, the critters ran away! But I did get a few decent shots since they slowed down and checked me out.

A small group of antelope playing. This is in the area a few miles south of Punkin Center.

On the return trip to Kansas, I drove to Ordway and then headed east on Highway 96. It bends to the north quite a bit, which takes it out of my way so I just headed off across country on blacktop roads going generally south towards the Arkansas River. This is a continuation of the empty plains, but as you get closer to the river the irrigation allows a lot of agriculture. Still antelope country though.

Antelope in the prairie and a green field of wheat in the background.

There were quite a few antelope spread out having breakfast.

Way more places that look like this than otherwise.