Journal 2: Flags Over the Forest

What if you stood in the Cuchara Valley centuries ago? The air would still smell of pine, but no cabins or roads would break the silence. You’d see Ute hunters on horseback, Spanish explorers pushing north, or maybe hear the distant clink of miners' tools. It all depends on which flag was flying that decade. If the mountains could talk, they’d tell stories no textbook ever could.