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74 E McNey Hill to Red Feather Lakes

 The Mummies from the top of McNey Hill

At this point we have moved from the Lone Pine drainage, which flows into the North Poudre , to the Gordon Creek drainage, which flows directly into the Main Poudre.  The land here is clearly different from Livermore Park .  Gordon Creek does not supply nearly as much water as flows through the Livermore Park .  There are meadows, such as in this photo, but their size is clearly smaller.  Thus, a rancher would need more total acres to be profitable, Wexielman says 40 – 50 acres per unit (a unit is a cow and her calf).  Note also there are considerably more trees.  

At the top of McNey Hill is Dear Meadows Road (top of section 20 in the map below) which leads south down to Gordon Creek, with a branch that leads east to the subdivision of Hewlett Gulch, the location of the former Lower Swan Ranch.  The map also shows the early branch of the road which went to Antelope Springs through the School Section (16, blue colored).  Just after McNey Hill 74E reaches its most southern extent and begins trending more northerly.

Map of Gordon Creek Area

Gordon Creek is named after John and Cyrus Gordon who homesteaded in1863.  John had been a mail carrier for several years before building his house (Evans,  p 181).  The North Gordon Creek begins at Haystack Butte (photo later in the tour) upper left corner of the map, section 10, the former Drake Ranch, while South Gordon Creek begins in section 23, the Holley Ranch.  They join in section 24 to the right of Mount Moriah , flow easterly and out the southern end of section 20 down to the Poudre.  

Adams Cemetery

Mile 11, on the left (section 20), is the one-acre Adams Cemetery which was in active use from 1880 to 1926 (46 years).  The first to be buried there was William Sloan who had just brought his family from Kansas to Red Feather Lakes area (then called Westlake ); he was killed by a tree he was cutting to make a log cabin. The family of Lafi and Juliana “Jo” Sloan Miller have seven pioneer relatives among the twenty or so who are buried there and have organized efforts to keep the land properly maintained.  A sign dated 1986 hangs on the entrance denoting a restoration project by the Cache la Poudre Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  The land is private and thus not available to the public.  Some of the previous land owners are E. Ashbury Riddle Ranch,  Sam Sloan Ranch, and Clarence Currie (LOX) Ranch.  For a time the land was part of the Glacier View Meadows subdivision and Don Wexielman, as the developer, gave the special permission in 1966 for the Sargisson burials father John, mother Ann, and daughter Minnie Sargisson Nelson after the 40-year lapse in use of the cemetery. 

This land in the Gordon Creek drainage is the beginning of holdings that became the Currie Ranch, which Don Wexielman began in the 1970s to turn into several subdivisions: Hewlett Gulch, Glacier View Meadows, Green Mountain Meadows, North Rim all in this vicinity, and  Crystal Lakes , which is past Red Feather Lakes .  At its completion the Currie Ranch was 17,000 acres owned in fee along with leases to 75,000 acres of National Forest grazing land.  The ranch was begun by John Currie in 1906 and completed by his son Clarence and sold in 1967 to developers.   According to Don Wexielman: “Gordon Creek was a productive area for ranching.” Homesteaders from bottom of drainage on up: John Gordon, Isaac and John Riddle, Swan (Herbert and Wesley), John Sloan, Solomon Batterson (later owned by John McNey and then his son), Ray Stouffer.”   The map below, showing the Currie acquisitions in this area, was based on information in Wexielman’s memoirs.   For more detailed information, see Making of the Currie Ranch and Subsequent Residential Subdivisions.  

Currie Ranch Holdings in Gordon Creek Area

 Orientation to the map

• Currie’s LOX ranch house is located in the middle- western end of section 19, 74E, where Red Feather Lakes Road is furthest south.

• The blue lines are Gordon Creek on the right and Elkhorn Creek on the left. 

• The black line is Red Feather Lakes Road.

• Glacier View Meadows land is located in sections in T9NR72W: 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 25, 25, 26, and 36 and are shown as larger font. Total acreage of these sections is 5,760, of which 3,000 are part of GVM.

• Green Mountain Meadows land is along Gordon Creek in 9-72 sections 13, 11 and a tiny bit of 12.

 Go to Currie Ranch & Subdivisions for more information of how the Curries, John and Clarence, built their ranch, and how Don Wexielman created the subdivisions.

Glacier View Meadows

Mile 12 south side of road is Gate 1, the beginning of Glacier View Meadows (GVM) which continues up Red Feather Lakes Road for another 5 miles to the boundary with the North Rim subdivision (on the left).  The GVM subdivision is on the left side of the road for a 5-mile stretch, with Green Mountain Meadows and the Drake Ranch subdivision on the right, with one exception.  A small portion of GVM is on the right, Filing 5 (19 lots), which starts at Gate 2 and ends at Gate 5,  From Gate 1 Eiger Road leads to Filing 12 which provides access to National Forest land.   Although this is the beginning of Glacier View Meadows, Eiger Road is a county road, which GVM is nevertheless required to maintain, and the properties along this road are not part of GVM until Filing 12!

Several structures from the Currie Ranch are visible from the road, his former ranch headquarters, known as the LOX house (now a private residence). and various ranch structures (now part of Western Ridge).  It is called the LOX house because of the LOX brand on the chimney, which was Currie’s brand. 

LOX House

The house was first the headquarters of the Currie Ranch. In 1971 it became the sales office for the Glacier View Meadows subdivision.  It was sold at auction in 1986 to Bill and Maggie Snyder, which included Currie Lake (visible in front of the house, fed by Gordon Creek) and 50 acres,

Clarence Curry built the house in 1951 after the homestead house (south and west of the lake; was it the Asbury/Sloan homestead?) was mostly destroyed in a fire. This side of the house is the outside of the trophy room which held Clarence Currie’s many trophies, including a large stuffed bear.  He was a big-game hunter and traveled the world to acquire his trophies.

The Currie Ranch began in 1906 when his father John passed through the Sloan Ranch on route to a fishing trip on the Poudre, at Dutch George Flats. He told Sam Sloan he would buy the ranch if Sloan would make additional acquisitions to make it a productive unit.  So Sloan purchased the properties of Isaac and John Riddle, Hector Cowan (properties along Gordon Creek ), and the Dutch George property on the Poudre.  For more information see Making of the Currie Ranch and Subsequent Residential Subdivisions.

The property became part of Glacier View Meadows in 1971 when Wexielman began developing the Currie Ranch into a number of subdivisions including, Hewlett Gulch, Green Mountain Meadows, North Rim, Mount Simon, Howling Coyote  and Crystal Lakes (west of Red Feather Lakes).  Don and Lucille Schmitt and family moved into the LOX house, Lucille as sales agent and Don leasing land for a cattle operation, where they lived until moving into their own home in GVM in 1978.  The lower level was largely unfinished and a portion was a “bomb shelter”  (for those old enough to remember such times).  GVM Development Company made modifications to serve as offices for the Property Owners Association.  The Snyder’s in turn made quite a few changes and modernization to convert it back to a residence.

Western Ridge Restaurant

The restaurant was known as Cotton Wood Hollow until Cheryl and Justin Franz purchased it and renamed it Western Ridge.  They provide the following services: restaurant, convenience store, sleeping cabins, heated pool, RV hook ups, trail rides, horse hotel, riding lessons, and boarding stable.  More information can be found at http://www.coloradovacation.com/camp/hollow/.

Before becoming a restaurant, the barns and corrals were the base for Pine Ridge Stables, owned and operated by Don Schmitt family, according.  The restaurant structure began life as a feed, livestock and machinery shelter.  In 1977 the building was converted into a combination sales office and restaurant.  Later sales was moved out and returned to the LOX house and the building was a full-time restaurant.  Bill and Maggie Snyder’s daughter, Terry Fitzpatrick owned and operated the restaurant for some years followed by Cindy and Landis Clark, who named it Cottonwood Hollow.

The above information comes from Lucille Schmitt who gave the members of the Red Feather Historical Society a guided a tour of Glacier View Meadows historic sites Ayers Homestead, Morrison Homestead, Bush Homestead, The LOX House, Sloan/Riddle Homestead, Cottonwood Hollow, and the Batterson Barn and Homestead  She gave each member pamphlet – Red Feather Historical Society Tour, July 21, 2004 – which provided information and pictures for the sites.   For those three sites not visible from the road, information about them is presented here.  Locations of the sites is presented for those who live in Glacier View Meadows.

Morrison Homestead

Ike Morrison homesteaded on land on Manhead Mountain Drive ( Lot 48, Filing 8), receiving his patent in the 1870s.  He was known as Butcher Knife Ike” because he carried a very long knife at all times.  Reportedly he had 6 children who enjoyed the companionship of the Bush children.  This is a small cabin, as Lucille points out, imagine two adults and 6 kids living in it.

 Ayres Homestead

In 1908 the Theodore Ayers family, with 4 boys and 2 girls, settled on land which is now Iron Mountain Road , Lot 25, Filing 2.  Water for the cabin came from a spring, piped directly into the house, which kept food cold as well as meeting drinking and washing needs.  One son homesteaded near the Boy Scout Ranch, a daughter married and lived at the present site of Halligan Reservoir.  The cabin was long neglected when Keith and Thelma Jackson acquired it, restoring it to a livable condition.  The Biglers subsequently made a large addition which matched the original cabin quite well.  Two of the children, Rose and Mary, were in the first class at Log Cabin School (the structure is still there to be seen later on this tour).

Bush Homestead

In 1912-13 Bert and Alta Bush homesteaded on LaPlata, Lot 17, Filing 4.  His father, J.J. Bush homesteaded at Antelope Springs-Adams Place in 1882.  Lucille reports an interview she had with Max Bush; some excerpts follow. 

• While preparing their homestead they lived at the Batterson Place in 1910 during which time there was a big Christmas snow, “fence posts were all covered.”

• Moving up to their property took two days; the first night was spent at Ingleside and the second at Livermore . 

• The floors were lumber from the Lady Moon Ranch. 

• Their homestead was 320 acres, which they doubled by purchase of Mrs. Crellin and son’s land, which they called their summer place.  It had a very good spring north and west of the Crellin homestead house. [The spring is the source of the water for Crellin Lake , which in 2009 is low.]

• They raised milk cows, chickens, and grew potatoes, selling to Zimmerman’s Keystone Hotel (butter) on the Poudre, and Fort Collins (cream).

• (Zimmerman) “Stage stopped on the road.”

• Land was sold to Currie in 1948.

Past Gate 1, on the left side of the road is another Wexielman property, recently sold (2008), called Saddle Creek Ranch which is where the South and North branches of Gordon Creek join.  The South branch, according to Howard Ensign Evans and Mary Alice Evans, Cache La Poudre, The Natural History of a Rocky Mountain River , begins “near a great mass of granite, a globular monolith called Manhead Mountain ” (p. 177).  It runs through the land owned by Winfield Holley  a retired professor of Horticulture from Colorado State University .  The branches come together in a swale thick with willows.  They then flow into Riddle Lake , then Currie Lake , down Hewlett Gulch to the Poudre.  Reportedly Currie tried unsuccessful to acquire this land, as one more source of water for his cattle.  The Holly Ranch is thus not part of GVM.

GVM Gates 2 & 3, Mount Moriah Road

Mile 12.5. Mount Moriah is the taller of two peaks on the left side of the road.  Mount Moriah Road to the left goes to the Holley Ranch and GVM Filing 8.  On the right side of the road is Batterson Barn and Homestead.

Batterson Barn and Homestead

The historic Batterson barn is a well recognized land mark in the area (above photo taken 2007). It was completed in 1890 (almost 120 years old) and is shown on page 134 of This Old Barn (Country Books, 1996, Reiman Publications L.P. WI).  

Solomon and Mary Batterson homesteaded the land in 1870, the second family in the area, preceded by Cyrus and John Gordon, 1863, after whom Gordon Creek is named.  Gordon Creek runs through the property on the east side, and does not flow into the pond.  The Battersons were part of the westward migration to California , but decided not to continue on, and like others who homesteaded in this area, they first stopped in Greeley .  

In the early days, the Zimmerman Stage Road carried freight and passengers from La Porte to the mining community of Manhattan , and places west  The road ran through the Batterson property, which was a swing stop, meaning it was a place where the stage would make a brief stop to change horses and let passengers get out and stretch.  Also, the Battersons produced milk and cheese, which the stage would take to Fort Collins on its return trip.

The picture below, taken in 2008, show the old stage road passing the barn,  The picture also shows the old lilac bush planted by the Battersons (over 130 years old).  Red Feather Lakes Road is behind the willows in the middle ground.  It wasn’t until the 1970s that the road was rerouted to its present location.

Initially, Solomon and Billy hunted and sold elk, mountain sheep and venison by the wagon load for 9 cents a pound in Cheyenne , Fort Collins , Greeley , and Denver . Billy also caught and sold trout to parties in Greeley for 5 cents each.  Gradually over the years they became a dairy and expanded their homestead to 800 acres of deeded land and allowed their cattle to roam the nearby meadows and hills.  Fences were used to keep the cattle out of the meadows which they kept for the purpose of cutting hay and storing in the barn for the winter.  Reportedly the Battersons had 5 miles of fence. 

By 1878 the Battersons had 32 milking cows from which they made and sold 3,400 pounds of butter.  In the same year tragedy struck the family just before Christmas, when daughter Azubah Ella died suddenly at age 10.  Her grave is across the road, shown later in the tour.

In 1903, after 33 years on the ranch, Solomon (age 73) and Mary (age 70) sold the cattle, leased the ranch to their daughter Alomina and her husband William Tibbits for five years, and moved to Fort Collins. The they had acquired was not large compared to other ranches, yet according to reports in the Fort Collins paper “they had amassed a comfortable fortune in the cattle business.” The Tibbits lived there until moving to their own ranch at the bottom of McNey Hill (Mile 9, south side).  Their son Billy developed his own homestead and ranch in the Elkhorn area in the 1880s.

The homestead burned in 1918 from a Kitchen fire when the property was owned by the McNeys.  The rock remains are shown in the picture below.

No one lived on the Batterson Ranch for 80 years--from 1918 until 1998.  During that 80 year period various persons purchased or leased the land for ranching purposes.

Azuba Batterson’ Grave

The grave can be seen from the road.  When Linda Adams gives tours of the barn and homestead, she includes crossing the road and visiting Azuba’s grave.  The school children are typically very much taken by this experience and for many it is featured in the thank you letters to Linda which the teachers have them write.

Al Johnson’s Cattle Climbing Batterson Hill

Al Johnson is the only rancher at this point who still moves his cattle up the road to summer pasture on National Forest land, along Boy Scout Road for Al.  The others quit because they didn’t like fighting the traffic.  It takes patience to slowly pass the herd, who generally seem unperturbed.   

Unfortunately many drivers lack the patience these days. While the speed limit is 45 miles an hour, very few comply, most exceeding 55 mph.  Since the Adams moved here in August 2003 there have been five accidents, including one fatality.  Most occur on the west side of the road because the excessive speed prevents making the turn.  The fatality driver was going 75 mph and had been drinking – there were no brake marks.  Judd became a first responder before he even joined the Volunteer Fire Department because he would just run across the pasture and be the first on the scene where he would try to control traffic until the EMTs arrived.  These comments are brought to you as a public service – Judd doesn’t like to meet people this way.

Stouffer Ranch

At the Top of Batterson Hill, on the right

Green Mountain Meadows

Less than a mile past Stouffer Ranch is one of two entrances into Green Mountain Meadows, opposite GVM Gate 6

Next on the left at GVM Gate 8 is the entrance to the fire department and the GVM POA.

Glacier View Volunteer Fire Department

Glacier View Meadows Homeowners Association Office

Glacier View Meadows came into existence in 1971 when the Glacier View Meadows Development Company and limited partnership bought 6,000 acres of the former Currie Ranch. The purpose of the development was to have a mountain community suitable for year-round living and recreation. 

The land varies in elevation from about 7,000 feet to 8,000 feet. There are many hills and valleys with Ponderosa pines, Douglas firs, Junipers, and Aspen . The Roosevelt National Forest borders Glacier View Meadows and there are many views of the Mummy Range with the Elkhorn Valley below.  Some houses overlook the Poudre.  The variety of wildlife includes rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, rocky raccoons, fox, coyote, deer, elk, black bears, mountain lions, occasionally moose, and many types of birds including red tailed hawk, heron, Canada geese, mallards,  merganser, goldfinch, Black capped chickadee, and towhee (see website for a list of 37 mammals and139 varieties of birds).

Moose on the Batterson Property, January 2007

Glacier View Meadows was originally divided into approximately 1042 lots in twelve filings ranging in size from one to ten acres.  Since then, though lot consolidation, there are approximately 950 lots, about ½ are developed, and of those, about ½ are full time residences and the others are for weekend and summer use.  It is relatively close, 35 miles, to Fort Collins so a number of residents work there and some travel as far as Longmont . 

The subdivision has three private pond-lakes: Batterson, Crellin, and Riddle, which are seasonally stocked with trout for the enjoyment of the property owners and their guests.  Approximately thirty-five greenbelts are scattered through out with a network of trails that provides about 5 miles for hiking including a self-guided nature trail.  Other recreational opportunities, principally for children are at the Association Office: a field for soccer and baseball, volleyball, and swings for the younger children.  Some of the properties are approved for horses, and with the surrounding National Forest, there are endless miles of riding trails.

Glacier View Meadows is managed by the Road and Recreation Association and the Water and Sewer Association.  Among the committees important to the quality of life in the community is the Ecology Committee, which was established in 1997 with the mandate “to provide information to the Road and Recreation Board and to the Glacier View property owners regarding any ecological issue, positive or negative, that affects the well being of the Glacier View Community.”  In 2006 the Committee received an Environmental Stewardship Award “for their educational efforts related to sustaining the long-term well being of the natural habitat” (same press release announcing the Environmental Stewardship Award to the Roberts Ranch).  The Committee created and maintains a Demonstration Garden consisting of xeric (low water) plants which grow at this altitude.  The Committee has teams managing noxious weeds on the greenbelts and the trails.  They wrote a Weed Management Manual for Small Acreage, and provide consultations with landowners on managing their weeds.  See Ecology Committee History for more information.

See the GVM website http://glacierviewmeadows.com/  for more information.

 Haystack Butte

Slightly past the entrance to Green Mountain Meadows is Haystack Butte the origin of the North Branch of Gordon Creek,  a visible landmark from the road, and identified on the map.  Willows are visible in middle ground identifying the course of the creek, obscuring its view.  

North Rim Road Entrance

 The North Rim subdivision is immediately west of Glacier View Meadows.  This road once was had a sign saying Gate 13 (and still says such on the GVM maps) because there are several lots here that are part of GVM.  The North Rim land was once part of the Currie Ranch.  At the far southern end of the subdivision are lots overlooking the Poudre with very dramatic views.  The Elkhorn Creek runs through the subdivision before it descends dramatically south into the Poudre.  The first Elkhorn House was built in this area circa 1974 by Reed, Palmer and Company (funded by Greeley bankers according to one source).  Despite the misleading name – house – it actually was a destination hotel (see 68C Boy Scout Road tour for more).  

Red Feather Highlands Subdivision

This subdivision on the right side of the road has some lots with very spectacular views of the Mummy Range .  The South branch of the Lone Pine cuts across its north side.

Log Cabin Hotel

17 Miles, right side of road is an old structure which was once a school house, part of the Log Cabin Hotel complex.

Slightly further up the road, on the right, are foundations from another structure.

 On the left is this plaque from the Daughters of the American Revolution honoring the Log Cabin Hotel.

•   1888 Mrs. Elizabeth St. Claire homesteaded at junction of present day 74E and 68C, proving up her claim by purchasing and moving a “large log dwelling” from the Ashley Grange.

• In 1896 “the county moved the road along the Elkhorn Creek and effectively separated the Elkhorn House (1) from the main route of travel, Mrs. St. Clair renamed her place the Log Cabin Hotel, and with Vern and Roy Williams, two sons from a previous marriage, she ran a stage stop, store and inn” (82).  [1896 conflicts with 1889 road change Elkhorn 1].

• 1886 Stewart C. Case settled at Black Mountain , taught at Westlake , Black Mountain and Adams schools.

• 1910, Steward buys Log Cabin Hotel.

• 1919 Willis Millers obtain property via App Worster; build two story addition to back, added small rental cabins, converted garage into dance hall.

• 1928 sold to Rosetta L. Van Sickle

Sun Dance Trail

Magic Sky Ranch – Girl Scout Camp

 Lady Moon Ranch

South Lone Pine Pond

The South Lone Pine flows along 74E for several miles before turning north and passing through the northern end of Red Feather Highlands.  Several ponds, such as this one, may be seen on the north side of the road.

Mount Margaret Trailhead

  U. S. Forest Service Parking Area

 This is parking area is one of two for access to the Molly Lake .  The photo shows there is plenty of space for horse trailers.  The other access is on 162, Manhattan Road , but can not accommodate horse trailers.  See Recreation for more information.  

Red Feather Lakes Valley  

 This is the end of the tour.  Next is Red Feather Lakes.