Loveland Reporter-Herald
The cache is NOT located at the posted coordinates.
Fort Uncompahgre, located in present-day Delta, Colorado, was a trading post established in the early 19th century by Antoine Robidoux, a French-American fur trader and entrepreneur. Named after the nearby Uncompahgre River, the trading post served as a crucial hub for the fur trade and interactions between Euro-American traders and Native American tribes, particularly the Ute people who inhabited the region. Situated along the Old Spanish Trail, Fort Uncompahgre facilitated commerce and cultural exchange between traders, trappers, and indigenous peoples, playing a significant role in the economic and social dynamics of the American West during this period.
Constructed in the traditional style of frontier forts, Fort Uncompahgre consisted of log buildings enclosed within a stockade, providing shelter and security for traders and travelers passing through the area. The trading post offered a wide range of goods, including firearms, tools, blankets, and other commodities sought after by Native American tribes for both practical and ceremonial purposes. Additionally, Fort Uncompahgre served as a meeting place for diplomatic negotiations and cultural exchanges between different indigenous groups and Euro-American settlers, contributing to the complex and often contentious interactions between them.
Despite its relatively short lifespan, Fort Uncompahgre played a significant role in the history of the American West, serving as a vital link in the network of trading posts and settlements that facilitated westward expansion and economic development. Today, the site of Fort Uncompahgre is preserved as a historic landmark, offering visitors the opportunity to learn about its history and the diverse peoples who inhabited the region during the fur trade era. As a symbol of the cultural and economic exchanges that shaped the American frontier, Fort Uncompahgre remains an important reminder of the complex interactions between indigenous peoples and Euro-American settlers in the American West.
Source: ChatGPT
----- N 44 22.416 W 094 27.976
One of the oldest roads in the state, Fort Road was originally built by the federal government after Fort Ridgely was completed in 1853-54. Supplies were shipped from Fort Snelling to Traverse des Sioux, then transported by wagon to Fort Ridgely.
Nicollet County Road 5 runs more than 42 miles from its eastern terminus at its intersection with US Highway 169 in St Peter to the Renville County line. Old Fort Road presumably extended from Traverse des Sioux, although the portion running through the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College has been blocked off. Fort Road as an address runs from the western edge of St Peter to the end of CR-5.
In an ideal world, a paved trail would have been installed when the road was refurbished in the early 2010s. This planned geocache trail will have to suffice, but won’t alleviate my anxiety when biking here.