Bear ..Cooper...and Me when my time comes at MP (Mile Post) 49 in Misc. Thoughts opinions, the whole trash can.

This is the ol resting place for Bear, my Chocolate Lab, and recently for my Yellow Lab Cooper. Might be mine too. Today Sunday September 7th, 2014 is closure day for me. I forgot to mention Cooper was 15 years old .. Yeah 15 !!!

Mile post 49 is on the old former Santa Fe, now BNSF, on the Pikes Peak Subdivision. This area is across from MP 49 off of Spruce Mountain Road, between Larkspur,CO and Palmer Lake, CO.

Being a former Locomotive Engineer retired, this was my route. Photo’s show why, and this area can be brutal during the winter. Beautiful now, but harsh and unforgiving in the winter.

I get a call this afternoon, 08/ 22 from Animal ER & Colorado Veterinary Services. Coopers ashes are ready to pick up. I’ll grab him this Saturday. I need to plan a day that I can go spread the remains.

Monday August 25th 2014:

Me and the “Coops” were going to head up to MP 49. Didn’t happen, due to wrecks on north and southbound I-25 at Larkspur. My next plan Wednesday, lets see what that brings.

Sunday September 7th 2014;

This was a chance, its a nice sunny morning. I was ready to take off after church, at 900 am. The wife said she would go with me. Off we went.

Arriving at the final resting place, we get out and hike up about 50 feet off the road.

Cooper is scattered near the rocks. I placed Bear there in the spring of 2011.

A wider angle of the final resting place

Spruce Mountain Road. Palmer Lake is in the distance 2.5 miles from here. You can make out the southbound mainline just to the left.

This is the southbound as is curves down and heads for the “sag” at MP 50.5 If you look across directly from clump of trees in the right of the picture, you’ll see a fill and a black line. That is where the flyover used to be when the Santa Fe crossed of the Rio Grande, before it became a double track mainline during WWI. The federal government requested and mandated that would happen.

Maybe a better shot, then again maybe not

Coops a few years younger, in better days 2012 perhaps. Resting on the “lounge” and resplendent in a yellow bandana. He’ll be a party dog soon.

We went for a walk down the old northbound main line, which after it was pulled up, became a trail. Walked about 4.5 miles. Came back to the truck, and went to the Inn at the Palmer Lake Divide and had brunch. Drove home shortly afterward.

Getting home, there is about 2 teaspoons of Cooper ashes left. I take them to the back yard and scatter the leftovers. All done. Was a fun and fond 15 years with the ol Coops Rest In Peace.

Last updated September 08, 2014