Fort Collins State Of Mind

Fort Collins is the sort of town which is a dime-a-dozen out here in Colorado- unremarkable upon first glance, distinct upon further inspection. There are layers to these sorts of places, and one's view of them will gradually evolve the more you visit and the more you directly interact. One visit to a town like Fort Collins is far from enough exposure to fully assess its tone or mood- nonetheless, despite how little I've seen of it over the years, I feel it necessary to paint, in words, a sort of literary image of it. 

I recently took the bus to Fort Collins to attend an open mic and was stunned by just how different 60 or so miles can make the landscape look. Poudre country is very different from St. Vrain country, which in turn is distinct from South Platte country. All three areas- stacked atop one another from north to south- have their own ecosystems, vegetation, and overall aesthetic, and if presented with photographs of each I could probably name them. 

Of course, I saw little of Fort Collins' vegetation. One thing I did notice was how similar the Poudre valley bike trail looked to the one we have along Cherry Creek here in Denver, with its underpasses and subtle slopes. There are a few dead giveaways, though. The scrub brush I leaned against, for instance. was decidedly northern, as was the composition of the specked mineral substrate I sat atop. The wooden structures lining the path were ancient and composed of a dark brown fibrous wood, held together by bolts and assorted fasteners, haphazardly leaning against one another. Which is not to say they weren't architecturally stunning. 

The first thing you notice after departing the bus at the downtown transit center is the abundance of trains which cut through downtown Fort Collins like hot knives through butter- the railroads forming an intricate historic scar on the map, traffic being delayed by as much as 5 minutes just to let a train pass by. This is almost unheard of here in Denver, where trains are seldom seen and certainly designed to run parallel to traffic rather than slicing across it and holding it up. Fort Collins remains in the railroad age, where you see a massive freight engine barreling across the midday placidity with the brilliance of an aerodynamic sword. I caught two trains on my trip- one which stopped the bus I was on, and another which streaked across College Avenue for around seven minutes, all the while the red light dinging repeatedly and the gates remaining down. The trains are marvelous. 

Speaking of College Avenue, it's one of those streets which cannot be ignored, it demands your attention. The shops are well-built, multi-storied affairs with awnings and intricate designs on top, and small side-alleys with seamy cafes and simple yet effective window displays. It's surreal to walk around out there at around 3 P.M. knowing that you've rarely seen it and every day life goes on without you. It's lined with trees and assorted festive vegetation and its title is fitting, it's perhaps the most collegiate thoroughfare in the contiguous states. 

Fort Collins cannot be thoroughly discussed without affording a passing mention to the extreme sense of sublime loneliness that sets in around sunset, even when surrounded by people the climate of a town like Collins is unavoidable. You see the low-hung silhouettes of the peaks out to the West, and the sliver of orange before them, they're blue giants of perspective and mass, and they make you and your terrestrial entourage so small by comparison. Now add to that the birds chirping their farewell songs on the telephone wires, the low whistle of a truck cruising down the thoroughfare, the rustle of a fox along the rippling water. You can't avoid the sense of crushing isolation, or the simultaneous impression of universal connectivity. 

Fort Collins has the vibes, as they say, a town which cannot be avoided or ignored, and one worth looking into deeper. If I ever have the option, I will return, although that seems unlikely, one can only dream the impossible dream and persist against all odds.