21-Jul-2020 -- I attempted this confluence in 2013 but was deterred by cows and I never zeroed out. Today I succeeded, and have now officially visited all 31 confluences in Colorado. After completing 37N 105W I drove east on dirt roads from Trinidad, leaving a droughty trail of airborne dust through the “town” of Trinchera, veered right (south) just before the railroad tracks, then continued southeastward along a one-track road and through a few open gates marked simply “No Hunting”. Does confluence hunting count?
I parked 700 feet due east of the confluence and departed from my Turo rental car at 12:24pm. The temperature was 85 degrees F. I zeroed out five minutes later and kissed the earth, the dust clinging to a fresh layer of chapstick on my lips. I raised my arms in triumph.
My quest to complete all 31 Colorado confluences began on April 4, 2013 when I was 24 and ended today, 2,666 days later (and likely many more miles) at the age of 32. What new confluence adventures await me in the future? I enjoy the challenge of “gotta catch ‘em all," so Nebraska? Czech Republic? Paraíba? Maybe an as of yet unvisited confluence in Manitoba or Maranhão? I love confluence hunting because it gets me out there, beyond where tourists and even backpackers go, giving me a deeper understanding of the extent of man and what truly lies on the surface of the Earth.
To be continued.