Kutch Part II (aka Matheson)

Ok, so in my last post I lied. I said that was the end to the story of Kutch, but in fact its not... It was just 1 am and I wanted to go to bed to so I stopped writing, this is also why towards the end I started adding more and more photos and had less and less writing. This is going to be a very short post by the way.

So after exploring the area around Kutch for a little while I decided that it was time for me to head on home. Like I do most times I decided that I wanted to take a different rout home than I had take to get there, so instead of going west to I-25 I took a dirt road north in hopes that it would eventually take em somewhere. After a few minuets of driving I came across the town of Matheson. Now Matheson is not a very notable town, in fact if I was doing something besides taking photos I probably would have forgotten about it by now. But as you enter the town from the south, as I did, on your right there is a rather beautiful old church that is sitting abandoned.

Unfortunately I was not able to enter the church but I was able to get several good photos from the out side.

Ok, well I guess thats really all I had to say. I totally could have put that in my post last night...

Kutch Co (Ghost Town #6)

So I know I have promised this several times (ok maybe just one other time) but I will try to post more often, mostly because I really enjoy doing it, but if anyone actually reads these I greatly appreciate it. One other note before I actually tell you about the beautiful metropolis of Kutch, I am writing these usually a couple months after I actually go out and take the pictures so I try to remember it as well as I can, and tell you every detail. But lets be honest, no one reads this because they think I am a good writer, I just take mostly mediocre photos.

Ok, now that that is all done here is the story of Kutch.

After going to to Willard the week before and Eaton the week before that I had become addicted. I craved going to these places. Addicted to every aspect of it. The way I felt after first arriving and creaking open the first door I came across, feelings of hope, fear, excitement. I had become addicted to the smell, each place I have been smells so different, yet the same. I was addicted to the fear of being caught, the thought provoking and tantalizing stories I created on who these people were. Who lived here? Why did they leave? Did they want to leave? Bluntly I couldn't, and still can't, get enough. So thats why on one sunny saturday I found my self driving three hours away to beautiful Kutch Colorado.

The first building I came across was an old two story farm house.

I was very excited, I had never been inside a multiple story abandoned building before! So as soon as I got close enough I just turned my steering wheel to the left and drove off the road and parked. The second I opened my car door I was greeted by a ferocious wind. Muttering and cursing the wind I quickly pulled all of my gear together, deciding to go light I left one of my cameras and my big bag of gear in the car, and began taking pictures.

The building had a beautiful exterior, it was mostly solid wood paneling except for where an addition of cinder blocks was later added.

At first I was hesitant to go inside the building because I was able to see the floor from the outside and I was not sure how stable it was.

I also knew that there was a basement under the house.

The stairs leading down to the basement

So being the wise person I am I decided that I was going to go inside anyway. Very carefully I pushed the door open and stepped inside. The first thing I noticed was the temperature. Inside was much cooler, almost cold, an alarming temperature drop from the outside. The second thing I noticed was the floor, despite the way it looked it was solid.

At first I went around the bottom floor, taking it all in, both fearing and dreading the assent up to the second story. My mind raced with thoughts. How long has this building been sitting here? What would happen if the floor gave out? What if I fell?

on the bottom floor looking up at the second story

But once again my thrill for adventure out weighed my fear of death so I ever so slowly walked up the stairs, taking each step slowly, carefully, testing my weight for the sound of unwelcome creaks and groans.

But eventually I made it to the top safe and sound.

looking almost directly through my feet at the floor below

I soon realized that there was nothing very exciting in the upstairs so I slowly retraced my steps back to the stairs. After one last tour around the building I made my way back to the car where I stored my gear and continued down the dusty dirt road to where the town of Kutch supposedly actually stood. I soon came across another place of interest.

So once again I parked in order to investigate. As I got out and looked around I realized that much of this land looked the same way now as it did 100 years ago.

I could not see any other sign of life in any direction I looked. I was totally and completely alone. After my existentialist moment I continued to walk toward the house.

There were several things that struck me as odd about this building. Like the amount of things that they left behind. Not just farm equipment left to rust in the field,

but everyday type of things. Like shoes...

Or clothes.

I just don't understand the absolute hurried rush that these poor people must have felt to leave their house in order for them to leave their everyday clothes. What could have prompted them to feel the need to leave so quickly? So thats all I have on the beautiful metropolis of Kutch, and as always here are some of my favorite pictures from the trip: