From Mesoamerican mysteries to local legends, history waits to be unearthed on Colorado’s western slope . . . A crew of historians, archaeologists, and scientists, the Western Investigations Team uses ground-penetrating radar, electron microscopy, innovative metallurgic research, and newly discovered documents to re-examine fascinating historical questions and contribute new chapters to history. This book offers stories of their fascinating work, accompanied by many photos. Revelations include discovering new evidence in the infamous case of Alferd Packer, aka the “Colorado Cannibal,” and old Spanish colonial relics near Kannah Creek. Investigators follow the trail of lost Spanish explorers searching for the Seven Cities of Gold, and pursue archaeological signs of a prehistoric civilization north of Collbran. Expeditions search for the legend of the Utes’ Cave of the Ancients and the fabled location of Aztlán, the Aztecs’ original homeland. These and other tales offer an intriguing new look at the history of western Colorado.

From Mesoamerican mysteries to local legends, history waits to be unearthed on Colorado's western slope. Revelations include discovering new evidence in the infamous Alferd Packer case and old Spanish colonial relics near Kannah Creek. Investigators follow the trail of lost Spanish explorers searching for the Seven Cities of Gold and pursue archaeological signs of a prehistoric civilization north of Collbran. Expeditions search for the legend of the Utes' Cave of the Ancients and the fabled location of Aztlán, the Aztecs' original homeland. A crew of historians, archaeologists and scientists, the Western Investigations Team uses ground-penetrating radar, electron microscopy, innovative metallurgic research and newly discovered documents to reexamine fascinating historical questions and contribute new chapters to history.

Distributed by the University of Nebraska Press for Caxton Press This is the story of the other side of Colorado's best-known mountain- the region west of Pikes Peak. It includes stories of the first settlers and the founders of towns. It also tells of the bust years between world wars when the railroad tracks were pulled up and many communities vanished.

From the Anasazi cliff dwellings to tales of Buffalo Bill's bravado, and from an unsolved bank robbery in Denver to the murder of Jon Benet Ramsey, Colorado Myths and Legends examines a fascinating array of puzzling events, unsolved mysteries, and tragic crimes in the often troubled (but always compelling!) history of the Centennial State. Read about the mysterious French miner-turned-hotelier, the incongruous Great Sand Dunes that stretch for miles at the base of towering snow-capped mountains, and the strange disappearance of an entire ancient civilization.

J.v.L. Bell is a Colorado native who was raised climbing Colorado’s 14,000 foot mountains, exploring old ghost towns, and reading stories about life in the early frontier days. She enjoys hiking with friends and family, visiting new places and meeting new people, rafting the rivers of Utah and Colorado, and reading great historical fiction. She lives in Louisville, Colorado with her two daughters and her husband. Curious what is fact versus fiction in The Lucky Hat Mine? Visit the author’s web page at www.JvLBell.com and read her blogs about the historical topics she researched while writing The Lucky Hat Mine.

An easy-to-read geology tutorial of the of the eastern Colorado Plateau, this book will answer all of your questions about how this stunning region was formed. Includes detailed road logs.