Tomorrow we will leave Missouri and return to our Littleton, Colorado, farm, a drive of approximately 800 miles. The entire journey, except for a short section near Limon, Colorado, will be within the vast watershed of the Missouri River.
After crossing the Missouri about ten miles west of Columbia, we will not encounter that River again since its main channel, which rises in southwestern Montana (photo), is well north of our route. Nevertheless, every river and stream that we do cross on our journey will be a tributary of the Missouri; while we dip into the Arkansas River watershed near Limon, we will ford only a few seasonal creeks in that area.
Within a half mile of our farm, we cross the South Platte River. Rising in the mountains around South Park (the South Fork) and near Kenosha Pass (the North Fork), the South Platte drains most of northeastern Colorado, including the eastern slope of the Front Range. It merges with the North Platte River at North Platte, Nebraska, forming the Platte River; this braided, shallow river flows eastward and enters the Missouri just south of Omaha. Though our trip will take an entire day, we will cross but a small portion of the Missouri's massive watershed.
