Last summer, when we had some flooding on Hardscrabble Creek, I sent a video to a friend in England, who replied that he had assumed that “Hardscrabble Creek” was a literary invention.
Not so. I have a simple and literal mind, I will admit that.
The green trees are ponderosa pine. But are they the scopulorum variety or brachyptera? Since I consider myself a Southwesterner residing in the former imperial province of Nuevo México, I vote for the latter. (This map supports me.)
Gorgeous! I envy your “backyard”. I have to travel up the Appalachian Trail or close by to get views like this.
Wikipedia says Ponderosas smell like turpentine but I always thought they smell like vanilla. ummm.
I usually hear it compared to vanilla or butterscotch.
I found a list of Fremont County, Colorado Creek names (because of your mention of some thinking it was a literary place name). “Hardscrabble” does strike me as one of those colorful and potentially symbolic place names that would turn up in a Western or about the West story or movie or TV show, more than many of the other creeks on the list.
Hardscrabble was actually a small settlement that lasted for about a few years in the late 1840s. It was also known as San Buenaventura de los Tres Arrollos.
Wow! This appears to be one of the oldest towns in Colorado. (Post-Columbian, at least.)
http://cozine.com/2001-december/in-search-of-colorados-oldest-town/
Forgot the link:
https://colorado.hometownlocator.com/features/physical,class,stream,scfips,08043,startrow,1.cfm