An unlikely posse of politicians wants to save Pinon Canyon from a bad guy: the Army

Carroll first heard about Piñon Canyon back in 2006, "when Wes started talking about it and then ran a bill that would have denied the federal government the ability to annex the land," he recalls. Carroll liked McKinley — "He is one of the most unique personalities in the legislature," he says — but opposed the bill. "I had never been to Piñon Canyon, and I didn't know how important it was. Then in spring 2008, I went on a trail ride with Wes over the proposed expansion area outside Walsenburg. It completely changed my perspective on what was going on down there. It would be a huge loss for the state if we lost that area. A loss to ranching, to our economy. And what happens to those towns? To La Junta, Trinidad, the Arkansas Valley?"

When another Piñon Canyon bill came up in the last session — this one banning any state land from going to the Army for the PCMS — Carroll supported the measure, and it passed. While the feds can still trump the legislative action, McKinley appreciates Carroll's transformation — both mental and physical. "He didn't totally understand, and I can see why," he says. "That's been my mission." And in the process of educating Carroll to the importance of ranching in Colorado (this region of the state produces more beef than any other region in the country), he's also watched Carroll "become a real cowboy. He's not self-conscious about his hat and his boots," McKinley points out.

Wes McKinley and Terrance Carroll, at home on the range.

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More About

• Terrance Carroll
• Wes McKinley
• Stanley Biber
• U.S. Department of Defense
• Fort Carson

While Carroll is already anticipating riding in the Stock Show parade, McKinley's not sure he'll be able to convince the Speaker to go for his latest stunt: riding a horse into the Capitol and then down the aisle of the House chambers. To show how easy it would be, McKinley urged his mule, Marvin, into the lobby of the Trinidad La Quinta. Marvin has had tough missions before — he carried McKinley across much of the state back in 1996, when the rancher ran for Congress on the platform of telling the public what had really happened with the Rocky Flats grand jury, on which he served as foreman — but he may not have sold Carroll on turning the State Capitol into a hitching post. Not yet.

But he's definitely sold Carroll on saving Piñon Canyon. "Even if we just lose 100,000 acres, it's a huge loss," Carroll says. "And the Army taking over a quarter of our state? That's unacceptable."