June 28, another memorable scenic drive on CR 240. It is 10 miles to our destination, North Fork Lake. This road starts out in Mayfield, Colorado through some beautiful homes, probably retirement homes. About 4 miles up this road it turns to a dirt trail and from there on we are able to go less than 5 mile an hour the rest of the way. Very rocky and up hill all the way.

Much of the time we traveled by beautiful mountain streams. Because there is still so much snow on the mountains there is lots of runoff and the streams are a beautiful site.

This trail took us up quite high and made the mountains seem so very close and yet we knew they were still a long ways away. We were able to get pictures of the 2 mountains we drove to see a few days ago…the pictures that were lost!!?? These are taken from a different angle but still the mountains. The road is so rough that we could only just crawl along most of the time.

The North Fork Reservoir is part of the National Parks. There is a campground there and we were quite surprised with the road conditions the way they are, there were quite a few people camping there…with snow drifts and piles of snow adjacent to their tents. The lake and surroundings with the mountains is such a serene site. It is just a beautiful place. We had a picnic lunch and then walked a bit before heading back .

We did stop by to look around where about 3 or 4 old fallen down log cabins were. We had been told there was an old mine here but we never did find it. On our way up the mountain just as we were leaving the black top we saw the Colorado Trail, a hiking trail that goes through a big section of this part of Colorado. So we stopped there for our afternoon walk. We walked for a while on flat land and then begin to climb a little. We crossed a stream and ended up walking for about a mile all together. It was a welcome change from the place we walk at our campground. We highly recommend this scenic road for anyone with a 4-wheel drive vehicle.

Our last scenic drive in this part of Colorado happened on June 30 and was without a doubt the most exciting of all our excursions. We saw some awesome views on our way to the Alpine Tunnel scenic drive.

We drove through Pitkin which we thought was an old mining town but could not find much sign of any mining. It now appears to be just a retirement town with most houses being fairly new. Only a few old homes and some old business buildings are there. So I looked Pitkin up on the internet and found this info: “The town, which is situated on an alpine meadow one mile long and one quarter mile wide, was incorporated on August 11, 1879. Continuous discovery of mines in the vicinity brought Pitkin to life and sustained it for many years. The mineral of importance were mainly iron, lead, gold, silver, and copper, and were of such richness that as a whole they averaged higher than any camp in Colorado. Among the regular producers were the Cleopatra, Fairview, Tycoon, Nest Egg, Swiss Bill and Silver Islet mines, from which some specimens assayed $18,000 per ton. Over thirty mines operated during the winter of 1880 compared to six the year before.” Pitkin is definitely not a ghost town as many of the old mining towns are. http://www.pitkincolorado.com/history.htm

The Alpine Tunnel scenic drive, on an old railroad bed, started out smooth but became increasingly difficult to navigate. The road bed is 10 miles to the top and we averaged about 5 miles an hour. We came to some areas where there had been either a rock slide or a snow slide from up quite high and clear to the valley below. It affected the road we were on. Earlier we passed a Forestry truck coming down. The driver greeted us as he passed and said nothing about any difficulties ahead. We assumed everything was ok ahead and so on we went.

The views from up here were beautiful but the road seemed to get most of our attention. Rocks in the road, snow drifts and more of the slides kept us wondering if we would make it all the way to the top. At one point there was a sign that said “The next 3 miles of road are probably the most fantastic in the US” and it presented itself to be true.

We don’t know how high up we are but when we look down we can tell it is quite high. We passed by a solid rock face that is beautiful to look at but the road narrows here. In fact when the road was built it was necessary to build a wall on the down side because of the shear cliff. The rock wall, named “The Palisades” is 452 feet long, 33 feet high and about 2 feet thick. It is made of hand-cut fitted stone, placed and held without mortar. So perfect was the engineering and workmanship that over 120 years later relatively few pieces have been displaced.

When we finally arrived at the parking lot of the Alpine Tunnel we found we were not alone!! There were a number of 4-wheel vehicles there also. Beyond the parking lot are the remains of a hand hewn stone building for garaging the engines, a reconstructed train station and the wood remains of other buildings including a 50 room hotel. The tunnel which collapsed many years ago is a ways beyond the little town. The tunnel, 1,771 feet long, was built in 1880-1881, took 18 months and the labor of some 10,000 men who worked on the tunnel at various times. A steady crew of 350-400 men was needed, but because it was cold brutal work, men quit as fast as they were hired. Wages were $3.50 per day for laborers and $5.00 per day for hard rock and explosive workers. Heavy storms lashed the area. Men had to go from work to their cabins in gangs to keep from being lost in the snow. The Alpine Tunnel was made with fortitude, determination and raw courage. The tunnel was used from its completion in 1881 until 1910. For more information about the Alpine Tunnel history and small towns built to house and service the workers go to: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/co-alpinetunnel.html Wow what an experience to see this bit of history. We made our way back down being careful when coming to the rough spots in the road and once back in Pitkin took a different road home. We sort of thought it would be along the valley as we had come in but NO…it was back in the mountains again even crossing the divide at Waunita Pass. This mountain area was completely covered with pine trees and Aspens. So there was not much to see. Finally we made it to the high meadow area again, were making our way back to Highway 50 and home, when out of nowhere we see a couple of big spreads that are actually Colorado Dude Ranches. We even saw some Dude girls working with horses. Again we had to travel over Monarch Pass and we are glad this will be our last over this loooong mountain climb. Remember there are more photos at http://www.pitkincolorado.com/history.htm

June 30, 2008
By now we have taken about 10 scenic drives. Each seems to have its own beauty or interest and spectacular in their own way. Some had old mines which are interesting to us. Many years ago on a vacation to Colorado we went on a jeep tour back on strictly 4 wheel drive trails to many of the old ghost mining towns in this area. We enjoyed it so much and so whenever we are in Colorado we continue to have that desire to visit these old areas. But this year we are finding them not so interesting and enjoying more the absolute beauty of the mountains, valleys, rock formations, trees, and spring flowers galore. God’s creation is so awesome. On June 18 we traveled on CR 210 to Highway 50, up through Monarch Pass [11,320 feet] and back home. We had stopped by the Forestry Service before going and were told the road was closed due to snow just before the Marshall Pass. When we got to that point we found an area about 50 yards that was still drifted. But there was a 4 wheel drive trail around it. Gene checked it out and decided we could get through. So we did. We saw beautiful views on the gravel road. After crossing this area we made our way down to the valley and there we kept seeing trees that were laying on the ground. Why so many were downed was a puzzle to us but soon we figured out. Beavers had cut them down to make beaver dams and their lodges. We saw them for miles as we traveled along the mountain stream. Be sure to go to http://ourtravelphotos.spaces.live.com/default.aspx which is the internet site where you can see many more of the photos we have taken.

Most of the scenic drives we have taken and plan to take are on gravel roads and mostly considered for 4-wheel drive vehicles which we have. Often these roads turn into even rougher road with the need to have a jeep-like or truck to navigate. On June 23 we too CR 175 past the Gold Wonder mine. It appears to be a working mine with huge mounds of tailings covering large areas of land. This mine produces small amounts of silver and a couple of other minerals. Along the way we passed an area where a lake was formed from the materials taken out of the ground. As we drove up this road we do see much evidence of old mines that did not appear to produce much. We saw an entrance to a mine that has now been closed off with a heavy metal barricade. Around this area we saw rocks that appear to be the kind that might contain silver.

A little further down the road it gets much more rocky and looks less and less like a road and more like a path. We would like to have gone on over this road as it goes over Aspin Ridge which is supposed to be quite beautiful. But we have seen lots of beautiful and really won’t take a chance on a road we are not sure of.

On June 23 we took CR250 up to the base of Mt Shavano, 14,229 and Mt Tabeguache, 14,155, two of the 14rs in this area. The landscape changed from almost desert like in the low altitude to heavily treed areas with huge Aspen and Tall Pines; then on to rocky landscapes and some areas near water that were very fertile. There the ground was covered with grass and was a quite refreshing area. On the way to the mountains we traveled through a sort of valley. We were at a quite high altitude as we reached the base of the mountains. We took another similar road home but it was an even different terrain and traveling up into the low mountains, up and down with many switchbacks. It was a very interesting 50 mile trip. Somehow the photos we took are lost….operator error. And that is too bad as there were some nice photos.

One of the more beautiful scenic drive we took was June 26 as we took CR 306 over Cottonwood Pass, 12,126 feet. Just for your information, that is quite high. There was still lots of snow there and in fact we found out later the pass did not even open until June 14. With each mile we went the views were more beautiful and amazing. The snow along the road at the pass in one place was still 4 to 6 feet deep. There was a trail there but it was pretty chilly and we could see people a long ways away on a high peak so we decided against the hike. From the pass we could see Taylor Reservoir way down in the valley to the west. The view of it and mountains to the north and south of it are quite impressive too.

The Taylor River flowing out of the reservoir was raging with winter snow melt and so pretty to see We followed it most of the way to Gunnison. The water is always so pretty as it flows over and around the rocks and boulders.

From Gunnison we went through a long stretch in the open valley with only views of the mountains and then back up through Monarch Pass. It is a long and winding road up the Pass and beautiful but we have been across this before. It is the quickest way to get back home in these mountains.

Since arriving here in Salida we have taken several scenic drives into the mountains and valleys. We have seen great views and some very nice homes built back in these valleys with views to see the mountains above and other built up on the side of the mountains so they can see the valley below. We are guessing many of these owners are retired people. Temperatures here in Colorado Rockies are quite nice in the summer if the wind would just stop blowing. But winters would be much to cold to suit us. One day this past week we toured the Trout Hatchery here in Salida. It is one of the largest hatcheries in the state producing approximately 260,000 catchable (10 inch) trout yearly and about 1.2 million sub catchable (2 – 5 inches) fish per year. That is a lot of fishies! They no longer have large fish because the larger ones are more susceptible to diseases which might spread to the other fish. The Cutthroat Trout , native to Colorado, is planted in the fall by foot, horseback, and airplane into high mountain lakes.

June 7 thru 15, 2008 Salida, Colorado
Our RV park, Heart of the Rockies, is truly in the heart of the Rockies. We can see mountains in every direction and many with snow on them. It is quite beautiful here. We are located about 10 miles from Salida which is a popular area for all kinds of outdoor activities for all seasons. At this time the Arkansas River, running through Salida, is raging. Salida is famous for water activities… rafting, kayaking, river rafting and other water activites. In mid-June they have a festival called FibARK, http://www.fibark.com/. At their website you can get a taste of all that goes on during the festival and a description of all the events. It is quite something for this little town. Many of the top whitewater sports stars from around the world will venture here to take on the mighty Arkansas River. We watched some of the frestyle kayakers when we were in town as they practiced for these events. We first saw this freestyle Kayaking when we were in Pagosa Springs and there are pictures of it on the Pagosa Springs blog. The festival is a 5 day event and this town of around 6,000 people grew to who knows how many. These pictures are from the Hooligan exhibition, a freestyle rafting event. The two guys have a raft made of several big rolls of bubble wrap to keep it afloat. The other sort of speaks for itself. Mostly the rafts were made from all sorts of childs swimming pools and water toys. They did not hold up well in this raging water.



Salida has a quite high and steep cone shaped hill adjacent to the town. Tenderfoot Hill has a road to the top named Spiral Drive. We drove up there to see the spectacular view of Salida and the mountains to the west. This road is called Spiral Rd. and it is just that. It spirals around this hill to the top. It is very rough, very narrow and straight down if we should go off the unrestricted side. But such an awesome view.

We took the scenic drive to St. Elmo, an old mining town. The web site, http://www.legendsofamerica.com/CP-StElmo1.html has a little history of the town and pictures. Along the way we enjoyed the mountain views and stopped to walk a trail to the Agnes Vaille Falls. The info said it was ½ mile. NOT and it was uphill over a very rocky trail but well worth the hike. Here are pictures of us on the trail.




We also saw a Hot Springs area, loved the views of the Chalk Cliffs and the beautiful Alpine Lake.




We actually had to climb between and around large boulders as we made our way uphill all the way. But the falls were spectacular.

May 30 and June 1, 2008 South Fork, Colorado
Upon leaving Pagosa Springs we quickly began the climb up to Wolf Creek Pass, 10,893 feet. There is still lots of snow in this area and a beautiful drive on a fairly new 4 lane highway. A fairly new tunnel has be dug through the mountain to avoid the old highway where landslides were frequent. The snowfall accumulation at Wolf Creek pass exceeded 500 inches this past season.

We stopped in South Fork for a couple of days so that we can drive the Silver Thread highway to Lake City. The highway got its name because along this route are many silver mine and old small mining towns. As we left South Fork we very soon were in the Palisades where the cliffs and rocks were formed from volcanic activity. The cliffs were formed after cooled and hardened volcanic debris shrank to form the columns.

Our first stop was in Creede, probably the wildest town in all of Colorado during its heyday of three short years. In 1890 its population increased by 300 people daily and grew to 10,000. In 1893 it very quickly died out due to the plummeting silver prices. Today there are artists with their wares, museums, and fine restaurants. From there we took Bachelor Historic Loop through 17 miles of the old mining district. Beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains can be seen along this route.

Back in the valley we traveled through an area that was once the route of the Antelope Park-Lake City Toll road. It was built in 1875 at a cost of $5,000 and was completed for wagon travel in less than sixty days. The route was used by the Barlow & Sanderson’s Stage co. which had way stations located twelve miles apart. The stage took thirty-six hours to travel the 85-mile route from Del Norte to Lake City and cost $16.70 per person and was built for 13 passengers. However in this picture it is evident that at times they had more than 13. Near this area the mountains whose spring melt form the head waters of the Rio Grande River. The Rio Grande River rages, flows, and meanders over 1800 miles to the gulf of Mexico.

Also in this valley the North Clear Creek seems to meander along through the fields. We were surprised to see where it empties into one of Colorado’s most beautiful waterfalls. It provides water storage for irrigaiont to ranches and farms in the fertile valley. We crossed the Continental Divide at Spring Creek pass, 10,898 and soon were at an overlook that provides of some of Colorado’s over 14,000 mountain peaks.

As we travel down the west side of the mountains we see a natural phenomena which formed Lake San Cristobal. The Slumgullion Earthflow is the spectacular result of two mudslides. Seven hundred years ago, the volcanic soils were supersaturated with water from heavy rains. Millions of tons of mud and rock broke loose and flowed like a dirty, raging river for four miles. The mudslide depositied so much material in the bottom of the valley that it formed a natural dam, forming the second largest natural lake in Colorado. Four hundred years later, a smaller but similar slide occurred inside the existing earthflow. Geologists come from all over the world to study this rare National Natural Landmark. There is no site quite like this elsewhere on earth. The earth here is still moving at the rte of about ½ inch per day, or up to 21 feet per year. It is a very strange site to see.

Lake City is just down the road from this earthflow and Lake San Cristobal. It is an old mining town but different from the rough and tumble towns of most mining areas. Lake City boasted culture, class and churches. Since most mines did not operate during the long cold winters, Lake Citians were diligent in developing a cultural center and was considered to be one of the most cultured mining towns. It was well known for concerts, theatrical groups, circuses and magicians. Many churches were here during its heyday throughout the 1880’s. It was rediscovered after WW II and is now a popular vacation area with only about 500 full time residents. Many quaint homes, churches and buildings of Victorian architecture remain today. Gas was the highest we have seen to date here in Lake City and we had to buy some in order to get home. $4.20, about 40 cents higher than we have been paying. The trip back to South Fork was on the same road. There are no other roads leading back without going far out of the way so we traveled back the same way and were surprised at the different views in going the other way and enjoyed thinking about what we had seen.