HONEY, ARE YOU SURE YOU WOULDN'T RATHER STAY HERE
BY OUR BEAUTIFUL BEACH IN VENTNOR INSTEAD OF
TRUCKING AROUND HALF OF COLORADO?
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
WEDNESDAY, 09/01/2010
HONEY, ARE YOU SURE YOU WOULDN'T RATHER STAY HERE
BY OUR BEAUTIFUL BEACH IN VENTNOR INSTEAD OF
TRUCKING AROUND HALF OF COLORADO?
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
SATURDAY, 09/04/2010 - DENVER
Well here we are in Colorado. We spent most of Friday getting here as we were unable to keep the original flight times we chose. Continental decided to screw us up by changing flights on us so we arrived in Denver quite late. We spent part of today attending the Taste of Colorado festival in downtown Denver, along with thousands of other folks. Actually we had a good time. There were tons of craft stalls showing and selling 'everything', food booths selling everything imaginable, numerous locations selling liquids, and five stages featuring live bands.
We naturally gravitated to Famous Dave's stage where country music was all the vogue. The first group were big on the Eagle's tunes, so Toots and I got right into it. The second group, shown here, was really good for a band of this type (not famous); they were very loud but they played well together and kept everyone enthused. The stage was quite dark so the picture isn’t quite what I would have liked.
After a few hours at the festival we journeyed out to Ethel's niece Janet's home in Arvada. We had a real good visit with Janet, Mike, and their four kids. A real fun day.
On Sunday, we checked out of our hotel, crossed through Denver, with a destination of driving to the top of Mt. Evans, 14,240 feet in altitude and the highest paved road in America
At the base of the mountain and the start of the Mt. Evans Byway lies Echo Lake, at an elevation of 10,635 feet. There is a large visitor center and restaurant at this location. From here the Byway climbs, twists, provides numerous hairpin turns, and finally ends at the top, fourteen miles later.
This is a view of the buildings located quite close to the top of the mountain. There is an observatory, a large shelter to protect yourself from the strong winds, and lots of very cold (39 degrees) viewpoints.
I mentioned “quite close”. You can walk a short distance and climb this pile of rocks to get to the real top of the mountain, and many folks do just this. At 14K plus feet and little oxygen, yours truly elected to pass on this opportunity.
Part way down the hill we came to Mirror Lake, which is the centerpiece of a large park and trail area. There is a trail to the right of this lake that leads to vantage spots over a couple more lakes. Trust me on this.
A little further down the road the good folks in Colorado widened the road a couple of feet to allow a quick stop and a snap of Lincoln Lake, down in a valley. This one was really pretty.
Further down the road we came to what is known in Yellowstone as a “buffalo jam”; cars stopping along the roadway to take pictures. Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so we stopped as well. Good move! There were a number of mountain goats/bighorn sheep (don’t ask me. I have no idea which is which). The one guy made my day by standing there and looking out.
As we continued our downward journey we found a spot to get a rather good picture of Echo Lake, this time from quite high. Another nice piece of water.
Prior to the finish of the road there is another comfort station area, built around an area that had scores of old, withered trees. One of the stumps has been left at the station and becomes a prop for pictures, so Mrs. C was dutifully talked into posing with said trunk. She is on the left.
We finished the day by having dinner at Tommy Knockers Restaurant in Idaho Springs. The most eventful part of this evening was my dinner order, pulled Buffalo meat, smoked for 24 hours, and placed on a bun. It really was quite good and my first taste of buffalo.
We naturally gravitated to Famous Dave's stage where country music was all the vogue. The first group were big on the Eagle's tunes, so Toots and I got right into it. The second group, shown here, was really good for a band of this type (not famous); they were very loud but they played well together and kept everyone enthused. The stage was quite dark so the picture isn’t quite what I would have liked.
After a few hours at the festival we journeyed out to Ethel's niece Janet's home in Arvada. We had a real good visit with Janet, Mike, and their four kids. A real fun day.
On Sunday, we checked out of our hotel, crossed through Denver, with a destination of driving to the top of Mt. Evans, 14,240 feet in altitude and the highest paved road in America
At the base of the mountain and the start of the Mt. Evans Byway lies Echo Lake, at an elevation of 10,635 feet. There is a large visitor center and restaurant at this location. From here the Byway climbs, twists, provides numerous hairpin turns, and finally ends at the top, fourteen miles later.
This is a view of the buildings located quite close to the top of the mountain. There is an observatory, a large shelter to protect yourself from the strong winds, and lots of very cold (39 degrees) viewpoints.
I mentioned “quite close”. You can walk a short distance and climb this pile of rocks to get to the real top of the mountain, and many folks do just this. At 14K plus feet and little oxygen, yours truly elected to pass on this opportunity.
Part way down the hill we came to Mirror Lake, which is the centerpiece of a large park and trail area. There is a trail to the right of this lake that leads to vantage spots over a couple more lakes. Trust me on this.
A little further down the road the good folks in Colorado widened the road a couple of feet to allow a quick stop and a snap of Lincoln Lake, down in a valley. This one was really pretty.
Further down the road we came to what is known in Yellowstone as a “buffalo jam”; cars stopping along the roadway to take pictures. Well, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so we stopped as well. Good move! There were a number of mountain goats/bighorn sheep (don’t ask me. I have no idea which is which). The one guy made my day by standing there and looking out.
As we continued our downward journey we found a spot to get a rather good picture of Echo Lake, this time from quite high. Another nice piece of water.
Prior to the finish of the road there is another comfort station area, built around an area that had scores of old, withered trees. One of the stumps has been left at the station and becomes a prop for pictures, so Mrs. C was dutifully talked into posing with said trunk. She is on the left.
We finished the day by having dinner at Tommy Knockers Restaurant in Idaho Springs. The most eventful part of this evening was my dinner order, pulled Buffalo meat, smoked for 24 hours, and placed on a bun. It really was quite good and my first taste of buffalo.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
MONDAY, 09/06/2010 - IDAHO SPRINGS
Monday was Labor Day, so we decided to Labor through several old mining towns and see a bit of backwoods Colorado. After breakfast we started out on the OH MY GAWD road, which runs about 8 ½ miles, connecting Idaho Springs with Central City. The road was built in 1870 and hasn’t changed much since. The road gains about 2000 feet in its short run, has been dug out of the mountains, has no guard rails, and I’m sure that more than one traveler was responsible for giving it its name.
I took this next picture of an abandoned chute, or something, from a mine, that had probably been standing there for a hundred years. This was one of many we saw, and not the most photo scenic, but if you look real hard you’ll see the road running across that high peak in the background. There was a vehicle up there just before I could get the camera out so once again, trust me.
As we approached Central City we found this excellent mining structure, just sitting there since who knows when. It almost looks like they could start it up this afternoon if they wanted.
Just around the corner, so to speak, we ran into another mining complex that just had to be photographed.
We reached the end of the OMG road and spent some time driving around Central City. A really neat, older town with many of the nineteenth century buildings still intact and in use. There were far too many to choose from so we settled on the old Opera House. As you can see, Madame Butterfly is scheduled shortly.
We returned to Idaho Springs via the new Parkway that was constructed a few years ago. While driving through we decided to take a picture of the enormous Argo Gold Mine & Mill, which we had passed several times. This complex is open for tours.
We headed west and made a stop in Georgetown, another old mining area. One of Georgetown’s claim to fame is the little train that runs three miles to Silver Plume and back. Their literature shows the train, pulled by a steam engine, crossing a high bridge, huffing and puffing. Well here’s the train, crossing the bridge, with a small diesel doing the work. I think it is a ripoff.
We spent a little time cruising around town, which also has number of very old, still in use, structures. From here we chose to take a ride out to Guanella Pass, a high area about 15 miles from town. Unfortunately, the highway folks have closed off a portion of the Byway, six miles up the hill. Part way up we were able to get a nice picture of Georgetown, laying in the valley. Again, our old friend Interstate 70 is found on the left hand side of the picture.
At the end of the six miles we came to Clear Lake. Besides a pretty place to picnic or fish, what more can I say about this little piece of treasure.
After we left Georgetown, heading east, we became part of a parking lot. Apparently half of Denver takes advantage of the three day holidays and heads out into the mountains to play, They also return home on Monday afternoon. We crawled a few miles and then turned up US40 , driving through Empire, and headed up to Berthoud Pass. The picture of the sign gives all the info and also proves that we were actually up there. Brrr. It was chilly at 11,307 feet.
At the far northern end of the parking lot we had this wonderful view. A chunk of the Rockies heading off in the distance, and Highway 40, snaking its way down the mountainside at four different locations.. I like this picture.
We left the Pass and made our way back to Idaho Springs, along with many of the locals. Stopped to see another of the town favorites, a very old water wheel. This wheel was constructed in the 180’s somewhere and brought to town a bunch of years ago. It’s a nice setting, with the waterfall providing the raw materials and the water wheel going round and round.
We finished off our day at the Smokin Yards BBQ, and field tested the Baby Backs, along with numerous townies. The ribs were excellent. The townies could use a little work. Tomorrow we head south, spending a little time in Leadville and ending up in Cripple Creek.
This first picture shows part of the town of Idaho Springs, as taken from the OMG roadway. Immediately behind town you can see Interstate 70 as it swings by east to west
I took this next picture of an abandoned chute, or something, from a mine, that had probably been standing there for a hundred years. This was one of many we saw, and not the most photo scenic, but if you look real hard you’ll see the road running across that high peak in the background. There was a vehicle up there just before I could get the camera out so once again, trust me.
As we approached Central City we found this excellent mining structure, just sitting there since who knows when. It almost looks like they could start it up this afternoon if they wanted.
Just around the corner, so to speak, we ran into another mining complex that just had to be photographed.
We reached the end of the OMG road and spent some time driving around Central City. A really neat, older town with many of the nineteenth century buildings still intact and in use. There were far too many to choose from so we settled on the old Opera House. As you can see, Madame Butterfly is scheduled shortly.
We returned to Idaho Springs via the new Parkway that was constructed a few years ago. While driving through we decided to take a picture of the enormous Argo Gold Mine & Mill, which we had passed several times. This complex is open for tours.
We headed west and made a stop in Georgetown, another old mining area. One of Georgetown’s claim to fame is the little train that runs three miles to Silver Plume and back. Their literature shows the train, pulled by a steam engine, crossing a high bridge, huffing and puffing. Well here’s the train, crossing the bridge, with a small diesel doing the work. I think it is a ripoff.
We spent a little time cruising around town, which also has number of very old, still in use, structures. From here we chose to take a ride out to Guanella Pass, a high area about 15 miles from town. Unfortunately, the highway folks have closed off a portion of the Byway, six miles up the hill. Part way up we were able to get a nice picture of Georgetown, laying in the valley. Again, our old friend Interstate 70 is found on the left hand side of the picture.
At the end of the six miles we came to Clear Lake. Besides a pretty place to picnic or fish, what more can I say about this little piece of treasure.
After we left Georgetown, heading east, we became part of a parking lot. Apparently half of Denver takes advantage of the three day holidays and heads out into the mountains to play, They also return home on Monday afternoon. We crawled a few miles and then turned up US40 , driving through Empire, and headed up to Berthoud Pass. The picture of the sign gives all the info and also proves that we were actually up there. Brrr. It was chilly at 11,307 feet.
At the far northern end of the parking lot we had this wonderful view. A chunk of the Rockies heading off in the distance, and Highway 40, snaking its way down the mountainside at four different locations.. I like this picture.
We left the Pass and made our way back to Idaho Springs, along with many of the locals. Stopped to see another of the town favorites, a very old water wheel. This wheel was constructed in the 180’s somewhere and brought to town a bunch of years ago. It’s a nice setting, with the waterfall providing the raw materials and the water wheel going round and round.
We finished off our day at the Smokin Yards BBQ, and field tested the Baby Backs, along with numerous townies. The ribs were excellent. The townies could use a little work. Tomorrow we head south, spending a little time in Leadville and ending up in Cripple Creek.
Friday, April 2, 2010
TUESDAY, 09/07/2010 - CRIPPLE CREEK
After breakfast we packed up and headed west. Instead of sticking with the Interstate, we veered off onto US6 and took the high road over the Loveland Pass.
We did all the twists and turns and finally arrived at the summit, almost 12,000 feet above sea level. There was a series of steps up to a vantage point and this ‘sea level dude’ was gasping for breath.
From this location we were able to get a hazy picture of the Interstate, thousands of feet below.
We spent the next eight miles driving down from the pass in a lower gear. My thoughts went back to the many times we descended mountain roads like this with the truck and 12,000 pounds of trailer pushing away. It was quite a bit less nerve wracking with the Hyundai.
Once we were able to shift into high gear we breezed along and arrived in Leadville, our first visit here since 1958. We had a game plan, picked up from isolated articles on the net. We parked, walked seven blocks down one side of the main drag and then returned on the other. Leadville is neat. The historic walk had many very old buildings identified; the Tabor Opera House, above, was one of them. There are all sorts of stories about the Tabors, but if you are interested, call Dr. Google. In much of the town, when you leave US24, there are a ton of smaller, Victorian type, incredibly colorful houses. What a unique sight.
Leadville was definitely an active mining area, and active mining areas had active miners, who didn’t have a whole lot to do with their slim wages except visit vintage (1879) emporiums. This one is still in excellent shape.
This next scene simply caught my eye. There was a very old building sitting on the corner with the mountains framed in the distance. We finished our visit here by spending a couple of hours in the Leadville Mining Hall of Fame & Museum, and this place was simply fascinating. They had what seemed to be every conceivable mineral that had ever been mined anywhere. What an incredible place. I would recommend a visit to this great little town to any and all.
After we left Leadville, we followed US24 south along what is referred to as the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway. All of these peaks are over 14,000 feet tall: Mt. Oxford, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Columbia, Mt. Yale, and Mt. Princeton. They simply dominate the area immediately west of the highway.
I have to confess. When the planning for this trip began, about two years ago, one area caught my eye and my interest and has dominated my thoughts since then.
It is called the Gold Belt Scenic Byway. It consists of three separate routes connecting Cripple Creek with Canon City, a total distance of around 30 miles. One route, which is totally paved and much longer, will be taken on Friday as we leave Cripple Creek for Canon City and parts further west.. The second and third routes, which are not for sissies, will be described below.
The western route is known as the Shelf Road, and is impassable in foul weather. Today wasn‘t foul. The road is gravel and is literally carved out of the sides of a very deep canyon with a small stream flowing at the bottom..
All of the literature mentions the hole in the rocks but doesn’t say where on the road this can be seen. No reason to. As you round a bend, there it is, way up in the rocks with a cloudy sky background today.
Most of you who have read my previous blogs are aware that I really like my camera. No, make that I really love my camera. I was motivated to lean on the zoom button and get the picture above, without a tripod and no shakes. So here is the hole in the wall, up close.
This road was called the Shelf Road because of a several mile stretch that was literally a shelf sticking out from the side of the mountain. This shelf is one car wide, with a few areas widened enough to allow two vehicles to pass. Drivers with any brains take this route from north to south, as you have the mountain side on your right, and the chasm on the left. And it is a chasm. You can see a short portion of the road in the lower middle of the picture. This was not an isolated place; the whole shelf was like this. The entire canyon was surrounded by high walls, again similar to this picture.
After we left the Shelf Road we took a quick trip through Canon City and Florence and hooked up with Colorado 67, also known as the Phantom Canyon Road. This is the third leg of the Byway. The Phantom Canyon Road was constructed from an old railway bed that connected Cripple Creek with civilization. This implies that the road is quite flat, and it is. It rises about 2000 feet with a gradual grade that a train can handle, but straight it ain’t. This guy curves around, following the usual river bed, with towering cliffs on each side. I’m sure that those old steam engines didn’t set any records on these tracks.
As you might expect, in this type of terrain, some mountains cannot be moved so the next option is to put a tunnel through them. The trains used to make it and so did the Hyundai. This is the first tunnel.
And as you might expect, if there is a first tunnel there must be a second, and here it is. This picture gives you a little idea about how high the cliffs were on each side of this roadway.
We finished our Gold Belt Tour; about 60 miles, in five hours and arrived back in Cripple Creek, to relax for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we follow the Gold something Loop around Cripple Creek and Empire and hike up to a few old mine sites. I’m already out of breath.
We did all the twists and turns and finally arrived at the summit, almost 12,000 feet above sea level. There was a series of steps up to a vantage point and this ‘sea level dude’ was gasping for breath.
From this location we were able to get a hazy picture of the Interstate, thousands of feet below.
We spent the next eight miles driving down from the pass in a lower gear. My thoughts went back to the many times we descended mountain roads like this with the truck and 12,000 pounds of trailer pushing away. It was quite a bit less nerve wracking with the Hyundai.
Once we were able to shift into high gear we breezed along and arrived in Leadville, our first visit here since 1958. We had a game plan, picked up from isolated articles on the net. We parked, walked seven blocks down one side of the main drag and then returned on the other. Leadville is neat. The historic walk had many very old buildings identified; the Tabor Opera House, above, was one of them. There are all sorts of stories about the Tabors, but if you are interested, call Dr. Google. In much of the town, when you leave US24, there are a ton of smaller, Victorian type, incredibly colorful houses. What a unique sight.
Leadville was definitely an active mining area, and active mining areas had active miners, who didn’t have a whole lot to do with their slim wages except visit vintage (1879) emporiums. This one is still in excellent shape.
This next scene simply caught my eye. There was a very old building sitting on the corner with the mountains framed in the distance. We finished our visit here by spending a couple of hours in the Leadville Mining Hall of Fame & Museum, and this place was simply fascinating. They had what seemed to be every conceivable mineral that had ever been mined anywhere. What an incredible place. I would recommend a visit to this great little town to any and all.
After we left Leadville, we followed US24 south along what is referred to as the Collegiate Peaks Scenic Byway. All of these peaks are over 14,000 feet tall: Mt. Oxford, Mt. Harvard, Mt. Columbia, Mt. Yale, and Mt. Princeton. They simply dominate the area immediately west of the highway.
We continued our journey east, and then south, and ended up in Cripple Creek. Tomorrow the adventure begins.
I have to confess. When the planning for this trip began, about two years ago, one area caught my eye and my interest and has dominated my thoughts since then.
It is called the Gold Belt Scenic Byway. It consists of three separate routes connecting Cripple Creek with Canon City, a total distance of around 30 miles. One route, which is totally paved and much longer, will be taken on Friday as we leave Cripple Creek for Canon City and parts further west.. The second and third routes, which are not for sissies, will be described below.
The western route is known as the Shelf Road, and is impassable in foul weather. Today wasn‘t foul. The road is gravel and is literally carved out of the sides of a very deep canyon with a small stream flowing at the bottom..
All of the literature mentions the hole in the rocks but doesn’t say where on the road this can be seen. No reason to. As you round a bend, there it is, way up in the rocks with a cloudy sky background today.
Most of you who have read my previous blogs are aware that I really like my camera. No, make that I really love my camera. I was motivated to lean on the zoom button and get the picture above, without a tripod and no shakes. So here is the hole in the wall, up close.
This road was called the Shelf Road because of a several mile stretch that was literally a shelf sticking out from the side of the mountain. This shelf is one car wide, with a few areas widened enough to allow two vehicles to pass. Drivers with any brains take this route from north to south, as you have the mountain side on your right, and the chasm on the left. And it is a chasm. You can see a short portion of the road in the lower middle of the picture. This was not an isolated place; the whole shelf was like this. The entire canyon was surrounded by high walls, again similar to this picture.
After we left the Shelf Road we took a quick trip through Canon City and Florence and hooked up with Colorado 67, also known as the Phantom Canyon Road. This is the third leg of the Byway. The Phantom Canyon Road was constructed from an old railway bed that connected Cripple Creek with civilization. This implies that the road is quite flat, and it is. It rises about 2000 feet with a gradual grade that a train can handle, but straight it ain’t. This guy curves around, following the usual river bed, with towering cliffs on each side. I’m sure that those old steam engines didn’t set any records on these tracks.
As you might expect, in this type of terrain, some mountains cannot be moved so the next option is to put a tunnel through them. The trains used to make it and so did the Hyundai. This is the first tunnel.
And as you might expect, if there is a first tunnel there must be a second, and here it is. This picture gives you a little idea about how high the cliffs were on each side of this roadway.
We finished our Gold Belt Tour; about 60 miles, in five hours and arrived back in Cripple Creek, to relax for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we follow the Gold something Loop around Cripple Creek and Empire and hike up to a few old mine sites. I’m already out of breath.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
THURSDAY, 09/09/2010 - CRIPPLE CREEK
Today is Thursday and we will plan to spend half the day exploring the mining situation in and around Cripple Creek. Later this afternoon we will drive up to Woodland Park and have dinner with our friends, Mel & Sandy Castle.
There is a published route that takes you in a clockwise loop, starting and ending here in town. It points out numerous mining sites of years gone by, trails that may be taken to get back up there where the action was, the city of Victor, lots of stuff. There is also a side road that takes you up to the American Eagle Lookout, an area on top of an enormous open pit mine with a view to everywhere.
As we headed uphill from Cripple Creek we came to a great spot in the road and took this picture of town. The area of red brick structures at the lower left center of the picture is the downtown area, where all the shopping and casinos are located. The Gold Hill Casino, three blocks from our B & B, has a large area with tables and free WI-FI so we have been spending a bit of time there.
We took the aforementioned road up to the lookout and gazed out on the massive open pit in front of and below us. This is the Cresson Open Pit Mine and I apologize for not knowing what they are mining for. Those little vehicles that you see running up and down hill are really huge ore hauler trucks, the ones with the tires that are higher than us. We observed two of these guys hauling rocks as we crossed the ‘haul road’ coming up to the top. They crawled their way uphill, dumped the load somewhere, and barreled back down for more..
The picture below is the same pit, looking towards the right hand side. If you look off to the far horizon in both of these pictures you might see the Collegiate Peaks way out there, probably about 70 miles away.
Time to backtrack a bit. When we arrived at the top of the road there was a sign indicating parking for us and another for handicapped. So we parked where we should have and I huffed and puffed up a bunch of stairs to the level where I was able to get the pictures of the pit. I then ambled over to the fence and voila, there she was, waving at me. The town of Victor is in the background. The uphill drive you see is the road to the handicapped parking area, at the same level as I was standing. So, huff and puff down, drive up to the top, and both of us could explore much more of this site.
The starting point for this old time form of mining was the huge head frame. This structure sat over the mine hole. Near by was a large winch assembly with cables going to the top of the eadframe, over a pulley, and down into the hole. The winch was used to put down miners and empty buckets and raise same, with the buckets full of ore. Some of these holes went down as far as 2000 feet.
In this picture you can see a portion of the head frame, the winch assembly (which is too big for Matt’s truck), and some other piece of machinery. If you glance through the bottom of the head frame you will see the top of good old Pike’s Peak, which is less than ten miles from our site here.
This is yet another of the dozens of abandoned head frames in the area. I took this picture as we were able to see a couple of the huge trucks running around the rim of the open pit mine; the present and the past.
We left this immediate area and drove through Victor, which was apparently quite the place a century ago. It is still quite the place, in somewhat of a more negative note. The miners and the money have left and Victor doesn‘t look all that great. We returned to our B& B and decided to take a picture of it for any or all to enjoy. Our room was on the second floor, in the brick building, with the bay window. The building dates back to around 1890..
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