Leftover Colorado, part seven (July 2013)

Written by ceddammit

Happy New Year, and my profound sympathy to all of you who made the mistake of flying on Southwest Airlines this holiday season. I had enough trouble with Southwest last fall; I shudder to think what it would have been like had there been THOUSANDS of canceled flights to compound the issue. At least I got a voucher for a couple free flights out of the deal – Omaha, here I come!

Now, let’s proceed with ThrowBack Thursday! After my visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, I transferred my base of operations from a hotel in Montrose to a motel in the town of Gunnison. This town was once served by two railroads: the Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW); and the Denver, South Park, & Pacific (DSP&P). To get from South Park to Gunnison, these railroads had to cross the Continental Divide. D&RGW did so at Monarch Pass, the route used today by U.S. Highway 50. DSP&P utilized the Alpine Tunnel. This tunnel was not very long (only about 1/3 of a mile), but at 11,523 feet in elevation, it was (and still is) the highest train tunnel in North America. My plans for this day were to drive up to the west portal of the tunnel, then visit a couple of old mining towns on the way back down to Gunnison. There were actually quite a few railroad service buildings at the west end of the tunnel, some of which are in ruins, while others have been restored. So, I got to see the tunnel complex, and not just the tunnel itself. Pictures are below:

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

Scenery at Alpine Tunnel complex
Scenery at Alpine Tunnel complex
Scenery at Alpine Tunnel complex
There was still snow and ice in the “cut” leading to the west portal, on July 5th.
Re-constructed turntable (but no microphone)
The railroad grade leading to the Alpine Tunnel was converted to automobile use long ago.
A very short section of track has been rebuilt, complete with original switch!
Restored depot at the Alpine Tunnel complex
Remnants of antiquity
More remnants of antiquity
Ruins of a railroad service building at Alpine Tunnel
I believe this was the engine house (repair garage for steam locomotives)
I believe this was the engine house.
The road (formerly the railroad) passing through the Alpine Tunnel complex

Yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) had taken over at least one of the buildings at the complex. I valiantly tried to drive them away by getting uncomfortably close with my camera, but they stood their ground, giving me what is undoubtedly my best wildlife photography to date! Lookie here:

Marmots have claimed this structure for themselves.
Get a little closer…
…don’t be shy…
…get a little closer…
…with Arrid Extra Dry (TM).
Up close and personal with a marmot
I also managed to snap a pic of the ever elusive Pika (Ochotona princeps).
And another Pika!

After having fun harassing the wildlife, I started the drive back down to the aforementioned mining towns. I encountered more enjoyable scenery along the way…

The Alpine Tunnel is cool and all, but it’s not the real reason I drove up here. I primarily came here for…The Palisades, a once-famous stretch where the railroad clung to the side of a cliff. I’m glad I took this time to visit, as I got to experience navigating my car across the Palisades, and I’m told this is no longer possible due to a rock slide. Anywho, here’s what the Palisades looked like back in the day (1880 – 1910)…

…and what the Palisades looked like when I visited in 2013…

Upper ‘entrance’ to the Palisades at left
Upper left: Palisades.
Lower right: Another stretch of the same road
Looking up at the Palisades
The retaining wall forming the Palisades stretch of the railroad – built 1880.
A view from the Palisades
The former railroad grade that forms the Palisades

On the way back down to Gunnison, there are two old mining towns worth a look. These are not true ghost towns, as they are still inhabited. They just aren’t as populated as they once were. The first of these two towns is Pitkin:

Note the gas pumps visible through the building
Early form of tow truck?

The last stop of the day was Ohio City, Colorado. Observe:

City Hall – built 1906
Wow! A paved road!
Someone used to call this place home.

That’s it for this week’s ThrowBack Thursday. Come back next week for the FINAL installment of my 2013 Leftover Colorado tour! This last leg of the tour was mostly about the town of Creede and the nearby mining areas. Do the names Bob and Charlie Ford ring any bells?

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