Our good hiking friend Brad Post got excited when we bought our new 4Runner. He wanted to take us 4-Wheeling. We packed up the car and headed up towards Tincup Pass, an easy Jeep road that we could cut our teeth on. After the camping and driving, we dropped into Crested Butte to visit Lisa's sister, while Brad and company headed back over Hancock Pass.
Lisa, Lonny, and Brad Brian, showing off the rock that we decided we didn't want to drive over On our way up to Pomeroy Lake, we came across this stretch of road, and thought better of taking the vehicles any farther, so we just stopped and had lunch.Brian, showing the first rock to cause minor body damage to the 4Runner (crushed running board) Of course, this innocuous looking rock caused the first (and only) body damage to the vehicle when the tire slid off of the rock.Stopping for lunch below the Pomeroy Lakes The Allie Bellie Mine Apparently, a large boulder rolled through the back of this building. How it ended up at this angle is anyone"s guess!Brad and Andrew gathering dryish wood Andrew making himself useful Lonny and Andrew Lisa, after having getting hit by Brian (who was killing a mosquito)...Brad going in for another kill Brian, finally splitting a log after much effort Everyone enjoying their fire-roasted corn Eating corn by the campfire Relaxing by a campfire Time-lapse + green laser = fun A green laser swept through smoke Wildflowers in the morning Sunrise, captured by Lonny Lisa, caught mid-cough Brian driving up Tincup Pass Just below the summit of Tincup Pass Brad saw a potentially tricky spot, so he and I got out to scope out the rock. The clouds made for an eerie morning.Shari, staying warm in the car The summit of Tincup Pass Brian, navigating the 4Runner through a stream crossing Driving into Taylor Park, the Collegiate Peaks in the distance View from the summit of Cumberland Pass It's practically a Toyota ad! A water tank on the way up to the Alpine Tunnel Part of the old Denver, South Park and Pacific railbed Brad and Shari examine what's left of the caved in Alpine Tunnel The Alpine Tunnel was the first tunnel crossing of the Continental Divide in North America.Brian and Lisa at the Alpine Tunnel The Alpine Tunnel from farther away Excavation of the Alpine Tunnel, which became the first tunnel ever constructed through the North American Continental Divide, began in January 1880 and was expected to be finished in only six months. However, due to unforeseen circumstances, the task required nearly two years to complete. Fractured granite necessitated the expense of using over 400,000 board feet of California redwood to support and encase 1,427 feet of the 1,772 foot long Tunnel
Train service through the Alpine Tunnel began in June of 1882 and was terminated in November of 1910.The Alpine Tunnel railway station The Alpine Tunnel grade road View that the Alpine Tunnel route ascended (you can see the stretch of green along the righthand valley wall) The 4Runner The Post's Landcruiser crossing the Palisades Next to spectacular cliffs, the road crosses a narrow man-made terrace known as the "Palisades". The ledge is supported by a wall of hand cut native stones, two feet thick by 33 feet high and 425 feet long. The entire wall was dry laid without the use of mortar. A tribute to its talented builders, the wall remains today in the same relative condition as when first constructed in 1881.The 4Runner, before crossing the Palisades Tomichi Pass, as seen from Hancock Pass Brad heading up Hancock pass without us Mt. Crested Butte The Elk and Ruby ranges, from Mt. Crested Butte A ground squirrel eating a carrot that a school kid gave him A ground squirrel eating a carrot that a school kid gave him Another friendly ground squirrel A fox up on Mt. Crested Butte Gothic Mountain A field of wildflowers outside of Crested Butte A field of wildflowers outside of Crested Butte Lauri Dinner at the Secret Stash Rainbow on Mt. Crested Butte Taylor Park Taylor Park Cottonwood Pass at Sunset Sun setting on the backside of Mt. Princeton Cottonwood Pass at Sunset Lisa, Lonny, and Brad Brian, showing off the rock that we decided we didn't want to drive over Brian, showing the first rock to cause minor body damage to the 4Runner (crushed running board) Stopping for lunch below the Pomeroy Lakes The Allie Bellie Mine Brad and Andrew gathering dryish wood Andrew making himself useful Lonny and Andrew Lisa, after having getting hit by Brian (who was killing a mosquito)...Brad going in for another kill Brian, finally splitting a log after much effort Everyone enjoying their fire-roasted corn Eating corn by the campfire Relaxing by a campfire Time-lapse + green laser = fun A green laser swept through smoke Wildflowers in the morning Sunrise, captured by Lonny Lisa, caught mid-cough Brian driving up Tincup Pass Just below the summit of Tincup Pass Shari, staying warm in the car The summit of Tincup Pass Brian, navigating the 4Runner through a stream crossing Driving into Taylor Park, the Collegiate Peaks in the distance View from the summit of Cumberland Pass It's practically a Toyota ad! A water tank on the way up to the Alpine Tunnel Part of the old Denver, South Park and Pacific railbed Brad and Shari examine what's left of the caved in Alpine Tunnel Brian and Lisa at the Alpine Tunnel The Alpine Tunnelm from farther away The Alpine Tunnel railway station The Alpine Tunnel grade road View that the Alpine Tunnel route ascended (you can see the stretch of green along the righthand valley wall) The 4Runner The Post's Landcruiser crossing the Palisades The 4Runner, before crossing the Palisades Tomichi Pass, as seen from Hancock Pass Brad heading up Hancock pass without us Mt. Crested Butte The Elk and Ruby ranges, from Mt. Crested Butte A ground squirrel eating a carrot that a school kid gave him A ground squirrel eating a carrot that a school kid gave him Another friendly ground squirrel A fox up on Mt. Crested Butte Gothic Mountain A field of wildflowers outside of Crested Butte A field of wildflowers outside of Crested Butte Lauri Dinner at the Secret Stash Rainbow on Mt. Crested Butte Taylor Park Taylor Park Cottonwood Pass at Sunset Sun setting on the backside of Mt. Princeton Cottonwood Pass at Sunset
