The Mineral Belt Trail

The Mineral Belt Trail is a 12.5 mile paved recreation trail designed for hikers, cyclists, skaters, runners, and skiers that loops around the Leadville, Colorado area through forests, foothills, gulches, and city streets.  Local history is highlighted along the trail, focusing mostly on the mining industry that built the town's fame and sometimes infamy.  Here are some photos from my hike along the trail:

We started the trail near its summit of 10,606 feet above sea level.  Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive can be seen in the background on the left and right respectively.  Beautiful views of the Sawatch Range to the west and the Mosquito Range to the east can be enjoyed anywhere along the trail.

Abandoned mines line the trail.  They look as if they are waiting for their miners to return to work, but awake each morning as isolated and alone as before.

A closer look at the pond from the previous photo.

The Mineral Belt Trail winding into California Gulch, home of the abandoned mines of Meyer Guggenheim.

Many great ghost stories and mining lore come from these abandoned mines - this is one of the haunted ones.  Don't whistle while you work - miner's superstition says whistling drives away the friendly spirits that protect them from the evil ones that lurk deep in the mines.

My favorite story I found along this trail involved two mines that ended up tunneling to the same point underground in the late 1800s.  Only one mine knew they had intercepted a rival mine's tunnel.  Those miners filled a boot with sulphur, lit the boot afire, and left it at the tunnel's point of intersection.  The other mine tunneled completely through, saw the flames, and ran out of the tunnel for their lives - not because they were afraid of the fire, but because they thought they had mined their way to Hell!

Guggenheim's mining operations in California Gulch, 1882.

California Gulch, July 2010.

Mt. Elbert, seen through a grove of lodgepole pine.

Mt. Massive, as seen from the trail.

Panoramic view of the Top of the Rockies - Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive. (click this photo for a slightly larger version)

The Top of the Rockies: Mount Elbert, Elevation 14,440 Feet

The earth's atmospheric air pressure profile takes a negative exponential decrease as height increases, which means less air for your faithful blogger/photographer to breathe - and let's not forget the burning legs and knees as one ascends the highest peaks in all the Rocky Mountains!  Even so, climbing Colorado's 14ers is a grueling and demanding experience that I absolutely loved and enjoyed and I cannot wait to do it again.  Three down, fifty-one to go!

This post exhibits scenes from my first 14er climb: Mount Elbert, elevation 14,440 feet - the highest peak in Colorado and the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains.  It is named for Samuel Hitt Elbert, Governor of the Territory of Colorado (1873-1874) and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Colorado (1879-1883).  Mount Elbert was named by miners after Governor Elbert settled a treaty with the Ute Indians that opened up over three million acres of Indian reservation to mining and railroads.

As this was my first 14er, I was more concerned with making it to the summit rather than snapping plenty of photos - therefore most of the shots I have from my Mt. Elbert climb are from the trailhead or at the summit.  Enjoy!

This photo was taken from the Upper Arkansas River Valley looking towards Mt. Elbert.  The Arkansas River begins in this valley near Leadville, Colorado, and winds southward, eventually turning to the east and emptying into the Mississippi River.

A closer view of Mt. Elbert.  The summit you see in this photo is acutally a 'false summit' - the true summit of Elbert is hidden directly behind the summit seen in this photo.  The North Mt. Elbert Trail generally follows the ridge you see highlighted by the setting sun - you're sucking wind and busting your butt to reach the summit, only to realize you have reached a false summit...what a great feeling! Time to keep moving...

The North Mt. Elbert Trail follows the Colorado Trail for over a mile, then forks to the right; this is the sign marking the way to Elbert's high summit.

Dawn on the Mt. Elbert Trail - the morning sun bleeds through the lodgepole pine.  My dad and I hit the trailhead at about 5:30 AM in order to hit the summit before noon - once the afternoon arrives, the mountains can easily toss up a thunderstorm without any warning.  The last place I want to be during a thunderstorm is exposed above tree line!

And after several hours of hiking, we arrive at the summit of Mt. Elbert - the Top of the Rockies! The two posts on the right mark the highest point.

The plastic container in the center of the photo contains the summit log...

And there we are!  Proof we did it.  As if the photos were not enough.

I was amazed how much energy all these dogs had on the summit as I was catching my breath!

Me on top of the world! Well, at least this part of the world.  I own you, Elbert!

A quick look back at the trail making its way to the summit.

View of Leadville (left-center) and the Arkansas River Valley from the summit of Elbert.

Mt. Elbert summit and approaching storm - just a couple more minutes of snapping photos before we need to get off the summit!

View to the north - Mt. Massive (14,421 ft), second highest peak in Colorado and the Rockies, is on the left, Lake Turquoise can bee seen on the right.

View to the east - the Mosquito Range of the Rockies in the background, snow atop Elbert in the foreground!  In July!

View to the southeast - Twin Lakes in the center, Mosquito Range on the left, and the foothills of the Sawatch/Collegiate Peaks Range on the right.

View to the south - Mt. Elbert's southern ridge is in the foreground/left, while the background is filled with a panoramic view of the southern Sawatch Range/Collegiate Peaks Range.  The tallest peak in the center of the photo is La Plata Peak (14,368 ft), the fifth highest peak in Colorado and the Rockies.

View to the west - the Rocky Mountains flood the panoramic view to the west, never-ending with human sight.  This view never gets old!

One last look at Mt. Massive with the summit-post in the foreground before the storm arrives.

Safely back at the trailhead, mission accomplished - my first 14er!  I cannot express in words what a HUGE deal this was for me.  Climbing a 14er is something I have wanted to do for a VERY long time, and pushing myself through this physical event is a memory I will hold close to my heart for the rest of my life, especially having done this with my father.

Independence Pass

Traveling through Colorado will likely require you to cross at least one or two of the state's high mountain passes.  Independence Pass is the highest mountain pass in Colorado crossed by a paved highway, with a summit of 12,095 feet above sea level.

This satellite imagery courtesy of Google Maps shows Colorado State Highway 82 traversing a portion of the Sawatch Range, reaching its highest elevation at Independence Pass.  Note the snake-like path the highway takes as it climbs along the mountain sides, switchbacking to the summit of the pass in the center of the image.  From this image and the following photos you can see why this road is closed to truckers and large vehicles and closed to all traffic from the first heavy snow in the fall until late May.

Yellow caution signs dot the shoulder of Highway 82 warning drivers of sharp curves, steep climbs, and the lack of a road shoulder.  (Side note: let's be honest - in Missouri and Illinois, one can typically take curves at speeds faster than the engineers post on the caution signs.  Not true out here; if a Colorado engineer posts 10 MPH on a sign, you better go 10 MPH!)

Independence Pass was originally a hunting ground for Ute Indian tribes as they traversed the Sawatch Range (the highest mountain range of the Rockies).  As white settlers developed the region, the pass as we know it today began to form as a stagecoach route between the mines of the Aspen, Colorado area west of the pass and the more developed mining towns east of the pass such as Leadville and Buena Vista.  More history of the area can be found at the Independence Pass Foundation website.

As seen in the photo above, Independence Pass boasts tight switchbacks and a steep grade of 6% to 6.5% on both sides of the pass.  This means that for every horizontal mile, the road makes a vertical climb of about 343 feet!

Caution signs warning drivers of a sharp curve and cliff border this view back to the east of the valley that Highway 82 has just passed through.  The distant mountain in the center is La Plata Peak, the fifth highest peak in Colorado.  Still climbing...

And finally at the summit!  Here we see our Intrepid Explorer and his trusty companion Murphy resting on the Continental Divide - the Atlantic watershed before us, the Pacific watershed behind us.

Over 12,000 feet above sea level means you are located well above tree line - the climate here is unable to sustain tree growth.  This view of the alpine tundra faces to the west.

Another view of the tundra at Independence Pass.  This ecosystem is extremely fragile and cannot handle sustained human foot traffic like many of the natural areas in the Midwest.

La Plata Peak (14,368 ft) as seen from Independence Pass, shadowed by clouds.

Even in July snow is able to survive well above tree line as seen in the foreground of this photo.  This view shows the eastern approach of Highway 82 as it climbs and switchbacks to the summit of Independence Pass.

A peak located immediately north of the summit of Independence Pass.

A view of a pond and surrounding alpine tundra environment immediately west of the Independence Pass summit.

Bluebells in the surrounding alpine tundra.

Although the conditions here are harsh - dry and very cold a majority of the year - the alpine tundra is able to show off a lush green landscape.

Colorado, July 2010

After spending two and a half weeks in "Colorful Colorado," I am now ready to begin posting photos from my trip.  Today I will post a few preview photos and will soon follow up with posts that chronicle my mountaineering adventures and exploratory hikes!

Abandoned one-room schoolhouse located just south of Leadville, Colorado with Mount Massive in the background.  Mount Massive of the Sawatch Range is the second highest peak in Colorado and the second highest peak in the Rocky Mountains with an elevation of 14,428 feet above sea level.  Mt. Massive is one of three "14ers" I climbed on this trip.

View to the west from a saddle located immediately below the summit of Mt. Massive.

This is me taking in the view of the Upper Arkansas River Valley from the summit of Mt. Massive.

One of MANY abandoned mines surrounding the city of Leadville.  Leadville is famous for being one of the great mining "boom towns" of the late 19th century, producing most notably large amounts of gold and silver, along with many other varieties of ores.  Leadville is also the highest incorporated city in the nation with an elevation of 10,152 feet above sea level - the "Two Mile High City" (just to compare, the city of Saint Louis sits at a mere 465 feet above sea level).

Leadville boasts many homes and buildings of varying bold colors - I will be devoting a post entirely to "Leadville Color."

Rocky Mountain Columbine - Colorado state flower and my favorite.  This rare flower only grows in the harsh conditions of high elevations, typically nearby flowing waters.  I found these columbine along the La Plata Peak Trail (elevation 14,368 feet), another one of the three 14ers I climbed on this trip.

Marmota flaviventris, also known as the Yellow-bellied Marmot - this guy is a relative to what we call "woodchucks" and "groundhogs" in the eastern U.S.  I made friends with him along the La Plata Peak Trail.

Sign on the Colorado Trail marking the fork in the trail that takes you to the highest peak of the Sawatch Range, the highest peak in Colorado, and the highest peak of the Rocky Mountains: Mount Elbert, elevation 14,440 feet above sea level.  Another one of the three 14ers I climbed on this trip.

My addition to the log that is kept on the summit of Mt. Elbert.

A ranch in the Upper Arkansas River Valley with majestic Mt. Elbert in the background.


Keep checking back to this blog regularly for more photos from my trip!  It may take me a while to find my favorite photos from the over 700 shots I took on the trip...