Ted's Colorado Tour Notes

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This site is provided by Ted Amenta, Breckenridge Ski School ski instructor,
available for private ski instruction upon request.

The following contains portions of tour commentary notes I use on the road between Albuquerque New Mexico and Denver Colorado.

The whole tour runs as follows:

Day 1 : Albuquerque.
Day 2 : Santa Fe.
Day 3 : Taos, Durango.
Day 4 : Mesa Verde Nat'l Park.
Day 5 : Silverton, Grand Junction.
Day 6 : Aspen, Vail.
Day 7 : Summit County, Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park, Estes Park.
Day 8 : Denver, Colorado Springs.

COLORADO NATIONAL PARKS TOUR NOTES

Altitude Sickness

Generally above 8000 ft. Severe involves fluid in lungs, look for heavy flem coughing. Otherwise shortness of breath, dizziness, and nausea, nothing major. Sit 'em down give 'em water.
Prevention: Avoid booze, caffeine, smoking, and physical exertion. Load up on water, carbos, vitamins (C), and rest.

Day 1

Albuquerque - "Queen City of the Rio Grande", "Unckle Sam's Town"

Metro Pop. 500,000 (35,000 prior to WWII)
N.M. area = New England
Per capita income $17,758. Avg. home $114,000
Hi Tech Industry, Intel chip plant.
Sunny 80%, Avg. day 70 deg., Avg. night 45 deg.
Oldest wine region in U.S.
On Rio Grande: Follows fault line, Tex / Mex Border.
Oldest continously inhabited area in U.S.
2nd oldest township behind St. Augustine Fla.
1st weekend of Sept. worlds largest ballone festival.
Sandia Man (25,000 yrs ago), Folsom Man (10,000 yrs ago), Anasazi (2,000 yrs ago), Pueblos (Present).
Folsom man: known from "folsom points" found in long since extinct post-glacial bison.
1540 Spanish conquistadors, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado looking for seven cities of Cibola (mythical golden cities). Adobe looks golden at sunrise and sunset.
1706 Established by Governor Francisco Cuervo y Vldez. Lacked 30 families needed for official villa, had 18, lied and declared 35. Named for duke of Albuquerque (Spanish province), Viceroy Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva of Spain who had power to decide.
1821 Mexico won independence from Spain, New Mexico part.
1846 war with U.S., tready of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed 1848. New Mexico ceded to U.S. Begin major migration from east.
1880 (Apr. 22) Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe R.R. makes first stop. Originally no stop planed, local business owners bribed R.R officials with $1 land deal.
With growth cam typical frontier town social problems.
1889 U. of N.M. came, businesses upset, wanted prision.
1912 NM 47th state.
1915 gaining reputation as "the heart of get well country". Dry thin air good for TB. St. Joesphs Sanatorium one of nations premier facilities.
1920s Great Depression. As gateway to Calif along Rt. 66 suffered less than most.
1941 Kirkland Field 1st of many military bases and related business which continue to drive economy.
Sandia Peak Tram: Worlds longest unsupported tram ride. Runs over Domingo Baca Canyon, 2.7 mi. long, 4,500 ft. vetrical rise, top @ 10,378 ft., pass through 4 of 7 life zones. Like going to Alaska in 20 min.
Sandia spanish for watermelon. Can see Manzano (apple) mountains in distance. Ski area down back (east) side.

Day 2

The Turquoise Trail

Runs parallel to highway on Rt 14. Three major towns (Cerrillos, Madrid, Golden). Cerrillos: spanish for hills, mined turquoise and other precious metals, now ghost town. Madrid: mined coal (had minor league baseball team), now artisan community. Golden: site of first gold rush west of Mississippi.

Santa Fe

Oldest capitol city in U.S., founded 1610.
Used by Spanish primarly to bring Catholic religion to Pueblos.
1680 Pueblos rebelled and set fire to town, colonists hid inside the Palace of the Governors (where we stay!)
1692 Diego de Vargas recaptured town after minor resistance. Celebrated as Las Fiestas de Santa Fe every September since 1712.
1821 Mexico won independence from Spain, New Mexico part.
Under Spanish rule could only trade with other Spanish.
With independence cam ability to trade freely.
1846 war with U.S., treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo singed 1848. New Mexico ceded to U.S. Begin major migration from the East.
1869 St. Francis Cathedral begun, finished 17 years later, now contains statue "La Conquistadora" of Virgin Mary which de Vargas said brought him luck battle with Pueblos to regain town. Paraded through streets in June
All buildings must be in Adobe style.

Day 3

Taos

Located on plateau separating Rio Grande river from Sangre de Cristos mtns.
Secluded nature of area protected Taos pueblos from enemies (Comanche, Ute, Spanish). Santa Fe rebellion of 1680 planed and launched from here.
1848 two artists arrive, Edward and Richard Kern, stayed briefly but are credited with being the first artists of Taos.
50 years later Bert Phillips and Ernest Blumenschein got stuck with a broken wagon wheel. Stayed to form Taos School for artists.
1915 Taos Society of Artists formed.
Now artist community of 4,500 supported by tourism.
Look for "recycled" homes built into ground, made from old tires and cans.
Taos ski area one of most challenging in U.S.

Taos Pueblo (Elevation 7,500 ft.)

Much Pueblo history forbidden knowledge for white man.
Most construction between 1000 and 1450 A.D.
Made entirely of adobe (mud, straw, and timber).
Approx. 150 live here year round.
90% Catholic (yet also practice native religion), San Geronimo Chapel completed in 1850.
Blue (Shipapu) lake on reservation is where life is believed to have come from. Returned too people in 1970.
Tourism (art, craft, and food sales) support Taos Pueblo.
No electricity or running water allowed.
Tell People!: fee for cameras, observe restricted area signs, don't enter bld. unless obviously a shop, ask before taking Pueblo' picture,, stay out of river.

Indians/Pueblo

Named by Spanish for villages they lived in, "house dweller". 19 pueblos in NM. 300,000/yr visit. Most pueblos speak own language only.
Acoma Pueblo oldest continuously inhabited community in U.S., since 800 AD.
Family structure Metronomic (women wore the pants).
Because of mild climate and abundance of food, took games and recreation very seriously. Men competed in racing, lacrosse, etc. Women played more indoor games and watched.
Spanish wanted as slaves, English wanted to convert, French wanted trade. All justified behavior with myth as discoverers of new land and native people primitive.
Believed emerged from underworld through shipapu lake (near Taos)
Told to wander, aided by kachinas (Kokopelli, "Lizard Man", etc) and the Great Spirit.
Corn staple of diet.
Adobe housing, made of mud and grass, up to 800 room condos.
Came to Rio Grand area as one people (Anasazi?), were so prosperous had to spread out but Great Spirit reminded them they were one people.
Hopi went West (Arizona), pueblo people but unique history last 400 yr.
One of most successful Indian's at retaining culture and way of life.
Not as prone to violence as others (Navajo) despite rebellions of 1680 and 1696.

Indians/General

Some thought Indians were descended from 10 lost tribes of Israel, Atlantis, Noah's Ark.
Now thought of as vestiges of past, media portrays "noble savage" or "wild Indian".
U.S. government has treated as a conquered people who could be treated a it saw fit. Two general approaches; "civilize them", and ignore them and let white society dominate their life.
Hundreds of tribes with different languages etc. now share collective identity as a result of common experience w/ Whitey.
With Louisiana Purchase, Thomas Jefferson thought plenty of land for everyone.
Andrew Jackson's "Trail of Tears" forced march in 1830's. Only time in U.S. history President has ignored Supreme Court ruling. See KB gatlinburg notes.
By 1871 most ancestral land exchanged for reservations and welfare.
1877 General Allotment Act divided reservations into individual farming plots of 120 or less acres. Surplus sold, Indians not allowed to sell their portion. 90 Million acres taken.
Since 1950s Fed. turning problem over to states who have long wanted Indian land for own use.
Pictograph = drawing, Petroglyph = etching.
Kokopelli: Dancing hunchback flute player. Seen in ruins from 200 A.D. to Spanish arrival. Several roles; fertility (women and land), festival. Hump carried seeds, blankets, and babies. Flute called rain and lead dance. Often seen chasing women. Sometimes with bow or antennae or long nose instead of flute. Hump figures always posess supernatural powers.
Lizard Man: Humped back serves as a bridge to spirit world.

Colorado

Is spanish for "red rocks" or "red earth".
8th largest state @ 103,598 sq. mi., 2 x New York, 10 x New Hampshire.
Pop. 3,307,912. Denver capitol and largest city.
Highest point 14,433 ft. @ Mt. Elbert South of Aspen. 54 peaks over 14,000 ft. One club climbs a different peak each weekend.
1541 first european explorers with Cornando, little influence.
1776 Francisco Antanasio Dominguez & Silvestre Velez de Escalante did first mapping expedition through Colorado looking for route between missions of New Mexico and California. Named many areas including San Juan and Sangre de Cristo Mtns. Went as far as Jrand Junction.
1803 Thomas Jefferson makes Louisana purchace from Napoleon for $15 million. Colorado a part.
1806 Zebulon Pike first American to explore what was bought here.
1820 Pres. James Monroe sent Major Stephen Long on similar mission further north.
1858 first gold found near Denver
1861 Colorado Established as a Kansas territory.
Early history marked by clashes with indians.
1864 Sand Creek Massacre: Col. John Chivington wiped out Cheyenne village near Kansas border. 500 inhabitants including women and children killed although they were on land the Fed told them to be on and despite the raising of both a white and american flag. Chivington court-martialed but never convicted.
1870s R.R. tracks laid with stations every 100 mi.
1893 silver demonetized. Areas like crested butte continued mining coal.
Great tension between mine owners and workers followed crash, Nat'l Gaurd called in to break up riots. "mysterious explosions"
1914 United Mine Workers Union formed.
WWI short boon as investors sought precious metals and domestic food demand up. Then depression hit hard.
WWII: military bases and uranium mining (Grand Junction).
Most recent growth in tourism and recreation. 10 mill. skier visits/yr.
Summer 1990 voters approved limited stakes gambling in Black Hawk, Centeral City, and Cripple Creek. 1st bets placed Oct. '91.

Four Corners Area

Only place four states touch: CO, NM, UT, AR. Navajo 12 mill acre reservation.

Pagosa Springs

Ute for "healing waters". Temp. avg. 153 F.
1866 Utes and Navajo dispute over land rights. Decided t settlein single dual. Scotsman Albert Henry Pfieffer (friend of Kit Carson) fought for Utes and won with his bowie knife.
1880 Springs and surrounding area claimed by U.S. no natives allowed.
Fairfield Pagosa Resort on west side exclusive golf resort.

Chimmney Rock

Thought to be site of ancient and great religious significance.
Artifacts from southern Aztecs and some Pacific tribes.
11th century dwellings might have housed 2,000 (possibly priests).
Also possible trade center, again several tribes from all over had clearly been here

Durango

Pop. = 12,400, Elevation = 6,512
Adjacent to San Juan Nat'l forest.
Born from Denver & Rio Grande R.R., which bypassed Animas (2,000 w/ a newspaper) just 2 mi. North, in 1879. Animas soon died. Animas river runs through town.
1880 had 2,500 people and 500 buildings.
Was major supply center for San Juan mining camps. Rowdy mining town.
Silver Crash of 1893 killed town until tourism took over with interest in Mesa Verde.
Durango & Silverton R.R. started moving PAX in 1980s, spawned further tourist trade.

Day 4

Mancos (Pop. 870, Elv. 6,993)

Always been a ranching community.
Free camping @ Boyle & Mancos parks.
Dude ranch tourism @ Echo Basin...

Mesa Verde

Means "Green Mountain". 80 sq. mi. rising 1,600 ft. above plains.
1874 first sited and photographed by William Henry Jackson on U.S. geological survey (part of Hayden Survey Party) .
1880 Virgin Danaghe McClurg, NY journalist, found Balcony House.
Main Anasazi ruins discovered Dec. 18, 1888 by Richard Wetherhill and Charlie Mason, ranchers from Mason valley looking for stray cattle.
Wetherhill and family took thousands of artifacts, most of which were sold to Co. St. Historical Society, displayed @ Chicago World Fair 1893.
No laws preventing looting of ruins, much lost and destroyed.
By 1906 heavily looted, Theo Roosevelt created Nat'l Park. Only one dedicated to works of Man (Anasazi).
Over 4,000 discovered ruin sites (~600 cliff dwellings) in 80 square miles.
Elevation range 6,500 to 8,500 ft.

Indians/Anasazi

Anasazi is Navajo for "ancient ones, foreigners, or enemies" depending on translation.
Arrived to area ~500 A.D., left ~1250 A.D., not known why.
Theories include: exceeded carrying capacity of land, used it up! Disease, War, and superstition (were in process of building "Sun Temple", drought, and "mini ice age."
At first lived in pit houses which got more and more advanced (ventilation, separate space for different uses, sturdiness etc.) Then around 750 A.D. moved to cliff dwellings, very similar to adobe we have seen. Stone towers suggest need for look outs.
Thought to have come from South (Rio Grande Valley) due to over crowding of highly successful farming (corn, grains, squash, etc) and hunting.
Some cliff dwellings had 400 rooms and may have housed 5,000 people.
Had special "kivas" for religious ceremony. Built into ground, possibly symbolic of belief they came from Mother Earth. "Sun Temple" suggests later beliefs involved astronomy, not finished.
Mostly short (5 ft. or less), died young (30 yrs. or sooner)

Indians/Utes

Utes arrive 1,500 yrs ago. Stuck mostly to the mountains hunting elk, deer, moose, sheep, etc. until discovered horses. Then went for plains buffalo & clashed with Comanches and Arapahos.
Only tribe native to Colorado?.
Probably lived in mountains to avoid plains indians (Cheyenne, Comanche, Arapaho).
1879 Meeker Massacre: Nathan Meeker killed when he confined Utes and told them to farm, then used U.S. troops cut irrigation ditch across their horse track. Utes then forced to Utah reservation, .

Day 5

Durango & Silverton R.R.

Track Width info:
Part of Denver & Rio Grand R.R. line.
Continuous operation since 1882, runs 45 miles.
May to Oct. 200,000 PAX moved on coal burning trains (tell Pax to wear dark grubbies and not to rub against outside of cars). 3 hr. each way w/ 2 hr. lunch layover.
Durango link completed Aug 5, 1881. Silverton July, 1882.
Estimated $300,000 in ore (mostly silver, some gold, copper, etc.) was transferred along this track.
Still use authentic coal engines from 1925 or earlier, many cars built in 1880.
Follows along animas river.
Sit left, right has best views.

Silverton

So named because silver was removed by the ton, legend has it.
Baker declared "may not have gold, but we have silver by the ton".
Charles Baker had first strike 1860.
Trouble with Utes and Civil War put damper on mining briefly.
Purchased from Ute's 1873 in Brunot Treaty singed by chief Uray. Named Baker's Park. By end of year 1,500 claims staked.
Similar roller coaster growth as other mining towns.
Blair Street: notorious for saloons and brothels. First "redlight district" as R.R. engineers hung their lanterns outside to let others know where they were. (See "Bordellos of Blair St.")
Bat Masterson from dodge city hired to clean up town.
By 1918, $65 million in silver hauled out. Mining so rich did better than most after crash.
Tourism began in late 1950s with filming of several movies including "Night Passage" and "Maverick Queen".
Last mine (Sunnyside) closed 1991, 118 yrs. after discovery. Accessed by American Tunnel built in 1959, could get to mine from below. 1978 mine too close to lake Emma which broke through. Nobody hurt.

Million Dollar Highway

Runs through San Juan county which has highest mean elevation of any in U.S.
Follows Otto Mear's (1880s) toll road for oar shipping.
Reasons for name?: Paved with gold laden gravel, "I wouldn't do that again for $1,000,000. Very expensive road to build.

Ouray (Pop. 700, Elevation 7,800 ft.)

Named for Ute Chief who signed Brunot tready, lies in center of his territory. Wife was Chipeta. Were removed 1881.
Marks end of million dollar highway.
Know as "Little Switzerland". Victoriann Style.
Have several hot springs.
Inc. fall of 1876. Similar historyto other mining towns
1896 (after crash) carpenter Thomas S Walsh found gold in Camp Bird silver mine, bought for $20,000 by 1910 had produced $26 million.

Ridgeway (Pop. 370 Elv. 6900 ft.)

1881 R.R. arrive, supply town, R.R. 1951.
"True Grit" filmed here.

Montrose

During last 19th century supply paint for miners, now ranching, farming and recreational tourism.
1873 Oliver D. Pappy Loutsenhizer with Alfred Packard looking for gold. Chief Ouray urged to leave. "Pappy" did, Packard pushed south and later convicted of cannibalizing 5 of his party that winter. CU campus in Boulder has Alfred Packard cafeteria.
1881 Pappy returns with Joseph Selig. Named town Pamona for Roman goddess of fruit. Changed to Montrose after a duchess in a Walter Scott novel.
1822 R.R. arrives.
1904-1909 building of Gunnison Diversion Tunnel. Dedicated by Pres. Taft.

Gunnison

Named for Capt. John Gunnison, surveyor arrived Sept. 8 th, 1853, set camp, Utes killed Oct. 25. Utes the removed to Los Pinos Indian Agency.
1963 Crested Butte opens, STEEP slopes.

Grand Mesa

Largest flat top mountain in the world.
Tops out at 10,000 ft., 5,000 ft. above Grand Junction. Area=50 sq.mi.
Over 200 lakes, 15 campgrounds.
Like all mesas in N.A. slope south.
Result of hard rock (granite) on top, soft rock (sand stone) below.
"Book Cliffs" named by John Wesley, early river explorer sent to see what has been bought in the Louisana Purchase. Blackish greyness of cliffs show Manacos Shale (form coal).

Colorado National Monument

Nat'l Park takes act of Congress, Nat'l Monument takes Pres. signature.
John Otto 1907: "I came here last year and found these canyons, and they felt like the heart of the world to me. I am going to stay to promote this place because it should be a Nat'l Park.
1911 Pres taft signs park into being.
Otto works as park care taker untill 1927 for $1/mo.
Rimrock drive, 23 mi, built by CCCers during Great Deression.
1933 9 killed by blasting accident in tunnel near balancing rock.
Pictures of specific rock formations and descriptions in "Rimrock Drive" book.

Grand Junction (pop. 30,000, elv. 4,590 ft.)

1853, after Escalante & Co., John Freemont & John Gunnison explored looking for X-country R.R. route.
1st settled 1881 once Utes gone, incorporated same year w/ 150.
W/in 4 months irrigation projects began for farming.
Denver & Rio Grande R.R. arrived 1882, big growth.
Largest town between Denver, Salt Lake and Alburqurque.
Irrigation of valley allowed farming, main concentration of Co. vineyards on Rt. 70 going east.
Named for intersection of Colorado and Gunnison river.
Colorado river used to be named Grand river but was changed to Colorado in late night legislative session when it was discovered that Utah had planned to name it the Utah river.
One of world's richest areas in terms of dinosaur fossil finds. Largest land animal "Ultrasaurs" found here. Bottom of belly would clear bus.
Rich in Uranium deposits, boom in post WWII decade, then bust as miners left in '60s, now exists as shipping hub and tourist destination.

Day 6

Travel along Colorado River, look for rafters, etc.
Irrigation of valley allowed farming, main concentration of Co. vineyards on Rt. 70 going east.
Mountains to left rich in manacos shale. No economical and/or environmentally safe way to extract.
Rifle (Exit 87): Named so because early map maker left rifle behind, marked "rifle" on map so he could go back for it, forgot to remove reminder when turned map in.

Glenwood Springs (Pop. 6,000, Elv. 5,750 ft.)

First called Yampah Springs by Utes.
World's largest natural hot springs, over 1 million gallons @ 124 F.
Vapor caves @ 115 F.
Many who work in Aspen live here, Many who live in Aspen shop here.
1st white was a sick Capt. Richard Sopris brought here by Utes (1860s) .
1880 John Landis arrived and claimed as personal property.
1885 Walter Devereux, Aspen Miner, bought and inc. as Glenwood Springs.
D.&R.G R.R. arrived 1887. 1888 springs concreted. 1893 Hotel Colorado.
Hotel Colorado: Teddy Roosevelt set up "Western Whitehouse". Empty handed after bear hunt. Maids gave him stuffed bear. Press dubbed Teddy's Bear..., Vanderbilts and Astors also frequented here.
Polo local pastime, local teams dominated national competitions.
Championship trophies displayed in Frontier Historical Museum.
Things slowed a bit until Aspen ski areas opened.

Aspen

Family of 1940s, Paepckes (Walter & Elizabeth), Aspen Idea (complete life...rec, art, festival, etc). Liz died 1993.
Utes first in roaring fork valley. Elk, deer, Buffalo (summer).
Only tribe native to Co.(?) Isolated by choice.
1879 Ouray treaty, prospectors through Independence Pass (12,095ft.) from Leadville.
First called Ute City by Henry Gillespie, major mine holder. Went back east to drum up support for post office.
1880 B. Clark Wheeler did first survey & changed name in to Aspen in Gillespie's absence for trees.
Ute story of aspens: shake because refused to bow before the Gods.
1883 Jerome B. Wheeler (no relation), rich guy from N.Y. came in on day trip from the springs. Bought out several mines, built bank and smelter, annual production to $1.25 million.
1889 Hotel Jerome & Wheeler Opera House built. Wild town, wild women!
Hotel Jerome: 93 rooms including 50 suits. Rates from $160/night to $1650/night.
R.R. arrived in 1887, by 1892 annual silver $9.3 mill by 12,000 people (then 3rd largest town in state).
1893 crash when Congress demonetized silver & made gold standard.
Those who stayed ranched & farmed. Pop 700 @ start of WWI (250 in 1930)
1936 skiing "prospectors" , William Fisk (U.S bobsledder) & Ted Williams (rich guy from the East) formed Highland-Bavarian Corp.
Got Andre Roch as first ski patrol (swiss).
Liked above treeline skiing, made Roch's run to town 1937.
Liz first skied 1939.
1940s focused on both racing promotion and glamour of town.
1958 Buttermilk and Aspen Highlands opened, '67 Snomass.
Aspen (expert), Buttermilk (teaching), Snomass (gapers).
WWII 10th Mountaineers Friedl Pfeiffer, Bill Dunaway, Fritz Benedict, trained here.
Pfeiffer came back to partner up w/ Walt to form Aspen Skiing Corp (best ski school pay in the country!).
1990 avg. house price $1.16 million, cheapest >1000 sq. ft. for $365,000.
Located in White River Nat'l Park in roaring fork valley.

Leadville

Highest town in U.S. (10,152 ft.), Pop. 3,900.
In valley between Co. 2 highest peaks (Mt. Elbert 14,433 ft. & Massive 14,421 ft.)
Spring 1860 gold found, by end of summer pop. 5,000, called Oro city.
Gold dried up, everybody split, silver found in 1875 by "Uncle Billy".
1878 postmaster H.A.W. Tabor estimated pop @ 2,00. Tabor came from Vt. with wife Agusta in 1859 as part of gold rush. By now had given up and worked as postmaster and shopkeeper.
Invested in german prospectors George Hook and Auguste Rische.
Hit "Little Pittsburgh", Tabor took $500,000 in silver before selling mine for $1 million.
Continued investing, hit "Matchless", built $12 million empire.
By 1880 pop. between 25,000 and 60,000 (Leadville Chronicle est.)
Silver fever: grave digger hit vein, left dead guy to freeze till spring.
Tabor went on to become lieutenant-governor and Senator.
1883 divorced Agusta & married Elizabeth McCourt Doe.
1893 silver crash, Tabor lost empire. Became postmaster in Denver.
1899 Tabor died, last words to "Baby Doe" were "hold onto matchless".
She lived alone in shack next ot the mine for 30 yrs., found frozen on the floor 1935.
During prohibition "Leadville Moon" some of the best wiskey in U.S.

Vail

Drive between Aspen-Vail-Summit County some of best scenery on trip.
1850 Irishman George Gorecame through on extensive hunting expedition of Colorado and Wyoming. Gore Range is nomed for.
1873 William Jackson (see Mesa Verde above) took famous photo "mountain of the Holy Cross". Displayed at the Philadelphia Centennial Expo in 1876, inspired visitors but nothing came of it.
1942 10th Mountain Division stationed to South (Camp Hale near Aspen).
After war Peter Siebert (wounded during mission to Po River Valley, Italy) returned with investors to build Vail Ski Resort.
1st lift service Dec. 15, 1962. Back Bowls opened in mid-70s.
Bowls the result of fires set by resentful Utes.
Now over 4,000 skiable, 36,000 skier/hr. lift capasity.
Pres. Gerald Ford home here since begining.
Botanical Gardens at east end of town.
Beaver Creek opened '80-'81 season (designed for '76 olympics).

Day 7

Summit County

70 mi. west of Denver, 80% w/in Arapaho Nat'l Forest.
8,000 year round residents, 3 million/yr. visit.
More skiers than Aspen & Vail combined.
A.Basin opened late '40s.
Eisenhower tunnel opened for '72-'73 season, all 4 mountains open.

Breckenridge (Pop. 1,200, Elv. 9,603)

1859 Gold first discovered in Blue River. Following summer major mining camp established.
Wanted own post office, named town for V.P. John Breckinridge from Lexington, Kentucky. When he sided w/ south during the civil war town changed spelling. Already got post office.
Largest gold nugget (150+ oz) in N.A. found July 23, 1887 by Tom Groves (Tom's Baby).
Quicksilver world's first high speed quad.

Silverthorne

Est 1881 when Judge Marshall Silverthorne bought 120 acres from Fed.
Ran Silverthorne Hotel in Breck., invented and patented Silverthorne Placier for gold extration from Blue River.

Dillion

Modern town is the third, 1st east of Snake River but moved across to be closer to R.R.
1961 moved to present location when Blue River dammed to form Dillion Reservoir (Denver water supply), old town under water.

Frisco (Pop. 1,320, Elv. 9,000)

Central location in county. Gov't, Hospital, Strip Mall's etc.

Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel

First opened 1973, finished '79, cost $300 million.
1st yr 4.6 million vehicles through, 10 mill by yr. 2000 (way more than designed for).
Crosses contential divide, prior had to go over 11,992 ft Loveland pass.
East side empties into Clear Creek Canyon.

Silver Plume

1884 Georgetown-Silver Plume Loop finished, 6 mi., now hauls tourists.

Georgetown

Named for George Griffith, miner from Central City around 1860.
Mid 1870's Pop. 5,000, 3rd largest in state. Richest silver producer till 1878 Leadville strikes.
Central R.R. arrived 1877.
Hotel de Paris: Louis du Poy arrived in 1869 (rich Frenchman, thought to have been a deserter of French Army), injured in mining accident 1873, bought local bakery 1875, turned into hotel.
Typical Frenchman, rude to everybody. Used to through geusts out and deny rooms to thoes he disapproved of.

Winter Park (Pop. 600, Elv. 9,000 ft.)

Just over Berthound Pass (11,315 ft.), 1st ski area "Timberline"
South end of Fraser Valley, wholly devoted to tourism (ski area early '40s).
1820s hunters and fir trappers (beaver). Ranchers followed.
First called West Portal.
1850 first post office. 1870s Ute friction.
1927 $18 million Moffett tunnel (7 mi.) east to Rollinsville. Gave Denver access (under Rollings pass 11,617 ft.) to Fraser Valley.
Also opened rail service to Pacific.
Named for banker David Moffett who worked for Denver & Pacific Northwestern R.R. (Denver to Salt Lake).
1937 Forest Service built 800 ft. rope tow @ Berthoud Pass.
Denver sought park, changed name and built their "winter park", opened Jan. 28, 1940. City screwed it up, 1950 created nonprofit Winter Park Recreation Ass. WPRA still controls, made $5.3 million improvements 1991.
Look for "Doc Suzi's", county's first woman doctor, practiced 1907 to 1941, died '60 @ age of 90.

Granby (Pop. 1,200, Elv. 7,600)

Farming and ranching, "mountain lettuce"
R.R. shipping point.
Largest 4th of July fireworks display, up to 100,000 attend.

Grand Lake (Pop. 380, Elv. 8,153)

Called "Spirit Lake" by Utes: Comanche and Arapahos came to fight, women & children set adrift on raft for protection, storm rolled in, raft capsized, no survivors, bummer.
Largest natural Lake in Co.
Started as mining supply town, soon rich built summer homes.
1892 Kauffman House hotel finished by Ezra. Ezra died 1921 but family ran through end of WWII.
1905 Grand Lake Yacht Club est.
1915 Nat'l Park est.
1950 Big Thompson Water Project finished, carried water east for farming.

Rocky Mtn. Nat'l Park

1885 Enos Mills builds cabin at base of Twin Sisters Mtn., can visit.
1909 Enos Mills (miner, climbing guide, John Muir protege) first advocated formation of park. @ first made a Nat'l forest, not good enough. Formed Co. Mtn. Club and pushed for Park status despite Forest Service and land holders objections.
With Teddy Roosevelt's backing park formed 1915.
1920 to 1936 Roger Toll Park Superintendent, wrote first climbing guide, made many 1st accents.
Killed in car accident on way to Mexico to set up game reserve on border.
417 sq. mi., over 100 (70) peaks @ 10,000+ ft.(12,000), Longs @ 14,255 ft. is highest. 1/3rd of park above treeline.
Drive along Trail Ridge Rd. (open May-Oct), 11 mi., avg. 12,000 ft. (12,183 highest point), highest continuously paved highway in country, completed 1933.
Word "park" from french "parque"meaning enclosure.
Colorado river headwaters here.
Trees: Pine, Aspen, Spruce. Animals: Sheep, Elk, Moose, Deer, Mountain Lion, Black bear, Coyotes, Beaver. Bison, Grizzlies, and wolves gone.
Part of front range which extends from Wyoming Border to Co. Springs.
Result of collision between Continental and Pacific oceanic plates 200 million years ago.
Recurrent waves of force, 65 million years (peaks to 25,000 ft.) and 2 million years ago (front range becomes distinct).
First humans at end of last Ice Age, 15,000 to 10,000 yrs. ago.
Built rock walls to funnel hunt.

Long's Peak (14,255 ft.)

See picture pg. 88 RMNP Road Guide.
Named for Major Stephen Long sent by James Monroe in 1820 to explore area.
1864 William Byers (Rocky Mtn News editor) failed to climb.
Declared "no one will ever be upon it's summit"
Arapahos used to climb and build shelters to trap eagles for few feathers.
Byers made it with John Wesley Powell (1 armed geology professor) 4 yrs. later. Now several hundred a week make the climb.
To left is Mills Glacier, between Longs Peak & Mt. Meeker.

Mt. Meeker (13,911 ft.)

Parks 2nd highest peak.
Named for Nathan C. Meeker, New York Tribune agriculture editor who formed farming colony in the Colorado plains in 1870.
Became U.S. Indian Affairs Agent for White River Agency with Utes. Tried to get Utes to farm on reservation. Utes not given promised supplies. Accustomed to politeness and grace, Meeker a basic asshole.
Sept. 1879 Meeker Massacre when he dug irrigation ditch across their horse track and plowed under traditional pasture land.
Meeker sent for troops (final straw) when heard "war drums", Utes killed most men (including Meeker) and took most women hostage (Meeker's wife and daughter included). Women returned 1 month later in peace settlement which banished norther Utes to Utah reservation.
Town of Meeker 40 mi. north of Rifle.

Estes Park

#1 tourist destination in Colorado.
One of highest return rates in country,
3 million visit park annually, over 95% of that in the Spring to Fall.
Avg. home in 1994 $141,183.
Settlement began 1860s wi ranchers like Joel & Patsy Estes.
Joel cam on mining expedition in 1858.
Little worth mining, is why it stayed pristine.
Estes stayed 1859 to 1866. Left because of harsh last winter.
1872 Lord Dunraven visits, starts planning takeover.
By 1874 20 families including Grif Evans and Alexander McGregor.
1874 McGregor builds toll road to Lyons, now rt. 36.
Soon followed wealthy hunters, climbers, and other outdoor types.
Windham Thomas Wyndham-Quin, fourth Earl of Dunraven was rich engilsh hunter. Wanted area as personal resort. Bought up and stole over 15,000 acres. Land managed by "Homestead Law", 160 acres/application. Quin submitted aps for "loafers & drifters" (whom he paid a pittance upfront) & dead people.
Built hotel, locals burned it down & drove him out of town.
1880 Isabella Bird published "A ladies life in the rockie mountains".
Area became fomous as a result.
1907 Freelan Stanley (inventer of Stanley Steamet Auto) bought most of Dunravens holdings.
1909 opened Stanley Hotel.
Stanley ran steamer line from hotel to Lyons R.R. station 25 mi. away.
1906 town laid out by C.H. Bond, incorporated 1917.
1947 Olympus Dam completed to allow water from Grand Lake through Alva B. Adams water diversion tunnel (under contential divide) to Estes Park. Created Estes Lake.
1982 Lawn Lake dam burst flooding Elkhorn Ave.

Day 8

Denver ("Mile High City") (Pop. 500,00 Metro 2 million)

1832 Louis Vaquez fir trapper visited.
1st settlement 1858 with William Green Russel's discovery of gold along South Plate river called Montana City soon dried and everyone left.
Another settlement along Cherry Creek led by Charlie Nichols, St. Charles City. William Russel setup Auraria across stream. Gen William Larimer setup third site named Denver after Gen. Games W. Denver former governor of Kansas.
1st edition of "Rocky Mountain News" published April 23, 1859 from office on pilings mid stream between camps.
Apr 3, 1860 sites consolidated and Denver incorporated.
Next 20 yrs. gold mining dropped off.
1880s saw silver production boon & between 1880 & 1890 Denver tripled in size.
By 1890 Denver producing more machine equipment than any place in the world.
Became social hub as lucky miners spent lavishly on mansions, luxury items, parties, etc. Horace Tabor opened Tabor Opera House 1881.
All came to a halt with silver crash depression.
1928 Moffatt tunnel provided for rail access to Pacific.
See ITMI fax for city tour route and sites.
DIA: Replaced Stapleton Int'l (8th busiest airport in world). Began by Mayor Tony Pena (now U.S. transportation secretary), finished by Wellington Webb. Blame each other for problems.
1st airport built in a major U.S. city in 20 yrs.
Hightech: Advanced radar, weather info, 5,000+ mi. optic cable, etc.
Cost $5 billion ($800 million planed), opened 1 year late. On going federal investigations.
Allows for 3 landings and/or takeoffs at once. Planes land, taxi, and takeoff all in one direction.
Move between 3 concourses using underground train.
Main terminal 1.4 million sq. ft., roof 126 ft. high.
$7.5 million spent on airports art.
Located 25 mi. from Denver (2x as far as Stapelton).

The U.S.A.F Academy

B-52 upon entering: "Diamond Lil", first used 1965 in Vietnam, flew over 200 missions (8 part of operation Linebacker II or "Christmas offensive" in Dec. 1972).
Curriculum based on four pillars: academics, athletics, military training (1st 5 weeks BMT), and honor code. Want career officers.
Parachuting one of most popular electives, 700 do 5 basic dives annually.
USAF a sperate service in 1947. April 1, 1954 Pres. Dwight D. Eisenhower singed authorization of academy construction.
This site picked from 580 possible in 45 states w/ help of Charles Limburg.
Class of 1955 to 1957 started at temp site at Lowery AFB, Denver.
Aug. 1958 current site of 19,100 acres (largest military academy grounds) opened. 206 "butter bars" in June 1959. Now 1,000 annually.
Oct. 7, 1975 Pres. Gerald R. Ford authorized women to attend.
12,000/yr. apply, 1,000 get in, take 22-25 credits/yr. (normal 15).
Falcon Stadium: seats 50,000. Falcon in school mascot (kills prey in flight, diving speeds of 180 mph.). Custom of letting trained falcons fly at half-time, rivals let pigeons go to draw falcons away, falcons had a field days killing pigeons.

Cadet Chapel

Most visited man made attraction in Colorado.
Walter A. Netsch designed, much controversy over ultra-modern design.
Bld. cost $3.5 million, Furnishings etc. from Easter donations by bases world wide.
17 spires 150+ ft. tall, began Aug. 28, 1959, finished summer '63.
Protestant chapel: seats 1,200, ceiling 99 ft., 46 x 15 ft. 1,200 lb. cross is focal point, $122,000 organ has 4,334 pipes from 32 ft. high to pencil size, pews are mahogany and walnut (ends resemble propellers, aluminum on backs resemble wings). Whole room is designed to draw the eyes upward. 24 shades (24,000 pieces) of glass, darker toward back (creates effect of "coming into God's light"). Altar is 15 ft. long, marble, shaped like a ship. Kneelers around altar donated by various officers wives clubs.
Catholic Chapel: Blessed Mother ("Our Lady in the Skis") to left, Guardian Angel on right, Holy Ghost between. Cross 6 ft. across (doesn't look it). Marble from same quarries Michelangelo used. Seats 500.
Jewish Chapel: seats 100, circular design symbolizes global mission of Air Force, contains Aaron Kodesh (Holy Ark) which shelters the Scrolls of Torah which were saved from Nazis during WWII.
All faiths room: devoid of religious symbols.

Colorado Springs

1858 "El Paso" founded at end of Ute Pass Trail, between modern Colorado and Manitou Springs. Changed to "El Durado" next year.
1871 William Plamer (D.& RG. R.R.) bought 10,000 acres to the east and established Colorado Springs.
Wanted "upright" community, discouraged industry, saloons, and gambling. Remained "dry" until probation repealed in 1933.
Came to be known as "Little London" because of all the europeans who visited resort community.
Nearby Cripple Creek struck gold after crash, help keep town going.
Also several miners who had made it before the crash moved here.
1900 to 1910 per capita wealth highest in country.
1940s military influence, 1942 Fort Carson, then Peterson AFB, North American Aerospace Defence Command (built into mountain), and AF Academy.
Royal Gorge bridge is worlds highest suspension bridge. Crosses Arkansas river @ height of 1,053 ft. Finished in 6 months without a fatal accident in 1929 for $350,000.

Manitou Springs

Utes thought springs sacred.
Founding father of region, William Palmer, owner of Denver & Rio Grande R.R. Planed on resort town with springs.
Zalmon Simmons in Spring (1880s) after mule accent of peak. Thought of installing rail while sitting in spring. Wisconsin mattress king. Formed Manitou & Pike Peak Co. 1889, finished rail Oct. 22, 1890. 1st run delayed till June 30, 1891 after a dumping season.
Top rail worker paid 24 cents/hr., 6 killed in blasting accidents.
Manitou Cliff Dwellings are a fraud since 1907.

Pikes Peak (Utes called "long one")/Cog Railway (also called "rack" rail)

Remind PAX of altitude. Begin @ 6,570 ft. Top @ 14,110 ft., 7539 diff.
Pikes Peak highest and w/ greatest vert., 7500+ ft. Top @ 14,110 ft.
"Pikes Peak or Bust" misnomer, no mining.
Named for General Zebulon Pike who called it "Great Peak" in 1806 (then a lieutenant). Failed to climb, made it to "Lion's Den".
5 cog rails in world, 1st @ Mt. Washington N.H. (1869). Another @ Zermatt, Swiss.
1st cog to go gas powered, June 16, 1938. 1964 cars were Swiss made, diesel going up, electric going down (electric from own inertia on cog wheel). Modern cars from 1974, diesel-hydraulic.
On a clear day can see Denver (75 mi. north) and Sangre de Cristo Mtns. (100 mi.).
Pikes peak highway: 19 mi., built 1915 for $350,000, mostly on top of 1889 summit access carriage road. Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb ("race to the sky") 2nd oldest race in U.S. (Indy 500 1st), every July 4th since 1916.
Race course 12.5 mi. w/ 156 turns, 5,000 ft. vert., speeds of 130+ mph.
Record speed of 10:04:06 by Rod Millen in 1994 driving Toyota Celica.
Katharine Lee Bates wrote "America the Beautiful" after visiting here in 1893. "Purple mountain...above the fruited plains"

Garden of the Gods

Free city park established 1909, contains 1,350 acres.
Hiking, horseback, mountain biking all allowed.
Rock formations 300 million years old (morrison sandstone). Were lying flat, got propped up by tectonic shifting. Point out fault line @ entrance.
Gift shop adobe style since 1900.
Point out "kissing camels", "ship rock" (good picture stop), the "scots man" and whatever else you can make up.

If you are a professional tour director or anyone else who uses these notes for business purposes and would like to offer a small gratuity, please address envelopes to:

P.O. Box 7824
Breckenridge, Colorado.
80424

If my efforts here prove worthwhile,
I have lot's more notes where these came from, including:

Northern Nat'l Parks : Salt Lake City, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone Nat'l Park, Great Falls, Glacier/Waterton Int'l Peace Park, Flathead Indian Reservation, C'our 'd Lane, Spokane.
Kentucky, Tennessee, Branson : Nashville, Gatlinburg, Lexington, Bardstown, St. Louis, Branson, Memphis.
Eastern Canada : Niagara Falls, Toronto, Ottowa, Montreal, Quebec, P.E.I., Nova Scotia, Cape Breton.
And anything else you see on my tour director resume.

Ted's Tour Director Resume

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