Junction US 24—Twin Lakes—Independence Pass—Aspen—Glenwood Springs; 82.5 miles, State 82. Graveled road; narrow, with many sharp turns, between Twin Lakes and Independence Pass; pass is usually closed by snow from November to late May. Branch line of Denver & Rio Grande Western R.R. parallels route between Aspen and Glenwood Springs. Accommodations limited.

Crossing the Continental Divide near its highest point, the highway pierces the heart of the Pitkin County mining district. Not so heavily traveled as other east-west highways, the route is unexcelled for its views of lofty mountains, tumbling snow-fed streams, and forests of pine and aspen. The streams are among the best in the State for fishing; in season there is good hunting.

State 82 branches west from US 24, 0 miles (see Tour 5b), 15 miles south of Leadville (see Leadville), skirting the northern shores of the TWIN LAKES RESERVOIR. The gray bulk (R) of MOUNT ELBERT (14,431 alt.) and, behind it, MOUNT MASSIVE (14,419 alt.), shoulder the sky; TWIN PEAK, rising almost from the southern shore line, is dwarfed by the grandeur of its neighbors. The two lakes forming the reservoir, set in the wide flat mouth of a rapidly converging canyon and walled in by crests of the Divide, are part of the Twin Lakes Diversion Project (see below) and are used to store water brought by tunnel from the Roaring Fork River on the Western Slope.

The road crosses the eastern boundary of COCHETOPA NATIONAL FOREST, 2.6 miles, a reserve embracing 1,142,417 acres of Federal lands and 61,875 acres of State, municipal, and privately owned lands. The original reserve was enlarged when the old Leadville Forest and part of the upper Arkansas River watershed were added. The Cochetopa National Forest now embraces the headwaters of the Arkansas River, the mountain region north and west of the San Luis Valley, and the Tomichi Creek drainage basin to the west over the Continental Divide.

TWIN LAKES, 4.7 miles (9,015 alt., 50 pop.), a popular resort (campgrounds; horses and burros available), was settled after the Leadville silver rush of 1878-79 (see Leadville), when prospectors found in the vicinity the first traces and outcrops of the Gordon, Tiger, Little Joe, and other rich lodes. Attracted by the Leadville rush, newcomers discovered at Twin Lakes a summer vacation ground. Against the flanks of Mount Elbert are groves of quaking aspen. Here fields of wild roses, lupines, and bluebells vie with huge granite boulders for attention. Streaking upward through the lighter green of the aspens are the darker evergreens. Lakes and streams offer splendid fishing, especially for Mackinaw trout, in the fall, and good duck hunting in season. Numerous trails lead back into the Sawatch Range where the climber, amateur or professional, can test his skill in a wilderness of crags.

West of Twin Lakes the highway swings into the narrow, heavily-forested canyon of Lake Creek, in the shadow of (L) massive LA PLATA PEAK (14,342 alt.), which dominates the sky line for miles.

TWIN LAKES FALLS (L), 7 miles, is a turbulent plunging mass of water and upthrown spray. West of Twin Lakes the creek falls 3,000 feet within twelve miles, a great potential source of water power.

EVERETT, 9 miles, is a deserted station on an old stagecoach route across the Divide to the mining towns of the Western Slope. Along this road passed pack trains carrying silver ore from Aspen to the Leadville smelter; these trains often consisted of strings of burros more than a quarter-mile long.

At 13 miles is the junction with a dirt road.

Left on this road along the South Fork of Lake Creek (fair fishing), which was once traveled by stage coaches and freight wagons crossing Lake Creek Pass (12,226 alt.); the route today is a rutted pack trail mainly used by forest rangers.

The EAST PORTAL OF THE TWIN LAKES DIVERSION TUNNEL (L), 15.5 miles, an irrigation project designed to bring waters from the Western Slope to the plains, pierces the Continental Divide just south of Independence Pass. The bore, nine feet in diameter, was drilled four miles through almost solid rock; completed on May I, 1935, it cost $1,200,000. Funds for the project were obtained through the Reconstruction Finance Corporation by the Twin Lakes Reservoir and Canal Co. Water sufficient to irrigate 50,000 acres, brought from the Roaring Fork, is stored in Twin Lakes Reservoir pending release into the Arkansas River to be used by farmers living 220 miles from the source of supply. The tunnel was driven from both ends, and so accurate were engineers' calculations that the two bores were off only one inch in grade and seven in alignment.

West of the tunnel the valley of Lake Creek widens into grassy meadows. After a wide sweep to the north, the highway rises in a series of loops and curves toward the crest of the Continental Divide. Thinning pines, gnarled and stubby from their fight for existence, give way at timberline to bare boulders, hardy grasses, and the alpine vegetation of a world above the clouds. The road along the sheer face of the mountain, while steep, is one of the safest traversing a pass in Colorado.

A stone monument (R) and several small lakes, 22 miles, mark the SUMMIT OF INDEPENDENCE PASS (12,095 alt.), the highest and probably the most impressive automobile pass in the State. An arctic meadowland overshadowed only by the topmost notches of the Sawatch Range, it rises far above the peaks that towered high when viewed from Lake Creek Valley. No matter what the temperatures farther down the slope, it is apt to be chilly here even in summer (altitude comparatively great; avoid over exertion).

West of Independence Pass, State 82 descends into the valley of the ROARING FORK RIVER by easy grades. As timberline is reached, the heavier forest growth of the Western Slope is marked. Fishermen esteem this remote district as the best in the State, and throughout the season the Roaring Fork and its tributaries attract many anglers.

INDEPENDENCE, 26.2 miles, a scattering of weather-beaten, roofless log shacks clinging to the mountain side, was once a flourishing settlement. In summer a handful of die-hard prospectors, still tramping the surrounding hills in quest of "color," make this ghost town their headquarters. West of the LOST MAN RANGER STATION (L), 27.2 miles, one of the headquarters of Holy Cross National Forest (fishing information obtainable here), the highway descends rapidly as it follows the cascading Roaring Fork to the valley below.

At 31.5 miles is the junction with a dirt road.

Left on this road across the Roaring Fork to the GROTTOS, 0.4 miles, a series of fantastic excavations carved by downrushing waters in the solid rock of what was once part of the river bed. Since grinding out the rock, the river has swerved and cut a new channel about 50 feet nearer the highway. Best reached by climbing down the opening in the old river bed, the several grottos, many of them of large size, indicate the tremendous erosive force exerted by a mountain stream.

The rough road, following Lincoln Creek some 11 miles into a rarely visited mountain country, is used by occasional hunting and fishing parties.

Passing a camp ground, 37.1 miles, the route crosses the western boundary of Holy Cross National Forest, 39.1 miles

ASPEN, 40.9 miles (7,850 alt., 705 pop.), seat of Pitkin County, founded by men who reached Leadville too late to stake claims, soon rivaled the older silver camp. Although prospecting began here in 1878, Indian troubles prevented development until 1880. Almost cut off from the world today, the camp was even more remote when stagecoach and wagon provided the sole means of entering the region. The field reached its peak in 1887 with the extension of the Denver & Rio Grande Western R. R. from Glenwood Springs and the completion of the Midland Ry. through the Carleton Tunnel (see Tour 5D). At that time Aspen was a boisterous camp of 15,000. Fabulously rich silver ore was coming down Aspen Mountain, south of town, and from Smuggler Mountain to the east. Within the next two decades the production of silver, lead, and other metals totaled $6,000,000 annually.

The great mines of the day—the Molly Gibson, Durant, Midnight, Newman, Aspen, Montezuma, and Smuggler—created new millionaires. A nugget, 93 per cent pure silver, weighing 2,060 pounds, said to be the world's largest, was taken from the Smuggler in 1894. When the mines were in full production, workers came off shift after dark, lighting their way with mine candles, making a flowing stream of light down the mountain side. When all were in town, the rutted streets and narrow board sidewalks were so crowded that progress was difficult.

On one occasion a man and his young bride from the East arrived to set up housekeeping in a small cabin; the citizens staged a charivari for them. The bride, frightened, bolted the door against the merrymakers. For three days and nights the cabin was besieged. Guns roared; an attempt was made to ram the door with logs; the stovepipe was stuffed up. Not until the crowd threatened to roll the cabin into the creek did the husband appear, a gun in both hands; explanations and apologies followed, and everyone was invited in to meet the bride.

Mining declined rapidly with the collapse of silver prices in the early 1890's and a two-mile haulage trolley to Aspen Mountain was completed too late to be much used. Today, with the mines operating on a reduced schedule, Aspen retains only a trace of its former glory, but the isolated mountain-shadowed town still attracts visitors. Within a 20-mile radius are 1,000 miles of trout streams and 25 lakes. Hiking and bridle trails lead in all directions. Several dude ranches are in the vicinity. Since 1937 Aspen has become a popular winter sports center; precipitous slopes and heavy snowfall provide excellent ski courses, bobsled runs, and toboggan slides.

The HOTEL JEROME, Main and Mill Sts., one of the town's landmarks, was built by J. V. Wheeler just before the panic of 1893. The three-story, square, brick building, with its skylighted lobby, contains among its original furnishings the fireplace with its mirrors and huge wooden mantel, a tile-covered fire box, the safe, cupboards, and many dishes. Deer and elk heads and bear skins decorate the lobby and halls. An antiquated elevator, operated by water power, is controlled by ropes pulled by the passengers.

Wheeler also built the now fire-gutted ASPEN OPERA HOUSE (open), Hyman and Mill Sts., a narrow three-story brick building, once among the most celebrated in Colorado. On one occasion, when an opera singer was delayed on her trip from Leadville, the audience remained seated until two a.m. to hear her concert.

ROCH RUN, on Monarch St. at the eastern edge of town, a four-mile ski course, is regarded by experts as one of the most difficult in the world. It extends from the top of Aspen Mountain down into the town, a descent of 2,750 feet; a ski-tow parallels the lower portion of the run. Slalom races are held here by the Rocky Mountain Ski Association.

1. Left from Aspen on a winding forest road to the MIDNIGHT MINE (open weekdays by permission), 6 miles, about 200 yards east of the top of Koch Run (see above).

2. Left from Aspen on a dirt road, by way of Ute Ave., to the DURANT MINE (open weekdays by permission), 0.5 miles, one of the few once-great mines still operating. Here a waterfall tumbles into the bowels of the earth, gushing from high on the mountain above to splash down the shaft and disappear.

West of Aspen, State 82 uses the roadbed of the abandoned Midland Ry.; descending into the pleasant valley of the Roaring Fork, once a Ute hunting ground, it winds between level meadows in which wild hay and alfalfa provide winter forage for large cattle herds.

At 42.4 miles is the junction with a graveled road.

Left on this road along Maroon Creek to MAROON LAKE, 9.2 miles, known for its mountain setting and excellent trout fishing. SNOWMASS MOUNTAIN (14,077 alt), MAROON PEAK (14,126 alt.), and HAGERMAN PEAK (12,600 alt.) form a majestic western skyline.

SNOWMASS, 55.5 miles, consists solely of a general store at the junction of Snowmass Creek and the Roaring Fork (good fishing).

BASALT, 59.4 miles (6,600 alt., 148 pop.), at the junction of the Frying Pan and Roaring Fork Rivers, is an important agricultural center and rendezvous of sportsmen.

Basalt is at the junction with State 104 (see Tour 5D).

At 71.9 miles is the junction with State 133.

Left on this road is CARBONDALE, 1.8 miles (6,000 alt., 283 pop.), near the junction of the Roaring Fork and Crystal Rivers, in a highly developed irrigated district. Large crops of Irish potatoes, oats, and alfalfa are grown in the rich red soil.

South of Carbondale the route parallels Crystal River and the San Juan R.R., much of its roadbed ballast being white Colorado marble from the great quarries at Marble (see below), and traverses the broad Crystal River Valley. Here are commodious farm houses surrounded by fields of hay and oats. Rising to the south is MOUNT SOPRIS (12,823 alt.). Where the valley narrows, the landscape becomes rugged, and at intervals among the pine-clad bluffs the gaunt superstructures of coal mines appear. Underlying much of this country is a vast coal reserve; mining today is limited to local demand.

REDSTONE, 18.3 miles (7,202 alt., 12 pop.), was founded at the beginning of the century by J. C. Osgood, official of the Colorado Fuel & Iron Corporation who built a model industrial village on the aspen- and pine-covered slopes. With the decline of mining here, the workers moved away, and the cottages, no two painted alike, were sold as summer residences. The INN, a frame and sandstone structure of Dutch design with a high square clock tower, is interesting for its massive hand-pegged oak furniture and cut stone fireplace.

Left from the Inn an electrically lighted road follows the eastern bank of Crystal River to the 4,200-acre OSGOOD ESTATE (open weekdays by arrangement with caretaker), 1.3 miles, laid out in 1903 by Osgood as a private hunting and fishing preserve. Numerous foot and bridle paths lead through the property. The 40-room frame and sandstone OSGOOD MANSION, of Tudor design, occupies the center of a 60-acre lawn. In the stables are old saddles and harness used when the preserve was established.

South of Redstone the highway enters rougher country. CAPITOL PEAK (14,100 alt.) stands sentinel-like (L) to the northeast; farther south (L) is PYRAMID PEAK (14,000 alt.). South of the LILY LAKE RANGER STATION (L), 25 miles, are several steep grades.

MARBLE, 29.8 miles (7,800 alt., 217 pop.), depends upon the quarries and mill of the Vermont Marble Co., opened in 1905. Its one-time population of 2,000 dwindled with the decline of marble prices in 1917. The stone, known commercially as Colorado Yule marble, is both pure white and veined in pale brown. The former, also known as statuary marble, has been compared with the Carrara marble of Italy. Among notable structures using this marble are the Lincoln Memorial at Washington, D. C., the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington Memorial Cemetery, and the municipal buildings in New York City and San Francisco. More than a year was required to quarry the 100-ton block of marble, reduced to 65 tons when sawed, for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

At the FINISHING PLANT (open weekdays by permission), in the center of the town, the marble slabs are planed and ground for shipment. Good fishing streams in this region are the Yule, Silver, and Lost Trail Creeks. Snow-mass Mountain (14,077 alt.) is prominent (L) on the eastern skyline, and to the west rises Chair Mountain (12,800 alt), its scooped-out face resembling a gigantic arm chair.

No roads lead to the QUARRIES, 4 miles south of town (visitors permitted to ride on cable cars; weekday trips every two hours).

North of the junction with State 133, State 82 winds through farming and ranching country to CATTLE CREEK, 74.9 miles (6,000 alt., 75 pop.), a shipping point for the surrounding territory.

In GLENWOOD SPRINGS, 82.5 miles (5,747 alt., 1,825 pop.) (see Tour 5c), is the junction with US 24 (see Tour 5c).