By 1880, the railroad reached Leadville and the Mosquito Pass was abandoned.  After WWII the pass was reopened by the residents of Leadville and Fairplay to hold their annual burro race between the two towns.  This annual event continues today.

There are many old structures at the London Mine and the drive is extremely scenic through the Colorado Rocky Mountains.  During the summer, the floor of this valley is covered in bright flowers and the stream is clear and cold.

Although it was opened in the early 1870’s, the London Mine didn’t become a “money maker” until the early eighties.  The mine produced gold, silver, and lead.

The Denver & Southpark Railroad built a narrow-gauge railroad from London Junction (now called Alma) to the London Mine during the years of 1881-1882.  The actual portal of the mine was about 3,300 feet above this stop so an aerial wire-rope tramway was built to transport the ore down the mountain to the mill and train cars.  It is said that this aerial tramway was the first in Colorado.  Once the ore was loaded into the cars, it was transported back to London Junction (Alma) to be milled again, then to Black Hawk and Denver to the smelters.

The London Mine milled an average of 850 tons of ore per month by 1883 with a cost of about $7.50.  These total costs included the cost of the mining, transportation of the ore to the mill, and the milling of the ore.  The London Mine was very profitable.

By 1884, the profitable London Mine was closed due to litigation.  Originally, the London Mining Company was a consolidation of many claims owned by several different companies.  The disputes by the owners concerning the percentage of ownership and profits caused the mine to be tied up in court and closed in 1884.

Eventually the court battles ended and the new London Mining Company was incorporated. Boarding and bunk houses were built for the miners as well as an office building and stables.

The London Mine, high atop London Mountain, was quite isolated and in the most unfavorable climate.  Although it was difficult to attract experienced miners to such a harsh climate, the London managed to hire local American miners to work the mine.  Because these miners came with a vast amount of experience, this kept the costs of mining in line with the profits.

By 1910, the mines began slowing down and the miners began moving to other mining districts.  The London then hired Austrians, Hungarians, and Italians.  Since these labors were inexperienced, the costs of mining increased.  The miners were paid $3.00 per day for an eight hour day, while the machine men were paid $3.50 and the blacksmiths and foremen were paid $4.00.

As mining slowed even more, the London Mine closed its doors.  Today, the London Mine, LLC continues to exist further down the valley.

Directions: From the town of Alma, continue south about 4 miles towards Fairplay.  You will soon see the sign “Mosquito Pass” and the road is on your right.

Having lived in northeastern Colorado, riding in the wind was more like riding in the oven.  The temperatures consistently hovered around 90 degrees.  Taking a break under a shade tree, well, let me just say, it was easier to find a bridge to provide shade.

When we moved to up to Silverthorne the first thing I noticed were the massive amount of people riding dirt and street bikes.  I couldn’t wait to get my motorcycles in my new garage.  Within a few weeks, we were moved in our home and I had my garage full of motorcycles.  It was not until this moment that I felt “right at home”

Motorcycle riding in the Colorado Rocky Mountains is much different than riding in other parts of Colorado.  The average temperatures are around 80 degrees, which makes riding in the wind a great experience.  The scenery is the best part of riding. There are plenty of places to pull off the road and enjoy the millions of shade trees, not to mention the snow-capped mountains, streams, lakes, and wildlife.

Summit County welcomes motorcyclist with open arms.  There are a couple of motorcycle shops in Summit County and a new Harley Davidson dealership is in the process of being built.  The Concours Owners Group has their National Rally in Frisco in June of each year while the Harley Owners Group has “Ridin’ the Rockies” and in July, the “7 Peak Charity Ride.”

Riding in the mountains give you the opportunity to ride on various road surfaces from interstates to True Mountain riding on a scenic byway.  Many times after working a long day, my wife and I will ride up to the Green Mountain Reservoir.  We ride along Heeney Drive, which circles the reservoir and has spectacular views of the water and mountains.  There are dozens of great places to stop and walk around and see the wildlife, which is more than abundant.  Our Heeney Drive ride is probably one of the most relaxing rides we take.

Sometimes on Saturdays my wife and I ride over to Leadville.  We travel on Colorado Hwy 91, which seems to have a quiet and serene presence to it. Your mind endlessly wanders as you ride on this road, thinking about all the towns and mining camps that once dotted this area.  All that is left now is the tailings from mines and the vast valleys and tall mountain peaks, which seem to dominate the area.  It is said that the highest named lake in the United States is near here.  The Pacific Tarn Lake is 13,420 feet above sea level.  It is just east of Colorado Hwy 91 towards Breckenridge.  We hope to hike up to the Pacific Tarn this summer.

After a long ride we often end up at one of the many restaurants in Summit County.  I will admit, the food at the local restaurants is very good.  After dinner, we then ride over to the outdoor  Dillon Amphitheater  for one of their free concerts.  It makes a nice end to a perfect day.

Mark

The town of Dillon began as nothing more than a stage stop.  Quickly, as more settlers came to the area to seek their fortunes in the local mines, the population of Dillon grew.   Soon Dillon had replaced its stage stop with a railroad depot and there were many new buildings in the town.

Dillon incorporated their town in January 1883 and also, in that same year, built a new schoolhouse for the children of the area.  Since the railroad came through Dillon, the town’s people were able to build the school using the most modern materials that could be purchased at that time.  Items such as four-by-four casement windows and a pressed-tin ceiling made the Dillon Schoolhouse a landmark.

Dillon is known to be the town that couldn’t stay put.  Dillon was moved three times; once to be closer to the railroad, and twice more beginning in 1956 to make room for the new Dillon reservoir.  Several of Dillon’s buildings were moved to the new site of Dillon while others were moved to Silverthorne.

The schoolhouse, which had become a church in 1910, was moved to the new town of Dillon in 1962.  Ten years later, the building became the Dillon Schoolhouse Museum.  The schoolhouse now contains many items including McGuffy desks, Heath Readers, slates and chalk, and many more turn of the century items.

Outside the schoolhouse is a small cabin from the 1930’s.  A cabin like this was typical during the depression when there were no jobs to be found.  Known as a “survival” cabin, one man, by himself, could build this type of home using trees from the forest.  He could then live off wild game or fish from the local rivers.

Next to the “survival” cabin is the Lula Myers Ranch House.  Although this two-story house is only 16’ x 24’ and appears quite small, it feels much bigger inside.  The home was built by Charles Delker in 1885 under the Federal Homestead Act.  Originally located near the Snake River in Keystone, the home was moved to its present location in 1976.

When Lula Myers, the local school teacher, and her husband Dirk decided to retire in 1924, they moved into the Delker home and became its second owners.  Dirk and Lula had many parties and social events in this home.

Today the town of Dillon has a year-round population of just less than 3000.  During the winter season, when many people arrive for their annual Colorado vacation, the population peaks to about 5000.

The Town of Dillon has a small town charm, but is full of activity all year long.   Summers in Dillon are the best, with boating on Lake Dillon, free Nature Nights, Friday Farmers Markets and weekend concerts at the Lake Dillon Amphitheatre.  There are also many restaurants, retail and services in Dillon.

Directions: The Dillon Schoolhouse is located at 403 La Bonte Street in Dillon.

You can tour the restored buildings at the summit of Boreas Pass during the summer months and read about the difficulties of life at 12,000 feet above sea-level.

Originally, known as Breckenridge Pass, the pass was actually a trail used by burro pack trains and foot travelers to carry supplies across the rugged Colorado Rocky Mountains.

In 1860, men from the Breckenridge and South Park sides of the pass carved out a wagon road.  At the top of the pass is Ken’s Cabin (originally known as Wagon Cabin) which is one of the oldest buildings in the Breckenridge area.

The railroad reached the summit of Boreas Pass in late 1881. Winters were so harsh that the Pass was renamed Boreas Pass, for the God of the North Wind.   The rails reached Breckenridge in September of 1882 and Leadville by December of 1884.

In 1882 during the height of Colorado’s railroading, the settlement of Boreas came into existence.  A small section house was built next to Ken’s Cabin for the men working on that section of the railroad and their families.

By 1886, a two-room telegraph office, a two story section house, and a storehouse were built.  There was also a stone engine house with a wrough-iron turntable, coal bin, and a wooden water tank inside.  Unfortunately, this engine house was destroyed by a fire in 1909.  A 997 foot snow shed was built to keep out drifting snows.  In January of 1896, a post office was built and was known as the highest post office in the United States until it closed in January of 1906.  In 1898 a depot was built onto the snow shed for the comfort of boarding passengers.

The settlement of Boreas was thriving and the winters were brutal.  The wind always blew and the snow never ended.  Trains and tracks were under 10 feet of snow during the winter of 1898-99.  The Pass was shut down from February 6 to April 24, 1899 until the snow could be removed.  Snow removal was a never-ending job for most of each year.

With the steep grades and sharp turns of Boreas Pass, train wrecks were a constant threat. To retrieve runaway trains that derailed, temporary spur tracks were built. Cables, ropes, pulleys and chains were the used to retrieve the trains. In January 1936, two locomotives descending from the Pass at about 20 mph hit a frozen snowdrift and plunged down the mountain. One of the engines slid 208 feet from the track; the other stopped 50 feet from the track.

Although Boreas Station was all but deserted by 1905, the railroad workers remained at the Pass to keep the tracks open and the trains running.   By the 1930’s the route over the Boreas Pass was abandoned and the buildings eventually fell into disrepair.  Between 1952 and 1956, the rails were removed and Boreas Pass was converted into a road.  The US Forest Service and the Colorado Historic Society brought the buildings on the summit of the Pass back to life again in 1993.

Directions: The Pass begins 10 miles northeast of Fairplay at the junction of Highway 285 and County Road 33.

Eating in Summit County is an experience in itself because of the large crowds.  During the winter while the skiers are here for their Colorado vacation, not only are the restaurants crowded, but also the grocery stores, hair salons, liquor stores, movie rental places, gas stations, etc.  We learned quickly that eating in Summit County requires being at the restaurant at awkward times.  Because my husband refuses to wait for a table, getting to a restaurant at 3:00 pm for lunch, or 8:00pm for dinner, or 7:00am breakfast is what we now do.

A few months ago, my husband and I went to one of our favorite restaurants in Dillon, Colorado called Pug Ryan’s.  Every visit to Pugs is an experience.  With all the skiers in town, the place gets quite crowded and you sometimes overhear very interesting conversations.  The waiters and waitresses at Pugs are constantly running to keep up with the crowds and I don’t know how they do it, but they always seem to have a smile on their faces.

We arrived at Pugs about 7:45pm or so and we were immediately seated.  Pug’s is known for their Micro Brews, my favorite being the wheat beer.  Since it was so late the dining room was clearing out as most people were moving into the bar area.  It was nice, and rare, for my husband and I to have a little area in the restaurant all to ourselves.  We talked and laughed and never noticed the time.  At one point, a waitress came to our table and refilled our drinks, compliments of the restaurant.  At that time, we noticed the time and yes, we had been there waiting for our food for a very long time.  Waiting for your food at Pugs is very unusual, but like I said, we were enjoying our night so we didn’t really care.

A few minutes later, the owner of the restaurant came to our table.  As he grabbed a chair and sat down, he apologized for our wait and told us that he had several people out sick.  I had seen him waiting tables earlier, but really didn’t think much about it until he began talking to us.  The poor guy seemed so tired, but he was in a good mood.

What sticks out in my mind about this Pugs experience is the fact that the owner of the business was working so hard.  As I thought about this, I began to realize that seeing owners work like this is nothing new in Summit County.  In fact, you can often see the owners of many restaurants and other small businesses working like this.  So many times, in the larger Denver chain restaurants, you see some manager-type looking person barking orders at employees.  At Pugs, not only have I never seen anyone barking orders, I’ve seen the owner working right along side of the employees several times since that first night a few months ago.  This type of leadership creates a great working environment, which in turn, creates a great dining experience for the customer.

The majority of jobs in Summit County, Colorado attract numerous young people because of the wages.  The tips are good and the jobs are plentiful, which enable them to save for college or any other ventures they may have.  Unfortunately, Summit County offers very little affordable housing for these people.  Most of these young people live with five or six other people in a small condo.  A lot of these people only stay here a year or two then return to wherever they came from.  This makes it very difficult for businesses to hire employees.

So, why does it seem that restaurant service is better in the Summit County than in Denver?  More of the restaurants here are smaller and independently owned.  I believe that since employees are so hard to find, the employers treat them better.  Nobody wants to work for a micromanaging jerk.  Up here, employers can’t afford to be micromanaging jerks, nor can they afford to pay outrageous salaries.  So instead, they create a better working environment for their employees.

I believe the way your treat customers defines your business.  A great working environment……a great customer experience…….wow, what a concept!

Pugs is located in Dillon at 104 Village Pl and their phone number is (970) 468-2145