Boreas Pass ~ pt. 1

Boreas Pass is located on the Continental Divide in the Front Range mountains of Colorado. It is a dirt and gravel road that is fairly well maintained and is passable by two-wheel drive vehicles during the warmer months.

Old Como Hotel with South park view in background

The road over the pass goes north from the town of Como, which is located in a large open valley known as South Park and ends in the town of Breckenridge.

Breckenridge ski area can be seen on these mountains.
The haze in the photos is from wildfires that were burning in California and Washington.

This pass was originally known as Breckenridge Pass and served as a route for early prospectors in search of gold in the Valley of the Blue River (where the town of Breckenridge is located today). In 1866, the road was widened to accommodate stagecoaches and in 1882 narrow gauge railroad track was begun to be laid. Sidney Dillon who worked for the Union Pacific Railroad renamed the pass in honor of the God of the North Wind, Boreas. This railroad served as a supply route for the mining town of Breckenridge. The railroad was abandoned in 1937.

After World War II, the Army Corps of Engineers reconstructed the railroad bed to serve as a road for cars.

Hubby and I drove the Boreas Pass road from Breckenridge to Como. It was a gorgeous late summer day (early August) but there was a heavy haze in the air due to the wildfires burning at that time in California and Washington.

We both marveled at the feats of engineering that were accomplished to build the original road and later the railroad bed. Many sections were still quite narrow and had severe drop-offs. 

But the views were breathtaking and the "Natives" quite friendly.

Tomorrow I'll post about the small town that sprang up at the top of Boreas Pass, the town of Como, and Coney Island!

And don't forget to enter my Giveaway! CLICK HERE! The winners will be announced on Saturday, September 22nd.