Boreas Pass ~ pt. 2

Boreas Pass is located at an elevation of 11, 493 feet above sea level. Environmental conditions at this elevation are most inhospitable. Even in the Summer months.

The railroad tracks needed constant maintenance, especially in the winter. And the workers who did this maintenance needed to live close by. A small town of around 150 people sprang up at the top of the pass after the railroad was completed to accommodate these workers. There was even a post office. Looking out at the sparse landscape, one can only imagine about the hardy souls that once called this area home.

Today only one of these original buildings remain. And even it has been reconstructed. A water tank (used to supply the steam engines with water) can also be seen on the road up from Breckenridge.

South Park

The trek down the east side of Boreas Pass is not nearly as "white knuckle" nor as scenic as the west side. But still a lovely drive. And before we knew it, we could see what is left of the town of Como ahead of us.

Como, while still inhabited, is a mere shadow of its former self. The town grew as a division spot for the trains coming from Denver to the north and then heading on to either the west or the south. The town's population was around 500 but with the constant railroad traffic, there were always thousands of people around. In 1909 many of the buildings burned down and were never rebuilt.

image source

The old schoolhouse still remains as well as the railroad roundhouse which housed the locomotives that serviced the line over Boreas Pass. This magnificent structure was built by Italian stonemasons in 1881.

After leaving Como, Hubby and I headed over Kenosha Pass (elev. 10,000 ft.) into the South Platte River Canyon and the town of Bailey.

There we stopped for a quick supper at another of our favorite eateries, Coney Island Hot Dog Stand. Yes, the building is shaped like a giant hotdog & most of the seating is outside. We each had a specialty 'dog' - mine was elk and Hubby's was buffalo. Yummy!

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.

Low Rider Bicycles

Hubby recently went to a local car show that was sponsored by some of the guys he works with. This show was open to cars, motorcycles and even bicycles. 

Today's Post is dedicated to the Art of Low-rider Bicycles.