Grottos, Ghosts, Gold & Nutrition

Over the Roaring Fork River and through the White River National Forest

to the grottos and Independence we go!

Oh what a beautiful day for the Venzaliner and I to take a scenic drive from Aspen across Independence Pass to Leadville continuing over the Tennessee Pass via the 10^th Mountain Division Memorial Highway to Minturn and ending in Vail for the evening.

Independence Pass is a scenic and historic byway that extends 32 miles from Aspen to Twin Lakes crossing the Continental Divide over the Sawatch Range at 12,095’.  According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, it is the highest paved state highway over the Continental Divide in Colorado. The pass began in 1881 as an old stage road; in 1927 Independence Pass was built in its current location and then paved in 1967. Today, the beautiful winding road that traverses mountainous terrain and narrows in areas therefore restricting vehicles to 35’ in length…Venzaliner is only 32', hooray!

After departing Aspen, I took in Aron & Robyn’s suggestion to stop in at the Aspen Grottos for a short hike and exploration. The trail leads to ice caves along the Roaring Fork River made of Precambrian granite rock; however, I could not figure out how to get down into the caves without impairing my future hiking abilities so I settled for climbing along the river and enjoying the smoothly sculpted boulders, cascades and pools. Click here to enjoy the Grottos!

Next stop, the ghost town of Independence where I walked around the remnants of the 1880’s mining town where the Independence Gold Lode was discovered on July 4, 1879 and over $190,000 worth of gold was produced between 1881 and 1881.  Soon after, the bust followed and Independence was abandoned for mining opportunities elsewhere.  Click here to check outIndependence today.

The Venzaliner reached the summit without difficulties and the views were spectacular. 

 

 

Time was getting away from me so we coasted on down to Leadville, over the Tennessee Pass through Minturn and into Vail where I caught up with Tracey and Nat for some appropriate nutrition!

 

A friend who is far away is sometimes much nearer than one who is at hand. Is not the mountain far more awe-inspiring and more clearly visible to one passing through the valley than to those who inhabit the mountain?

                                                                                      Kahlil Gibran, Lebanese born American philosophical essayist, novelist and poet. 1883-1931