Hi Folks!
Kenosha here. I had a brief break from the kids and was able to get some info and pics of the puppies namesakes - high mountain passes located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
Boreas Pass elevation 11,481 ft.
The pass is located on the Continental Divide, at the crest of the Front Range along the border between Park (south) and Summit counties. The correct pronunciation of the pass name is (Bore-ays).Located in Summit County, Boreas Pass is a 6-mile dirt road from the outskirts of the ski town of Breckenridge. The pass road is an old railroad bed where The Denver, South Park and Pacific narrow gauge railroad traveled from Denver to Leadville in the height of the mining era. The route was abandoned in the early 1930's, but is still utilized by those seeking outdoor recreation.
Throughout the entire ride up the pass, you have spectacular views of the Blue River Valley, and awesome waves of aspen groves and pine forests. Wildflowers abound in the summer and the golden aspens are epic in the fall.
When you near the top of the pass, the air thins as you approach 12,000 feet. Perched on the pass is an old railroad camp and ranger station, very much worth checking out. You can continue over the south side of the pass down 6-8 miles to Como and South Park, or just head back to Breckenridge.
Also located on Boreas Pass are the Section House and Ken's Cabin. The Section House was built in 1882 to house the railroad men and their families who took care of a section of the railway that traveled over Boreas Pass. Ken's Cabin is located next to the Section House and was originally built in the 1860's, when Boreas Pass Road was a mere wagon trail. Ken's Cabin, originally referred to as the Wagon Cabin, is one of the oldest buildings in the Breckenridge area.
In the early 1930's the route over Boreas Pass was abandoned and the Section House and the Wagon Cabin fell into disrepair. The structures were about to collapse when the US Forest Service and the Colorado Historic Society teamed up to resurrect them in 1993. By 1996, the buildings were completely restored with a new roof, windows, and interior finish. Summit Huts Association and the US Forest Service now operate the Section House and Ken's Cabin as winter ski huts.
Hoosier Pass elevation 11,542 ft. The pass is located on the Continental Divide at the northern end of the Mosquito Range, in a gap between Mount Lincoln (west) and Hoosier Ridge (east). It sits on the boundary between Park (south) and Summit (north) counties and links South Park and Middle Park.
For many centuries this was the heart of the seven Ute bands' mountain domain and principal hunting territories. By the late 19th century, though, the rising tide of European pioneers finally forced the Utes out of their mountain strongholds.
John C. Fremont crossed over Hoosier Pass on June 23, 1844. He was returning from California on the second of his five expeditions. Guided by Kit Carson with mapping services provided by Charles Preuss, Fremont charted the vicinity and explored the sources of the Platte, Colorado and Arkansas Rivers.
An early figure in the area was Reverend John Dyer, a Methodist minister from Wisconsin. He first came into this area in 1861, intending to visit for a bit and then return to the Midwest. However, when he learned that the region had no religious instruction, he decided to stay. His sprawling ministry stretched from Breckenridge to Fairplay to Leadville, and many mining camps in between. He crossed these mountains often, on foot and on skis in the dead of winter. He usually carried the winter mail with him to supplement his meager income. The miners of the area didn't know what to make of this preacher who was as tough and rugged as they were. And long after the miners had moved on in search of easy money, Reverend Dyer was still here, plying his trade and raising his children, a testament to the fortitude of many western men of the cloth.
Loveland Pass, elevation 11,990 ft The pass is located on the Continental Divide in the Front Range west of Denver. US Route 6 traverses the pass; the road is considered to be especially treacherous during the winter months. A steep, steady 6.7% grade, along with numerous switchbacks on either side, make it difficult to plow the road regularly. The pass is the highest mountain pass in the state that regularly stays open during the winter season.
Loveland wallows in obscene amounts of snow, more than 450 inches a season during the 1990s.
Loveland Pass is usually rideable from November into July in most years. Avalanches are not a major concern until you begin hiking up and into the cirque, but carry a shovel and a beacon anyway. A little tip: full moons are often the home of some super fun snowboarding with about 20-30 others.
Monarch Pass elevation 11,312 ft. The pass is located on the Continental Divide at the southern end of the Sawatch Range along the border between Gunnison and Chaffee counties, approximately 25 mileswest of the town of Salida. The pass carries US Highway 50 over the Sawatch Range, providing a route between Tomichi Creekin the upper basin of the Gunnison River on the west and the South Arkansas River a tributary of the Arkansas River on the east. The pass is traversable by all vehicles under most conditions and is generally open year-round. It is prone to heavy winter snowfall however, and is often temporarily closed in heavy winter storms. During icy conditions, a single runaway truck ramp on the south side provides security for truckers who need to use it if they lose control.
The pass is widely considered one of the most scenic in Colorado, offering a panoramic view of the southern end of the Sawatch Range from the summit. During the summer, an aerial tram from the parking lot at the summit lets visitors ascend to the top of Monarch Ridge above the pass (at approximately 12,000 feet above sea level), allowing a wider view of the surrounding peaks. During the winter, visitors enjoy skiing at Monarch Ski Area.
Old Monarch Pass connects to Monarch Pass at two points. Old Monarch Pass is traversable by passenger vehicle at most times during the summer and early fall months. However, heavy rainfalls occasionally wash out the east entrance to the pass. Check with a local ranger station for current conditions.
Poncha Pass elevation 9,010 ft. It is one of the lowest mountain passes in the state. It lies between the San Luis Valley to the south and the valley of the Arkansas River to the north. It is the saddle between the Sangre de Cristo Range, lying to the southeast, and the Sawatch Range, lying to the west and northwest. US Highway 285 runs over the pass, linking the towns of Alamosa to the south and Salida to the northeast. The small town of Poncha Springs lies about 6 miles north of the pass. The pass has a mild approach on the northern side and a moderate 5% approach from the south, though it remains open all year round and does not normally cause problems for vehicles in winter.
Poncha Pass lies on the border between Chaffee and Saguache counties, and on the border between the San Isabel National Forest and the Rio Grande National Forest.
Vail Pass elevation 10,662 ft. The pass was named for Charles Vail, a highway engineer.
Vail Pass lies on the boundary between Eagle and Summit counties, between Vail on the west and Dillon on the east. It provides the route of Interstate 70 (and earlier US Highway 6) between the upper basins of the Eagle River and the Blue River, both tributaries of the Colorado River. Black Gore Creek, a tributary of Gore Creek, in the watershed of the Eagle, descends from the north side of the pass towards the town of Vail. West Tenmile Creek, in the watershed of the Blue, descends from the south side. The pass is significantly steep on either side (7 to 8%), and runaway truck ramps prevent disasters for truckers.
The pass was not a traditional historical route of the Rockies. Prior to 1940, the most common route westward was over nearby Shrine Pass, just to the south, which leads to the town of Red Cliff in the upper Eagle Valley.
In 1940, the construction of US Highway 6 bypassed Shrine Pass in favor of the current route to the valley of Gore Creek.
Wolf Creek Pass elevation 10,857 ft. It is located in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado. It is the route through which US Highway 160 passes from the San Luis Valley into southwest Colorado on its way to New Mexico and Arizona. The pass is notable as inspiration of a C.W. McCall song. Though not as formidable as the song made it seem, the pass is significantly steep on either side (7 to 8% in most places), and can be dangerous in winter.
When the first pioneers came through, the pass took two to three weeks to cross. Every spring the trail had to be remade. By the time the automobile came along, the trail was in pretty good shape but those first cars still took two days to a week to cross the 42 miles from South Fork to Pagosa Springs.
The road leaves South Fork following the channel cut in the granite by the South Fork of the Rio Grande. The canyon here was also modified by glacial action in the last Ice Age. Lots of exposed rock faces. There is also a lot of river and pond along the road, most of it accessible for fishing purposes.
And now my namesake ~
Kenosha Pass elevation 10,000 ft. The pass is located in the Front Range southwest of Denver in northern Park County. Geologically, the pass is located atop a large granite batholith (known as the Kenosha Batholith) that forms the spine of the Front Range along the eastern side of South Park. It is traversed by US Highway 285 between Jefferson and Grant, and provides a route between the valley of the North Fork of the South Platte River
and the headwaters of the South Platte River in South Park. In addition to providing one of the principal access routes to South Park, the pass offers dramatic view of the surrounding Rockies, including the nearby peaks of Mount Evans and Mount Bierstadt.
The pass is easily traversable by most vehicles
, never reaching above the treeline and featuring easily-negotiable curves along an amply wide highway. The approach on the eastern side is fairly gentle, ascending from near Grant up a gulch at the headwaters of the North Fork. The western side of the pass has a steeper ascent, winding up the flank of a mountainside east of the town of Jefferson. An overlook on the west side of the pass offers a panoramic view of South Park. The top of the pass is nearly flat and surrounded by the Pike National Forest, with a National Forest Service campground on the summit.
The pass was used by Ute bands to reach the hunting grounds of South Park. In the 19th century the pass was used by white trappers to traverse the Front Range. During Colorado's gold rush of the 1860s the pass was heavily used by prospectors eager to reach the placer gold fields at the headwaters of the South Platte near Fairplay and other South Park mining communities. The increase in traffic led to the widening of the trail into a wagon road; during Colorado's silver boom, the pass became one of the main routes of entry for eager immigrants to Leadville, Breckenridge and Aspen.
In 1879 the pass was traversed by the narrow gauge Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad, providing the first rail link between Denver and the South Park mining communities such as Fairplay (the tracks were removed by 1937, but the modern highway essentially follows the railroad route over the pass). During this same year of 1879, the poet Waly Whitman crossed the pass and described its summit with these words:
I jot these lines literally at Kenosha summit, where we return, afternoon, and take a long rest, 10,000 feet above sea-level. At this immense height the South Park stretches fifty miles before me. Mountainous chains and peaks in every variety of perspective, every hue of vista, fringe the view...so the whole Western world is, in a sense, but an expansion of these mountains.
.JPG)
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