Boulder Wagon Road

[Rzeppa]

Post and Cable Needs Repair

So, while we were exploring up there yesterday, we discovered that our post and cable has been damaged and needs repair. I took some photos so that we can see what we need to bring and to plan our project. Below, you can see where the top cable has been torn out from the end post and the cable is lying partially buried in the mud.

 

[Rzeppa]

Next, you can see where one of the posts has been completely removed, and dragged over to the side:

 

[Rzeppa]

Finally, you can see recent tire tracks in the mud and garbage in the mud puddle. I couldn't reach the garbage to fish it out, would have needed some kind of long pole with a hook or chest waders.

 

[Rzeppa]

Tunnel Gatekeeper

When we came to this sign, there was a parking area, and never having been up there before, we figured here was where you were supposed to park and walk. We did but only for about a quarter mile, when we realized we could drive a lot further up.

 

[Rzeppa]

Tunnel Gatekeeper

Here are some pictures of the closure itself, which is in a rock cutting that would be nearly impossible to bypass. A buggy could easily drive over them, but a regular 4x4 has no chance. We walked most of the way to the tunnel, but an electrical storm came over the ridge and we turned back to get back to the Cruiser so as not to be zapped.

 

[Rzeppa]

Tunnel Gatekeeper

More pictures of the tunnel gatekeeper obstacle:

 

[rover67]

holy **** it looks rough up there.

i'll be headed to boulder ranger district tonight maybe with Bruce and we'll chat about it.

 

[treerootCO]

This is Needles Eye and the tunnel closure...

http://staythetrail.org/maps/viewtrail.php?trail_id=18

 

[Rzeppa]

holy **** it looks rough up there.

i'll be headed to boulder ranger district tonight maybe with Bruce and we'll chat about it.

There were two USFS botanists up there, who work out of the Fort Collins office. I spoke with Tom Bates and got his business card. They were up there to scout the area for endangered plants. They are doing a NEPA for a project Xcel is planning for their gas pipeline. Xcel needs to pig out the line, but their pigs can't negotiate some of the 90° fittings employed in the pipe, so those fittings will have to be replaced.

I had not yet seen the damage to the post and cable when I spoke with him, so it wasn't clear whether they or the BRD was aware of the damage either.

 

[subzali]

Thanks for the report and pictures Jeff! And thank you Marco and Bruce for heading to the meeting tonight to hopefully come up with a solution with the BRD! Sounds like a work day is in order!

 

[CardinalFJ60]

we must have just missed eachother

I was just up there on Saturday, and was about to post to this thread with the same pics. We were finishing up a backpacking trip (East Portal divide Loop) and hiked down the wagon road as well as down to Yankee doodle and around to the Forest Lakes for camp on Saturday night.

Posts and cables are torn up a bit as Jeffs pics show. the steep climb to the right of the winch point looks to be down completely.

 

[subzali]

Thought this was an appropriate place to post this. Went up to the west side of Rollins Pass up to Corona this past Sunday, coming home from a camping trip. Have always wanted to get up there, glad I finally did.
1920:

1974:

2020:

 

[subzali]

My neighbor's grandfather was the maintenance manager on the pass back in 1920, and my neighbor let me take snaps of some of his photos that were passed down to him:

 

[subzali]

More:

 

[subzali]

Last:

 

[60wag]

Cool stuff. Love the tripple engines in the deep snow.

 

[Beach Boy]

cool historic pictures

 

[AlpineAccess]

Wow, thanks for sharing!

 

[DaveInDenver]

I knew I'd seen the photo of the Riflesight trestle before.

It's on the Wikipedia page for Rollins Pass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollins_Pass

However it does not have the credit of "A Clarke" on the print so it may have be a scan of the original negative or a different print. The photo is apparently part of John Trezise's collection and on Wikipedia is given a date of Jan 1, 1918.

https://www.preserverollinspass.org/rollins-pass-photos/the-john-trezise-archive/

 

[DaveInDenver]

Trying to figure out who "A Clarke" might have been. Is that your neighbor's grandfather Matt (@subzali)?

A person with last name "Clarke" and first or middle name starting with "A" is not listed in the railroad employee records the Denver Library has on their website for any company but who knows how complete it is. Also could be mistakenly listed as a "Clark" instead of "Clarke" for some reason.

https://history.denverlibrary.org/research-tool/railway-employee-records-colorado-volume-iii

Part of their larger collection, in particular of the D&RGW. It would be interesting to see if they have these photos and who they credit them too.

https://archives.denverlibrary.org/repositories/3/resources/8437

https://history.denverlibrary.org/research/railroads-american-west