Another RRAdventure Trip Report Coming Soon! [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Gold Camp Road Driving Tour of the Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek Railway Started In Manitou Springs, Colorado ending in Victor, Colorado September 25, 2006 Route follows [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica](via Old Stage Road) [/FONT]the Colorado Springs & Cripple Creek Railway [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica]Sold to Colorado & Southern, Leased to Midland Terminal[/FONT][/FONT]
Re: A car up there? Harry here in Colorado Springs ... I don't believe you took a car up there! My son and I own trucks and that's all we ever take up there... I've towed more than a couple flat-landers out of there with my Suburban to where Randy's Recovery (most expensive recovery service in El Paso County) can get in with their 4x4 off-road recovery truck. The fee jumps $85.00 when the front tires of the truck leaves the pavement at the Broadmoor Hills. You're luck ... # # # hed
Yep a car! - Here is our research material and route [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] *** Highly Recommend Material *** [/FONT]Actually the route we took is very easily traversed by car. We purchased the book listed above and it included a "Closing Information" insert. This insert had some additional information due to the cave-in of Tunnel #3. So, basically you can't get from Bruin Inn to Rock Creek Loop near Duffields via Gold Camp Road but you can detour around via the Old Stage Road. It also listed a nice side tour with a Photo-Guide with MP information. So, we started our trip at Manitou Springs and head for Victor. So, sit back and enjoy and rewind your mind back to the Gold Rush days. Attn HEMI: We will be driving our car through the actual RR tunnels that STEAM engines once used... [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
Gold Camp Road This route is a favorite of mine, absolutely. :tb-biggrin::tb-biggrin::tb-biggrin: Riding on high fill, chiseled cuts and yes, through tunnels still echoing with steam whistles, it's so easy to slip back into another era and another mode of transportation. Our family van had no problems on this road, except the occasional washboarding. Go up there in September and you'll probably catch the aspens changing. Truly a hidden gem close to the Front Range. Round trip 3-4 hrs if you come back via Divide and US 24 to I-25.
Let's Start at MP 0 at the Midland Terminal Roundhouse & Machine Shop [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] Highway #24 (Cimarron Street) covers the tracks here at 21st Street [/FONT]The roundhouse, coal trestle, and the repair shops all stood here. In 1953 the Office building was lost to a fire and the yards were dismantled. At this point all that remains on the site are is the Roundhouse, Machine Shop, and Tin Shop [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
Tunnel #1 - Milepost 6.2 [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]We leave the roundhouse and drive south on 21st street until we reach Lower Gold Camp Rd and turn east. We pass Bear Creek Rd and now we are on Gold Camp Road itself and head SE until we reach the intersection of Bear Creek Rd and High Drive. At this point Gold Camp Rd heads East and then South for about 2 miles before turning West. After a few turns as we travel along the old roadbed we reach Tunnel #1. We stop here are take a few photographs of the NE Portal and then drive through a stop again to photograph the SW portal. I wonder if I've got HEMI's attention yet...
Tunnel 2 - Milepost 7.1 [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]Our next stop is Tunnel #2 that is listed as being 185 feet long and makes a 16 degree angle. The book shows a wonderful shot of steam engine coming out of the SW Portal.
Bruin Inn / Station - Milepost 7.8 [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]We didn't find much at this point along the old RR line but the Bruin Inn stone wall where the Bruin Inn once stood and the Flag Stop of Bruin Station that was just up the road which would have been above the inn itself. There was no actual station here. Folks that stopped here use to visit the Helen Hunt Falls and Silver Cascade Falls.
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] As you see on the Google Earth drawn route we now make a detour onto the Old Stage Road. This is because of a cave-in on Tunnel #3 which is at MP 9.0. The road is closed from Bruin Inn and Rock Creek Loop near Duffields which puts us MP 14.6 when we reach Gold Camp road again.
By making this detour and using our "tour book" here is what is between Bruin Inn and Duffields MP 07.80 - Bruin Inn MP 08.40 - N. Cheyenne Canon MP 09.00 - Tunnel #3 MP 09.05 - Tunnel 9B MP 09.10 - Silver Cascade Falls MP 10.10 - Cheyenne Mountain MP 10.01 - Fairview Station MP 12.50 - S. Cheyenne Station MP 12.70 - Tunnel #4 MP 13.90 - Tunnel #5 MP 14.00 - St. Peter's Dome MP 14.60 - St. Peter's Siding MP 14.60 - Rock Creek Loop MP 15.45 - Rock Creek Loop MP 15.60 - Tunnel #6 MP 16.00 - Rock Creek Loop MP 16.60 - Tunnel #7 MP 16.70 - Cather Springs MP 17.50 - Duffields :tb-sad: :tb-sad: :tb-sad: :tb-sad:
MP - 17.5 Let's get moving again. One of the things you might notice in the earlier posts is that the route map I posted using Google Earth has changed. I'm slowing building up library of information on this trip and as I update the information the map will change to reflect that greater detail. At this point we reach what I believe is where the tour book says Duffield (which differs from Google Earth internal library says it is) and we stop to take a photograph of this sign. I don't know if this was here when the railway operated along this path but it's not a normal trail head sigh either since it's completely metal. It's at this point that the RR roadbed and our auto tour rejoin after the long detour via the Old Stage Road.
Summit / Mt. Rose Wye - MP 20.1 to 21.0 [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] At this point in our Auto Tour of the old railway road bed, we have driven pass Devil's Slide (MP 18.6), and around the curves of Double Horseshoe ([/FONT]MP 19.2 - 19.35) and reach the Wye. [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
Rosemont - MP 21.3 to 22.4 At this point it's a bit tough to know exactly where we are at using the odometer from the Roundhose but we have to be close to the historic location. [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
My uncle has been up there a number of times. I think that he's been up there 6 plus times and there were a couple of times that he had to get folks of the mountains of Colorado, including Misquito Pass.
GPS: 38°43'53.57"N 104°58'36.67"W This rock might not mean much but Lisa and I also have a background in Geophysics and Geology (her more than me) so taking a photograph of a "Rock" is soemthing we do to. What is also helpful for topics like this is that I can spot this outcropping on Google Earth and know where along the RR roadbed we are at. This means at some point we have passed Saderlind (MP 23.8) but not yet to Heslin (MP 24.6). Saderlind would have been a small Flag Stop about 0.5 miles from Heslin. As you have seen and will see in future shots, this road is very flat and can be crossed via a car without issue. It's also a dirt road so if it rains it will get muddy quickly. As you drive the route you will see cars coming in both directions so just watch your speed and the curves / tunnels and you won't have any issues with this wonderful drive back into time.
Heslin - MP 24.6 Heslin was a primarily a shipping point for lumber... [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
Clyde Station - MP 29.8 After driving along the road bed through many of narrow gauge type turns we reach where Clyde Station once stood. From looking back at the tour book I would say Lisa's shot it about right. The book talks about foundation pieces being left but we didn't have time to search for them. [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
Tunnel #9 - MP 30.2 We stop here and take several photographs. Here are some of the shots from the NE Portal side of the tunnel. I think you can get a feel of the size of the tunnel and the flat approach looking at the road with the car in view. That's me (6' 5") standing in the tunnel. [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
Tunnel #9 - MP 30.2 This post is for HEMI, shots of the inside of Tunnel #9... [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] - [/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT]
