We live at 5400' and to go to Cripple Creek, elevation 9500', it's mainly straight up except when you have to go down to get into the town. The Cripple Creek area produced about 23.5 million troy ounces of gold, one of the largest gold strikes in history. Most of the buildings that you see are from 1896, the town burned down twice prior to that. I think they finally figured it out that brick is better than wood.

[K-Three]

I spent the summer of 1984 camped on the top rim of a canyon east of the Cripple Creek/ Victor area (Beaver Creek?). We used to drive into them for mail and groceries.
I was babysitting Peregrine Falcon chicks for the Peregrine Fund, while they learned how to fly and hunt.
I hiked down to the creek bottom of the canyon below us one day, it was probably at about 8,000-ft, and the top right at about 10K,
Was easy going down, just about had my heart burst out of my chest coming back up. I'd been living in eastern Kansas for a few months before going to the Rockies, and Santa Barbara CA for several years before that, so I was not acclimated to the rare air up there. Oh to be 20 again.
We could sit on the rim of the canyon at dusk and look out east over Colorado Springs and Ft Carson, and see the thunder cells rolling across the prairies beyond.
Some slides of that summer packed away somewhere,


Sorry, forgot to say, nice shot,
I forget how the thin dry air changes light so much from what I see here in the thick, soggy northwest now. I do like the greens we get here though,

[Bob Harris]

I spent the summer of 1984 camped on the top rim of a canyon east of the Cripple Creek/ Victor area (Beaver Creek?). We used to drive into them for mail and groceries.
I was babysitting Peregrine Falcon chicks for the Peregrine Fund, while they learned how to fly and hunt.
I hiked down to the creek bottom of the canyon below us one day, it was probably at about 8,000-ft, and the top right at about 10K,
Was easy going down, just about had my heart burst out of my chest coming back up. I'd been living in eastern Kansas for a few months before going to the Rockies, and Santa Barbara CA for several years before that, so I was not acclimated to the rare air up there. Oh to be 20 again.
We could sit on the rim of the canyon at dusk and look out east over Colorado Springs and Ft Carson, and see the thunder cells rolling across the prairies beyond.
Some slides of that summer packed away somewhere,


Sorry, forgot to say, nice shot,
I forget how the thin dry air changes light so much from what I see here in the thick, soggy northwest now. I do like the greens we get here though,

Yes, you're correct about Beaver Creek, one of the best fishing areas up that way. When we first moved into Canon City it didn't take long for me to get acclimated to 5400' so I didn't think that 10, 000' would be 'that' big of a difference. Boy was I wrong, I had to use an emergency inhaler that my wife carries and all of a sudden I had this killer headache. It wasn't until later that I learned that a person has to stay extra hydrated at higher elevations, lesson learned.
We just finished watching the NCAA finals, sorry about Gonzaga, we thought they would win the championship.

[Unregistered User 8]

Excellent image Bob, I'm getting a little motion sickness just looking at it !! I bet everybody has strong legs there.

[Bob Harris]

Excellent image Bob, I'm getting a little motion sickness just looking at it !! I bet everybody has strong legs there.

they legalized gambling here Peter, at the end of the day you have to crawl out of town because you're broke and beaten down.

[eaglem]

Cars would need good brakes where you live......

[Unregistered User 8]

they legalized gambling here Peter, at the end of the day you have to crawl out of town because you're broke and beaten down.

[Bob Harris]

Cars would need good brakes where you live......

We only go up streets, never down.

[Kerrowdown]

except when you have to go down to get into the town

Interesting shot, all very red there.

Reckon flooding could be issue living at the bottom there... that's assuming it does rain there.

[Janse]

Interesting shot and story.

[dcmsox2004]

superb shot bob, the perspective is perfect for this....and i thought being at 2500' in jerusalem was gettin' up there.... dave m

[brewmaster15]

Bob, Thanks for the pic and history here. Nice perspective! That old town looks like a great place to shoot! I wonder how much of that gold is still waiting to be found! What its worth today you could buy yourself some new pentax toys.!

al

[Sailor]

Brings back memories, buddy, of my harrowing drive on the Fantom Canyon Road to Cripple Creek. I think CC is where there's a face on a bar room floor - I'm pretty sure I had a beer (or 2) there.

Jer

[Bob Harris]

Interesting shot, all very red there.

Reckon flooding could be issue living at the bottom there... that's assuming it does rain there.

a lot of red sandstone in this area KD and this is an old west town, so when it rains/snow melts they just open the front door and it flows right through the buildings.

---------- Post added 04-04-17 at 06:18 PM ----------

Interesting shot and story.

thanks Janse, glad you enjoyed the thread.

---------- Post added 04-04-17 at 06:20 PM ----------

superb shot bob, the perspective is perfect for this....and i thought being at 2500' in jerusalem was gettin' up there.... dave m

this is in the Rocky Mts. Dave, nose bleed territory with many 14,000' peaks around.

---------- Post added 04-04-17 at 06:21 PM ----------

Bob, Thanks for the pic and history here. Nice perspective! That old town looks like a great place to shoot! I wonder how much of that gold is still waiting to be found! What its worth today you could buy yourself some new pentax toys.!

al

Al, there's still an active gold mine up there and from what I understand they are doing very well with others interested in getting back into the business.

---------- Post added 04-04-17 at 06:23 PM ----------

Brings back memories, buddy, of my harrowing drive on the Fantom Canyon Road to Cripple Creek. I think CC is where there's a face on a bar room floor - I'm pretty sure I had a beer (or 2) there.

Jer

hey buddy, lots of floor faces in this place and yep ya' gotta' be careful on these old mining roads.

[Bruce Clark]

It looks as hilly as Gympie, a gold mining town in south east Queensland, where I lived for a few years as a youngster.