The Cold Mountains of Lake County…

Every time I drive to Leadville I always stare off to the left side of the road to check out the Climax Mine. There’s not a whole lot you can see from the roadway, but I’ve always been fascinated by the history of the mine.

The Climax Mine boomed back in the day and provided jobs for a majority of Leadville’s residents. When the mine shut down most of its production, the town of Leadville nearly died with it.

I snapped this picture while heading to the two-mile-high city on Sunday. I was amazed by how dark the mountains looked in the background. They looked really cold.

Passing over Independence Pass…

It should go without saying that one of the best drives in Colorado is the drive over Independence Pass. I took this picture over the summer during a drive between Twin Lakes and Aspen. I spent the weekend camping near Twin Lakes at Mt. Elbert Forebay.

For the heck of it, I decided to drive from the camp site all the way over to Aspen to soak up some sights (the drive is about 40 minutes). I’m so glad I did. I got to see some beautiful things from Independence Pass, including this mountain range.

Remembering the Mountains Near Marble, CO

It’s been a while since I’ve posted on this blog, and for that I apologize. I created this blog so I could bring you folks along with me on my adventures across Colorado. Since my last post I’ve visited a good chunk of our state. However, I’ve only visited places I’ve been to before – so you didn’t miss out on much.

This weekend I went through my laptop to organize pictures from the last year. While going through my ‘Marble, CO’ album I stumbled upon this picture. It immediately put a smile on my face.

I took it on a dangerous dirt road between the towns of Crystal and Marble. Crystal is a ghost town outside of Marble. You can only access it by traveling along a narrow, rocky mountain road. You need a 4x drive vehicle to get there.

As beautiful as that back country was, I would never drive it again. It was too dangerous!

The Country Side in Kremmling, CO

As I drove East of Kremmling and hooked a left on to Country Road 22 I noticed something spectacular. A string of mountains straddling a cozy community. The folks who live in this rural slab of Grand County know how lucky they are. “It’s peaceful,” One woman told me. Peaceful is one way to describe it. I used the word ‘perfect’.

Frosty Hills in Crested Butte…

You have to assume the folks who live in Crested Butte are used to driving on slick roads. Since I arrived in town Thursday afternoon, I haven’t seen one salt or plow truck pass by. That said, the 9NEWS vehicle I was driving  in was slipping around until I popped it into 4 wheel drive.
Despite the slick roads, there’s not much to complain about. The scenery is stunning. The frosty hills beamed in the sunlight, while the chilly country air smelled like a warm winter log roasting on an open fire. Simply put, Crested Butte is amazing this time of year.

Powdery Scene along Rabbit Ears Pass

On my way back to Denver from Steamboat Springs I drove over Rabbit Ears Pass. A small snowstorm passed through the area the night before, leaving most of the trees in the Routt National Forest glazed in powder.

If you’ve seen the winter forest scene in The Chronicles of Narnia, picture that. I took a few pictures. Hope you enjoy them.

Steamboat Springs in late October

Ever feel the need to just get away? I felt that way this week. So I packed my bags and headed to Steamboat Springs. I’ve been to Steamboat a few times for work, but I’ve never visited in my free time.

While I was there, I had a chance to visit Strawberry Hot Springs and Fish Creek Falls. It was a nice, little break. The pictures in this blog were taken near Fish Creek Falls. You can tell winter is on its way.

Warm colors on Kenosha Pass

If you’re hoping to see some fall colors before they fade away you might want to head up to Kenosha Pass in the next day or two.

I took a drive up there today (10/3) and the trees were bursting with color.

After I snapped a couple of pictures I continued on through Fairplay, and then took Hoosier Pass in to Breckenridge.

The trees along Hoosier Pass already passed their prime. Breckenridge was pretty bland too.

However, if you continue driving in to Frisco, you’ll see some amazing colors throughout the town.

By the end of the week I assume the colors will disappear.

I posted more pictures on my Facebook page. Head over there and hit the ‘like’ button www.facebook.com/ReporterKevinTorres

Kit Carson’s warm character

On my way back from Holly, CO (near the Kansas border) I stopped in Kit Carson for dinner. When I walked in to the Trading Post Restaurant I was greeted by the owner’s mother. She seemed pretty excited to see 9NEWS in town.

“Whatchya in Kit Carson for?” she asked.

“Oh, just passing through town,” I said.

“Ya know, 9NEWS is my station,” she replied.

I chuckled.

After I ordered my meal we chatted for a couple of minutes. The lady recommended the diner’s pie.

“Folks from all over Colorado travel here for our pie,” she said with excitement.

I took her word for it, but didn’t order a piece – since I’m not a pie fan. Before I stepped out we said goodbye and then she warned, “Watch out when you leave. About two miles outside of town there’s a group of deer that tend to hang out near the road at this time of night”.

“Thank you. I’ll keep an eye out,” I said.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my adventures, it’s this: Folks from small town are kind and considerate. And ya know what? Two miles outside of town I saw the group of deer she was talking about.

I decided to pull over and take a couple of pictures of the beautiful sunset.

Gold in Silver Plume, CO

The tiny town of Silver Plume is rich with history. It’s known for its mining background. In fact, most of the roads that straddle the town play home to old, battered down mining structures. I snapped this picture off of Old Frontage road. You can see how quickly the leaves are changing.