Tin Cup Pass

Tin Cup Pass is a 4-wheel drive over a 12,000+ pass.  But on the way we stopped for a short hike to Agnes Vaille Falls.

Named after a Denver woman who loved hiking the Colorado mountains.   Her goal was to climb all of the states 14'ers, but she never got the change.  In an ascent to Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, she fell and although she survived the fall, she froze to death before she could be rescued.  Her friend, Jo Witchey, her mountain climbing buddy and a ranch owner in Chalk Creek Canyon, named the falls after her friend.

On the way to Tincup Pass we stopped at this old mill.  There were no signs with any history, but you could still see the remains of some of the equipment inside.

They rocked in the ditch (or flume or raceway).  This carried the water away after it had been used to power the mill.  

Just down the road was Iron City Cemetery.  Most of the graves were very old, and many were of children.   Most interesting was a sign at the gate which gave names and cause of death for many of those buried in the cemetery.  Most of deaths listed were related to the mining industry.  

Henry and Mary Brown came to Colorado during the mining boom and built this home in the early 1880s. It was owned by the family until 1932.  Notice the difference in style between the first and second floor.  It was thought the second floor was added sometime after the original house was built.  Henry was the mine manager for the Mary Murphy Mine, the most prominent silver mine in the area.  Interestingly, Henry was killed in an ambush in Idaho in what was thought to be a dispute between cattlemen and sheepmen.

If you wondered what happens to all that gambling money, well, here is proof of where at least some of it goes.

The Historical Society is restoring this Pawnee Mill Stable, built in 1892, with gambling funds.

St. Elmo is as far as you can go without 4-wheel drive.  They call it a ghost town, but I never saw a ghost town this busy.

Or with businesses like this B&B.

Or the General Store, which was open and selling ice cream, gifts, snacks and sandwiches.

They saw all the property is privately owned, so you aren't allowed to poke and peek in the buildings.  There were actually a number of homes being lived in, some of them fairly new.

Two historical buildings, this school house, and the jail, are operated by the Historical Society and are open to the public.

They have the school house restored as it would have been back in 1892, but you can't go in because it is blocked with a large plate of see through plastic (hence the shadows in the picture).  

I sat down across from the General Store and found these little chipmunks are not afraid of people.  The sell food for you to feed them, so they will climb right up on your lap wanting to be fed, even when you don't have any food for them.

The Colorado 4-Wheel Guidebook lists Tin Cup Pass as a moderately difficult 4-wheel.  It wasn't the worst I've been on, but we didn't put it in 4-wheel drive until the last 1/4 mile before the pass.  But it was challenging and very pretty scenery.

Looking down on Mirror Lake from the pass.  That was where we were headed next.

Just beyond Mirror Lake is the town of Tin Cup.  This is Tin Cup's Town Hall, built in 1903.  It looks like it is now used for the local church and they have Friday Family Nights too.

Tin Cup has it's own general store, 

and across the street was Frenchy's Cafe, where we stopped and had hot chocolate.

I liked this sign.

Heading back to Buena Vista, we went over Cottonwood Pass.  Hey, that's crossing over the Continental Divide twice in one day.  Hum, I wonder how many times I have stood on the Continental Divide this summer?  At least 6 times that I know.

We are headed back now and it's been a long day.  You can see the storms on the horizon.