Up on Cripple Creek

The weather has certainly been a mixed bag.  A slushy, sloppy snow fell yesterday morning, but by afternoon the roads were bare and dry.  Now the sun is out for the first time, but more snow is predicted for tonight.  Of course!  I have to drive down to the Colorado Springs airport tomorrow morning. Winter has arrived at high elevation and it won't rain in Cripple Creek again until June.

Dad and I did a few errands yesterday and stopped at the Cripple Creek Heritage Center, a first class museum and interpretive center on the hill outside town. For some reason, I'd never been there.

It's a beautiful building with great views of Cripple Creek far below. There are interesting exhibits about historic mining and Colorado natural history.

Sam meets Jurassic World

After that, a sobering drive on the back road from Cripple Creek to Victor. Pictures really can't do justice to the massive scale of the gold mining operations.  This area was once lovely high county meadows and forests.

Hey, what happened to my pasture?

If you grind an entire mountain into rubble and then pour cyanide on the top, some gold will eventually leach out the bottom.  It's that simple.

Take your picture. Then turn around 360 degrees to see what we've lost forever.