Breckenridge, Colorado is a gold rush town. Fortune hunters came first in 1859 for gold and then again in 1879 for silver and lead. Like all “rush” towns people were in a hurry to get to the treasure, investing as little time as possible in domestic arrangements. They arrived, slept outdoors then improved upon that with tents finally building log cabins. There were rocks, trees and mud in abundance. Combining these natural resources with newspaper for insulation and muslin cloth to smooth out the lumps, they sometimes slapped wallpaper over that in an attempt at Victorian civility. Boy, was it different from what we have today. No plumbing, no electricity and every household chore laboriously done by hand.
The Breckenridge Heritage Alliance provides a booklet with a self-guided walking tour highlighting mostly downtown buildings. A glimpse into the not so distant past is illuminating. Log cabins and basic wood-frame houses with a few Victorian frills line the main street some with tall false fronts. A number of the larger ones were hotels to accommodate the ever-fluctuating population of mostly men. “Early miner’s cabins were of small dimension with limited window openings to keep the miners warm in winter and cool in summer. They were built from native hand-hewn logs and held in place with square notches. A half-story loft provided additional interior space, the front gable opening served as an escape hatch on deep snow mornings!”
This new country barely opened up provided opportunities for some unique characters. Visiting the Barney Ford Museum (his family residence), you can read a copy of a letter he wrote to his former master as he exited slavery. As a slave he had traveled with his owner to Illinois, a free state. Barney knew that there was a law on the books stating that if a man brought his slave to that state and stayed for longer than 10 days the slave became a free man. In his letter he reproaches his former master for the poor treatment he received. This letter is eye-opening to say the least. Mr. Ford went on to become a statesman, and a restaurant owner in Breckenridge.
Another interesting man with his own small museum (also his former home) was Edwin Carter. Originally drawn to the mining activity, he became alarmed by the damage to the land and animals that mining caused. He was very concerned that some Colorado native animals would soon become extinct. Mercury released through mining was causing mutations, which he documented by preserving at least two different two-headed animals. Acquiring the skills of a taxidermist his goal was to preserve one of each species. He housed his growing collection in his home, heating only his bedroom in the winter to better preserve his collection. Eventually he had 3,300 stuffed animals and birds, which became the founding collection of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. What drives someone to undertake such an enterprise?
Colorado is a mountainous state. There are 56 mountains at or over 14,000 feet, which they call “The Fourteeners.” They are beautiful and majestic when viewed from afar — even in June they are snow-capped. You can climb them if you dare. There are loads of trails and hikers are everywhere. Also many lower peaks are there to practice on. Breckenridge is at 9,000 feet and you can feel it. At 14,000 feet I’m pretty sure the average hiker would be uncomfortable.
Skiing is THE thing in “Breck.” The town is filled with ski-centric goods. There is an impressive gondola to take you and your skis up, up, up. I’m sure a snowy Breckenridge is beyond picturesque but we were glad to avoid the cold white stuff.
Thinking of the people who came before eventually leads to wondering about the miners. Those first brave souls with pick and pan who came to find gold gave way to the hard rock miners who spent most of their working lives in holes like moles. It was an unimaginably hard life. Down in the mine by 7 AM, often working in standing water. The walls and ceilings of the mines seeped moisture. The humidity was high so they worked in just undershirts and Levis. Candles were their only light as they chopped rock and filled trams for 10 hours a day. Who among us today would survive such conditions for longer than a few days? History has so many stories like this, sober lessons beneath the surface of the larger stories that are recorded in history books.
Looking for activities that kids would enjoy, we visited a giant troll sculpture made of local wood. The Danish artist Thomas Dambo, a “Recycled art activist,” is known for his trolls that have been installed in 17 countries worldwide.
Taking the train home from Granby Colorado to Emeryville we saw some of the most stunning scenery in the U.S.A. outside those observation car windows in Colorado, Utah, Arizona and California. Huge and fantastic rock formations in gorgeous color from red to gold, orange, brown and tans stretched for miles along the Colorado River. We watched rafters (some trying to push off of sandbars where they were stuck) and kayakers. We saw thrilling rapids and broad smooth stretches. We saw trees, trees and more trees. There were majestic mountains and mild mannered mountains laced through with scary black tunnels. To say the least it was dramatic.
We passed remote little towns and had to wonder what would land people exactly there? Seemed like some good destinations for the witness protection program. One town we especially liked the looks of was Helper, Utah. Here all the downtown buildings were rimmed in small lights. We learned that the town was named “Helper” because in a bygone era they sent extra engines out to help trains in distress. We were glad our train wasn’t one of them. The whole idea of trains in deep snow country is fascinating. The lengths they had to go to keep the track clear and/or dig the trains out of the snow were heroic.
The train also showed us how much open space is out there — mile after mile after mile. Inside the train was also interesting. One man rode the entire way with a full sized skeleton on the seat next to him. Another stumbled off the train raving and leaving his luggage and phone behind. The average traveler does not choose the train these days, so be prepared to be surprised. There was one very skinny long bearded man who appeared to be Amish or Mennonite with about a dozen very chunky women all wearing exactly the same style floor length dress (each in a different solid color) and starched white caps. He looked happy, they did not.
The downside of the train trip was sitting up all night. Even though the seats are comfortable and recline, it was still hard. The sleeper car is three times the price so most travelers opted for the sleeper chairs. The dining car was expensive, but the one meal we ate there was pretty good. The snack bar was the happening place with a really good assortment of all kinds of foods for reasonable prices. Some of the intercom announcers during the trip had obviously missed their callings as stand up comedians, which was (mostly) amusing. Some admonished us about train etiquette in a motherly way while others told bad jokes.
Overall, the entire trip was very memorable and one that we would recommend to anyone. We will be replaying scenes from this vacation in our minds for a long time to come.
Part 1 of this 2-part story can be found at: https://theava.com/archives/268918
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