As in many other states, the summer heat wave continues to dominate Colorado, motivating me to take a ride into the mountains. While my initial goal was to drive to Crested Butte, on the way I began to think about another destination. For some time, I've wanted to re-visit the town of Marble and drive to the "Crystal Mill", which I last saw in 2005. Since I was headed in that direction, why not do it now?
Marble is ninety miles from Montrose, a beautiful drive along the North Fork of the Gunnison River and the West Elk Scenic Byway. The town is tiny, latest population of 136 hardy souls living year-round in the Crystal Valley. The presence of marble was first observed in 1873, but miners looking for silver and gold paid little attention to it. In 1893, a block was entered into the World Exposition, where it was judged to be among the world's finest marble. Since then, the quarry located in the town of Marble has supplied stone for the Colorado Capitol building, the Tomb of the Unknown and the Lincoln memorial, to name just a few. Shut down for several years, the quarry has re-opened and now ships most of its stone to Italy, where stone buildings and statues are apparently more popular than in the U.S.
Entering town, slabs of marble can be seen as ornaments at residential driveways, or lying randomly along the roadway, and even in the Crystal River. It is illegal to remove any of it.
The road to the quarry is off-limits to the public, and it would be dangerous because of marble-laden trucks speeding down the narrow mountain trail. However, the staging area where large slabs are loaded on rail cars can be seen from the road.
A roadside gallery displays statuary created by local artists.
Not far past Beaver Lake, a fork in the road starts a sixteen mile loop. I took the left fork that goes to Lead King Basin, a mining area in the late 1800s. A fellow in town had told me the wildflowers there are gorgeous right now.
Marble is at 8000 feet above sea level, but the road (called Lost Trail for some reason) goes up to nearly 11,000 feet high. For most of it, the trail is not nearly as rough as I had read over the years, but it was plenty dusty due to the current drought. I soon began to see wildflowers in profusion, although peak blooming is usually the third week of July.
There are also a few distant waterfalls that probably would have much greater flow in "normal" years.
I saw several side trails marked "Private Property", but I've read only one person lives full-time in the basin. Known as "Hermit Paul", he is said to be rather friendly and engaging when he comes to town...not like a hermit at all.
Going down the mountain, the road begins to follow the newly formed Crystal River with its numerous cascades and waterfalls that drop precipitously over "steps" in the rock strata. The road must traverse the same rock layers, and this is where it earns its rating as "very difficult".
Soon the trail enters Crystal City, known as a ghost town since being abandoned many years ago when mining played out. However, a handful of people have bought some of those remaining properties and now spend their summers enjoying the cool mountain air. One building is used as a store that sells snacks for folks driving or hiking through the area.
The Crystal Mill is an iconic location, the main attraction for the people who visit here. Not actually a "mill", it used water power to compress air used to power mining equipment. Despite the very rough road, this is one of the state's most popular photography locations. Those who don't have a suitable vehicle can rent an ATV or arrange a Jeep tour in Marble.
On this visit my timing was terrible, since the high sun made good photography almost impossible. Despite trying various techniques to overcome the wide range of exposure, I was not happy with my results. In addition to one photo taken on this trip, I've included another from 2005, taken later in the day. The river was much fuller then, and we were allowed to go down to the river for the best perspective. Now it's private and there's a fence to keep people from going to the river.
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| 2018 |
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| 2005 |
Heading back to town, more waterfalls can be seen on the mountains across the valley, adding more water to Crystal River.
In Marble once again, I stopped for a late lunch at the Slow Groovin' BBQ. I highly recommend the brisket and cheddar sandwich.
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