Living history: step back in time with a stay at a historic cabin
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- Created on Wednesday, 04 May 2011 17:04
- Written by R. Scott Rappold
(Winter visitors at the Section House near Breckenridge melt snow for water. Photos by R. Scott Rappold)
By R. Scott Rappold, The Gazette
BOREAS PASS• To the ancient Greeks, Boreas was the god of the north wind, purple-winged and fearsome, whose breath chilled the air in the mountains and caused winter to sweep down to the lowlands.
Spend a night in the treeless stretch of the Continental Divide between Breckenridge and South Park, at 11,481 feet, made inhospitable by strong winds, blowing snow and frigid temperatures, and you’ll see why pioneers named it Boreas Pass — and why civilization’s efforts to carve a foothold here ended in failure.
The town at the summit, which in 1896 claimed the nation’s highest post office, is long gone, as are the train tracks that carried passengers and freight over the highest railroad pass in country.
But the hardy can still experience the beauty, serenity and history of this remote spot in Pike National Forest with a stay at the Section House or Ken’s Cabin, old structures saved from the elements and renovated 15 years ago.
Click here for a photo gallery of a journey to the cabin and back.
Since 2001, officials in Pike and San Isabel national forests have renovated four other historical buildings for overnight stays, with plans to open three more cabins in 2012.
There are plenty of backcountry huts in Colorado, most built in the past 30 years, some with running water and saunas. But a stay at a historical cabin offers a step back in time — or, for Boreas Pass, 6.5 miles of steps.
“The historic restoration is definitely what makes it a unique experience. Many people comment on how neat they think that is,” said Mike Zobbe, executive director of the Summit Huts Association, which manages the Boreas Pass huts. “I’ve certainly learned a lot about the railroads and how persistent people were to live on top of Boreas Pass in the wintertime.”
Journey between Denver and Breckenridge
On Feb. 11, 1899, one L. W. Waldo set out on foot from Breckenridge, bound for the rail station in South Park and then his home in Denver. He never made it.
His body was found four months later at what the Summit County Journal described as “a lonely spot among dead and down timber … exposed to the air and wild animals.” Officials speculated he succumbed to the elements and was buried in a snow drift, about a mile from the summit and the safety of the Section House.
Such were the hazards of travel over this pass.
A trail was blazed over the pass in 1859 by gold-hungry miners, and a wagon road went in a year later. The squat Ken’s Cabin was built for travelers. With railroad companies competing to get in on the riches being pulled from the earth, a rail line was built to Breckenridge in 1882.
Hugh R. Steele wrote of the journey to Breckenridge in the Montezuma Millrun newspaper in February 1883: “For four weary hours, kept awake by the jolting of running into snow banks, by the swearing and yelling of railroad men, and the shrill whistle of the mountain hurricane, we were compelled to sit and endure it.”
And they hadn’t even reached the summit.
On the trip down the north side, the engine got stuck and passengers waited an hour for a new engine to come from the top, only to get stuck in snowbanks three more times. The 22-mile trip from Como took eight hours.
But Summit County was booming, and in 1882 the Section House was built to house railway workers and travelers. By 1896 the spot known as Boreas Station had a telegraph office, post office and several other buildings.
Despite repeated use, the crossings were never easy; in 1909 a conductor was killed and nearly decapitated when a runaway train on icy tracks, speeding at 90 mph, flew 40 feet into the air.
When the decision was made to halt trains in winter, residents of Breckenridge were outraged at the “blockade.” Intermittent train service continued until 1932. After, the tracks were removed for salvage, and Boreas Station was abandoned. Construction of the road in the 1950s did not revive the ghost town.
Getting there
In the early 1990s, visiting railroad enthusiasts noticed the ruins of the historical buildings and organized an effort to rebuild them. Using as much original timber as possible, local, state and federal governments — working with a contractor and Texas A & M University — restored the Section House and Ken’s Cabin. They were made available for overnight stays in 1998.
Here's how you can get a free night's stay at one of them by volunteering.
The Boreas Pass huts are rented out through the 10th Mountain Division Hut Association; they’re not as popular as others in the system.
“It’s a bit of a slog in there,” Zobbe said.
The “slog” involves skiing, walking or snowshoeing 6.5 miles, with about 1,100 feet of elevation gain.
Trudge up this route, with snow falling and the summit obscured by thick clouds, and you’ll appreciate what it once took to get from Denver to Breckenridge. As you crest the summit, the Section House comes into view, looking as much a lifeline in the tempest as it must have to travelers a century ago.
(After snowshoeing or skiing 6.5 miles up, relaxing is the favorite activity at the Section House.)
Up to four people share each of the Section House’s three rooms. There’s an ample supply of wood for the heating and cooking stoves, and snow is shoveled, melted and then filtered for drinking water, which, if the cabin is full, is a constant endeavor.
Some visitors ski from the slopes overlooking the cabin, while others relax, playing cards or board games or simply enjoying conversation over whatever beverages they carried up the hill. Glance through a fogged window at the train car outside and it’s easy to imagine yourself waiting for a break in the weather at this remote refuge so you can continue on your journey.
The nightly cost is $30 per person. The cabins are not rented from May through Thanksgiving but are instead open for daytime Boreas Pass Road travelers to visit.
More renovations
The Forest Service has renovated several other historical cabins that are open for stays in warmer months.
Recreation program manager Neal Weierbach said the agency in the late 1990s identified 30 old buildings, many dating to Colorado’s mining boom days, that could be restored. The money collected from overnight visitors would be set aside for future renovations.
Unlike the winter huts, they can all be reached by road. Most are available May through October.
Click here for more on the cabins available for rent.
The cabins’ history and settings make them attractive to visitors, and “these are neat opportunities for people that want to be outdoors and experience the national forests and aren’t real comfortable, let’s say, with pitching a tent. These cabins, really all you have to do is bring a sleeping bag and your food,” Weierbach said.
The cabins vary in amenities, from the rustic Robert’s Cabin near Como, an 1880s railroad structure that has a wood stove and no water, to the comparatively luxurious Lake Isabel Cabin in the Wet Mountains, which has electricity, a refrigerator and even a washer and dryer. Also available for rent are the Bassam Guardstation and Cabin near Buena Vista and the Mingus Ranch Cabin southwest of Pueblo.
(Robert's Cabin near Como is among the most rustic of the old cabins available for rent. Photo courtesy of U.S. Forest Service)
Cost to rent the cabins is $50 to $75 per night, and reservations are made through www.recreation.gov.
Though they are cheaper than the 10th Mountain Division huts, these old cabins are not nearly as popular, with 30 to 40 percent occupancy during summer, Weierbach said.
“My guess would be because people aren’t totally aware of the opportunities,” he said.
Sleep in history
To rent one of the four historical cabins managed by Pike and San Isabel national forests, go to www.recreation.gov. For 10th Mountain Division Huts, visit www.huts.org.
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