(Black Bear Pass, Telluride)

As some of you may know, I spent most of 2013 in Lake City, Colorado, a small, but amazing historic mining town located in the heart of the San Juan Mountain Range. While in Lake City, I designed multiple plans for Texas Tiny Homes clients, as well as designed plans that are now available for purchase in our online store.

As someone born and raised in Texas, I had only been to Colorado once before, but even then it was a “drive through the state” as I was in route to Wyoming. I was not accustomed to mountain driving last April 6th, or fully prepared for what I was about to encounter as I left Creede, Colorado for what was suppose to be an “hour long drive”. That hour long drive (according to the experts) took me about three and half hours due to it being dark, and it was sleeting and snow was falling, and I was on a narrow, two lane mountain road that had no guard rails. I will be honest flatlander’s, I was white knuckling it at 2 miles per hour during much of that steep and slick mountain drive. Once slip up and you plunge to your death. While in Colorado, I was also able to do quite a bit of exploring in and around Lake City; including going on a 6 -hour Jeep ride around Engineers Pass, which features some amazing, world class views, but that mountain drive is not an ideal situation for those who suffer vertigo, as I apparently do, though I’ve never been professionally diagnosed. I hate to admit it, but I was hoodwinked into this great adventure by a couple of Lake City buddies who were well aware that took me 3 times longer to drive from Creede to Lake City as it does full time mountaineers. They  were not honest with me about what I was in store for as we ventured out on the famous mountain pass.

Engineers Pass starts out at 8761 feet in Lake City, and the mountain road reaches an elevation of 12,600 at Cinnamon Pass, though Lake City is surrounded by fourteeners, which means they are 14,000′ feet high. Engineer Pass is a 23.4 miles trail, located in Hinsdale County, and is one of Colorado’s most scenic off-road drives. This 4 x 4 trail, combined with Cinnamon Pass, constitutes the famous Alpine Loop. It is an exhilarating trip for drivers of all experience levels, but many who venture out on that loop wind up having panic attacks and have abandon their vehicles and walk back down to safer ground, and someone drives their vehicle down. Some of the rental places told me they have to go pick up their vehicles due to their customers freaking out, which made me feel a little better knowing I was not the only one who panicked at times during that 6 hour drive. Engineers Pass is one of two major passes on the Alpine Loop and is at 12,800 ft. From this vantage point, the surrounding areas unfold, including Mt. Sneffels (14,150 ft.) to the west and Uncompahgre Peak (14,309 ft.) to the northeast. The extinct Lake City volcanic caldera, which the Alpine Loop encircles, lies to the east. Four-wheel drive vehicles travel this pass today, but at one time it was a toll road, built by Otto Mears. The first stagecoach passed over this road in 1877. Besides the breath taking views that are in every direction, there are multiple abandoned mining camps that you can get out and explore, which as a long time home builder I found very interesting.

Caution should be used at all times, especially if you encounter wet weather. Any 4 x 4 with moderate ground clearance and low-range gearing can do fine. Drive on a clear day to see all the views. Unlicensed vehicles are not allowed to ride through the town of Lake City to connect with Cinnamon Pass.

Engineers Pass was an afternoon I’ll never forget, but was glad to be back at 8700 feet that evening. I did notice the more I drove from Lake City over to Gunnision, and other the nearby towns during my extended time there the more comfortable I became. When I finally pulled out of Lake City in December, the drive back to Creede only took an hour. I can’t really call myself a mountaineer, but I do plan to go back as much as possible in the years to come.