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One of the main reasons we came to Colorado this time of year is to see the fall colors as the aspen (and a few other trees) change their colors.  We have been on several hikes in our time here, but this post is to focus on a unique hike we did yesterday, the trail to Pavilion Point.

This hike starts in Silver Plume and follows the former route of the Argentine Central Railway.  Nearly all remnants of the railroad have been removed, but the grade remains, and makes for an excellent hike since it never exceeds an incline of 6 degrees.  It also runs right through plenty of aspen trees.

The Argentine Central was built in 1905 to make it easier to haul ore from the various silver mines along the route.  Several mine shafts as well as mining equipment and tailings are visible right along the side of the trail.

This shaft looked large enough to get inside, but it’s filled with water.  No thanks!

Mining equipment and tailings.

The tailings make for a clear spot to get an excellent view.

The hike to Pavilion Point is 2.8 miles each way.   One of the by-products of the railroad being built was tourism, so a hotel was built at the top of Pavilion Point which has some excellent views.  All that remains of the hotel is a chimney.

The view to the west from Pavilion Point.  That’s  the I-70 below.

This is a must hike if you are lucky enough to be here when the colors are changing.  For reference, this hike was done on September 26.

The railroad ended up travelling to the top of Mt McClellan, which sits at 13,587′.  Here is a historic photo of the train at the top.

This is what that same spot looks like today.  I found this photo online.  We have not made it up there as it’s only accessible by 4WD high clearance vehicles.  Maybe when Tesla comes out with their pickup truck!

 

We have been coming to Dillon for years.  Kim and I actually spent a weekend here on a road trip in 1991, a year before we got married.  I still remember that trip, back when we were very poor, and had to make a tough decision to camp by the lake in the rain or spring for a hotel room.  The hotel room won!  The mountains and the lake drew us here, and have been drawing us ever since.

About a year after we got married, Kim’s mom Myra and step-father Chuck bought a quarter share of a place here, and it was  used for ski trips for a few years.  In 1997, they finally bought a place of their own, the place we are staying now.  Our son Fletcher had his first birthday here, and it holds other very special memories for us.  Myra decided she wanted the place to stay in the family, so we are now one third owners, along with Kim’s step-brother Dave and step-sister Nancy.

Here is a shot from the balcony during a storm a few days ago.  We love the frequent storms here in the Rockies., as long as we can avoid being stuck out in hail!

We have been here at least a dozen times for ski trips, and have summered here numerous times.  We have never been able to stay here in September and October, since Kim was teaching.  This is the first year we have this time free, and we are looking forward to the cooler weather and the changing colors of fall.

Being here in September has been a stark departure from our summers here.  We are used to walking into restaurants and waiting 20 minutes for a table.  Not now!  Just walk right in!  We have attended a few concerts that Dillon does in their amphitheater, and in the past you needed to set up your chairs in the morning to have a place to sit.  Not now!  This is awesome!

Even the hiking trails are down to just a few locals!  September is a great time to be here!

For you low landers, the City of Dillon sits at 9,111 feet (our townhouse is at about 9,300 feet).  The first few days are spent gasping for breath just from getting out of your chair.  It does take about a week for your body to acclimate, and even then, some of the hiking trails around here are lung-busters!

Our first hike is always Old Dillon Reservoir, which was originally built in the 1930’s to supply water to the original town of Dillon.  In 1956, the residents of the original city were told they needed to vacate and move about a mile away to higher ground, as a dam was going to be built to create Lake Dillon, which now provides water to Denver and other front range cities.  The original location of Dillon is now under 250 feet of water.

Old Dillon Reservoir is a short 1.7 mile hike, and offers great views of Lake Dillon and the surrounding mountains.

The path around the Old Dillon Reservoir was deserted.

Dillon is in Summit County, Colorado, and this is home to more excellent hikes than likely any other part of Colorado.  We love our hikes, and will be featuring our favorites in further posts.  We highly recommend you visit Summit County if you really want to get that “Rocky Mountain High”!  No, that has nothing to do with the fact there is a marijuana dispensary on every corner!