Heading down from Schofield Pass toward Crested Butte after going through some beautiful country to get here.
Big views all over the place here.
The backside of Maroon Bells.
Schofield Pass
We headed up the road toward Schofield Pass via Devil’s Punchbowl on a really fun stretch of old stagecoach and wagon road. This road has claimed a number of lives over the years. With how narrow the road is on some particularly exposed sections, the death toll makes sense.
Heading along the road up to the punchbowl and the crux of the route.
Taking a break just before heading up the final shelf road in the most exposed section of trail.
A beautiful waterfall we saw along the way.
Looking up the final shelf road. It’s amazing that wagons used to go this way.
Looking back down into the punchbowl.
Up at the top of the Schofield Pass. Normal passenger vehicles can reach the pass from the Crested Butte side but not from the Crystal Mill side. These signs are serious.
Looking east on the other side of the pass.
Crystal Mill
We went up past the little town of Marble to check out the iconic Crystal Mill in the former mining town of Crystal. This mill is one of the most photographed sites in all of Colorado.
Were it not for the dedication of many volunteers over the years, this mill would have long since succumbed to mother nature and would have collapsed into the river below.
Heading on up above the mill toward the next adventure.
Beautiful aspens changing to gold in the fall.
