THE CANYON CORRIDER
by Pam North
Residents living in mid-to-north Gilpin County are usually frequent
travelers to Boulder, and many take
the canyon highway route down from Nederland. The less than half-hour
ride is pretty much taken for granted these days; it's a quick, usually
uneventful (barring icy conditions or an errant bike rider) trip down a
smooth ribbon of asphalt, a far cry from its predecessor in earlier times.
Boulder Canyon was a formidable undertaking back then; even walking it was arduous. Steep, vertical canyon walls, rising high above a rushing, rock-filled creek, narrowed to almost impassable just above Boulder Falls. A road to the bustling mountain mines had become a necessity, one which Boulderites were determined to build, and build it they did, despite the natural obstacles that stood in their path. The first few miles of it were completed in 1865, as part of a wagon road to Central City, by a pair of Boulder financiers, James Maxwell and Clinton Tyler, who organized the Boulder Valley and Central City Wagon Road Company. The route was built in three months to where the lower part of Magnolia Hill enters Boulder Canyon from the south (about two miles up from the Four Mile Canyon intersection); there the route departed from the canyon and headed up and over Magnolia Hill to South Boulder Creek, joining with the Enterprise Road into Black Hawk.
Six years later, the success of the Caribou silver mine beckoned the
extension of the lower Boulder Canyon road from Magnolia Hill to Nederland.
A second wagon road company was formed by four Boulder men:
John F. Buttles, Amos Widner, Anthony Arnett and William Pound, and
the Boulder Canyon Wagon Road was opened on May 20, 1871. The completion
of the one-way dusty thoroughfare was a major accomplishment, but it was
still a steep, narrow and hazardous road, crossing from one side of the
canyon to the other over thirty-three bridges (today it's barely noticeable
that the road crosses the stream). The road was operated on a toll
basis, but the revenue generated was barely enough to cover the constant
maintenance required, so no profit was ever derived from the venture.
It still was viewed as a success, however, as it brought Boulder a portion
of the trade that had previously gone down Clear Creek to Denver.
The scenic beauty of the canyon soon made it a tourist attraction as
well. An open, horse-drawn, 10-to-12 passenger vehicle known as a
Tally Ho was the popular mode of transport by which sightseers could leisurely
traverse Boulder Canyon. Many scenic points along the route became
favorites; some of these still exist, and others have disappeared or are
now hidden from view with the later highway improvements that have been
made. The tumbling 35-foot Boulder Falls, the approximate halfway
point of the canyon, still attracts passers-by. The 75-year-old
Public Service plant, its CCPCo letters (Central Colorado Power Company)
visible, is still in existence at the lower part of the creek just east
of the tunnel; it is a major part of the Boulder hydroelectric system.
Castle Rock, a 300-foot rise of rough dark rock, lures rock-climbers as
a major challenge. Both Castle Rock and the power plant are locations
where the old convict-built road is still visible. Perfect Tree,
an ancient tree towering 83 feet in height, and estimated to be between
300 and 400 years old, is a once-majestic, dense and perfectly symmetrical
blue spruce standing on the stream bank about a mile below Castle Rock.
Its former beauty and reputation was lost in more recent years due to age
and budworm infestation, but it was once a famous canyon highlight.
Rebuilding of the road began in 1941, and over ten years and the Second World War passed before it was finished, opening to travelers on January 8, 1953, and then extending to the Boulder city limits by 1955. The project, built by the State Bureau of Public Roads, cost $2.38 million, and incorporated a tunnel which cut through solid rock and eliminated a hazardous curve.
Next time you head down Boulder Canyon, take some time to appreciate
the effort, time and vision it took to make this road a reality, and your
shopping trip or work commute an easy drive.
Resource: Nederland - A Trip to Cloudland, by Isabel M. Becker