Independence Pass

**McNulty** · 6th June 11, 09:27 PM

Every year during the Memorial Day Weekend CDOT tries to make sure Independence Pass is opened and the hiway is cleared of snow. The pass usually closes for the winter around Turkey Day. This year the task was especially hard since there were drifts exceeding 25 ft. Indy Pass goes up Rt 82 from Aspen, over the Continental Divide and down into Leadville. The pass is named after the silver mining town of Independence that went from boom to bust when the US switched to the gold standard. We had just finished with the BHS graduation ceremonies and my wife Lou and I decided to take the drive up and over. There were a couple of small slides but the sun was out and melted the snow pretty quickly. The temp in Aspen was a balmy 68F and a sunny 41F at the top of the pass. We've done this trip for the past several years and this one had the most snow so late into the year.

You can see the road heading up to the pass. Keeps your eyes on the road.

On the road to the top of the pass.

Looking back toward Aspen.

Lou and I at the top.

At the top of the pass

One more shot at the top before crossing the divide.

Some small slides coming down the mtn.

One of the remaining tipples at Independence.

Enough with the snow. Next week the end of school and our staff rafting trip. Pix to follow soon
McNulty

**mookien** · 6th June 11, 10:00 PM

Spectacular pictures! Thanks for posting.

Did you shoot a high-powered rifle (or cannon) at the ridge to capture those snow slides? ;-)

I've been over a good number of CO's passes, but never Independence. I'll have to make a point of doing so, soon. I usually crawl Black Bear, Imogene, Poughkeepsie Gulch, et. al., but those don't open sometimes until Independence Day. :-)

Nice kilt, and especially your kilt pin.

**Whidbey78** · 6th June 11, 10:03 PM

Nice pics! It reminds me of a time about eight years ago when I went through Laramie, WY on June 5 and there was about six inches of snow on the ground. When I got to the top of Laramie Pass I stopped at the rest area and rolled around in the snow, which was almost two feet deep in open ground. I had been stationed in San Diego for a couple of years (almost three) and had just come back from a deployment to Iraq. Snow looked like the most beautiful thing in creation at that point!

This is a good year for skiers and boarders. They might be out on July 4th!