Seems that it’s around this time of year that I start getting that itch for the warmer months. I love winter, but don’t really partake in any of the big activities- haven’t snowboarded since 2003. I love getting up to the cabin in the winter but that’s about it.

Lately i’ve been looking at maps for this years Ghost Town Run, a trip my pal Nathaniel Miller (owner of Big Choice Brewery in Brighton) started way back in 2005. Kinda fun to know that we’ve been leading this run for some 11 years now- there was a stretch from ’09-’15 that we didn’t lead the run. I took over in 2015 as Nathaniel has become quite busy with the brewery. My friend Travis (@thehoneybadger) took over leading it last year as I was still in recover mode from the Heart Surgery. Thought it would be fun to post a little photo compilation from the 10 years i’ve been apart of it.

Ghost Town Run 2005: The Alpine Tunnel district (I just phrased that).

Ghost Town Run 2006: Camp Hale.

Ghost Town Run 2007: Argentine Pass, Georgetown Loop, Wild Irishman and St’s John.

Ghost Town Run 2008: The Alpine Tunnel District.

Ghost Town Run 2009: The Alpine Tunnel district with some excitement on Tomichi Pass.

The Alpine Tunnel District: Going through pics for this post, realized that we have spent a good amount of time at the Alpine Tunnel and surrounding country (St. Elmo, Pitkin and TinCup). For good reason, the country around the Alpine Tunnel is wonderful and full of history. Plus a great network of roads makes for a fun weekend of exploring.

With excavation of the tunnel starting in the winter of 1880, the two sides (West and East) finally meet in the center, only being a few feet off from each other in the summer of 1882. The first narrow gauge locamotive came through the 1,772 ft long tunnel in July of 1882. 400,000 board feet of California Redwood Timber was used to support the interior of the tunnel. During the winter months, when done with there shifts, workers were required to leave in pairs as to not get lost in the deep snow. At the time of completion, the Alpine Tunnel was the highest railroad tunnel in the world, 500 ft below the Continental Divide and Altman (Alpine) Pass. Unfortunately, the road to the Alpine Tunnel on the west side is currently closed. A winter avalanche took out the Palisades- the Western approach to the Alpine Tunnel. The Palisades were a stretch of track clinging to a big cliff face. Workers hand cut interlocking stones to fill the 450ft gap and keeping the grade for the steam locomotive level. The Alpine Tunnel was abandoned in 1910.

Ghost Town Run 2015: The Alpine Tunnel District.

Ghost Town Run 2016: The Alpine Tunnel District with a fun run over Napoleon Pass.

Ghost Town Run 2017: Hayden Pass, the Cochetopa Hills, Bonanza and Otto Mears toll road.

Ghost Town Run 2018: A solo midnight run over Hancock Pass ( with a full moon lighting up the valley on my way to camp) and The Alpine Tunnel district, minus the Alpine Tunnel (A winter avalanche took out the Palisades).