The Hartsel Lodge Adventure Rendezvous Oct 5-8-2023
ADVENTURE LOOPS IN EVERY DIRECTION
- Over 16 Adventure loops are available from the Center of Colorado.
- Navigate with Phone compatible Ride with GPS Tracks with Voice Nav.
- 3 Quarters of the loops are HD Pan American and Royal Enfield and 2 up suitable.
- 1/4 of the loops are somewhat challenging.
You can ride of all of these loops at the Hartsel Lodge Adventure Rendezvous.
1. La Salle & Wilkerson Pass. Short Warm-Up loop *
2. Tarryall Reservoir, Lake George, 11 Mile Canyon and 11 Mile reservoir.
3. Como, Boreas Pass, Guanella Pass, Georgetown, Silver Plume, Fairplay.
4. Breckenridge, Lake Dillon & Hoosier Pass. From Fairplay & Alma
5. Pikes Peak.+
6. Cottonwood, Cumberland & Marshall Pass.
7. Cripple Creek & Victor. The Molly Kathleen Mine.
8. Cripple Creek Loop. Gambling.
9. The Royal Gorge. Bridge & Park.
10. Trout Creek & Mt Princeton – Hot Springs.
11. China Wall – Jeep Trail *
12. Trout Creek & Aspen Ridge Jeep Trail to Salida *
13. Weston Pass, Leadville & Mosquito Pass Jeep Trail *
14. Independence Pass, Aspen & Hagerman Pass Jeep Trail.*
15. Independence Pass to Aspen – Out n Back.
16. Victor Pass, Phantom Canyon, Canon City, Shelf Road, Cripple Creek.
17. Eleven Mile Cyn, Florissant, Divide, Rampart Range Road, Garden of the Gods, Pikes Peak.
* Challenging Jeep Trail
+ Fee to ride up Pikes Peak
HARTSEL RANCH HISTORY
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Sam Hartsel homesteaded the Hartsel Ranch in 1862 at two forks of the Middle of the South Platte River.
- This location would become the main road between the then prosperous town of Colorado Springs and the major gold mining camps of Breckenridge, Fairplay, Goldfield and Leadville.
- Hartsel was the first rancher to settle in South Park, starting his ranch with oxen that had been used to bring gold seekers to this area of Colorado in the 1860’s.
- Sam Hartsel expanded his original ranch by buying other surrounding spreads and soon had one of the largest ranches in the area.
- Sam had come west like so many others seeking his fortune searching for gold.
MORE HISTORY OF HARTSEL
In the area of the Hartsel Ranch were hot springs that were used by the Ute Indians for bathing and for medicinal purposes.
- In the mid-1870s, Sam Hartsel capitalized on the therapeutic nature of the springs by erecting a bathhouse.
- In 1875, he erected a hotel because his ranch could not accommodate all of the travelers seeking the healing properties of the spring.
- The post office at the town of Hartsel was established on 16 March 1875.
- Hartsel’s accommodations at the hot springs were very popular with travelers and profits from the enterprise helped him enlarge his ranch holdings and buy cattle.
- Hartsel eventually became the most important Colorado Midland railroad station in South Park.
- The Colorado Midland became known as the “Stockmen’s railroad” since shipping livestock constituted an important sector of its business.
- Like many communities in South Park, Hartsel declined after the departure of the railroad.
- The once-popular hotel burned in 1972 and the hot springs were closed.
- Today, few businesses remain in the community but Hartsel continues to be an important center for South Park ranching.
EASY ACCESS IN EVERY DIRECTION
You can ride to all of the following locations + with Phone compatible GPS tracks from the Hartsel Lodge Adventure Rendezvous.
EXAMPLE LOOPS
Ride a Fun Adventure Loop on the Hartsel Lodge Adventure Rendezvous over paved Trout Creek & Cottonwood Pass.
- Thru Tincup, then over dirt Cumberland Pass to the old mining area and Denver, South Park & Pacific Railroad stop town of Pitkin.
- Ride dirt Waunita & Blacksage Passes to the old railroad town of Sargents and dirt Marshall Pass.
- The first Railroad line over the Divide, and return to the Hartsel Lodge.
CRIPPLE CREEK & VICTOR EXAMPLE
- The Cripple Creek & Victor Distract had 5 Railroads that serviced the old mining district.
- Ride to the Colorado Gambling Mecca of Cripple Creek. Visit the Molly Kathleen Mine.
- Ride the Old Stagecoach Road up to Goldcamp Road to Victor.
- Ride down Phantom Canyon with it’s curved Railroad bridges to Canon City.
- Then ride up Shelf Road to Cripple on an Outstanding 3/4 smooth dirt road adventure around Pikes Peak.
RIDE THROUGH THE GARDEN OF THE GODS AND RIDE UP PIKES PEAK
RIDE OVER INDEPENDENCE PASS TO ASPEN
An utterly Spectacular Ride when the trees are changing colors.
Over one of the highest paved Passes in the Country.
RIDE A LOOP UP PIKES PEAK
RIDE MULTIPLE MOUNTAIN PASSES
RIDE BOREAS & GUANELLA PASSES
Ride from the old railroad town of Como to Boreas Pass to Georgetown & Silver Plume to Guanella Pass to Fairplay and back to the Hartsel Lodge
RIDE UP TO LEADVILLE. IT’S ALL DOWNHILL FROM THERE.
