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The Hartsel Lodge Adventure Rendezvous Oct 5-8-2023

ADVENTURE LOOPS IN EVERY DIRECTION

MIDLAND ELK
The Colorado Midland Railroad came right thru the Center of the Harstel Springs Ranch
  • 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.
lasalle pass
Lasalle Pass Sign
Aspen Grove
ADV in an Aspen Grove
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.
Pavement Ends
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 depot
The Old Train Station in Hartsel with Pikes Peak in the background.
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.
hartsel bathouse today
Hartsel bathhouse today
hartsel bathhouse 1936
Hartsel bathhouse circa 1936
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.
Hartsel Depot 1916
Hartsel Depot 1916
hartsel buffalo
Buffalo at the Hartsel Springs Ranch
  • 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.

Trout Creek Pass
View from Trout Creek Pass of the Continental Divide.
2 Trains on Trout Creek Pass
The Colorado Midland passes over the Denver, South Park & Pacific in this oil painting on the top of Trout Creek Pass
cotonwood pass
Cottonwood Pass is the 2nd highest Paved Pass in the Country
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.
CCV RR Map
Cripple Creek & Victor District Railroads

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.
RR Tunnel
RR Tunnel on Goldcamp road
Warden House Canon City
The old Warden’s House at the Colorado Territorial Prison in Canon City
  • 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

Garden of the Gods
Garden of the Gods
BALANCE ROCK at Garden of the Gods
Pikes Peak Devils Playground

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

DSP&P Hotel in Como
DSP&P Hotel in Como

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.

 TABOR OPERA HOUSE
LEADVILLE’S TABOR OPERA HOUSE

GPS NAVIGATION & SAFETY

BUDDY SYSTEM

 

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