If any of you are very familiar with the great state of Colorado you may have heard of the Shelf Road that runs between the towns of Canon City and Cripple Creek (lots of Cs in that part of the world). It’s a mountainous dirt road with steep drop offs, hair-raising corners, and not even a hint of a guard rail on the whole 24 miles.
The Shelf Road is actually part of the Gold Belt Byway, a string of scenic roads in Colorado so called because of the gold mining in the area.
The average person wouldn’t drive this road, but my husband is not your average person. After buying a pick up in Texas and a camper to sit on top of it in Colorado, he chooses to christen our new rig by taking it on the Shelf Road. Let me just say right now, as the person who sat on the side of the ledge, that it was total insanity. It may have been enjoyable in a Jeep or something but as it was, our huge lumbering beast met a small truck and I was so busy white-knuckling it that I forgot to take a photo!
Below are photos of the drive, with some captions that you can see if you click on the image and scroll to the right, and below those are some photos of Cripple Creek and the mountaintop mine nearby.
Beautiful unassuming red dirt road…
…until you look down!
Truly on the side of a mountain.
A cross and some lovely metal art to memorialize someone.
One lane, around a corner !?!
It’s a really long way down.
24 miles of this!?!?
That’s an old collapsed barn down there.
Strange to find a big warehouse out in the middle of nowhere but there are mine accesses, tours, and roads to 2 ghost towns also.
Having a great time I’m sure, while his wife has a heart attack.
A great blue heron flying overhead.
Looking back the way we came.
That’s quite a road but I don’t really understand why it’s here, considering how much it probably costs to maintain.
Not taking his eyes off the road.
It had snowed recently, hence the puddles.
Another turn !?!
Beautiful valley VERY far down there.
How long does this go on??
Yay, falling rocks too!
Finally heading down the mountain.
The rig’s doing a pretty good job.
Some interesting drainage ditches.
A great blue heron flapping it’s wings in the breeze, practicing?
Still a lot of one lane portions, but it’s easier to breathe.
Notable rock formation.
I suppose Jack would just love to explore that old mine, thank goodness it’s locked.
What is a house doing out here and how did it get here??
A wild turkey gets startled by our lumbering beast.
Our reward for completing the harrowing Shelf Road was getting to Cripple Creek, a town that is clearly proud of their mountaintop removal! Here is a satellite image of the mine and some from the town itself. Hope you get there someday if you haven’t been already.
The view driving toward Cripple Creek
A satellite image of Cripple Creek & Victor Gold Mine.
A nice dusting of snow livens up the scene.
It’s amazing how big that mine must be.
This old structure is called the “Morning Glory Ore House” and was moved here in 2012 for preservation.
Another dark hole in the side of a mountain.
Now THAT is a retaining wall!
Don’t know the story behind this monster but there’s got to be one.
Tailing piles, I suppose.
Not sure if I’m going to be on board for this again. Luckily we’re leaving in a different directon.
Lots of historical buildings around here.
They sure love their donkeys, maybe too much. A bartender told us a story about the townspeople going after the donkeys that left town and bringing them back whether they liked it or not.
During the day…
and on a chilly night with some snow.
We left about $200 up, not too bad!
More mining stuff on the way out of town.
Would love to come back some day when we have more time.
Good bye for now Cripple Creek!
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The Jack Jessee Blog 
Great post. Jack’s a hippie. That explains it to me. Love to you both.
Sent from my Alcatel Onetouch A571VL
thanks for the pictures going out that way my self in a couple of months
Judy, you should try that road on a motorcycle! When I was in the Air Force, I was stationed at the AF Academy in Colorado Springs. I and a couple of buddies had ridden our bikes up to Cripple Creek, and one of them decided we should ride this road. To this day, I refuse to ride on a gravel road after that experience!
Yikes, I don’t know if I want to do that. Jack would though.
I feel your pain Judy. I have to drive over a moor with a view that most people would give their eye teeth for but which absolutely terrifies me. It gives new meaning to white knuckle ride as my fingers almost have to be prised off the steering wheel. Jack would find it easy peasy, most normal people do. I hate heights of any kind and I don’t look at the scenery around me. A bomb could go off and my eyes would not leave the road. My eyes tell me that of course there is enough room for the massive tractor coming towards me to pass but my subconscious tells me that I am going to be hurled into oblivion at any moment.
It’s hard to resist that natural tendency!
Really Love all your pictures.. Have Fun Enjoy Life.. May see you at Dollywood another time .
Hope so Bill.
Yet another very interesting read. Still dreaming of travelling those roads myself but at age Seventy the dream will continue. Thanks again for another really great blog.
Hope you can live vicariously through some of our videos! It’s a lot more comfortable that way actually 😉