Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 270, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 November 1918 — PHANTOM CANON HIGH WAY [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

PHANTOM CANON HIGH WAY

TIE Phaqtom Canyon highway between Cripple Creek and Canon City, Colo., is now open to travel, and as a result Colorado offers to the motorist another great circle trip through some cf America’s finest scenery. The highway was formally dedicated on August 30, when more than 500 motorists from Teller, Fremont, El Paso and other Colorado counties gathered at Glenbrook, a point midway between Cripple Creek and Canon City, and participated' in the ceremonies incident to the opening of this road. Phantom Canon highway is unique among the scenic roads of the Rocky mountains, and its story is one of the most interesting chapters in the history of road building in Colorado. In the early days of Cripple Creek, there was? built the Florence and Cripple Creek railroad, a narrow-gauge line, to carry the rich ores to the smelters and to bring the fniif, hay and other products of the fertile valleys to the mining camps high in the hills. As time went on the need for this road grew less and less, until finally it was abandoned and dismantled. But the need for communication between mining camp and agricultural valley con-

tinned The county commissioner* of Teller anti Fremont counties were equal to the occasion; with the co-op-eration of the state highway commission they secured the right of way, and then they set about to convert it into a real highway. Built on Old Railroad Line. Probably $1,000,000 was the original cost of building this roadbed, miles of which were cut and blasted from solid granite. At an expense of $75,000, the road builders have made of it a firstclass motor highway, rebuilt and repaired bridges, widened the roadbed where necessary. and generally put the 37 miles in excellent condition. While the road Is almost a continuous curve, mile after mile, it is wide enough at most places for cars to pass, and ordinarily careful driving is all that is necessary. It is built on a 4% per cent grade. It is a wonderful ride from the world-famous Cripple Creek mining district through Phantom Canon to Canon City and Florence. For the first few miles out of Victor the road stays on the top of the ridge, with long-distance views of Pike’s Peak, the Sangre de Christo and other snowcapped mountain ranges. Then it loops its way down into the canyon. Granite Walls «nd Deep Cuts. Rugged granite walls stand like towers of many ancient ruins. The road winds along the base of these mighty cliffs, often through great cuts between high granite piles, occasionally crossing the ravine on a solid steel bridge, and even piercing the mountain sides through tunnels blackened in bygone days by the smoke of the locomotive that no longer sounds its shrill whistle to the echo of the narrow walls from which the canyon! took its name. After a serpentine descent of 20 miles the road comes out onto the broad plains and soon is making its way past great apple orchards and fertile fields to the twin cities of Florence and Canon City. Completion of this highway makes accessible from Colorado Springs, and

equally as well from Canon City, Cripple Creek, Pueblo, Florence or Manitou. a circle trip of 135 miles, unrivaled either in ruggedness of scenery or in variety of interest. This trip completely encircles Pikes Peak, snowcapped “Sentinel of the Rockies;” it traverses historic Ute pass; winds through-the world’s greatest gold-min-ing camp, and passes the dumps of the greatest producing mines at Cripple Creek, Victor and Goldfield; unfolds the grandeur and rugged majesty of Phantom Canon, unquestionably one cf Colorado’s finest gorges; connects with the far-famed Sky-Line drive and the road to the top of the Royal gorge at Canyon City; passes through the great orchard section, the oil fields and the cement districts, and winds back to Colorado Springs through pine forests and picturesque foothills country. Or the wider circle may well take in Pueblo, the “Pittsburgh of the West,” with its immense steel mills, and up the fertile Fountain valley to Colorado Springs.

Twin Cuts, Phantom Canon Highway.

The Narrows.