Читать книгу Powder Ghost Towns - Peter Bronski - Страница 27

Trip 6

ROCK CREEK

THE ESSENTIALS

Nearest Town Allenspark

Distance 4 miles

Vertical 2100’

Season January to March

Elevation Range 8700’ to 10,810’

Difficulty Rating Moderate

Skiing Rating

SNOTEL Station Wild Basin (1042)

Forest Zone Roosevelt National Forest, Boulder Ranger District

CAIC Zone Front Range Mountains

USGS Quad Allens Park

Weather COZ035

THE HISTORY

Allenspark and Rock Creek have a long history of skiing that dates back to 1896, when 10 men laid out the town site. One of them, “Big Jim” Scobee, was the first to have skis. He made them himself using wood flooring boards that were 4 inches wide. Other men in town teased him that his skis were “large enough for Paul Bunyan.”

The first ski hill in town dates to 1918. Lars Haugen, who carried the mail from Allenspark to Ward, and Hans Hansen, who worked for Carl Howelsen in Steamboat Springs, built the run, which was called the Haugen Slide. Reportedly, the run was still visible in 1999, though I didn’t find evidence of it in 2008.