Boreas Pass and Mountain Laurie

First of all, Boreas Pass was a 1880’s narrow-gauge railroad route between South Park and Breckenridge, Colorado. Pam and Jerry first visited in the late ’70s, and found the route by looking up old railroad histories. The route made a pleasant day trip.

Road to Boreas Pass

What turned Boreas Pass into something other than a pleasant day trip was a visit by Pam’s parents, Lorraine and Myron, in 1980. Pam and I took Lorraine and Myron to visit Boreas Pass.

Pam, Jerry, Lorraine, and Myron at Boreas Pass, 1980

Lorraine, who was later christened “Mountain Laurie” by our good friends and neighbors Hank and Elinor, loved the place. She said she felt an affinity for Boreas Pass that she had never felt elsewhere.

This high and remote pass was, at one time, home to several hundred people. There were numerous gold mines in the area, and Boreas had, for a time, its own post office. The Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad built a line to haul supplies into Boreas and into the thriving mining town of Breckenridge, 10 miles away. The railroad built a number of buildings at Boreas, including the roadhouse. This building served as living quarters for railroad employees.

Lorraine felt she had a connection to this area. A believer in reincarnation, Lorraine said she may have had a life here before. The feeling was so strong Lorraine requested her ashes be spread around the small cabin, next to the roadhouse, after she was gone.

Lorraine, AKA Mountain Laurie, in front of the cabin at Boreas Pass. 1980

Mountain Laurie passed away 20 years ago this November 1st. Per her request, one of her sons-in-law took her ashes and spread them around the small cabin. We hope she is resting in peace. This post is dedicated to her memory. Lorraine was my mother-in-law, but she was also my friend.

We visit every year. We have visited in the spring, summer, and fall. (In the winter the road is closed.) Some years we feel Mountain Laurie’s presence more than others. Spring is best, when the bluebirds are in the area during their migration, and the wild flowers are getting into full bloom. Wild strawberries, no bigger than the tip of Jer’s little finger, ripen close to the ground. High mountains thrust up into the blue sky, and the breeze carries the hint of summer to come.

Its a place in renewal. Fresh young pine are replacing the stumps of the timber cut long ago. The Forest Service has rescued the roadhouse and cabin and plans to preserve them. A steady steam of summer visitors stop, making the location active if not as dynamic as it once briefly was. A historical society occasionally opens the roadhouse and cabin for visitors to enter and learn of the place’s history around a warm pot-bellied stove.

There are worse places to spend eternity.

So, Boreas Pass is special to us. We visited on Labor Day this year. The aspen are just beginning to turn color, many flowers are still blooming, and the weather was great. Other family members, most recently Pam’s brother Craig and his wife Dianne, have been to the cabin on Boreas Pass as well. It is a family affair!

Below is a collection of photos we have taken at Boreas Pass over the years. They are not in any specific order. You can click on the photos to bring up a larger view. The larger view includes titles and captions containing more information about the subject of the photo.
[cincopa AQMA_tKH-9N8]
Thats it for now. Thanks for looking in!