The Other, Other Palisade

When most of us think of a palisade, we think of THE palisades-the rock retaining walls built on the upper portion of the grade leading to the west portal of Alpine Tunnel.  Some of us also might think of a very similar palisade at Ohio Pass.  This one was part of an uncompleted grade of the DSP&P.  However, there is another one without the fame of the others.

Tom and Denise Klinger point out in South Park's Gunnison Division Memories & Then Some that "About 1.3 miles upgrade from the Midway tank [on the route to the Alpine Tunnel], there is a small palisade."  In the 1880's photo below you can see a small consist posing for a portrait.  On our ride up the grade this past July, I was doubtful of being able to locate this spot, especially since the Klingers state that the "location was most difficult to locate and duplicate in 2011.  Trees have grown around the palisade and the earthen embankment has all but disappeared."  However, I wondered if there had been some clearing of trees as the spot in 2018 was now not too difficult to find.  I was able to climb down the downgrade embankment with a minor amount of sliding and "Be careful's" from my wife.

In retrospect, I wished I had planned the shot and tried to mimic the same level of the camera to get a before and after shot, but I'm too far down the embankment.

If one looks closely, I think the stones can be matched up between the two photos.  It appears that the top corner stone (close to the photographer) is now missing.  The two stones downgrade from this one are identifiable as well as the thinner stones beneath them.  I have a hard time identifying others, especially due to the differing angles.

Ed and Nancy Bathke Collection

Split Rock 1880s-2018

We returned not too long ago from our family trip to Colorado.  I amassed great quantities of photos of videos of C&S sites and will share them as I have the chance to process them.  Here is the first one I had the chance to work on: a before and after of Split Rock near the palisades. 


Here my daughter and I attempted to recreate in 2018 a photo from what I think would be the late 1800s.  The original photographer must have been up just a little higher than I was.  I can line up the mountains and the rock cliffs perfectly, but then "split rock" is a bit off.  I have fades where I line up the mountains and some others where I line up the split rock. Historical photo from the James Ozment collection.

How Come, Why, and How Mac Poor Wrote 'DSP&P'

Some of you may have read my summary of the following article in the latest Bogies and the Loop, but for those of you who would like the full details, The Denver Westerners graciously gave me permission to scan and share this 1965 edition of their Roundup publication with an essay by Mac Poor, author of the foundational Denver, South Park & Pacific, chronicling his journey in writing his book.  (the Westerners did request that it not be published in print anywhere without their permission)

One little curiosity found towards the end of the article is Mac's resistance to providing a reprint or second edition.  As much as I respect Poor, I'm sure glad that his view was overruled in 1976!  Otherwise many of us would never own a copy of his definitive book.

By the way, when you click on any of the pages below it will enlarge in your screen.  Hopefully, that will make the text easier to read.