Mountain Secrets Blog

Paul Romer, son of former Colorado Governor Roy Romer, was one of the people just awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics. Did you know that Conifer Mountain was a development by Roy Romer and that many of the roads on the mountain, including Paul's Drive, were named after his family? A little historical tidbit from Frank Fransioli who alerted us to this news! Read more below!

Park County, Colorado has a vibrant railroad history and they celebrate this each year with the Boreas Pass Railroad Day. Part of that storied history includes the Como Depot which has painstakingly been restored over the past few years to show its former glory and the steam engine once again whistles down the track - come see all that the South Park Rail Society and Denver, South Park & Pacific Historical Society have accomplished! On Saturday, August 18th, you can take a ride on Klondike Kate, tour the roundhouse, view Como's Historic School House and Painted houses, enjoy Living History Demonstrations, listen to the Denver Brass, head over Boreas Pass to visit the Breckenridge Highline Railroad Park, Roberts Cabin and Sawmill Museum, and then have dinner offered by the Como Civic Association.

Explore more in our previous blog, The Rich History of the 285 Corridor, and check out the South Park National Heritage website, tour the South Park Museum, and delve into the Park County Historical Society and Park County Local History Archives' treasure troves of photos and information!

Below you will find several YouTube videos that showcase the history of railroads in South Park and the restoration of the Como Depot. Enjoy!

It can be hard to imagine life along the 285 corridor before cars, shopping centers, restaurants, and businesses, but this was the landscape of the area as little as 100 years ago. The pioneers of Conifer, Pine, and Bailey are the founders of these beautiful places where we reside and run our businesses. Those brave souls faced the harsh Colorado winters without snow plows and 4WD vehicles. They braved the elements (and wildlife) before indoor plumbing. They farmed the land and spent a day and a half in their wagons to take crops to The Brown Palace in Downtown Denver for sale. They built the railroad that opened commerce to the Bailey area and beyond. And they are the ones who laid the cobblestones of the towns we love.

From the collection of the Littleton Museum. May not be reproduced in any form without permission of the Littleton Museum.

Today, we are fortunate to have the ancestors of these strong and resilient pioneers give us the stories and memories of their family members. With careful preservation, those stories continue to be passed down long after they have departed. A sense of community brought the pioneers of the corridor together, just the same as it does today.

It's this story of friendship that opened the door of history for me.

PEACE - "It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."

When I got the heads up that September was a special month for the mountain community of Bailey, Colorado, I had to ask why. Turns out it's a month of remembrance for Emily Keyes, the catalyst for the "I Love U Guys" Foundation. This, friends, is a big deal. Here's why:

"On September 27th, 2006, a gunman entered Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado, held seven girl's hostage and ultimately shot and killed Emily Keyes. During the time she was held hostage, Emily sent her parents text messages… 'I love you guys' and 'I love u guys, k?' Emily's kindness, spirit, fierce joy, and the dignity and grace that followed this tragic event define the core of the 'I Love U Guys' Foundation - The Standard Response Protocol PK-2 Manual, I love U Guys Foundation Curriculum Toolkit.

 -There's nothing like a good find.

Unearthing a forgotten or buried treasure (whether it was hidden months or decades ago) is a thrill. I know you know what I mean. So do antique shops, who take pride in their people traveling miles for a coveted candy dish. Swap meets, flea markets, and garage sales bank on the good finds, too. They count on the theory that "One man's trash is another man's treasure." My own Aunt Fran makes her living by it, mining nuggets of genealogy for curious folks who are eager to know whether their ancestors are heroes, villains, or just plain folk like us. (You're reading one of her edits today, in fact. She's just that good.)

I'm taking a page out of Aunt Fran's book this week and going on my own historical treasure hunt. It's my adventure and privilege to unearth the good finds around Conifer, Colorado. It's a little piece of heaven nestled in the foothills about 15 miles southwest of Denver going West up Highway 285. Conifer has a long history of treasure seekers, being first used as plentiful hunting grounds by the Arapaho, Ute and Cheyenne tribes, and then sheltering miners, trappers, and a plethora of pioneering souls who happened upon the place.

You know those weird neighbors that have nothing in common with you? The nosy ones that stare through your window to see what's up in your world just so they can tell you how to do your life better? Those sort of neighbors make living in a community a challenge sometimes. I've been known to hunch my shoulders and run inside as they start to come my way. You may have done the same thing, too. But this year, this year ... I don't have those neighbors AT ALL. I'm talking about the other ones. The awesome ones. The neighbors we all cross our fingers for when the moving van pulls up.