Independence Pass (Colorado)
Independence Pass | |
---|---|
Traversed by | SH 82 |
Location | Lake / Pitkin counties, Colorado, U.S. |
Range | Sawatch |
Coordinates | 39°06′29″N 106°33′52″W / 39.10806°N 106.56444°W[1] |
Topo map | USGS Independence Pass |
Independence Pass, originally known as Hunter Pass, is a high mountain pass in central Colorado, United States. It is at elevation 12,095 ft (3,687 m) on the Continental Divide in the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. The pass is midway between Aspen and Twin Lakes, on the border between Pitkin and Lake counties.
State Highway 82 traverses it, and after Cottonwood Pass to the south, is the second highest elevation of a paved Colorado state highway on a through road.[Note 1] It is also the second-highest pass with an improved road in the state, the fourth-highest paved road in the state[2] and the second highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide in the U.S.[3] Because of the heavy snowfall at its elevation, it is closed in wintertime,[4] isolating Aspen from direct access from the east during the ski season.
When the pass is open in warmer weather, it is a popular destination. A
The pass was formed by glacial action and erosion in the region, and its first recorded sighting was by Zebulon Pike in 1806. Ferdinand Hayden surveyed it in 1873. As part of the Continental Divide, it was the limit of European settlement in the region at the time, with the land to the west reserved for the Ute people. Prospectors who defied governor Frederick Walker Pitkin's order crossed the pass on July 4, 1879, giving it its current name and setting up a similarly named village (now a ghost town) to its west. A toll road built across the pass was abandoned and neglected after a railroad connection was made to Aspen. A new road replaced it in the 1920s; portions of the old route can still be seen along the western approach.[5] The Independence Pass Foundation, based in Aspen, works to repair damage to the pass's environment caused by both roads since 1984.
Geography
At the pass, the main ridge of the Sawatch Range, and thus the Continental Divide, turns from running generally south to more southwesterly. North of the pass slopes rise to an unnamed 13,440-foot (4,100 m) peak a half-mile (1 km) away; a ridge of about the same length connects it to the nearest named summit, 13,711-foot (4,179 m) Twining Peak. To the south the ridge rises more gently around Mountain Boy Gulch to an unnamed 13,198-foot (4,023 m) summit 2 miles (3.2 km) distant. The first named summit in this direction is Grizzly Peak, Colorado's highest thirteener.[6]
The terrain is level enough, and the ridge broad enough, to allow for a 500-foot (150 m) parking lot along the south side of Highway 82 at the
West of the parking area is a small maintenance shed; on the east are toilet facilities. Both are maintained by the
The pass comes roughly in the middle of a 32-mile (51 km) stretch of Highway 82 between the two winter gates, a corridor that is sometimes referred to in its entirety as Independence Pass. Aspen is 19 miles (31 km) to the west, with Twin Lakes 18 miles (29 km) to the east. Beyond Aspen the highway continues down the valley to the mouth of the Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs. East of Twin Lakes Highway 82 continues a short distance to its eastern terminus at U.S. Highway 24, 15 miles (24 km) south of Leadville.[9]
On both approaches, the dropoff is steep enough for Highway 82 to require a 6 percent
The pass is above tree line, so the surrounding terrain is alpine tundra. Open grassy expanses are occasionally broken by low shrubbery and bare patches of rock, particularly on the steep slope to the north. Snow lingers in some areas year-round. Adjacent to the road and parking area are small ephemeral pools on the southwest, with a larger, permanent one north of the road.
Climate
Independence Pass has a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc). Independence Pass experiences a large amount of snowfall, receiving an average of 335 inches (852.7 cm) a year.[10]
Climate data for Independence Pass, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1985-2020 extremes: 10600ft (3231m) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 55 (13) |
58 (14) |
64 (18) |
66 (19) |
76 (24) |
80 (27) |
81 (27) |
80 (27) |
77 (25) |
69 (21) |
65 (18) |
53 (12) |
81 (27) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 46 (8) |
47 (8) |
54 (12) |
58 (14) |
65 (18) |
73 (23) |
76 (24) |
74 (23) |
70 (21) |
62 (17) |
53 (12) |
46 (8) |
76 (24) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30.9 (−0.6) |
32.3 (0.2) |
39.7 (4.3) |
45.3 (7.4) |
53.5 (11.9) |
63.9 (17.7) |
69.1 (20.6) |
66.3 (19.1) |
59.9 (15.5) |
48.7 (9.3) |
37.7 (3.2) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
48.1 (9.0) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.7 (−8.5) |
17.9 (−7.8) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
39.6 (4.2) |
48.4 (9.1) |
53.7 (12.1) |
51.8 (11.0) |
45.6 (7.6) |
35.4 (1.9) |
24.0 (−4.4) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
33.7 (1.0) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 2.6 (−16.3) |
3.4 (−15.9) |
9.3 (−12.6) |
16.7 (−8.5) |
25.6 (−3.6) |
32.9 (0.5) |
38.4 (3.6) |
37.4 (3.0) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
10.2 (−12.1) |
2.2 (−16.6) |
19.3 (−7.0) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −16 (−27) |
−15 (−26) |
−9 (−23) |
0 (−18) |
12 (−11) |
24 (−4) |
32 (0) |
31 (−1) |
20 (−7) |
4 (−16) |
−11 (−24) |
−18 (−28) |
−20 (−29) |
Record low °F (°C) | −36 (−38) |
−26 (−32) |
−24 (−31) |
−18 (−28) |
2 (−17) |
10 (−12) |
22 (−6) |
21 (−6) |
4 (−16) |
−12 (−24) |
−21 (−29) |
−32 (−36) |
−36 (−38) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.95 (75) |
2.97 (75) |
3.31 (84) |
3.98 (101) |
2.35 (60) |
1.22 (31) |
1.96 (50) |
1.90 (48) |
1.91 (49) |
2.30 (58) |
2.79 (71) |
2.61 (66) |
30.25 (768) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 50.1 (127) |
38.6 (98) |
58.8 (149) |
45.1 (115) |
20.6 (52) |
3.8 (9.7) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
4.9 (12) |
20.3 (52) |
43.0 (109) |
50.8 (129) |
336 (852.7) |
Source 1: XMACIS2[11] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)[12] |
The weather station, Brumley, is situated on the eastern side of Independence Pass, at an elevation of 10600 feet (3231 m).
Climate data for Brumley, Colorado, 1991–2020 normals, 1986-2020 extremes: 10600ft (3231m) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 56 (13) |
54 (12) |
63 (17) |
62 (17) |
75 (24) |
77 (25) |
80 (27) |
76 (24) |
75 (24) |
69 (21) |
62 (17) |
54 (12) |
80 (27) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 48 (9) |
47 (8) |
53 (12) |
57 (14) |
65 (18) |
72 (22) |
75 (24) |
72 (22) |
70 (21) |
63 (17) |
53 (12) |
48 (9) |
76 (24) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.7 (−0.2) |
32.8 (0.4) |
39.5 (4.2) |
44.2 (6.8) |
52.8 (11.6) |
63.1 (17.3) |
68.2 (20.1) |
65.7 (18.7) |
59.8 (15.4) |
49.2 (9.6) |
38.4 (3.6) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
48.1 (8.9) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 17.8 (−7.9) |
18.5 (−7.5) |
24.6 (−4.1) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
39.3 (4.1) |
47.8 (8.8) |
52.8 (11.6) |
51.2 (10.7) |
45.4 (7.4) |
36.0 (2.2) |
24.9 (−3.9) |
17.5 (−8.1) |
33.9 (1.0) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 3.7 (−15.7) |
4.1 (−15.5) |
9.4 (−12.6) |
16.8 (−8.4) |
25.8 (−3.4) |
32.4 (0.2) |
37.4 (3.0) |
36.8 (2.7) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
22.7 (−5.2) |
11.4 (−11.4) |
3.7 (−15.7) |
19.6 (−6.9) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −15 (−26) |
−14 (−26) |
−8 (−22) |
0 (−18) |
13 (−11) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
31 (−1) |
21 (−6) |
6 (−14) |
−8 (−22) |
−16 (−27) |
−19 (−28) |
Record low °F (°C) | −24 (−31) |
−28 (−33) |
−19 (−28) |
−12 (−24) |
0 (−18) |
19 (−7) |
26 (−3) |
21 (−6) |
10 (−12) |
−9 (−23) |
−20 (−29) |
−30 (−34) |
−30 (−34) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.02 (51) |
2.21 (56) |
2.41 (61) |
2.87 (73) |
2.34 (59) |
1.20 (30) |
1.69 (43) |
1.74 (44) |
1.69 (43) |
1.83 (46) |
2.12 (54) |
2.00 (51) |
24.12 (611) |
Source 1: XMACIS2[13] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: NOAA (Precipitation)[14] |
History
Like the surrounding mountains, the pass was created by
Three years later, in 1876, Colorado became a state. At the time settlement had pushed as far west from its capital, Denver, as Leadville. There was a variety of metals and minerals in the surrounding mountains, and some miners had become rich from their claims there. Those who had not been so successful heard about reports from prospectors of abundant silver deposits farther west, over the Divide.[15]
Governor Frederick Walker Pitkin had ordered all settlers to stay to the east of the Divide, as the state and federal governments had not made peace with the Utes. Nevertheless, some defied the order, drawn by the prospect of mining fortunes. Settlers sometimes used Hunter Pass to get to Ashcroft, an early camp on Castle Creek above the Roaring Fork. However, they preferred to take the southern route over the slightly higher Cottonwood Pass through Taylor Park and then back over Taylor Pass to get there, even though this made for a 100-mile (160 km) journey, 40 miles (64 km) more than the direct route offered by Hunter Pass.[3]
On July 4, 1879, a group from Leadville struck gold in the uppermost Roaring Fork valley below the pass. Four miles (6.4 km) to the west, they established a settlement in the upper Roaring Fork Valley that eventually took the name Independence from the holiday on which it was established. The pass, the lake from which the Roaring Fork rises and another nearby mountain all took that name as well.[15] The Twin Lakes and Roaring Fork Toll Company, established to build a road through to the camps in the lower Roaring Fork Valley, improved the original path over the pass sufficiently enough by 1880 that horses could be used for the trip.[3]
Independence grew quickly when more gold was found in the nearby mountains. Within two years of its settlement permanent buildings had replaced the original tents, and a mining concern from Leadville had bought up all the claims.[15] In two years they produced gold worth $190,000 ($6 million in modern dollars[16]), funding the construction of a stamping mill and sawmill.[17] In Aspen, farther down the valley, silver was found in even greater abundance than Independence's gold. B. Clark Wheeler, an early investor in those mines, funded the construction of a stage road to Leadville, the first road to cross the pass.[17] It opened in November 1881, with winter already in full swing at the pass.[3]
The road charged 25 cents ($8 in modern dollars[16]) for saddle horses and twice that for two-axle stagecoaches.[7] The tolls, collected at three separate gates, primarily reflected the cost of retaining a large crew of men with snow shovels to keep the road open in wintertime; they were able to keep the road open through its first five winters. When the snow was too deep, sleighs were used instead. During the summer the stages were able to take the switchbacks at full speed, with dogs running in advance to warn other traffic. A typical voyage over the pass required 10–25 hours and five changes of horses.[18]
The road improved Independence's economy, since coaches often stopped there on the multi-day journey. However, the year of its construction would turn out to be the settlement's economic peak year. Gold production dropped off after 1884. Independence's decline in population, remote location and severe high-altitude winters cost it the opportunity to be
By then Aspen's prosperity had receded as well. Congress repealed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in response to the Panic of 1893, which took the largest buyer of the city's silver out of the market. Aspen began a period of steady decline known today as "the quiet years" as mines gradually closed down. The route over the pass remained useful, however. In 1895 a telephone line was routed over it.[19]
Although its population had dropped below a thousand by the late 1920s, in 1927 the state replaced the stage road with what eventually became Highway 82.
During the Great Depression, another large public works project involved the pass. The federal Works Progress Administration (WPA) oversaw the construction of the Twin Lakes Tunnel, which diverted water from Grizzly Reservoir, on Lincoln Creek, a southern tributary of the Roaring Fork, to Twin Lakes, where it was used for irrigation purposes by beet and watermelon farmers in the Rocky Ford and Ordway areas. Starting in 1935, a volume of 50,000 acre-feet (62 million cubic meters) were made available this way.[20]
Another WPA effort recognized the pass as a scenic attraction. A travel guidebook for automobile touring produced by the Federal Writers' Project gave as one route the trip along Highway 82 from Twin Lakes. It noted the distinctive landscape of the pass:
The highway rises in a series of loops and curves towards the Continental Divide. Thinning pines, gnarled and stubby from their fight for existence, give way to bare boulders, hardy grasses and the alpine vegetation of a world above the clouds. The road along the sheer face of the mountain, while steep, is one of the safest traversing a pass in Colorado. A stone monument and several small lakes mark the summit of Independence Pass, the highest and probably the most impressive automobile pass in the state. An arctic meadowland overshadowed only by the topmost notches of the Sawatch Range, it rises far above the peaks that towered high when viewed from the Lake Creek valley.[21]
After
Environment
The
Tree growth above those patches is curtailed by the alpine climate of the pass. It is characterized by severe changes in temperature, high winds and the deep winter snow. The resulting short growing season is made even shorter by the thin soil.[22]
The most predominant plant species in the alpine zone around the pass are the grass species adapted to the harsh climate. Other
Two types of rock are found in the pass and its vicinity.
Visitor attractions
Many visitors stop at the parking lot and walk the paved path to the
Other outdoor recreation opportunities exist at and near the pass. Between the pass and Difficult Campground, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Aspen, there are many popular
On the days after the pass reopens in the spring, backcountry skiers often take advantage of the remaining snow on the slopes. In years following heavy winters, skiing is possible into July.[28]
Water-based recreation is available near the pass as well, particularly on the Roaring Fork side. At the Grottos climbing cliffs eight miles (14.4 km) to the west of the pass, a short trail leads to an area along the river known as the Devil's Punchbowl, with high stone cliffs on either side and waterfalls. It is a popular swimming hole due to its deep and cool waters.[29] The river is popular with anglers casting for trout as well, and some even make the hike from the pass up to Blue Lake for its lake and cutthroat trout stocks.[30]
Four miles (6.4 km) west of the pass is the site of
In 2011 the USA Pro Cycling Challenge bicycle race around Colorado was held for the first time. A 131-mile (211 km) stage from Gunnison to Aspen was routed over both Cottonwood and Independence passes. Spectators were allowed to camp at the pass; their impact on the pass's environment led to a ban on camping within 10 miles (16 km) of it for the following year's event. The Forest Service posted signs reminding spectators at the pass of the fragility of the surrounding tundra[31][32]
Travel advisories and restrictions
The
Even when the pass is open, not all vehicles may use the road. Oversized and overweight vehicles are prohibited from the pass, as are all vehicles or vehicle combinations longer than 35 feet (11 m) regardless of weight or size. This precludes use of the pass by tractor trailers, buses, and recreational vehicles.[34]
Some truck drivers use the pass despite the prohibition. They are generally either unaware of the restriction and following routes plotted by their
Driving through the pass is challenging. Both approaches require 6% grades due to the height of the pass, and require navigating hairpin turns with advisory speeds of 10 mph (15 km/h). Rockfalls, particularly on the approach from Aspen, have narrowed some sections to a single lane 12 feet (4 m) wide with temporary traffic lights. On the Twin Lakes approach, they have resulted in temporary closures. Other vehicles frequently enter the road unexpectedly at the many parking areas for campgrounds and other recreational attractions, and bicyclists make frequent use of Highway 82 as well.[34] Lastly, the weather at the pass can be unpredictable and vary considerably from conditions in either Aspen or Twin Lakes. There may be thunderstorms on otherwise clear days, and snow can occur at any time of the year.[36] CDOT advises anyone coming to the pass for outdoor recreation to take precautions against the effects of the high altitude and the changeable weather.[36]
Independence Pass Foundation
Since the days of the stage road avalanches and rockfalls often forced closures of the highway, partly due to the massive disturbance of the land during the road's construction. No attempt was made to remedy this until shortly after the automobile road was built. In the 1930s, as a relief project during the Great Depression, a crew from the Civilian Conservation Corps replanted the slopes around Independence, by then abandoned for two decades.[37]
At that time, Aspen was a faded mining town whose population had dwindled to fewer than a thousand. Later in the decade the first efforts to develop a ski resort began. They continued after World War II, and in the later decades of the 20th century the city began to grow again. Other than paving the road, CDOT was unable to undertake any significant improvements to the highway corridor due to its projects elsewhere in the state and the requirement to coordinate efforts with the Forest Service, which owns most of the damaged land.[38]
Beginning in 1976, Bob Lewis, an environmental activist in Aspen, organized revegetation efforts on some sections of the pass near the road that were having serious erosion problems. He realized eventually that a dedicated nonprofit organization would be a better way to address the many issues that remained. The Independence Pass Foundation (IPF) was established in 1989. Its first project, coordinated with the Forest Service, CDOT and Pitkin County, was the reconstruction of a curve near the popular Weller Lake trailhead.[39]
The success of the Weller Curve project cleared the way for work on the Top Cut, the 1.5-mile (2.4 km) stretch just below the summit on the western side, which includes the most seriously eroded slopes anywhere in the pass corridor. Lewis had always intended to focus the IPF's efforts on it, and the organization began the first of several ongoing projects there in 1996. Work included the construction of stone retaining walls as well as revegetation. By the 2010s the results were evident.[40]
With the success of these projects, IPF has been doing revegetation projects along the road below the Top Cut since 2004.
IPF has undertaken other projects to promote awareness of the work that needs to be done at the pass to protect its distinctive environment. Groups from local schools have spent a day up in the pass working and learning. Many have adopted the same sites and work on them with a new class each year. Along with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, the foundation also cosponsors a "My Independence" all-day walking tour of the pass for adults that covers ecological topics in depth.[42]
Since 1994, the foundation has held a 'Ride for the Pass' charity bicycle race in May, just before CDOT reopens the pass. The event serves as an outreach event and fundraiser. It follows a 9.5-mile (15.3 km) route from the gate east of Aspen to the Independence townsite, climbing 2,500 feet (760 m) in the process. By 2012, the IPF had canceled the event twice due to poor weather.[43][needs update]
See also
- Colorado mountain passes
- List of mountain passes
- List of Rocky Mountain passes on the continental divide
Notes
- ^ State Highway 5, the highest paved road in North America, is a dead-end route reaching 14,127 feet (4,306 m), just below the summit of Mount Blue Sky. The recently paved Pikes Peak Highway is another dead-end road and is only slightly lower, with an elevation of 14,115 feet (4,302 m) on the summit of the mountain. Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park, part of U.S. Highway 34, reaches a maximum elevation of 12,183 feet (3,713 m).
References
- ^ a b "E 159". NGS Data Sheet. National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved 2011-02-28.
- ISBN 9781555912949. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9781555661441. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ^ "Can Lake County afford to wait while they fix the pass?". Colorado Central Magazine. December 1999. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Independence Pass History". Colorado Department of Transportation. June 25, 2012. Retrieved August 17, 2012.
- ^ a b c Colorado – Independence Pass — Chafee, Lake, Pitkin Cos (Map). 1:24,000. USGS 7½-minute quadrangles. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved August 19, 2012.
- ^ ISBN 9781565794986. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
- ^ "Rivers, Edens, and Empires: The Revealing of America after Lewis & Clark". Library of Congress. April 4, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
- ^ "Independence Pass FAQ". Colorado Department of Transportation. 2000–2012. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
- ^ "Independence Pass Climate Data". Wester Regional Climate Center. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "Independence Pass, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved November 1, 2023.
- ^ "xmACIS2". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "Brumley, Colorado 1991-2020 Monthly Normals". Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-87081-592-8.
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Independence Ghost Town". Aspen Historical Society. 2008. Archived from the original on December 22, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ Gregory (1996), 150.
- ^ "History". City of Aspen/Pitkin County. 2002–2008. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
- ISBN 9780871089427. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ISBN 9780403021581. Retrieved September 2, 2012.
- ^ a b c "Ecology of Independence Pass". Independence Pass Foundation. 2000–2012. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
- ISBN 9781560443346. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ISBN 9780762747917. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ISBN 9781558381179. Retrieved August 27, 2012.
- ^ Green (1995), Rock Climbing, 309–319.
- ISBN 9780762723065. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ a b Urquhart, Janet (May 12, 2012). "Skiing faithful flock to Independence Pass". The Aspen Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "Independence Pass Frequently Asked Questions". Colorado Department of Transportation. October 27, 2011. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ISBN 9780930657413. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ Urquhart, Janet (August 22, 2012). "Race spectators stake out their spots on Independence Pass". The Aspen Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ Charles, Amanda (August 30, 2012). "The group who protects Independence Pass". The Aspen Times. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "Independence Pass to close Thursday, before snowstorm". 15 November 2016.
- ^ a b c "Independence Pass Travel Information". Colorado Department of Transportation. October 27, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ "Independence Pass truckers vex CDOT". The Aspen Times. August 8, 2012. Archived from the original on August 12, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ a b "Independence Pass Recreation". Colorado Department of Transportation. October 27, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- ^ Interpretive plaque at Independence Ghost Town site.
- ^ "Why Not the Colorado Department of Transportation?". Independence Pass Foundation. 2000–2012. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "History". Independence Pass Foundation. 2000–2012. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ a b "Restoring the Top Cut". Independence Pass Foundation. 2000–2012. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "Removing the Snow Fences". Independence Pass Foundation. 2000–2012. Archived from the original on June 27, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "Educating Schoolchildren & The Community". Independence Pass Foundation. 2000–2012. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "Ride for the Pass". Independence Pass Foundation. 2000–2012. Archived from the original on September 5, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
External links