Both of these towns are off Highway 133, the road that we are traveling in the motor home. This is a good highway--not one of the sketchy roads noted in the title. Mark found an over-sized gravel pull-off on the highway and we parked the motor home. Then we unhooked the car, and drove the six miles into the town of Marble. As we approached town, we saw evidence of the white marble that gives this tiny town its name. These marble statues and many more are outside a gallery on the outskirts of town.
Our campground friends had driven to the entrance of the marble quarry, so we knew this sketchy gravel road hanging off the side of the mountain was passable as we headed up.
You know that marble is readily available when it is used as traffic barriers on little gravel roads.
It's also stacked and used as mountain wall stabilizers,
and lines the river banks as it runs downhill into a marble-lined waterfall.
More marble barricades blocked our way, and signs let us know that visitors aren't allowed in the quarry area. But it was still fun to see the evidence of the beautiful white marble that comes from these mountains above Marble, Colorado.
It is from these mountains that a perfect slab was mined for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Also, the marble for the exterior of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. came from this quarry. Many more important sculptures in the United States and around the world started here. That is another of God's wonders we have wandered into as we viewed this marble mountain from a distance.
We drove that sketchy gravel road back down through the aspens to see more of the town of Marble.
We found trailers loaded with pristine slabs of white marble . . .
right beside the Marble Mill national historic site. Remnants of the buildings that used to house the factories that shaped the marble pillars and slabs are all there is to see now. But 100 years ago this was the largest marble finishing facility in the world.
Marble is a tiny little town off the usual tourist circuit. They have a very good place to eat--Slow Groovin' BarBQ (ask us how we know), and a nice lake at the edge of town reflecting some of the sizable mountains that surround it.
But the real reason we made this detour on our moving day, is to go to the town of Crystal. Our campground friends had rented an ATV to make the 5-mile trip from Marble to Crystal. But they told us they had seen people hiking the rough road as well. So we drove our little car up another really sketchy road . . .
as far as we dared. Then we parked it and strapped on our hiking boots for the rest of the 4-mile journey today.
As soon as we started hiking we already had majestic views around us on this beautiful blue-sky day.
The road got rockier and worse, and we knew it was a good decision not to drive our car. This was certainly a sketchy road! But we were passed by a steady stream of ATVs and other high clearance vehicles.
The road is steep and narrow, and we saw at least one vehicle at the bottom of a steep drop-off.
We are hiking beside the Crystal River most of the way. It's perfectly clear, but has an unusual green tint that is lovely. Mark describes it as "Glass Coca-cola bottle green." That should make sense to anyone old enough to remember those glass pop bottles from the good ol' days.
A nice river surrounded by mountains and wildflowers, makes for a beautiful hike.
Besides the normal wildflowers we are used to seeing, Denisa added this yellow beauty to her long list of flowers this summer.
We passed this interesting waterfall making its way down the mountain-side, and we entertained the idea of hiking up beside it.
That's when we hiked by this guy wearing funny goggles. He was flying a drone up that waterfall, and he had the latest technology to be able to see where it was flying even though it was so high and far away from him. But between the passing ATVs and some curious hikers, he lost it. We heard him say, "Oh no!" right before he headed over the river and into the woods to look for his downed aircraft.
We have wondered into another of God's wonders down another sketchy road today!
This would be a good hike anyway, but we have an interesting destination. After 4 miles of walking uphill, we finally made it to Crystal Mill. Being on a river, we assumed we were going to see a big vertical water wheel that was used to run the mechanism to grind wheat or corn. Instead, we found that it used a horizontal turbine to power a compressor used by miners in the nearby silver mines.
Built in 1892, it is on the National Register of Historic Places. Our campground friends also told us that it is one of the most photographed spots in this beautiful state. People flock here, especially in the fall when the surrounding aspens turn to gold, or in the winter when the area is blanketed with snow and the river is icy.
Today we'll settle for the beautiful green that surrounds the mill, as we added to that record number of photos taken. We took more pictures from every angle. Ropes and a river keep visitors at a distance, but that's also probably why it is so well preserved.
Just a few minutes walk past the mill brought us to the tiny town of Crystal.
We checked out the general store, complete with its dusty inventory . . .
and the outhouse out back. We have a strange hobby of taking pictures of outhouses in beautiful places.
The town has a few cabins for rent, and that would be nice for hikers that want to hike more of the great trails that start from here. We're at 10,000 feet in elevation in Crystal, so it's nice and cool this afternoon.
The permanent residents of Crystal are a flock of shiny green hummingbirds,
and some deep purple wildflowers that Denisa added to her list of beauties.
Now it's time to head back down the road towards our car. But the lighting has changed a little, so we had to take a few more pictures of the mill as we passed by.
Then we stopped for a snack and a cold foot bath on the Crystal River. After eating some calories and resting our feet, we think we can make the hike back down the mountain.
We always hike faster on the return walk. It's a combination of taking fewer pictures, and walking downhill. But we need to hurry today because our blue skies have turned to gray and rain is threatening. We don't want to be here when our sketchy road turns into a muddy sketchy road.
On our way up the mountain this morning we had exchanged pleasantries with a young hiker. He adopted us on the way down, and we learned his life story during the remaining three miles. He is spending three weeks seeing the best of Colorado this summer, sleeping in his car. He is trying to determine the next step in his life. Because of the coronavirus, he has kept away from all people . . . until he met us today. He was hungry for conversation, and we were just what he needed.
He exclaimed at how fast those three miles went, and we would have to agree. Sometimes walking down a sketchy road with storms lurking can be good therapy.
We bid Tristan good-bye, and got back to our car for the sketchy drive back to Marble, and then back to our motor home. It was an interesting travel day filled with all kinds of wonders and interesting places and people. We are blessed again in our wandering--even on a travel day where we detour on to some sketchy roads!
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