Blogs from Redstone, Colorado, United States, North America

The Upper Crystal River Valley is home to many beautiful waterfalls, and winter ice climbers have flocked to them like bees to flowers. From Redstone to Marble, there are several good ice climbs. On location known as The Drool located just past The Redstone Coke Oven Historic District on highway 133 just before Hays Falls -39.19308 latitude, -107.23422 longitude (MAP) Also not pictured Hays Creek Falls is easily located from Highway 133. It’s a short, easy 60-foot beginner’s climb and has good ice throughout most of the winter, though it’s south-facing. Hays Creek Falls is just to the right of the highway as you’re driving up valley from Redstone to Marble, about 2 miles from Redstone.... read more

July 29 – Denver to Redstone – Today I finished loading up the “last minute” stuff in my truck that had to wait till just before I left and headed out on 470 to I-70 and then started the climb up into the mountains. All the extra load that I was carrying in my truck didn’t seem to be bothering it and I climbed on up westward. Traffic wasn’t too bad and it was raining a “nuisance” rain which just wet the windshield enough for me to have to keep turning the wipers on and off. I got lucky again and the blasting at the twin tunnels east of Idaho Springs didn’t slow me down or stop me this time. So I continued on climbing up and then over the Divide at the Eisenhower Tunnel and ... read more

Historic Redstone, surrounded by National Forest, lies within the heart of the Elk Mountains. The village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as an historic district and includes several properties that are also separately listed on the National Register. Redstone was established in the late 19th century industrialist John Cleveland Osgood as part of a coal mining enterprise. Osgood's coal empire also spurred construction of the Crystal River Railroad and Redstone's historic dwellings. As an experiment in "enlightened industrial paternalism," Osgood constructed 84 cottages and a 40-room inn, all with indoor plumbing and electricity, for his coal miners and cokers, as well as modern bathhouse facilities, a club house with a library and a theatre, and a school. Most of these Craftsman-era Swiss-style cottages are still used as homes. A dominant feature of ... read more

REDSTONE — More than a century ago, bricklayers were summoned from Denver to Redstone to construct what was to be the largest coking plant in Colorado. Construction of 100 ovens began in 1899; in all, more than 200 were built over several years, according to F. Darrell Munsell's “From Redstone to Ludlow.” The ovens, along with buildings now known as the Redstone Inn and the Redstone Castle, were part of the town developed by coal magnate John Cleveland Osgood. The mines in Coal Basin provided high-grade coal that was brought down on a narrow-gauge railroad to the ovens. Fed into the top of the ovens — the front openings were temporarily sealed with firebrick — the coal was heated for two days, with only enough air to support combustion. The resulting coke was shipped by train ... read more