We rent another ATV and head for Mosquito Pass. I'm determined to bag this pass. It takes an hour to go the last two miles. Along the way we endure an ice storm while it rains in Leadville. That's because we're over 3,000 feet higher. We don't stay on top very long because we're not dressed for freezing temperatures. The pika's up here must be really tough.
On our way back we drop into the Birdeye Gulch drainage. Except for a couple of old prospector's cabins, this landscape is pristine. We work our way up Prospect Mountain (12,615 feet) but run out of time before we hit the top.
As we turn the ATV back into 2 Mile Hi Ski-doo we learn that there are only a handful of towns in the world that are higher than two miles. That's why Leadville (10,200 feet) has only 3 months of snow free weather. They get over 300 inches of snow and several months of below 0 degree temperatures. That's interesting since northern Virginia is about the same latitude as here.
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| Scenic View from Mosquito Pass |
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| Remains of prospectors cabin. |
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| Mitch on the top of Mosquito Pass |
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| 'The Snowshoe Itnerant', top of Mosquito Pass. |
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| Sign at the top of Mosquito Pass. |
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| Peggy enjoying a little elevation. |
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| Another amazing view. |
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| Very narrow ATV road. |
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| More remains of a prospector's cabin. |
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| Beautiful country. |
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| Life above 13,000 feet, Mosquito Pass. |
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| The lives of Yellow-bellied marmots. |
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| More life above 13,000 feet. |
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| Home sweet home. |
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| Mitch 4-wheeling. |
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| Almost there. |
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| Made it! |
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| Possibly an old tombstone. |
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| Above timberline. |
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| Mountain bluebird. |
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