2015 Christian Crawlers Colorado Adventure part 4

Black Bear Pass:
Black Bear Mine is on Black Bear Pass, but there is not much information on that mine. Black Bear Road, officially Forest Service Road 648, is a notorious off-road trail that starts from the 11,018-foot summit of Red Mountain Pass on U.S. Highway 550 between Ouray and Silverton, Colorado. The Black Bear Road crests at Black Bear Pass, elevation 12,840 feet. It descends over a set of infamous switchbacks as it navigates the heights above Telluride. The road passes Bridal Veil Falls, the second highest waterfall in Colorado. It was made famous in a spoken word song by C.W. McCall of the same name.
Black Bear Road is open a few months of the year, from late summer (usually the last week of July) to early fall. The road is traveled only downhill from Red Mountain Pass. The start of the trail is marked along U.S. 550 with the famous sign that reads: "You don't have to be crazy to drive this trail, but it helps."

Bridal Veil Falls:
Bridal Veil Falls is a 365 foot waterfall at the end of the box canyon overlooking Telluride, Colorado. Hiking and off-road trails pass by the falls and the power plant is at the top. In winter, the frozen shape of the falls forms an imposing challenge to intrepid ice climbers. Bridal Veil Falls is a two pronged waterfall. The house and power plant atop the falls was restored, operated and lived in from 1991 to 2010 by Eric Jacobson. The power generated provides about 25 percent of Telluride's demand for electricity. The plant was originally used to power the Smuggler-Union Mine and in winter requires an aerial tramway for access. It is the second-oldest operating AC generator in the United States, the first being the nearby Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant by Ophir, Colorado. The Idarado Mining Company now owns and operates the power plant. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Smuggler-Union Hydroelectric Power Plant. The falls were opened briefly in the 1990’s to ice climbers, but the area is private property so climbing has been prohibited since. Referred to as a "mega classic" and "the most difficult waterfall ice climb in North America" some climbers have trespassed to take a crack at the imposing and dangerous climb. There has been a land purchase proposal and an insurance deal, but I am not sure what has happened with that situation. Climbers were excited by the proposal in 2008 that would reopen the falls to climbers. Legendary climbers Jeff Lowe and Mike Wiess were known to have been the first to summit the falls in 1978, the effort having been broadcast on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. The area around Bridal Veil Falls is subject to avalanche, and controlled shelling to create controlled slides is an event popular with spectators and photographers. Reaching the top of the falls in winter can be a precarious venture.