Berthoud Pass
Encyclopedia
Berthoud Pass is a high mountain pass
in the Rocky Mountains
of central Colorado
in the United States
.
The pass is located west of Denver
, and provides a high route between upper Clear Creek Canyon to the upper valley of the Fraser River
in Middle Park
to the north. The pass traverses the continental divide
at the Front Range
, on the border between Clear Creek County
and Grand County
.
The pass is named for Edward L. Berthoud
, the chief surveyor of the Colorado Central Railroad
during the 1870s. Accompanied by Jim Bridger
, Berthoud discovered the pass in July 1861 while surveying a possible route for the railroad. Berthoud reported that the pass was suitable as a wagon road, but not as a railroad. The pass has steep grades on either side (6.3%), along with winding switchbacks and many tight spots.
The pass is currently the route of U.S. Highway 40, north of its junction with Interstate 70
in Clear Creek Canyon. It provides the fastest road access to Winter Park
and a secondary route to Steamboat Springs
from Denver and the Colorado Front Range
. However, the pass is one of the most notoriously difficult passes in Colorado for motorists, based on its height as well as the large number of switchbacks on the southern side of the pass.
The ski resort was closed in 2002 due to financial problems caused by lack of water and sewage at the top of the pass. In 2003 the lifts were taken down, while some people continued to ski using snowcats for
lift transportation. In 2005 the Colorado DOT began using a fund to restore the area to its natural state. First on the list was the demolition of the historic lodge.
A new warming hut was opened at the top of the pass in May 2008, along with an expanded parking area, two sceneic viewing areas and a new summit marker sign. The ski lodge and facilities had been in use since the early 1950s and the new warming hut includes modern features such as composting toilets, radiant floor heating and green construction.
Berthoud Ski resort is claimed by some to have been the first resort and lift in Colorado. Some say it was the first resort to openly welcome snowboarders.
The summit of Berthoud Pass is located at approximately 39°47′53.70"N 105°46′36.88"W .
Berthoud Pass is a unique environment, where a major highway crosses the Continental Divide in a topographically and climatically ideal location that lends itself to a lengthy season of challenging deep powder skiing. This combination of elements at Berthoud Pass creates a unique set of circumstances for land managers, and FOBP has played a pivotal role in giving public voice to the policy process.
In its short history Friends of Berthoud Pass has endeavored to fashion a new paradigm in winter recreation on public land. They have successfully mobilized public involvement in lobbying the US Forest Service to incorporate the needs and wishes of winter backcountry users in redevelopment plans and positioned themselves as a key stakeholder in the public policy process.
The Friends of Berthoud Pass avalanche education curriculum has expanded from two classroom sessions in 2004 that reached 100 people, to a 2008 roster of eight classroom lectures educating more than 1,000 individuals in basic avalanche awareness and more than 150 participants in an on-snow practical course.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
of central Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The pass is located west of Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, and provides a high route between upper Clear Creek Canyon to the upper valley of the Fraser River
Fraser River (Colorado)
The Fraser River is a tributary of the Colorado River, approximately long, in north central Colorado in the United States. It drains large portion of the Middle Park basin in Grand County in the Rocky Mountains west of Boulder and southwest of Rocky Mountain National Park. It rises at the...
in Middle Park
Middle Park (Colorado basin)
Middle Park is a high basin in the Rocky Mountains of north-central Colorado in the United States. It is located in Grand County, on the southwest slope of Rocky Mountain National Park, approximately 50 miles west of Boulder.-Description:The basin surrounds the headwaters of the Colorado River...
to the north. The pass traverses the continental divide
Continental divide
A continental divide is a drainage divide on a continent such that the drainage basin on one side of the divide feeds into one ocean or sea, and the basin on the other side either feeds into a different ocean or sea, or else is endorheic, not connected to the open sea...
at the Front Range
Front Range
The Front Range is a mountain range of the Southern Rocky Mountains of North America located in the north-central portion of the U.S. State of Colorado and southeastern portion of the U.S. State of Wyoming. It is the first mountain range encountered moving west along the 40th parallel north across...
, on the border between Clear Creek County
Clear Creek County, Colorado
Clear Creek County is one of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 9,322 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Georgetown...
and Grand County
Grand County, Colorado
Grand County is the 21st largest of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 12,442 at U.S. Census 2000...
.
The pass is named for Edward L. Berthoud
Edward L. Berthoud
Captain Edward Louis Berthoud was a military officer, statesman and engineer in the western United States during the late 19th century. He is primarily known as the chief engineer and secretary of the Colorado Central Railroad during its expansion throughout Colorado in the 1870s...
, the chief surveyor of the Colorado Central Railroad
Colorado Central Railroad
The Colorado Central Railroad was a U.S. railroad company that operated in Colorado and southeastern Wyoming in the late 19th century. Originally founded in the Colorado Territory in the wake of the Colorado Gold Rush to ship gold from the mountains, it eventually expanded from its initial...
during the 1870s. Accompanied by Jim Bridger
Jim Bridger
James Felix "Jim" Bridger was among the foremost mountain men, trappers, scouts and guides who explored and trapped the Western United States during the decades of 1820-1850, as well as mediating between native tribes and encroaching whites...
, Berthoud discovered the pass in July 1861 while surveying a possible route for the railroad. Berthoud reported that the pass was suitable as a wagon road, but not as a railroad. The pass has steep grades on either side (6.3%), along with winding switchbacks and many tight spots.
The pass is currently the route of U.S. Highway 40, north of its junction with Interstate 70
Interstate 70
Interstate 70 is an Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a Park and Ride near Baltimore, Maryland. It was the first Interstate Highway project in the United States. I-70 approximately traces the path of U.S. Route 40 east of the Rocky...
in Clear Creek Canyon. It provides the fastest road access to Winter Park
Winter Park, Colorado
Winter Park is a Home Rule Municipality in Grand County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 662 at the 2000 census, although tourists and seasonal workers significantly increase the population....
and a secondary route to Steamboat Springs
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
The city of Steamboat Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Routt County, Colorado, United States. The city is also known as "Steamboat," "The Boat," or "Ski Town USA". As of the 2010 census, the city population was 12,088.The city is an...
from Denver and the Colorado Front Range
Colorado Front Range
The Colorado Front Range is a colloquial geographic term for the most populous region of the state of Colorado in the United States. The area is located just east of the foothills of the Front Range, aligned in a north-south configuration on the western edge of the Great Plains, where they meet the...
. However, the pass is one of the most notoriously difficult passes in Colorado for motorists, based on its height as well as the large number of switchbacks on the southern side of the pass.
Berthoud Pass Ski Area
Once home to the now-defunct Berthoud Pass Ski Area, the pass is a destination for local backcountry skiers, snowboarders, and snowshoers due to its abundance of steep and challenging terrain and plentiful snow. The twisting road on both sides of the pass also makes "car shuttles" possible, eliminating the need for skiers and snowboarders to hike back to the top of the pass after each run.The ski resort was closed in 2002 due to financial problems caused by lack of water and sewage at the top of the pass. In 2003 the lifts were taken down, while some people continued to ski using snowcats for
lift transportation. In 2005 the Colorado DOT began using a fund to restore the area to its natural state. First on the list was the demolition of the historic lodge.
A new warming hut was opened at the top of the pass in May 2008, along with an expanded parking area, two sceneic viewing areas and a new summit marker sign. The ski lodge and facilities had been in use since the early 1950s and the new warming hut includes modern features such as composting toilets, radiant floor heating and green construction.
Berthoud Ski resort is claimed by some to have been the first resort and lift in Colorado. Some say it was the first resort to openly welcome snowboarders.
The summit of Berthoud Pass is located at approximately 39°47′53.70"N 105°46′36.88"W .
Backpacking and recreation
Founded in 2003, Friends of Berthoud Pass is a grassroots collective of backcountry enthusiasts committed to preserving the legacy of public recreation at Berthoud Pass. They are a non-profit 501c(3) tax exempt organization managed by a volunteer executive board and supported by a diverse and active member base.Berthoud Pass is a unique environment, where a major highway crosses the Continental Divide in a topographically and climatically ideal location that lends itself to a lengthy season of challenging deep powder skiing. This combination of elements at Berthoud Pass creates a unique set of circumstances for land managers, and FOBP has played a pivotal role in giving public voice to the policy process.
In its short history Friends of Berthoud Pass has endeavored to fashion a new paradigm in winter recreation on public land. They have successfully mobilized public involvement in lobbying the US Forest Service to incorporate the needs and wishes of winter backcountry users in redevelopment plans and positioned themselves as a key stakeholder in the public policy process.
The Friends of Berthoud Pass avalanche education curriculum has expanded from two classroom sessions in 2004 that reached 100 people, to a 2008 roster of eight classroom lectures educating more than 1,000 individuals in basic avalanche awareness and more than 150 participants in an on-snow practical course.