- Trout Creek Pass
Infobox Mountain Pass
Name = Trout Creek Pass
Photo = DSCN3703 troutcreekpass e 600.jpg
Caption = View from Trout Creek Pass
Elevation = 9346 ft./2849 m.
Location =Colorado , USA
Range =Mosquito Range
Coordinates = coord|38|54|36|N|105|58|30|W|type:pass
Topographic
Transversed by =U.S. Highway 24 andU.S. Highway 285 Trout Creek Pass (el. 9346 ft./2849 m.) is a
mountain pass located in theRocky Mountains of south-centralColorado in theUnited States . The pass sits atop the southern end of theMosquito Range on the Park-Chaffee county line, between South Park (the headwaters of theSouth Platte River to the east) and the headwaters of theArkansas River to the west. It is traversed jointly byU.S. Highway 24 (between Hartsel and Buena Vista) andU.S. Highway 285 (between Fairplay and Buena Vista). It is passable by most motorized vehicles and is closed only during severe winter storms. The approach from the north is mild, while the south side has a moderate 5% grade.Geologically, the pass is located on a fault that runs along the Mosquito Range. Road cuts along the eastern approach to the pass reveal
Pennsylvanian blackshale and thin graylimestone layers that were laid down prior to the creation of theAncestral Rockies . ThesePaleozoic layers were not uplifted during the creation of the Ancestral Rockies approximately 300 MYA and thus were not eroded to the same degree as other areas to the east and west.The pass was traversed by the
Denver, South Park and Pacific Railroad in1879 , providing the first rail link between Denver and Leadville in the early days of theColorado Silver Boom .The pass is in
San Isabel National Forest .External links
* [http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?T=2&S=11&Z=13&X=1038&Y=10767&W=1 Topographic map] Photos of Trout Creek Pass region: http://www.scenicbuenavista.com/trout-creek-pass.htm
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