Colorado Mining Town

The idyllic mountain town of Ophir, Colorado.

  Though most of the high mountain mines in Colorado have shuttered over the years as the silver and gold of the past era have dwindled. A few of the hamlets have made the conversion to mining other lucrative streams of revenue such as Aspen and Telluride with their tourist dollars and high end real estate. There are still those that offer the tiny mountain character that they once were to the hearty individuals that are willing to endure a little isolation. Ophir is one of those remnant townships. Basically over a mountain ridge from the disneyland that Telluride has become. The town is tucked in a valley at a lofty elevation of 9,700 feet with less than seventy residences, a post office and no retail businesses it is a bedroom community to neighboring populations especially located for individuals who are trying to develop high altitude edema. The peaks surrounding the area hold their snow well past the closing of ski areas in the state making it a mecca for late season ski touring. There are no paved roads off the highway so it makes a great destination for those trying to create the roughed up four wheeling visual on their spiffed up SUVs. It takes a hearty soul to live there but the views and access to the mountains is the real payoff.

Prayer flags on a porch hoping for snow.

Kimo learns what the hardy life really is.

Climbing for turns on Magnolia Mountain.

Hot feet do not stay that way long.

Sunsets over the west color the skies in winter.