Lake City
Lake City is another of those amazing Colorado
places which first sprang up during the gold and silver
rushes of the late 1800s, and then metamorphosed into
quaint, historic tourist towns. What makes Lake City
different from the rest is its remote location in a
canyon on the Lake Fork of the Gunnison River, surrounded
by the highest peaks of the San Juan Range with a large
lake just down the road.
Until the gold rush of 1874, the Ute had
fiercely protected this area for themselves. But not all
of the ferocity is credited to the native Indians. In the
winter just before gold was found, a man named Alferd
Packer guided a group of white prospectors over the
mountains from Delta. They had set out with only enough
provisions to last the party ten days. Packer appeared
six weeks later, some 76 miles north of the Lake City
area -- alone but with several wallets containing money
which he used to go on a binge. Late that summer, five
partially decomposed bodies were found a few miles south
of Lake City, beside Lake San Cristobal. Four of the men
had been murdered with an axe, and the fifth had been
shot to death.
By this time, Packer had disappeared. He
was found nine years later in Wyoming and was tried in
the Lake City Court House. After two trials (the first
was declared unconstitutional) Packer was convicted of
manslaughter and sentenced to 45 years in the Canon City
penitentiary. However, the governor pardoned Packer who
was released after serving only five years. He died in
1907 and is buried in Littleton. A historic marker stands
at the massacre site, and every September the citizens of
Lake City hold their "Alferd Packer Jeep Tour &
Barbecue".
Lake San Cristobal is the second
largest natural lake in Colorado and was formed more than
800 years ago when the valley was blocked by the
Slumgullion Earthflow. The lake has a marvelous
setting, with high peaks all around. Rainbow and brown
trout and mackinaw are found in the lake. To get to the
lake and recreation sites, drive two miles south from
town on Hwy. 149 and turn onto County Road 30.
Backroad fans have one of the best drives
in the Rockies starting from Lake City. The Engineer
Pass/Cinnamon Pass Loop is a National (BLM) Scenic
Byway. The 49 mile loop connects this area with Ouray,
with an additional spur to Silverton.
To get started (and normal cars can do the first part of
the drive), depart from the south end of Lake City -- a
sign points to the byway -- and head for Engineer Pass.
The road reaches the ghost town of Capitol City
after nine miles. Cars can drive for another 4.5 miles,
to Rose's Cabin. From then on, it's
four-wheel-drive all the way to Ouray. The road leads
above the tree line to Engineer Pass (el. 13,100 feet),
and then descends to Ouray.
