GC2AXJR Old Monarch Pass
Type: Traditional | Size: Regular | Difficulty: | Terrain:
By: Flutiste @ | Hide Date: 06/27/2010 | Status: Available
Country: United States | State: Colorado
Coordinates: N38° 29.824 W106° 20.255 | Last updated: 08/30/2019 | Fav points: 0
     

---

Old Monarch Pass is located on the Old Monarch Pass Road (CR 237), which is an excellent dirt car-road. This road can be accessed from HWY 50 on the Salida side of the summit of Monarch Pass. It can also be accessed from the White Pine Road (CR 888), off of HWY 50 near Sargents, on the Gunnison side of Monarch Pass. There is a short hike to the cache from the old pass, on a trail. Nice views await you! BE PREPARED FOR WIND! Elevation at the cache: 11,480'

---

Old Monarch Pass (elevation 11,375') was actually the second Monarch Pass. It opened in 1921, and was engineered for "automobiles". The original pass was a toll-road which opened in 1880. It was traveled by wagon or stagecoach, and crosses what is now the Monarch Ski Area. Today it is referred to as "Old Old Monarch Pass". Present-day Monarch Pass (elevation 11,312') was opened in 1939. Each new pass was re-routed to reduce sharp curves, increase safety, and shorten the distance.


The first two Monarch Passes were closed in winter, which isolated Gunnison from the rest of the world. By the late 1930's, there was a need to have a pass which was open year-round. Present-day Monarch Pass was opened under considerable controversy, however. In order to reduce the numerous hairpin curves of Old Monarch Pass and build the road in the sunniest locations, one or two local historic cemeteries were destroyed. Also, the state highway engineer at the time, Charles Vail, named the pass "Vail Pass" after himself. Local residents were outraged, and tore down all the new "Vail Pass" signs. The governor finally stepped in and reinstated the name "Monarch Pass".

If you like, you may hike south from Old Monarch Pass over to Monarch Pass along the Continental Divide Trail -- the distance is about a mile. You may also hike north from Old Monarch Pass to Old Old Monarch Pass along the Continental Divide Trail -- the distance is about 2 miles.

The cache is in a clear plastic Rubbermaid box with a blue rim.

06/17/2017 By johnbaich
Cache is in great condition. Still a little snow on the roads; had to pull an inexperienced Jeep Wrangler owner out of an three foot bank of slush. Windd were high in the neighborhood of 60 mph.

08/31/2016 By Bubblegummers
Great views and great location for a cache. Made it a favorite.
Day 10 of a 23 day caching trip with KCSearcher (my brother) with the goal of completing the Colorado Delorme Challenge and the county challenge called Mondo's Colorado 64 Challenge. In addition, we picked up the oldest cache in Colorado called Tarryall. Today we drove from Salida, CO to South Fork, CO picking up caches along the way for Delorme grids 58, 59, 60, 67, 68, 69, 77, 78, 79 and counties Chaffee, Gunnison, Saguache, Hinsdale, Mineral and Rio Grande. Signed all caches as ORCA as Bubblegummers are from OR and KCSearcher is from CA. TFTH. TNLNSL

08/01/2016 By AZ4X4s
Thanks, flutiste. Went back up over Monarch Pass today to pick up a few caches we missed yesterday....hurrying home yesterday because of rain and getting really late.

07/31/2016 By hinrgcas31
Definitely easy but very fun

07/23/2016 By Team Chili Fries
What an apsolute great view. Out jeeping for the weekend and exploring some old dirt roads. Great placement and great scenery thanks for sharing