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| From the top of the pass, you
can see the road for miles ahead of and behind you. |
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| To get over the pass, highway 82
requires a 6% grade with four switchbacks: one on the west and three on the
east. |
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|
The pass, at an elevation of 12,095 feet, crosses
in the Sawatch Range. The pass is midway between Aspen and Twin Lakes. |
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| On July 4, 1879, a group from
Leadville struck gold in the uppermost Roaring Fork Valley below the pass.
Four miles to the west, they established a settlement that eventually took
the name Independence from the holiday on which it was established. |
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| Along the way, we encountered a
bad traffic jam, caused by a car wreck, that delayed us about 45 minutes.
We are told that wrecks are frequent on this narrow road. |
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| Just outside Aspen, we found a
wonderful picnic spot on Roaring Fork River. Harley enjoyed the view
from his chair. |
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| Another view of one of the abandoned
buildings in the town of Independence. |
