There is a road
in Colorado that has earned its name.
Officially called the Virginia Canyon Road, its more famous moniker
expresses a person’s state of mind when traveling it. The “Oh-My-God-Road” (yes, it is listed on maps and found on
the web as such), runs from Idaho Springs to Central City in Clear Creek
County, passing through historic mining areas and Russell Gulch Ghost
Town. As I’ve never traveled this
scenic route, I can only assume the endearment flies from the mouths of
passengers as they encounter 12% grade sections along a graveled two-way road
(not quite wide enough for two cars), with guardrail-free drop-offs, washed-out
shoulders and no winter maintenance.
Not for the faint of heart.
The section of Colorado
State Highway 82 that is Independence Pass serves as my own, personal
“Oh-My-God-Road”. Traveling from
Denver to Aspen, my husband and I took this scenic stretch of highway recently. Scenic it is, but if the word
“precipice” causes sudden clamminess or the urge to utter things you wouldn’t
normally say in polite company, perhaps taking Interstate 70 is the better
option.
Independence
Pass, elevation 12,095 feet, is the highest paved pass in Colorado and the
highest paved crossing of the Continental Divide. There are higher paved roads, but not mountain passes. It is a two-lane road with a series of
switchback turns, hairpin curves, steep drop-offs, and sections that are minus
guardrails. The Colorado Department of Transportation states that tight curves
and single lane segments of the highway require heightened attention by
drivers. Yes, single lane
segments…for two-way traffic.
Never mind the warnings about rock falls, wildlife and cyclists (we saw
a few hearty souls). Apparently
there are avalanches, too, although the pass is closed to traffic from late
October/early November until Memorial Day, so that was one less thing to worry
about when we crossed.
There is a place
to stop once you reach the summit.
We did and I jumped out of the car, camera in hand, eager to get some
photos and thankful I’d survived the ascent. However, at over 12,000 feet, the altitude made it a little
difficult for me, and being asthmatic made it tougher. The frenzy from the drive up probably
didn’t help.
I took as
many photographs as I could stand without getting lightheaded, of a terrain that was so different from what
we’d seen prior to stopping. It
was desolate and barren with sparse growth and small bodies of water. It was still beautiful.
I’ve read reviews
and comments about Independence Pass and the Oh-My-God-Road, and they are
mixed. Seasoned drivers and
adventurers tend to think people like me are wimps and there’s nothing scary
about either of the routes. Well,
I am a wimp. And there are others,
perhaps in the minority, who agree with me. Some of those “faint at heart” had some amusing phrases about
the pass: “Hella dangerous”, “Hit
the head before you hit the road”, “Death trap”, “Scared spitless”, “The CDOT
just lets you kind of figure it out on your own” (about the single lanes). One woman even described how she’d
played her Garmin in different languages repeatedly (to distract her) as her
husband drove the curves. I had my
white-knuckle, squirming/muttering/swearing/sweating moments, too, and my husband
(who was behind the wheel) said that made things worse for him. He also proudly claimed the drive
didn’t bother him. I don’t believe
him.
When we finally reached
Aspen, I was happy. Happy that
we’d arrived, happy we had taken the route we did (it was an accomplishment,
after all), happy to see such incredible scenery. Happiness fostered by relief. I was more than happy to take I-70 from Glenwood Springs
(the alternate route) back to Denver when the time came to leave, which
provided beautiful scenery, too, but offered a less than thrilling
adventure. I’m also happy to say
about Independence Pass: once is enough for this wimp.
