SKI TRAIN LbNA #24698 (ARCHIVED)
Map
Nearby Boxes
Add Note
Add Location| Owner: | Peach & Cappy  |
|---|---|
| Plant date: | Aug 18, 2006 |
| Location: | |
| City: | Winter Park |
| County: | Grand |
| State: | Colorado |
| Boxes: | 1 |
| Found by: | AutumnsFolly |
|---|---|
| Last found: | Oct 3, 2007 |
| Status: | FFFFFFFFFFaaam |
| Last edited: | Aug 18, 2006 |
7/23/08: IMPORTANT UPDATE!
THIS BOX WAS REPORTED MISSING! WHEN WE HAVE A CHANCE TO CHECK ON IT WE WILL, AND IF IT'S MISSING WE WILL REPLACE IT. WATCH FOR UPDATES!
DENVER*WINTER PARK SKI TRAIN
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Ski Train was youth-oriented – dominated by the Eskimo Ski Club, whose members ranged in age from 7 to 17. Many older Denver natives credit the Ski Train and the Eskimo Ski Club for introducing them to skiing.
The 1980’s brought hard times to the Ski Train. Ridership steadily declined, and the 1915 vintage railcars began to show their age. In 1988, Ansco Investment Company, a Denver-based company, acquired the train with its purchase by its parent company of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
Under this management, the “New Ski Train” was born. The old cars were sold to the Napa Valley Railroad Co. (now the Napa Valley Wine Train) and replaced by the train’s present cars. A new business plan aimed to rejuvenate the train in all respects – complete with upgraded cars, improved customer service, a computerized ticket system and the introduction of Club class and luxury private car service.
Ski Train ridership doubled the first year and tripled the second. The Denver Partnership awarded the Ski Train the Downtown Award of Honor “for this unique fifty-year downtown mainstay and its vital linkage between the City Center and Colorado mountains.”
Today, the Ski Train aptly dubs itself “a Denver Tradition for Generations,” and each year introduces a new generation of skiers not just to the joys of skiing, but to the joys of traveling by train, as well. They have had such great winter success, they have expanded to operate Saturdays in the Summer!
Begun in 1940, the Ski Train has a history of over 60 years of regular, scheduled trips to Winter Park Resort.
Cars and Capacity: 14 passenger cars (nine Coach class, three Club Car class; two Cafe Lounge cars). Transports 750 passengers, the largest capacity of any scheduled passenger train in the U.S.
Length: 1,500 feet – over one-quarter mile.
Route: From Denver’s Union Station, the 56 mile route heads west through northwest suburban Denver and then generally parallel to South Boulder Creek, past Pinecliffe and Rollinsville. The route climbs about 4,000 feet and passes through 28 tunnels before reaching the final mountain underpass, the 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel. It is the highest railroad tunnel in the United States and passes under the Continental Divide. The train stops less than 100 yards from the base of the ski lifts of Winter Park.
Scheduled Travel Time: A little over two hours – approximately the same time as by car from central Denver to Winter Park via Berthod Pass, with clear roads. (56 miles by rail; 67 miles by car.)
*Information taken from: The SKI TRAIN by Steve Patterson & Kenton
Twenty-seven years ago, March 1979, Cappy and Peach were married on the Ski Train on a beautiful sunny spring day. They rented the last car of the train and filled it with wedding guests. The official “I dos” were made while passing through Tunnel 21. Upon arriving at Winter Park, vans were on hand to take the party to The Sitzmark Lodge in town for the reception. The snow glistened in the sun light, and the sound of the train echoed thru the valley as it approached Winter Park via the Moffat Tunnel, announcing the new couple!
To locate the box:
Make your way to Winter Park. Your starting point is OLD TOWN DRIVE. It is approximately 2 miles South of town at a lighted intersection. Go West at the light. Continue past the gates with the Winter Park (WP) logo. Go under the train trestle and overhead waterpipe and park under the walkway bridge. (During Ski Season, we don’t know if you can get past the gates, you may have to park outside the gates and walk to this point…or, wait until Spring…sorry!). Look as tho you are taking pictures of the Moffat Tunnel up above you, you may even be lucky enough to see a train!
Walk back towards the trestle and see “1926” carved into the cement support of the trestle (be aware that there is another "1926" stamped in the concrete on the other side of the support, you want the one on the South side, or nearest where you parked under the bridge). From here, walk 7 steps at 190 degrees (south). Look right. At 260 degrees go uphill 9 steps towards the first group of Aspen trees on the right uphill side. Behind trunks and under rocks you will find Peach and Cappy’s Ski Train letterbox! Choo-choo!
Please, please rehide box well and be sure to put the box back into the zip lock bag to protect it during the snow season! Be sure to fill in holes with smaller rocks so it is well hidden!
If you have time, be sure to visit the Moffat Road Letterbox, nearby!
Hand-carved stamp and journal
You may also be interested in this spot before you head out of town:
On the west side of US Hwy 40, three miles south of the town of Winter Park you will find a pull over, stop here. It is before the approach to Berthoud Pass. You are directly above the West Portal of the Moffat Tunnel and can see the Winter Park Ski area. Read the plaque that tells about the building of the tunnel. You are currently at 9,150 feet and there are picnic tables, toilet, and trash dumpster at the site. The picnic area is open Memorial Day to Labor Day until 10 pm. Overnight camping is prohibited in the picnic area.
THIS BOX WAS REPORTED MISSING! WHEN WE HAVE A CHANCE TO CHECK ON IT WE WILL, AND IF IT'S MISSING WE WILL REPLACE IT. WATCH FOR UPDATES!
DENVER*WINTER PARK SKI TRAIN
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Ski Train was youth-oriented – dominated by the Eskimo Ski Club, whose members ranged in age from 7 to 17. Many older Denver natives credit the Ski Train and the Eskimo Ski Club for introducing them to skiing.
The 1980’s brought hard times to the Ski Train. Ridership steadily declined, and the 1915 vintage railcars began to show their age. In 1988, Ansco Investment Company, a Denver-based company, acquired the train with its purchase by its parent company of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
Under this management, the “New Ski Train” was born. The old cars were sold to the Napa Valley Railroad Co. (now the Napa Valley Wine Train) and replaced by the train’s present cars. A new business plan aimed to rejuvenate the train in all respects – complete with upgraded cars, improved customer service, a computerized ticket system and the introduction of Club class and luxury private car service.
Ski Train ridership doubled the first year and tripled the second. The Denver Partnership awarded the Ski Train the Downtown Award of Honor “for this unique fifty-year downtown mainstay and its vital linkage between the City Center and Colorado mountains.”
Today, the Ski Train aptly dubs itself “a Denver Tradition for Generations,” and each year introduces a new generation of skiers not just to the joys of skiing, but to the joys of traveling by train, as well. They have had such great winter success, they have expanded to operate Saturdays in the Summer!
Begun in 1940, the Ski Train has a history of over 60 years of regular, scheduled trips to Winter Park Resort.
Cars and Capacity: 14 passenger cars (nine Coach class, three Club Car class; two Cafe Lounge cars). Transports 750 passengers, the largest capacity of any scheduled passenger train in the U.S.
Length: 1,500 feet – over one-quarter mile.
Route: From Denver’s Union Station, the 56 mile route heads west through northwest suburban Denver and then generally parallel to South Boulder Creek, past Pinecliffe and Rollinsville. The route climbs about 4,000 feet and passes through 28 tunnels before reaching the final mountain underpass, the 6.2 mile long Moffat Tunnel. It is the highest railroad tunnel in the United States and passes under the Continental Divide. The train stops less than 100 yards from the base of the ski lifts of Winter Park.
Scheduled Travel Time: A little over two hours – approximately the same time as by car from central Denver to Winter Park via Berthod Pass, with clear roads. (56 miles by rail; 67 miles by car.)
*Information taken from: The SKI TRAIN by Steve Patterson & Kenton
Twenty-seven years ago, March 1979, Cappy and Peach were married on the Ski Train on a beautiful sunny spring day. They rented the last car of the train and filled it with wedding guests. The official “I dos” were made while passing through Tunnel 21. Upon arriving at Winter Park, vans were on hand to take the party to The Sitzmark Lodge in town for the reception. The snow glistened in the sun light, and the sound of the train echoed thru the valley as it approached Winter Park via the Moffat Tunnel, announcing the new couple!
To locate the box:
Make your way to Winter Park. Your starting point is OLD TOWN DRIVE. It is approximately 2 miles South of town at a lighted intersection. Go West at the light. Continue past the gates with the Winter Park (WP) logo. Go under the train trestle and overhead waterpipe and park under the walkway bridge. (During Ski Season, we don’t know if you can get past the gates, you may have to park outside the gates and walk to this point…or, wait until Spring…sorry!). Look as tho you are taking pictures of the Moffat Tunnel up above you, you may even be lucky enough to see a train!
Walk back towards the trestle and see “1926” carved into the cement support of the trestle (be aware that there is another "1926" stamped in the concrete on the other side of the support, you want the one on the South side, or nearest where you parked under the bridge). From here, walk 7 steps at 190 degrees (south). Look right. At 260 degrees go uphill 9 steps towards the first group of Aspen trees on the right uphill side. Behind trunks and under rocks you will find Peach and Cappy’s Ski Train letterbox! Choo-choo!
Please, please rehide box well and be sure to put the box back into the zip lock bag to protect it during the snow season! Be sure to fill in holes with smaller rocks so it is well hidden!
If you have time, be sure to visit the Moffat Road Letterbox, nearby!
Hand-carved stamp and journal
You may also be interested in this spot before you head out of town:
On the west side of US Hwy 40, three miles south of the town of Winter Park you will find a pull over, stop here. It is before the approach to Berthoud Pass. You are directly above the West Portal of the Moffat Tunnel and can see the Winter Park Ski area. Read the plaque that tells about the building of the tunnel. You are currently at 9,150 feet and there are picnic tables, toilet, and trash dumpster at the site. The picnic area is open Memorial Day to Labor Day until 10 pm. Overnight camping is prohibited in the picnic area.