The Elk Mountain pilot., 1914-07-23
North Fork Road
Completion
Under Consideration


Commissioner Whalsn and Road
Overseer Baxter returned Monday
from a trip over to Paonia by way
of the Anthracite shortcut route.
They were on a reconnaissance Tor
the purpose OF examining the con-
dition of the road already COM
pleted by Commissioner Whalcn
from Somerset up the Muddy as far
as Wesley Adams place, and to
form approximate estimates as to
the amount required to complete
the road up as far as Kebler pass.
The necessity of the latter work
being accomplished is Of greater I'M
portance than any other highway
in the county. There are now. some
thirty settlers located along the
route between Irwin and Somerset,
most Of whom have cosy homes built
and are making substantial i'm
provcments on their lands. A
good croad has been made from
Somerset To Muddy crek and ex-
tends up that 'stream for over six
miles above its junction with the
main Anthracite creek. The dis
tance required to extend the road
up Anthracite creek to Kebler pass
would be something over twenty
miles, which would open the route
from Gunnison to Grand Junction
via Crested Butte, Somerset, Paonia,
Hotchkiss and Delta, with water
grade the entire distance. This
route would also shorten the dis
.tance between the two terminal
points fifty miles, and would pass
thru the most delightful scenery in
the Rocky mountains, following
down the main Anthracite creek to
its juncture with the Muddy, where
is formed the North Fork Of the
G,lnnisoh river, thence down the
same to Somerset, where is operated
one of the largest coal mines of the
state and to which the ID. & X. G.
railway has extcnd$d a broad gauge
line from Delta.
In the event Of the completion of
the North Fork road from Crested
Butte to Somerset, there would be
at least one hundred more settlers
located along the line of road within
q year after it was finished. The
route would be the preferred one
for auto tourists and huntsmen
travel on account of its easy grades
and fine fishing and hunting privi-
leecs afforded along the several well
stocked trout streams that source
here and go 10 mako up the main
North Fork Of the GunRison river.
Gunnison and Crested Butte would
be most. benefited by this cutoff
route as it would enable those with
machines to drive from the former
city to Paonia in three or four hours
and from the latter in two or three
hours, and the round trip could be
made easily from either place to
Paonia and return in one day.
Teams could make the trip either
way from Crested Butte to Pao,,ia
in a day, and in a day and half
from Gunnison. Fruit loaded out
of Somerset in the morning would
reach this town the same evening
and Gunnison the next day noon.
Travellers from the Buttes would
catch the next mornings train out
of Somerset or Paonia. y
Mr.. Whalcn reports that arrange
ments are made for the construction
of an auto road from Paonia to Som
erset which will connect with the
Crested Butte line. Relative to the
spring opening OF the route, it is
earlier than that Of the Black mesa
or Monarch pass routes, as Keller
pass is low divide and less than a
mile over its summit, whereas, the
other routes lie over high tablelands
where the snow remains until late
in the season and the mud never
dries up. COMMISSIONER Whalen is
enthusiastic over the possibility OF
this being dandy auto route and
will Use his be4t eFforta for ita com.