The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-08-26
HE TOURS ROAD
Ben Blow Makes Trip From
Denver to Salt Lake.
Studies Points of Interest
Along Victory Highway.


Victory Highway association, with
headquarters in Topeka. has just COM
pleted a trip over the Victory High
way from Denver to Salt Lake City.
and has made a careful study of the
features of that stretch of the route.
The scenic points of interest and
the condition of the road were studied
by Blow, who has made the following
report to the headquarters office of
the association in Topeka:
Points of Interest on Route.
From Denver by way of Golden and
over Lookout mountain, one of the
most scenic mountain highways in
America, with a good road clear into
Idaho Springs.
From Idaho Springs to the top of
Berthoud Pass, all good except about
seven miles from Empire to the foot
of Berthoud Pass. The road over
the pass built by the government is
one of the best mountain roads in the
world and is of great scenic interest.
At the west base of Berthoud is d
detour, bad in wet weather, to avoid
construction work.
From there. clear over to Steam
boat Springs, is a thirty mile-an- hour
road, rough only in short stretches
and very scenic, especially over the
Rabbit Ears Pass. where the rocks
from which the pass takes its name
stick up like the ears of giant jack
rabbit hiding behind the mountains
to the north.
To show the condition of the road
it is only necessary to say that a daily
auto stage makes better time than the
train between Denver and Steamboat
Springs.
From Steamboat Springs to Craig
another stage runs on road. that is
with the exception of a few places a
thirty mile-an-hour road.
From Craig to Vernal is also gen.
orally good. Some construction work
is going on where Moffat county is
putting gravel surface on the Vic
tory Highway. This condition. con-
tinueS clear to K ranch at the state
line, and between the state line and
Vernal there are only two bad
stretches, one over Cockleburr Flat
and the other over Baking Powder
Flat. Beyond Baking Powder the
road runs over a mesa and around to
the south of Split mountain, where
the Bear river runs thru a canon
which has never been traversed by
man except in winter, when it was
frozen solid. In this canon are cliff
dwellings, most of which are under
cliffs that overhang that most of
the prehistoric dwellings are totally
inaccessible. From some of these
dwellings, however, pottery and other
gans, owners of the K ranch, who say
that these cliff dwellings are among
the most remarkable in the world.
Split mountain canon is close to the
the tourist can look down into it
from a distance of about two miles.
Swinging around to the south of
Split mountain we look down into the
Ashley valley, where Jensen and YER
nal are situated. This is green
paradise of a valley from which a
four-ton White truck hauls tons of
honey, butter, apricots and buttarfat
to Craig. The produce is sent from
Craig to Denver by rail.
This fOur-tOn truck operates at
profit between Vernal and Craig, a
distance of 1875 miles, which speaks
volumes for the condition of the Vic
tory Highway between those points.
Near Jensen is the Dinosaur Ma
tional monument, where the fossilized
skeletons of prehistoric monsters are
being excavated by the United States
government.
three miles. the road is good, with
some road being built by the federal
government.
Roosevelt to Myton, good.
Myton to Fruitland by way of
Duchesne. about fifty miles, pad road.
the worst between Denver and Salt
Lake City.
Plan More Work on Road.
Fruitland to Park City. by way of
Strawberry Reservoir, a big lake
which is preserved as a game refuge
by the United States government. and
WHICH Is lOCdIeu III d 1OTeSL reserve.
The road is mostly good and that
part which was built by the govern
ment Forest Service is very good.
More work on this stretch is planned.
Beyond Strawberry and down DAN
iels canon, leading into Heber. a fine
canon road built by the government.
Heber 10 Park City, about nineteen
miles. ten of which is bad because of
heavy hauling from a mine.
Park City to Salt Lake City, good.
Near Roosevelt each year the Ute
Indians hold the religious, tribal Bear
Dance and Sun Dance, one of the most
important Indian ceremonies of the
United States. North of Duchesne
are many mountain lakes. At Heber
are the Hot Potts. a most unique
limestone spring formation, Park
City is one of the most typical mining
camps IN the west. =,
So much for the route. Between |