Smoke filtering in from the wildfires along the western slope shrouded the mountains as Dad and I charged up Floyd Hill in the Jeep.

I stared worryingly at the sky, wondering how might the day’s adventure be impacted by the wildfires. Sure, we weren’t in any danger of getting caught up in a fire, but I certainly didn’t appreciate the campfire scent that permeated the air, or the fact that the haze was so thick that I couldn’t even make out the mountains ahead of us. I could only hope it would clear out sooner than later. 

After a quick pitstop for snacks and drinks in Georgetown, we headed up Guanella Pass towards the trailhead, located on Georgetown-Snake River Wagon Road. Thanks to a bit of a breeze, there was less smoke in the air; it seemed to be clearing out. 

The very start of the Wagon Road trail was extremely steep and rocky. It seemed that large, river-washed rocks were put there on purpose to deter non-off-roaders from trying their luck. After all, Guanella pass had many places for tourists to pull over, admire the view, and read about history. Surely, a dirt road into the woods would be much more tempting to traverse, if it wasn’t peppered in huge boulders only a lifted jeep could handle. 

Thankfully, as soon as we rounded the first bend, the road smoothed out into a potholed, dirt road, with a swollen creek to its left, and a granite mountainside to its right. The Wagon Road snaked up the mountain for miles, through a dark, mossy forest of Douglas firs and aspens. Every now and then, we would stop to get out of the jeep, stretch our legs, and explore little overgrown trails that peeled off the main trail. 

Slowly but surely, the trees began to shorten and thin out as we climbed. Then, we came across a large, open clearing just below the treeline, where an abandoned mountain town called Waldorf once stood. All that was left of that mountain town were old, stone foundations and piles of mining tailings. Nobody was there, but us.

Talk about the drive up to the mountain crest.