June 2, 2007
Finding Pitkin, Colorado, in person is not as easy as locating it on Google Earth.
We found it but not by accident. We were on a mission, and one may quite naturally wonder why. You will not be the first to ask.
My sister and my husband and I chose to drive west across the Continental Divide to Gunnison County in southwest Colorado and try to locate this hidden, unspoiled tiny town with its spectacular gorgeous mountain scenery and friendly people.
My husband, who is not a happy traveler by choice, is the one who, oddly enough, came up with the notion of finding Pitkin.
I had never heard of Pitkin even though I have visited much of the State of Colorado over the years. My sister lives in Colorado, and she, too, had never been to Pitkin.
Let me stop your imagination right now.
If you have any romantic notions about moving there to retire like he must have been harboring, you might want to try the summers first. The winters are harsh, and the spring muddy from melting snow, sometimes up to 300 inches a year! Only the hardiest of folks winter in this unique town, population 124. As of the 2000 census, there were 47 households and 35 families. Not much has changed since then.
The husband, non-traveler if he had his druthers, began to ask me how to Google Search Pitkin. Not his normal conversation to say the least. Turns out that a traveling salesman raved about Pitkin every time he stopped by the office. The salesman’s stories about this “Northern Exposure” type of town (if you recall the television show) piqued the non-traveler’s interest. Soon, the non-traveler was spending his evenings researching this minuscule town tucked deep into the center of the Rocky Mountains.
Next thing I knew he had written his vacation days on the schedule at work, and we were off. Sister wanted to go along because it did indeed seem like an adventure. It did not disappoint.
Timing is everything as they say, but there were a couple of minor problems with his. I had foot surgery 2 days prior, and my sister had undergone minor back surgery a week earlier. I had a heavily wrapped foot, still bleeding slightly but protected by a walking shoe. I had a cane. She had a neck brace. We were both on pain meds. You get the picture.
Meanwhile, the non-traveler had no idea how to find Pitkin, but he did have a map. He never crosses Kansas without a map, by the way, even though the most skittish traveler among you would have to agree it is a bit tough to get lost on I-70 crossing Kansas.
Never mind that, we were on our way to Pitkin, and once we found it, simply loved the town, its residents, and the scenery.
For several miles, we were not sure we were actually on the right road. Our directions said to cross Monarch Pass on Highway 50, turn right at Parlin and go through Ohio City.
Sounds easy enough, but the problem was the mountains had disappeared. We found ourselves on high plains with desolate countryside and no gorgeous scenery. Where was it? Certainly the travel websites had not pictured this type of terrain.
Tip to travelers, just keep driving and eventually one comes out of the scrub brush pastureland to the mountain oasis of tiny Pitkin. There is only one road in to Pitkin if you turn at Parlin so just keep on truckin’.
The town offers travelers all the basics you will need: the Pitkin Historical and Community Center, cabins and a small hotel, a bed and breakfast, and two general stores with gas stations. You cannot miss any of these business establishments, nor do you need a map once there.
One more travel tip.
Locate a local guide to help you drive into Quartz Creek near Pitkin. Do not go without permission, do not trash the pristine land, and keep an eye out for bears. We did a lot of driving through this area with the assistance of a local realtor, and we never got out of the vehicle. This was mostly due to the fact that the invalids aboard could not walk very far. The idea of out-running a bear was also out of the question on this particular trip.
In Pitkin, you will likely see lots of critters, such as bear, moose, bighorn sheep, bull elk, deer, marmot, fox, and fish spawning in the hatcheries.
In the summer, one can visit a nearby gold mine, ghost towns, go four-wheeling, mountain biking, fishing, and hiking. In late fall, one can snowmobile, snowshoe, or cross-country ski. Not many venture deep in the mountains during winter unless one has a snow cat. For skiers, the nearest downhill resort is at Crested Butte, a bit of a drive north of Gunnison.
Would the travelers go back? Absolutely, this time without casts and ready to hike.
As they say in Pitkin, on its coldest day Pitkin is as warm and hospitable as any place can be.
