Yule marble quarry

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John Morton

climber
Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 29, 2016 - 10:41am PT
After seeing Jan's mention (in another thread) of exploring Colorado mines with her dad, I am prompted to ask about access to the great Yule Quarry in Marble, Colorado. I never knew to ask for a tour of that stupendous site when Jan's father was involved with it. I stopped by a couple years back to learn that the public is no longer allowed onto the property.

If I knew the lay of the land I'd try and sneak up there. Is this practical?
Jan

Mountain climber
Colorado & Nepal
Sep 29, 2016 - 12:02pm PT
When I was there this past summer, the gate across the bridge was unlocked and tourists were driving up there. Most of the marble has been trucked out of the old mill site and the piece quarried for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier has been sent back east for milling. It seems that the whole thing is in one of its down cycles again. As for visiting, you can always walk up there on a weekend or moonlit night when everyone's in bed and check it out for yourself even if it is private (a major Forest Service Trail goes right by it).
John Morton

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 29, 2016 - 05:12pm PT
Thanks, this is good news. This goes on my list for Colorado travel. I'm a big fan of historic industrial sites, of which this is one of the best in the American west.
originalpmac

Mountain climber
Anywhere I like
Sep 29, 2016 - 10:43pm PT
Coool! Any more pictures?
ydpl8s

Trad climber
Santa Monica, California
Sep 30, 2016 - 09:42am PT
Here's one from the general area.

BASE104

Social climber
An Oil Field
Sep 30, 2016 - 10:04am PT
It was a working quarry 5 or so years ago. I've never been inside, but have driven past the gate a number of times, and during the summer, it was working.

I nabbed some big chunks from the Crystal River. They had a narrow gauge railway to Carbondale at one point. You can still see the remains of the tracks along the River above Redstone.

A friend of mind was hired to rig a huge tarp over the opening one winter at least. He said it was freaking huge inside.

I once spent several months in a cabin above Marble, with a clear view of the quarry area. For some reason, a very clean limestone was heated and pressurized to super pretty white marble. I've read that it is one of the whitest marbles in the world, but it has a tendency to spall. That is where a piece spontaneously falls off.

That has to do with the pressure of the rock when it cooled at depth. Yosemite granite is the same. Rocks have internal stress that you wouldn't believe.
John Morton

climber
Topic Author's Reply - Sep 30, 2016 - 10:50am PT
Jan, would you happen to have any quarry photos to share? Or anecdotes about Sid Baker and his involvement with the quarry?

I think of Jan's father as a prototype from a bygone era, when early training in science often veered over to a jack-of-all-trades career in the outdoors. It took me awhile to appreciate it, but Sid had an enviable array of survival and practical skills.
Messages 1 - 7 of total 7 in this topic
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