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<br />About the Crystal Valley
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<br />Lodging
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<br />The Crystal Valley (or the Upper Crystal Valley, for some folks) extends from the
<br />intersection of Route 133 and Country Road 3 (where the main road mrr:Jlfto
<br />Marble) up to Scholfield Park, a total distance of about 15 ~es. About , of that
<br />(say, 8 miles) is either paved or at least maintained. The other half is four wheel
<br />drive only. The valley includes two ghost towns: Marble and Crystal. Crystal is
<br />about 6 miles east of Marble, and is inhabited only in the summer. Marble is
<br />Local Arts, inhabited the year around, although the year around population is probably less
<br />Crafts, than one hundred, and the main road through town is unpaved. There are no stree
<br />Businesses lights, stop lights, or any other trappings of civilization.
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<br />Upper
<br />Crystal
<br />River
<br />Caucus
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<br />The valley is traversed by the Crystal River, which has its origin above Scholfield
<br />Park. The river is very scenic, and lives up to its name: the water is so pure that
<br />native fish populations have a hard time surviving due to the lack of nutrients.
<br />Fishing ranges from mediocre to excellent - you have to know where to go, and we
<br />ain't telling here.
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<br />The forests consist of both Aspen groves, and evergreens. Legend has it that the Ut
<br />Indians, upon being driven out of the valley by the early prospectors and settlers, 50
<br />fire to the valley. For good measure they also put a curse on it. At any rate, if the
<br />legend be true, the fire gave the Aspen groves a chance to get started - Aspens are
<br />just big weeds, and will repopulate a bum first. The evergreens take longer. At an)
<br />rate, for whatever reason, there is a large population of Aspen. Many years the bes
<br />fall colors in all of Colorado are in the Crystal Valley, causing a huge influx of .
<br />tourists during the end of September, and the beginning of October. The
<br />combination of evergreens and Aspens is mind boggling. As an aside (whatever
<br />were we talking about anyway?), it is said that Aspen groves are the largest and
<br />oldest living organisms - the contention being that a grove is a single plant, and
<br />some groves are tens of thousands of years old. Go figure.
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<br />We should also mention, while talking about plants in the valley, that you can find
<br />morel mushrooms. But ya gotta know where, and we ain't telling here.
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<br />Wildlife includes deer, elk, cougar, bear, raccoon, fox, marmot, chipmunk, squirrel,
<br />rabbit, skunk, grouse, mice, big horn sheep, mountain goats, eagles, and tourists. A
<br />are harmless, except the mice (hantavirus) and the tourists. '
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<br />Insects include ticks and glow worms. Honest to God. Residents devise ingenious
<br />methods of killing ticks (pulling off all the legs, and letting it lose to starve is,a
<br />favorite). The little blood suckers don't get any more mercy than lawyers.
<br />Incidentally, to the best of our knowledge there are no lawyers in the valley, which
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<br />http://www.marblecolorado.org/about.htm
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<br />3/1 0/2004
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