Near Lake City, Colorado

The High Lonesome, they call it, and the name describes this part of the Colorado Rockies well. The remoteness and the brutal weather do tend to keep people away. But the promise of mineral treasures brought those who were made of sturdier-than-average stuff. The mining ruins scattered all over the mountains attest to their perseverance in the face of hardship.

I encountered this mining ruin on the jeep road between 12,800-foot Engineer Pass and the town of Lake City, in southwestern Colorado. For those who venture into this high country these days, the magnificent scenery is treasure enough.