49.2

Standing proud and tall high above Marble, Colorado, the Old Crystal Mill silently watches over the ghost town of Crystal. Once a thriving mining town, Crystal is now only a few scenic buildings that give us a glimpse into a century passed.

The Old Crystal Mill was built in 1893 on the Lost Horse Millsite. Originally called, Sheep Mountain Power House, it really wasn't a mill at all; rather, it was a power generating station that worked the mechanical air compressor for drills used in the nearby Sheep Mountain and Bear Mountain silver mines. Closed in 1917, this beautiful and elegant sentry is now a registered historical landmark.

This Colorado icon is extremely remote, only accessible by high clearance four-wheel drive vehicles, horseback, mountain bike...or most of the day on foot. This photograph was a rewarding prize for the effort, elegantly capturing the stunning colors and inspiring light of fall.