Shrine Pass, elevation , is a

mountain pass A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...

in the

Sawatch Range The Sawatch Range or Saguache RangeThe place name "Saguache” is pronounced “Sawatch” . This name derives from the Ute language noun "''sawup''" meaning "sand dunes" and is spelled using the Spanish language version of this name "Saguach ...

of central

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

. The pass is located at the northern end of the Sawatch Range, along the border of

Eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

and

Summit A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous. The term (mountain top) is generally used ...

counties west of Frisco and northwest of

Vail Pass Vail Pass is a mountain pass in the Rocky Mountains of central Colorado. The pass was named for Charles Vail, a highway engineer and director of the Colorado State Highway Department from 1930 to 1945. Vail Pass lies on the boundary between E ...

. It is traversed by a narrow unpaved road connecting the eastern side of Vail Pass near

Interstate 70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway System, Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from Interstate 15, I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of Interstate 695 (Maryland), I-695 in ...

(east) with the town of Red Cliff in the upper valley of the Eagle River (west). Most of the time, it is a 4WD or jeep trail; however, in ideal weather the road is considered traversable by sturdy 2WD vehicles and light trucks. The pass was formerly the principal route between the upper valleys of the Blue and Eagle before the construction of

U.S. Highway 6 U.S. Route 6 (US 6), also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, honoring the American Civil War Grand Army of the Republic, veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system. While it currently runs east-northeast fr ...

over nearby

, which subsequently became the main route. The pass offers scenic view of wildflower meadows and pine woodlands during the summer and autumn months, as well as distant view of

Mount of the Holy Cross Mount of the Holy Cross is a high and prominent mountain summit in the northern Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains of North America. The fourteener is located in the Holy Cross Wilderness of White River National Forest, west-southwest ...

to the north. It is especially popular as a sightseeing route during the autumn months. During the winter, it is a popular

snowmobile A snowmobile, also known as a Ski-Doo, snowmachine, sled, motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, or snow scooter, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not ...

and

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

route. A car shuttle from the resort town of

Vail Vail is a home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the town is known for its hotels, dining, and for the numero ...

in the Eagle Valley to the town of Red Cliff allows skiers to access the pass. After a one-mile hike upwards, it is possible to descend a ten-mile course back down to the town of Red Cliff.

References

Mountain passes of Colorado Landforms of Eagle County, Colorado Landforms of Summit County, Colorado Transportation in Eagle County, Colorado Transportation in Summit County, Colorado {{Colorado-geo-stub

See also

References