< Left Panel   Colorado Summits and Passes   Areas   Tables   Maps   All Favorites   Main Panel:   Main Page   Map+Profile   Colorado Map

1.(7731ft,mile00) START-END NORTH: Dowds Junction, connects with Vail Pass profile 2.(7841ft,mile02) town of  Minturn 3.(9267ft,mile08) TOP: Battle Mountain Summit 4.(8562ft,mile10) START-END SOUTH: go left into Redcliff and Shrine Pass profile or straight to Tennessee Pass

Approaches

From North. Near the top of the summit an aura of historic decay oozes over the tourist. Abandoned housing from mining workers look fit enough for a movie set, staging the Great Depression. Amazingly the houses on the cliff don't slide off. They still cling to the edges after all this time.

From South. (also described upwards) The bridge, pictured in the middle, makes an imposing landmark at the beginning of the southern ascent. But it disappears below quickly. On the way up you catch interesting glimpses of peaks in the Holy Cross group, all part of the Gore Range, as well as the old railbed in the depths below

Dayride with this point as highest summit

PARTIALLY PAVED / UNPAVED

Battle Hill Summit: Minturn > following railroad tracks in the canyon of the Eagle River > north > Co24 south > Battle Hill Summit > back to Minturn:
Notes: with G; still have to look up distance and climbing. We did this ride shortly after the rails in the canyon were abandoned. Along the way the route passes the old Eagle mine and its barrels of chemicals. This old mine should be cleaned up. Then the route in the canyon could easily be converted to what would easily become one of the best known, most scenic rail-to-bike trails in the US. In combination with the Vail Pass and the Copper Mountain to Breckenridge bike trail, it would be an unparalleled multi day route over nothing but bike paths.

Dayrides with this point as intermediate summit are on pages: 

FR745 Lime Creek Rd s(u)
Shrine Pass

A Day with this point as intermediate summit on a three day tour is on page:

Vail Pass

History

Hayden Survey (<Tennesee Pass|Yellowjacket Pass>) You cannot get a good view of Mount Holy Cross from Battle Hill Summit. But you can get a great view of the mountain, that made the view of Mount Holy Cross famous, and that is Notch Mountain. You can't miss the sign pointing towards the left and into the sky, when climbing Battle Hill Summit from the north side.

In the 1880s the American West had a new religious icon, the striking image of a cross on a mountain face. A segment of population in the eastern cities became so mystified by this, that its exploration became a major objective of the Hayden Survey of 1873. The team located the mountain north west of Tennesee Pass, and on August 22nd, the well known survey photographer HW Jackson took the photo that would make the mountain famous from the top of Notch Mountain. The Hayden Survey triangulated the peak at 13999 feet, which is amazingly close to today's official number of 14005 feet. These six feet account for thousands of subsequent visits of 14er climbers.

Subsequently the pilgrimages reportedly numbered in the hundreds, and amongst them are the ususal reported faith healings. Western landscape painter Thomas Moran also painted the mountain. Mount Holy Cross was a designated national monument between 1929 and after WW2, when interest declined.

Mining. The history of the mine which is visible along this route dates from 1879 to the 1970s. The New Jersey Zinc company was the final entity to operate it before going out of business.