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1. (9594ft,mile00) START-END NORTH: Breckenridge 2. (10363ft,mile04) beginning of Boreas Pass railbed trail 3. (10854ft,mile07) Baker's Tank watertower for steam engines 4. (11481ft,mile10) TOP: Boreas Pass 5. (10093ft,mile17) continue to left downvalley 6. (9800ft,mile20) START-END SOUTH ALTERNATE: Como 7. (9681ft,mile21) START-END SOUTH: junction with US285

Approaches

From North. The description above really refers to only part of the northern approach shown in the profile. The steepest part on this side is actually the paved road from Breckenridge to the point where many of the bikers park their cars to access the trail. This is also where the railbed starts. It traverses above North Taryall Creek, slicing trough rock outcrops like no biketrail, that had not been a railroad in a former life, could ever do. Along the way it passes a watertower and log structures hinting at a bygone era.

From South. The lower part of today's dirt road does not follow the railroad grade, but was built by army engineers in training. The road may be quite sandy and exhibit washboard characteristics. Only a fraction of the cyclists starting out in Breckenridge reach this part before turning back.

Tours

Dayrides. Riding up, partly over and back over the pass makes a great family outing. But many longer options exist. Because of the multitude of passes pioneered by miners across Hoosier ridge, Boreas Pass can be part of several, long circle day rides, crossing Hoosier Ridge twice. Boreas Pass can be combined with the paved Hoosier Pass and insignificant Red Hill Pass. This option measured 54 miles with a mechanical on board odometer (m1:88.06.26).

Boreas Pass can also be combined with the partial single track French Pass. The whole circle contains about 10 miles of hard top along route 285. Such a ride measured 67 miles with 4700ft of climbing in 6:7 hours (m2:98.08.23).

A shorter but rougher route uses a short section without trail on Hoosier Ridge. A ride starting on Co9 near French Gulch, north of Breckenridge, crossing Boreas Pass to Como, then returning over the unrecognized Hoosier Ridge summit(u): North Tarryall Creek - Pennsylvania Creek back through Blue River and Breckenridge to the starting point measured 45 miles with 3800ft of climbing (m2:98.08.20)

History

Colorado Gold Rush of 1859/60 (<Red Hill Pass|Georgia Pass>): In the late summer of 1859 the gold rush of Colorado was still in its first year. The major center of gold activity in this area was Clear Creek in South Park, centered around Tarryall Creek on the south side.

In the warm weather of late summer, gold seekers became more mountain happy and crossed over to the Blue River, calling the crossing Breckinridge Pass, after Buchanan's vice president. The time for choosing sides between the confederate slave owning south and the union north was getting closer. The town's union republicans learned that vice president Breckinridge had joined the confederate army. In an attempt to change the name of the town but keeping the recognition factor on their side, they renamed the town Breckenridge, replacing an i with e. By August of next year the route had been improved to a wagon road.

Railroads (<Cumbres Pass|Fremont Pass>) : The major markets to be served by the railways had already been divided amongst the victors. The DRG ( Denver Rio Grande ) ruled Leadville, Gunnison and Durango. The DSP ( Denver South Park )  was now controlled by the UP (Union Pacific). After successful hasty construction to control a majority of the markets by the DRG, the DSP wanted to build something too. If nothing else it would generate business for the parent, the UP, on which the DSP was heavily dependant for construction materials

Furthermore, mining prospects were bright on the other side of the mountains, the area south of the rim around South Park. In the Kenosha Pass page we saw how the DSP had conquered that pass, in what seems half an eternity ago. Now business was waiting on the other side of Breckenridge Pass. The new name Boreas Pass was instituted during the construction of the rail bed. It was chosen for the north wind howling over the top. The pass was also another step towards a competing railhead in Leadville. It was not too long ago, that the UP had helped the DRG to keep the DSP away from that source of income (see Weston Pass). Now that the UP controlled the DSP, it had to cross not only Boreas Pass on its way to Leadville, but also Fremont Pass.

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