1949 Berthoud Pass Continental Divide Sign Photograph #CB-660
Brief Description
Three people can be seen in this photograph, captured on top of the Continental Divide at Berthoud Pass in 1949. A rope tow can be seen ascending in the background, along with the remnants of the winter’s snow that has yet to melt.
Info
- Date: July 7, 1949
- Photographer: Unknown
- Medium: Original Photograph
- Size: 3 1/4" x 5 5/8"
- ID: CB-660
- Acquisition Date: April 2024
- Repository: Coloradotopia Archives
Scanned with basic cropping, no enhancements.
Image use restricted.
Image Dating Comments
This photograph has an ink-stamped date of July 7th, 1949, on the back. The snowpack looks to be exactly what you might expect here in early July.
Full Scan
Comments & Discussion
This Continental Divide sign was added by the Colorado State Highway Department, and while it can’t be read in this image, that name is scrolled across the bottom of the sign.
In addition to the sign, this photograph shows a small ski lodge in the background. This is where skiers could buy their lift tickets. This structure was here in the time between when the Berthoud Pass Inn was taken down in 1937 and when the Berthoud Pass Lodge was built in 1949.
The infrastructure of the rope tow can be seen in the background ascending higher on the divide. The chairlift was located on the opposite side of the road, behind where the cameraman was standing.
As the arrows on this sign indicate, water that falls on either side of this point should naturally flow into either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean. Although the water that falls on the northern/western side of the divide here is naturally destined for the Pacific, the Moffat Tunnel changes that. This tunnel includes a set of railroad tracks as well as a separate irrigation pipe that brings water from this basin, through the Continental Divide, and down to Denver.
Condition, Aging & Authenticity: The front surface has nice glossiness with relatively few dimples and marks. All 4 corners have some form of damage, and each is a bit different. There is only a hint of aging on the backside. A pen streak already exists upon entry into the archives. The left edge has some roughness when viewed from the front.
About the Coloradotopia Archives. The Coloradotopia archives hold a large collection of historical images that document Colorado’s auto history in the mountains. You can read more about the Coloradotopia archive project here.
