Legendary Locals
"LORD GORE"
In 1855 -- 4 years before the start of the Colorado Gold Rush, Sir St. George Gore (18th Baronet of Manor Gore, County Donegal, Ireland) embarked on a hunting expedtion to the western Great Plains which would eventually occupy nearly three years (including several months around the "Valley of the Blue") and cover over 6,000 miles. His train was made up of 28 vehicles ranging from cargo and Conestoga wagons to "Pullman" type cars and elegant carraiges; all supported by scores of mules, pack & saddle horses and oxen. His entourage included valets, servants, stockmen, mountain guides (including the legendary Jim Bridger himself), and an expert fly tyer!During the course of his expedition, some of the more notable "accomplishments" of his party included killing over 2,000 buffaloe, 1600 Deer & Elk, 100 Bear and countless Antelope, birds, fish, & small game. Coming at a time before the mass-slaughter of buffalo became common, U.S. Government agents were shocked by his prodigous waste and considered confiscating his pelts and trophies to sell for reparations. In addition to almost totally hunting-out large tracts of Indian lands, they were suspected of causing several forest fires, so perhaps it was a "Kharmic" repayment when he was robbed by Indians in the Black Hills and his party had to walk barefoot and naked for weeks before finding a friendly village. -- His response was an offer (wisely refused by Uncle Sam) to raise and outfit a private army to exterminate the Souix!
At the conclusion of his trip, he intended to sell all of his equipment which originally cost $250,000 (more than $2 Million today), but was so offended by the low offer he got that he set fire to everything -- all the rolling stock, firearms (hand-tooled by Europe's finest gunsmiths), French carpets & commode, First Editions of Dickens, Irving & Scott, scientific instruments, even his own credentials, letters, and journal. -- Then he had the ashes pushed into the river so there couldn't even be any salvage!
Unfortunately for us, the Greenback, Colorado River & YellowTail Cutthroat Trout, Pine Marten, Lynx, Bobcat, River Otter, and others that once thrived in this area have become endangered (or in some cases driven to extinction) without Lord Gore's help. On the other hand, the beautiful Gore Range which for some perverse reason today bears his name is still full of big game and thanks to its inclusion in the Eagles Nest Wildernest Area has been kept in its pristine state and is now home to some of Colorado's rarest species!
"SILVERHEELS"
One of the most beloved characters of the Gold-Boom days along the head-waters of the South Platte was a lovely young "Dance Hall Girl" known simply as "Silverheels".In the late 1880's an out-break of small-pox swept through the gold camps of Alma, Fairplay, Park City, and Buckskin. The tough old miners, not wanting to lose the few precious months of summer or have their claims "jumped", kept digging and took their chances with the plague. Almost all the women and children, however, were evacuated to Denver -- except for Silverheels who stayed behind to care for the many miners who became ill. Eventually she, too, was stricken, but was apparently young & strong enough to survive; but her beauty had been ravaged by "the pox". When she was well enough to leave the infirmary, she retreated to her cabin up near the foot of what is now known as Mount Silverheels, and wasn't seen for weeks.
When a group of concerned prospectors went to check on her, they found her place abandoned. She had disappeared without a trace -- except for her trade-mark silver dancing slippers lying on a table in the middle of the room!
"C.J." Mueller
I have the dubious honor of being able to say "I knew him when..." Since our mothers had been sorority sisters in college, I've "known" John Mueller since pre-school days, but lost touch with him during our high-school years. When I moved to Breckenridge years later, my mother kept nagging me to look up "Little Johnny" Mueller who was also in town. Although my efforts were half-hearted, I frequently heard references to a mogul-skiing maniac called "C.J." and saw a lot of signs on bulletin boards advertising ski tune-ups, used skis for sale, etc., all bearing the cryptic name "C.J. Turkey". Then one day in a local bar, I heard several locals boistrously greeting "C.J." - Looking up, I immediately recognized my childhood pal - since he looked just like my recollections of his father many years before. It turned out that "C.J." stood for "Crazy John", and the "Turkey" part was just his own self-deprecating humor.It was in 1980 that C.J. guaranteed his status as a local legend by making 72 runs down Breckenridge's infamous "Mach I" (then considered one of No. America's steepest & most difficult mogul runs) in a single day! By the time the ancient "7-Up" chair which had enabled him to make so many fast laps was removed a few years later, C.J.'s knees were also giving out. In search of new ways to satisfy his addiction to adrenalin, he came across Speed Skiing - hurtling down inclines nearly as steep as "The Mach" (but groomed as smooth as a billiard table) at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Within a couple of years, C.J. was challenging the world's fastest, and eventually held the World Record on three separate occasions. Before retiring from competition he was also a member of the First (& only) U.S. Olympic Speed Skiing Team.
Jackson Streit
If any of you ever fish with us at The Mountain Angler, you'll almost certainly get to meet the owner, one of the best-known and respected fly-fishermen in Colorado - and practically a "legend in his own time" (...in his own mind?) Jackson (Big Fish) Streit.Long regarded as the master at landing the hook-jawed monster Browns that move up the Middle Fk. of the So. Platte every Fall; he can also coax more Truly Big Fish out of the Blue below Dillon Dam and the Colorado / Williams Fork Confluence Pools than most merely mortal fishermen are likely to see in a lifetime. By far the most effective nymph-fisherman I've ever seen, he has the uncanny ability to pull several good fish out of a run that other skilled fishermen have already worked unsuccessfully.
His reputation as a "fish-catchin' fool" isn't restricted to Colorado Trout; having successfully avoided "the skunk" on several Steelhead trips to Washington and British Columbia. Even in his first attempts at salt-water fishing, he seemed to have "the Midas Touch". The first time he ever fished with live minnows, he lobbed a "Greenie" up under a pier and hauled out a 23 lb. Snook - on his first cast. His first 4 (juvenile) Tarpon were all hooked casting from atop shore-line rocks with a 7-wt. Trout rod (needless to say, none were landed).
The first time he went after Bonefish, his guide was only able to locate one solitary "cruiser" all day. The exchange went something like this:
Guide: OK, mon, up an' ready. -- Bone about 11 o'clock, sixty feet.
Jackson: Where? I'm pretty good at spotting fish, but I don't see anything.
Guide: I be the guide today, mon. -- Fifty feet, 10 o'clock - CAST!
Jackson: (I still don't see anything, but...)
Guide: Good cast, now strip, strip; he's movin' to it - Stop!
Jackson: (Yeah, right...)
Guide: He ate it! STRIKE!!
... the Fishin' Magician had done it again: 1 Bone sighted, 1 cast, 1 fish in hand!