Scenery on the Alpine Loop Back Country Scenic Byway - Native Americans came to these mountains for centuries to hunt and gather food. In the late 1800s they were replaced by miners who came in search of a different livelihood – silver, gold, lead, and zinc. These hardy pioneers carved a network of roads through this rugged terrain to enable them to transport ore and supplies by mule-drawn wagons to and from Silverton, Ouray, and Lake City. Photo by Sally Pearce.
