Miners had to adapt to overcome the challenges presented by Colorado's geography in order to find gold! Living in the Rocky Mountains wasn't easy - from the terrain, to transportation to weather. Look through the pictures to determine what miners did to adapt and overcome these challenges. Identify the challenge and the adaptation in each image.

A miner and two burros loaded with supplies stand along a path

A miner and two burros loaded with supplies stand along a path identified as the Gold Belt Trail, probably in Ouray County, Colorado.

Negative, Along the Gold Belt Trail

History Colorado

Men pose by a Denver & Rio Grande engine and the Eagle River at the Belden Mine in Eagle County, Colorado

Men pose by a Denver & Rio Grande engine and the Eagle River at the Belden Mine in Eagle County, Colorado.

Negative, In Eagle River Canyon

Mount Shavano (over 14,000 ft) towers over the town of Monarch in Chaffee County, Colorado

Mount Shavano towers over the town of Monarch (Chaffee County), Colorado. Shows residences, commercial buildings, and railroad tracks.

Negative, Monarch - a Mountain Mining Town

High altitudes and cold weather made life in mining towns difficult. It was also 

difficult to transport materials to and from mining towns

 due to steep mountainsides. To adapt to these conditions, miners often tried to 

establish their towns at the bases of mountains 

where it was often more flat and less exposed. Miners also used 

Slide 1: access to the mountains, burros for transportation

Slide 2: access to the mountains, railroad built

Slide 3: weather and steep mountainsides, built town below instead

A view of Aspen (Pitkin County), Colorado shows mine buildings, railroad trains and bridges, wood frame houses and public buildings. Aspen Mountain is in the distance.

Standards for Adapting to Overcome Challenges

College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework