Sunrise in the mist over Pitkin

Originally named Quartzville, Pitkin, Colorado was founded in 1879 and renamed to honor Governor Frederick W. Pitkin. The 1880 census recorded a population of 1891. Ten years later it had lost 80% of it's population with the mining bust, falling to 371. The population slowly declined over the next 80 years where it hit a low of 44 in 1970. The population has stayed around 60 since then; however, 2000 was an outlier with the census showing 124 year-round residents. The 2010 Census recorded a population of 66 with a 2016 estimate of 69. 

Pitkin is at 9,242 feet, roughly 28 miles northeast of Gunnison, CO. It's a small and friendly community with a lot of seasonal residents, including Bob and Lin Hope, owners of the Pitkin Hotel where we stayed Sunday night. Lin and Bob are both recently retired geologists who purchased the Pitkin Hotel partly because it has the Bunkhouse where they can host geology seminars in the summer. Lin said there are various large groups of people who stay in the Bunkhouse every year. They open the first of June and close around the end of October. The rooms are cosy, and there is a large commons area, a commercial kitchen, and a large grill so you can prepare any food you desire if you have the ingredients. When we got there, a couple of guests were grilling steaks, and preparing potatoes and vegetables for dinner. The sign outside the kitchen read "Ring for Service and Then Help Yourself" 

Frost on our Mazdaspeed3 spoiler Monday morning at sunrise

Pitkin Hotel, built in 1904

Guest Room 2

Guest Room 1 where we stayed

Second floor landing and hallway

Cowboy Bunkhouse

Room with two beds

Commons room

Oh deer!

Pitkin Hotel and City Hall