THOMAS MORAN (1837-1926)
Mosquito Pass (4,019 m -13,185 ft)
United States of America (Colorado)
Painted in 1874
The mountain
Mosquito Pass (4,019 m-13,185 ft), is a high mountain pass in the Mosquito Range of central Colorado in the United States. About the origin of the Mosquito pass name, there are lots of versions. One of the most popular says that just after nearby Montgomery was founded, gold was discovered high in the mountains above and gave rise to the town of Mosquito. The name came from a town meeting where a mosquito was crushed between pages of a book during the meeting. It was the only name they could agree on.
Mosquito Pass is situated on the boundary between Lake and Park counties between Leadville (west) and Fairplay (east). It also lies on the divide between the Arkansas and South Platte Rivers, which is the informal demarcation between the northern and southern parts of Colorado east of the Continental Divide.
One of the highest passes in the state, Mosquito Pass can be traversed only on foot, on an off road motorcycle or with a proper four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle. 2WD vehicles will find the road difficult due to the stream crossings and high rocky sections. Even with 4WD, it is typically passable only during the summer months. The best time to attempt the pass is between late July and early September. With such a high summit altitude the road can be closed anytime due to snowfalls. The zone is prone to heavy mist and can be dangerous in low visibility conditions.
The pass is two way, so you could start at Fairplay or Leadville. Starting at the intersection of Highways 285 and 9 it heads towards Alma. There is a sign that marks the entrance to 'Mosquito Gulch' - turn left here (Colorado Highway 12). Proper preparation is essential to having a safe, enjoyable trop on this road. Due to the remoteness of the area, take special care to ensure that your vehicle is ready for the trip: inspect all tires and make sure they are properly inflated, check all vehicle fluids, replace worn hoses and belts, empty your RV's holding tank and fill the water tank, purchase groceries and supplies. For the vehicle, bring at least two full-sized spare tires mounted on rims, tire jack and tools for flat tires, emergency flares, extra gasoline, motor oil, and wiper fluid and a radio.
The pioneering Methodist circuit rider John Lewis Dyer crossed over Mosquito Pass several times a week during the 1860s, using snowshoes in winter, in his mission to spread the gospel. Father Dyer Peak is named in his honor.
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The painter
Thomas Moran was an American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School in New York whose work often featured the Rocky Mountains. Moran and his family took residence in New York where he obtained work as an artist. He was a younger brother of the noted marine artist Edward Moran, with whom he shared a studio. A talented illustrator and exquisite colorist, Thomas Moran was hired as an illustrator at Scribner's Monthly. During the late 1860s, he was appointed the chief illustrator for the magazine, a position that helped him launch his career as one of the premier painters of the American landscape, in particular, the American West.
Moran along with Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Hill, and William Keith are sometimes referred to as belonging to the Rocky Mountain School of landscape painters because of all of the Western landscapes made by this group.
Thomas Moran has a painting exhibited as part of the White House collection. In the photograph depicting President Barack Obama and Israeli President Shimon Peres in the Oval Office it is seen on the wall: the portrait of George Washington is between City of Washington From Beyond the Navy Yard (1833) by George Cooke (on the left) and The Three Tetons (1895) by Thomas Moran (on the right).
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