The trail above the river was used as a wagon road from the early 1880s to about 1917. John A. Williams drove a team of mules over it in 1911 hauling supplies for the Williams General Store in Crystal. Anton Danni drove a supply wagon over it in 1916. The following item was taken from the _Marble Booster_ newspaper, Aug. 12, 1916:
“Tom Boughton, John J. Walsh, D. E. Dever, and Chas. Sisteg, elected at a caucus to represent Marble as delegates to the Democratic County Convention which convened at Gunnison Monday, left here early last Sunday morning, via Crystal (Schofield Pass) driving (horses) most of the distance and enjoying a motor ride the rest of the way.”
These are the last authentic accounts of this wagon road being used I can find; so presume it was closed by rock slides shortly after this date. Over 40 years passed before this scenic part of Colorado was again made available to travel, mainly through the efforts of Gunnison County Commissioner Anton Danni and his road overseer who made several trips from Schofield to Crystal City, on foot, to see if it were possible, and feasible, to open a jeep road. They decided it was and on Aug. 5, 1958, after many months of hard work, the first jeeps came through from Crested Butte to Marble. In 1959 they hope to improve the road enough to permit passenger cars to come down; but no vehicle without a 4-wheel drive could make the trip up the canyon.
The first group to make the trip over the new road was composed of the following people:
Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Cain Almont, Colo. Mr. and Mrs. Bart Cox Almont, Colo. Mr. and Mrs. John Ramsey Almont, Colo. Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Gauby Santa Monica, Calif. Mrs. Jane Schmidt Almont, Colo. Mrs. C. Haase Almont, Colo. Mr. and Mrs. I. Fifer Lake Forest, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Shumate Milwaukee, Wis.
Leaving the punch bowls the river runs another mile and a half before the North Fork from Lead King Basin joins it. This tributary drains another scenic valley. Snowmass Peak (14,077 ft. El.), Maroon Peak (14,158 ft.) and Hagerman Peak can be seen in the background. Beautiful trails wind through the various draws leading to Geneva Lake and the Maroon Belles where fishing is at its best. This is also a highly mineralized valley: silver, copper, lead, and zinc predominating. The Copper King, 20th Century, Winchester, El Negroero and half of the Richardson, all located in this basin, belong to Lee Sperry of the Ragged Mountain district.