This is where Dr. Jim Philips is being sequestered by Paul Brader. Notice the mailbox.
This crumbling shack is located near the summit of Imogene Pass which separates Ouray County and San Miguel County in Southwestern Colorado. I saw this shack on a guided jeep tour in 1993 and took the photo above. Several questions immediately jumped to mind: What purpose did the building serve? Did people actually live in this shack on the exposed summit of the pass or was it strictly used for short-term shelter? Was it inhabited year-round? What were the duties of the person / people who lived there? What was it like to spend time living in such a beautiful yet challenging setting? What about that mailbox? I can't imagine it's a sanctioned US Postal Service delivery location .
When I started thinking about writing a novel that takes place in the vicinity of Ouray, I tried to imagine scenarios where this shack could play an important role. When I considered a plot thread that involved Dr. Philips being sequestered in this shed, I had to determine if it was plausible to suggest that someone could survive in the shack over a few winter nights, and that the site could be reached via helicopter. My research indicated that the shack - during its functional period - had indeed housed human inhabitants during the winter. I also learned that local heli-skiing operations indeed use the Imogene Pass area for back-country excursions
Recent photos of this shack indicated that it has been further degraded; I imagine by a combination of exposure to wind & weather and souvenir-hunting tourists. I never did learn the practical function of the mailbox, though.
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