The truck was on State Highway 133, which goes from Hotchkiss to Carbondale, when the driver turned on CR 3 heading to the town of Marble. From there, it attempted a road along the Crystal River that is only used by four-wheel-drive vehicles. CR 3 eventually passes the historic, abandoned Crystal Mill before arriving in the tiny town of Crystal, high in the backcountry.

The big rig first got stuck on Wednesday and “remained jack-knifed across the popular route … until tow trucks extracted it on Friday, Aug. 18, around noon,” the . “Over the 40-hour period, nobody could get by except pedestrians, bicycles and dirt bikes.”

As incredulous as the situation sounds, it’s not the first time — and probably won’t be the last, considering how frequently Glenwood Canyon is closed these days due to rock or mudslides — a truck has been stuck on a high mountain road that was meant for SUVs.

In 2020, while trying to negotiate the Alpine Loop, which connects Silverton and Lake City, according to the Durango Herald.

“All-wheel drive or 4×4 is a must, and a higher-clearance vehicle is recommended,” for this dirt road, .

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The closure, first reported by the Colorado Sun, came in response to trespassers who have stolen pieces of the building and defaced it in other ways. But it does nothing to diminish the experience of visiting the area and photographing the mill, according to Sam Smith Wilkey, who owns . In fact, she said, it has “enhanced” it.

A viewing area, from which generations of photographers have captured images of the building, remains accessible. The closure of a 50-foot trail merely blocks access to Crystal River and the building. In fact, Wilkey is grateful that visitors can no longer congregate beside the river and ruin photos that she takes from the viewing area.

“Everyone wants to get the shot — photographers, influencers, even I want the shot,” said Gilkey, who grew up in the area. “Every day that I go up, I take pictures of the mill because it¶¶Òõap pretty. I love the mill. She’s part of my soul. I don’t want people in my shot.”

Cox could not be reached for comment, but Wilkey praised him for the way the closure was executed.

“It¶¶Òõap 50 feet from the viewing area at the road, down to the river,” Wilkey said. “He utilized natural barriers — old logs that he found in the woods – and it looks awesome, perfect, lovely. I was pleasantly surprised. It doesn’t ruin anybody’s picture, and it makes it near impossible to get down to the river. And that would be the access to get inside the mill. We support it, and we appreciate it.”

Located 6 miles west of Marble, the . It was built beside a dam with a water-wheel turbine to operate an air compressor that served mines in the area before closing in 1917. Getting there requires negotiating a rocky road from Marble that in some places is only 8 feet wide, making it a destination best suited to hikers, mountain bikers, four-by-four vehicles and horseback riders.

Wilkey said Cox’s main concern was preservation of the building, which she described as “very delicate” because of its age.

“His main concern is keeping the mill standing, keeping it as pristine as he can,” Gilkey said. “It¶¶Òõap his property. What he’s chosen to do is the right thing for everybody.”

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