Climax Molybdenum

High above Leadville, CO is the Climax Molybdenum Mine which sits at 11,300 feet at the top of Fremont Pass. This mine has been in operation off and on since World War 1 when it was discovered that molybdenum was useful in hardening the steel used for military equipment. For many years, the mine employed hundreds of people from Leadville, Colorado. When it shut down for several years the residents of Leadville were severely affected. Now, the mine is back in operation on a limited scale and the economy of Leadville is based more on tourism than on mining.

The photos shown here are of the tailings from that mine which are filling in the valley below. The memorial stone is in memory of three towns that once sat in that valley.
It is hard for the photos to give the massive size of these tailing but you can believe me when I say it is huge. 30 years ago when I first saw this operation the tailings were hundreds of feet lower in elevation. I was shocked to see how high it has grown.









The intention is to plant trees and vegetation on the tailings when they finish filling up the valley.

If I remember correctly there are 144 miles of tunnels in this mine which just boggels my mind.